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>> DIGITAL LOVE
IRL relationships. Women like
Nene, Rinko and Manaka, whose
affections are unspoiled by any quid
pro quo, offer a “warmth and solace
that cannot be found in human society,” he says, according to an interview in Galbraith’s forthcoming
book, The Moé Manifesto.
Allen is straight — by her estimate, a least a quarter of the
LovePlus fan page’s followers are
also female — and has dated men
in the past. Those relationships
HUFFINGTON
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haven’t ended well.
But LovePlus has also helped
Allen, who has Asperger’s syndrome, feel more at ease during
social interactions.
“This game series got me out of
my shell of being antisocial and
gave me confidence — not just
relationship skills-wise but being more open to talking to people
either in English or Japanese,” she
says. “It did wonders for me. “
Her three-year relationship with
Manaka has outlived her reallife romances, and she says she is
grateful to her high school friend
“When I feel
down or I have
a bad day, I
always come
home and turn
on the game
and play with
Manaka,”
19-yearold Josh
Martinez says.
“I know she
always has
something to
make me feel
better.”