This reportage tells the story of women and men who choose to marry fictional characters, mainly from manga and video games. It explores a phenomenon at the crossroads of otaku culture, the merchandising economy, and new forms of emotional attachment. Behind the apparent strangeness of the subject emerge deeply contemporary questions facing our societies: chosen or imposed loneliness, social pressure, economic hardship, the growing power of the virtual world, and the transformation of relationships — and perhaps even of the family itself.