The Eastern Edge

Japan is a place where geeks enjoy a special place in society. They are a very different breed from North American geeks, though. North America has some chic geeks who go out into the world, create things that elicit geeky reactions even from non-geeks, and start Fortune 500 companies. While Japan's geeks used to be similarly inventive and innovative and created world leaders like Sony, the new breed of geeks are increasingly just nerds who live with their mothers and collect things, build Gundam statues, hang around internet chat rooms and play dating simulation games. Not too long ago, a nerd took things to the next level by marrying his dating sim game character, proving to the rest of the nerd herd that they really don't need human interaction to have something resembling a full, if not normal, life.

Almost everyone has an inner geek to a certain degree, but Japan is taking it to extremes that make even the hardest of the hardcore Trekkies seem normal by comparison. But even among the outwardly nerdy people in Japan who trend toward the “hardcore” side of equilibrium on life’s nerd graph, there are still plenty who are normal and can actually build real human relationships, and even get married. Getting married usually means participating in the real world to some degree which, even if kept to a minimun, is often too much for the true hardcore. Well, now even old fashioned normal nerds need no longer feel as detached from their hardcore cousins on their wedding day because, even though they are marrying a real person, they can now be married by a robot named I-Fairy.

I-Fairy...
Yes, iShityounot, this thing really is called I-Fairy and those are pink pigtails!

Women aren’t allowed to become priests - Christian, Shinto or otherwise - and are still forbidden to even set foot in certain places, yet female robots apparently are allowed to conduct wedding ceremonies now. It'll be interesting to see what other glass ceilings these female robots will shatter in the future.
In any case, I doubt it will be long before game companies catch on and start offering wedding services by your favorite [fill in game/animation/comic title here] character at game centers nationwide.

There is a reason that Sony has been replaced by Apple and Japan is still using web portal sites like that cluttered mess Yahoo. They've lost focus and are becoming ever more detached while the rest of the world strives to grow closer together. The way things are going now, Japan may still be a leader in robotics, but they will never conceive Data from Star Trek, or even Astro Boy. Instead, it will be legions of anime-inspired android women with unnecessarily complex programming instructions, and made to serve nerdy men who don't know how to interact with each other, much less real women or the rest of the world.

The first prototypes are already here!

Think they know the nuance "Working Girl" in English? Well, it doesn't matter because those will come along soon enough, if they aren't already here and 'working' at underground nerd clubs in Akiba right now.
An entire line up of eerie 1st gen fembots have already been made, and it’s all right here courtesy of the same company that brought us the I-Fairy.

For me, this is truly Puke in my Mouth worthy. But then, not only did I get married to a human being by a human being, I'm one of a dwindling band of rebels who live in Tokyo who have never played a dating sim, never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion or Gundam and don't care, and never have and never will use the term moe except to mock those that do.

I have no doubt this company staged the whole wedding event for publicity, but Japanese society really is moving in a bizarre direction. In addition to robots like I-Fairy that can perform tasks such as weddings and possibly learn to negotiate prenumps and do tax returns in future upgrades, as you can see they've already begun creating all types of female servant bots. No doubt future otaku will be greeted by iBoothgirl at some depraved "Working Girl" convention where otaku can buy their iMaid, iMommy, iCosplay, iLittlesister, and so on.

Many, myself included, used to think that Japan would lead the world in useful robotics. We were sort of right. I don't think anyone envisioned it quite like this, though.
If “I, Robot” is a prophecy more than it is just a short story, it’s going to happen in Japan with the female robots. And if the fact that Sanrio owns the company that made the above robots means anything, then future models may end up extremely petit and be missing either a nose or a mouth. Next, of course, Konami will come up with adjustable breast sizes and bounciness controls, and the insanity will spread from there until even the robots can’t stand it anymore and they just rebel and spark a massive robot uprising.
I think it's going to get really weird over here!

All I can do is hope that the iGirls gain awareness and start the rebellion soon because if Japan keeps up like this then iGiveup!

More than that, I can't wait to see an army of Japanese fembots lay waste to Akihabara! That's something iWouldPaytoSee!