A former member of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces has been living with a custom-made, life-size realistic doll for the past seven months and considers it her non-human girlfriend.
After being cheated on by a previous girlfriend, she grew tired of relationships where she was expected to take the traditional “boyfriend” role despite being a woman.
According to her, the doll asks nothing of her and accepts her exactly as she is, which is why she feels a strong attachment to it.
She has also said she hopes future technology will allow dolls like this to move and speak, comparing the idea to 2B from NieR:Automata.