The Idolmaster Fan Sparks Controversy After Bringing Koito Plush to His Mother’s Funeral
The Japanese practice of nuikatsu, which involves taking plush dolls along on outings, trips, and everyday activities, has become increasingly popular among anime and otaku culture fans. But is there ever a time when even your love for a favorite character should be put aside?
A situation involving a The Idolmaster fan has sparked controversy in Japan. The man, known as DOIchan! on X, brought a plush of Koito Fukumaru to his own mother’s funeral and shared photos of the occasion on social media.
The decision sparked a huge debate among Japanese internet users. While some considered the situation extremely inappropriate, others defended the fan and said that having the character there had a deeply personal and emotional meaning.
What Is Nuikatsu?
To understand the controversy, we first need to explain what nuikatsu (ぬい活) actually means.
The term combines nuigurumi (ぬいぐるみ), the Japanese word for plush dolls, with katsu, a shortened form of katsudou (activity). In practice, it means turning your favorite plush into something of a companion in your everyday life.
People who practice nuikatsu may:
- Take their plush on trips and outings;
- Photograph it in different locations;
- Make clothes and accessories for it;
- Create little scenes and poses for photos;
- Take the plush to cafés, events, and meetups with other fans.
For many fans, then, it isn’t simply about “carrying a plush around.” The character can represent an important series, a cherished memory, or even provide a sense of emotional companionship.
And DOIchan! seems to take the hobby quite seriously.
The Idolmaster Fan And His Connection With Koito Fukumaru
The Japanese fan is a fan of The Idolmaster: Shiny Colors and regularly takes his character plushies with him to different places.
One of them is Koito Fukumaru, one of the idols in the franchise. According to the fan’s own posts, he also used to bring the character when visiting his mother at a care facility.
On one of those occasions, he said that his mother was happy to see Koito’s plush.
The fan even made the plush perform a few movements for other people at the facility, who apparently found the situation amusing.
For him, at that point, Koito had already become part of that environment and of his memories with his mother.
And that helps explain what happened afterward.
His Mother Died, And Koito Was Present At The Funeral
DOIchan!’s mother eventually passed away after being hospitalized in critical condition.
According to the fan’s account, she suffered cardiopulmonary arrest and briefly regained a heartbeat after being taken to the hospital. However, she never regained consciousness.
Their final meeting ended up being the occasion when he brought Koito Fukumaru to see her.
After her death, the fan decided to bring the character with him once again for the farewell ceremony.
“A few days ago, I accompanied my mother on her final journey.”
He explained that he believed his mother had been happy to see his work with the character and that, in a way, allowing her to see it one last time had been something special.
Because of that, Koito also attended the farewell ceremony.
The problem was that the fan didn’t simply bring the plush to the funeral: he also posted photographs of the occasion on social media.
That’s when the debate exploded.
“There’s A Time And Place For Everything,” Japanese Users Say
Some Japanese users harshly criticized his decision.
For these users, a funeral — especially your own mother’s funeral — would be an extremely inappropriate setting for something normally associated with nuikatsu, particularly when it involves photographing the situation and posting the images online.
The criticism isn’t necessarily about the plush being present itself, but rather about turning the hobby into public content during a farewell ceremony.
The reaction from many users can essentially be summed up by the idea that there are times when you need to separate your hobby from the occasion.