WITCHITA, Kan. — Local anime enthusiast Aaron Ruiz has decided that he’s ready to take the next big step with his current girlfriend, sources report.
“I really wanted to take things slow in the beginning,” said Ruiz. “We started off with Cowboy Bebop, and she seemed to enjoy it. Then after a few years together we moved on to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. It’s now been four years and things have still been going really well: we traveled for a bit, signed a new lease together, and we’re a great team. I’ve asked her dad’s permission, so during this upcoming holiday season I’m planning to pop the question: I’m going to ask her to start One Piece with me.”
Ruiz’s girlfriend Tara Huffman mentioned that Ruiz brought up taking this step together when they previously discussed their future goals.
“Yeah, I wasn’t really into anime before Aaron and I got together. But we’ve watched a few, and I can see why they have such massive followings. When he first brought up One Piece, I had to really think about it. Over a thousand episodes? That’s a big commitment,” said Huffman. “But I’ve heard that it’s a fun pirate adventure about the importance of found family. There’s also a clown pirate, and a bunch of weird, cursed fruit. That sounds fun to me. I don’t know what a Tony Tony Chopper is, but I guess I’m looking forward to finding out.”
Marriage and family therapist Dr. Abigail Dodson weighed in on the cultural significance of the couple’s milestone.
“First off, congratulations to the happy couple. This type of commitment is much more common than one might think,” stated Dodson. “In recent years, more partnerships have been choosing to forgo traditional relationship milestones like marriage and having kids. Instead, we’re starting to see more non-traditional vows and celebrations of commitment, like binging an excessively long anime series together. It makes sense financially: the average cost of a wedding in 2023 is roughly $30,000. Why would you go through the hardship of paying that when Crunchyroll is free with ads?”
At press time, Ruiz and Huffman have created a registry of snacks and pirate regalia for friends and family who are interested in buying them a gift to celebrate this exciting milestone.
