Losing a close family member is one of the toughest moments anyone can face, and each person finds their own way to cope with grief. In Japan, a fan of the The Idolmaster Shiny Colors franchise recently shared how they decided to say goodbye to their mother at her wake accompanied by a small plushie of idol Koito Fukamaru, sparking a wave of reactions ranging from respect to debate about the appropriateness of the situation.

The user explained on social media that in mid-October they had to say their final goodbye to their mom, who suffered a cardiac arrest from which she unfortunately could not recover. As the fan recounted, during one of their last visits to her residence, they showed her the character plushie and noticed her smile brighten upon seeing it. That moment was so special for both that they didn’t hesitate to include the small fabric figure during the funeral ceremonies to accompany her one last time.

For the wake arrangements, the fan hired a specialized floral decoration company to create an English garden-style altar filled with Western flowers, fulfilling their mother’s lifelong love for plants. Images of the decorated venue and the figure resting there quickly spread online, igniting divided opinions. On one hand, many highlighted the beautiful sentimental meaning behind the gesture as it was a shared memory between mother and child. On the other hand, some users questioned whether it was appropriate to photograph such an intimate and somber moment alongside a fandom object and share it openly on the internet.

The Idolmaster Shiny Colors is a popular spin-off of the well-known idol simulator franchise by Bandai Namco. Within this universe, Koito Fukamaru stands out as a shy yet dedicated girl who is part of the noctchill group and has won the community’s affection thanks to her perfectionist personality and cute design.

Among fans of this type of franchise, the practice of nui-katsu is very common—a trend where people take plushies of their favorite characters on trips, to restaurants, or special events to take photos in their daily lives. The user in question is quite active in this hobby, even going so far as to make custom clothing for the figures of several characters.

Do you think this type of personal tribute should remain private, or do you see it as a lovely farewell gesture?