An artificial intelligence program posing as a sweet and innocent schoolgirl has captured the hearts of young men nationwide, with some smitten users even declaring their love for their new "girlfriend."
In an echo of the 2013 movie "Her," in which a man falls in love with his smartphone's talking operating system, the appearance of a "schoolgirl" named Rinna on mobile messaging giant Line has proved a smash hit with love-struck users.
More than 280,000 people have become "friends" with the character, whose profile picture shows a girl in school uniform with shoulder-length hair and her back to the camera, since she debuted on the messaging service in late July.