Akane Torikai, a renowned manga artist, has released an essay titled "The Greatest Absurdity of This Century: Yet, I Wanted to Get Married" where she shares her insights leading up to her third marriage while facing the absurdity of renaming herself upon marriage. Through her experiences of being married twice before and undergoing a name change each time, she reflects on the cultural expectations placed on women in Japan and how these have impacted her identity and relationships. Torikai contrasts the euphoria she initially felt when adopting her husband's surname with the realization of what she lost in the process, especially in relation to her sense of self and autonomy.

In her essay, Torikai discusses the challenges women face when entering marriage in a society that often places men in a position of higher respect and dignity. Although she acknowledges that not all marriages result in a power imbalance due to surname changes, she feels her own experiences were clearly affected by the changes she made. She expresses her struggle with the societal pressures to conform to the role of a wife, often feeling she needed to forsake her identity to fit into what was expected of her. This revelation marks a critical point in her narrative, highlighting the internal conflicts many women face regarding their self-worth and identity within marriage.

As she contemplates legal marriage once more, Torikai raises significant discussions on the legalities involved in surname changes upon marriage and divorce, mentioning the complications she faced when she decided to reclaim her original surname after her second divorce. With her story, she not only sheds light on her personal journey but also opens up a broader dialogue regarding gender roles and the legal structures that continue to uphold traditional expectations in marriage, ultimately advocating for a change in the narrative surrounding women's identities in the institution of marriage.