From collabs to commitment, TheAnimeMan and Akidearest have announced their engagement.
In a year filled with heavy headlines, this is the kind of secondhand happiness the internet desperately needed: longtime anime YouTubers TheAnimeMan (Joey Bizinger) and Akidearest (Agnes Yulo Diego) are officially engaged.
From DMs to “I Do”
The couple, staples of the anime YouTube scene, announced their engagement, which took place on April 25th 2025, on Instagram – just ahead of their nine-year anniversary on July 3.
With over 6 million combined subscribers today, Akidearest (2.8M) and TheAnimeMan (3.4M) have become key voices in anime and Japanese pop culture. Now based in Japan, they also co-host the popular Trash Taste podcast with fellow creator Gigguk.
Akidearest once called their relationship “basically archived” on their channels.
The two first connected as small creators through YouTube DMs – back when they each had only a few thousand subscribers – setting the stage for a public love story.
A Yes Worth The Wait
Joey proposed during a trip to Madagascar, where they had traveled for a convention in Cape Town.
The moment took place privately in their hotel room – fitting for a couple who, despite their public lives, value their personal moments.
In his Twitter post captioned “she said yes,” Joey shared a sweet photo of him on one knee, while Aki’s announcement post on Instagram revealed her stunning, red, drop-shaped alexandrite ring.
In a YouTube Video about the experience, the couple talked about the meaning behind the ring: Aki never cared for diamonds and always dreamed of something unique. As a young girl, her fantasy included a ring made from dinosaur bone and meteorite, she told her fans.
Alexandrite, she said, “looks like every color I’ve ever dyed my hair.”
Joey shared that while he tried to match her dream ring, he hilariously got the ring size wrong – a relatable mishap he apologized for and called "a classic dude move".
And as for the words he used to propose? He’s keeping those private.
“I decided to put the camera inside the room and not outside, because I wanted the words I said to [Akidearest] to be personal.”
Cue the collective aww.
Wedding and Cheers From Creators
The couple plans to hold their wedding in Japan, now their longtime home.
Since the announcement, they’ve been flooded with congratulatory messages from fellow YouTubers and streamers across social media.
Among them was Marzia Kjellberg (known online as itsmarziapie), PewDiePie's wife, who herself has been in the spotlight for her own highly public relationship and engagement to a fellow YouTube star.
Aki and Joey have managed to keep their relationship strong through years of creative growth. For fans who grew up watching their videos, the engagement feels like a long-awaited next chapter. Let’s all say, “Congrats!”