Could this guy be more obsessed?
Friends fans are known to obsess over their favorite show and all the tiny minutae within it, but this guy is taking things to a whole new level. His name is Gunther — it used to be Du Xin, but he changed it to match that of the show's bleached-blonde barista — and he lives in an apartment in Beijing with his wife Rachel and his son Joey.
Yes, this is for real.
Du Xin, err, Gunther, has recreated the Central Perk coffee house from Friends in his home, and the resemblance is downright spooky. No detail has been overlooked, from those big coffee mugs (the ones Roger said "might as well have nipples on them") to the interior design to an exact replica of Phoebe's guitar. It would be creepy if it weren't kind of sweet.
The story behind this Friends fanatic could have come right out of the show. "Gunther" went through a terrible breakup and was having a very hard time with it, so his best pals recommended something they thought might shake him out of his funk: watch that American sitcom with the six twenty-somethings. He fell in love with the show almost immediately because the ups and downs of their love lives were something he could relate to — and their positive outlook helped him bounce back.
After falling in love again (this time for keeps), he set out to find a coffee house of his own where he could hang out. Unable to find one, he quit his job and spent months working with manufacturers to create his very own Central Perk. After his pet project went viral online, it became a legitimate business.
It seems young adults in China love them some Friends, as they make up the majority of his consumer base. According to CNN, Chinese universities are known to show episodes of the show to help with learning English slang and cultural references.
Even if you're not familiar with the show, China's very own Central Perk is ready to help with that. Just pull up a cushion on one of their comfy couches and watch the show on the cafe's flat screen TV. It's set to show Friends reruns 24/7.
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