The man Conan spoke to, Ishii Yuichi is not "just an agent", he's the founder of one such company. I remembered him from an article I read in The New Yorker by writer Elif Batuman. It offers an interesting and enlightening inside look at the cultural factors that gave birth to this type service. I recommend reading it for anyone interested in a more serious look at what this kind of service represent to the Japanese, and the role it plays in the well being of its people. Ishii himself had a very interesting, and touching story related to his interactions with a client.Here's the article for anyone interested :