SpongeBob SquarePants a hit with Japanese women

Who'd a thunk that a sponge could be a hit with the ladies? According to this article, SpongeBob SquarePants is a hit not just with the kids in Japan, but also the young women. I don't know whether this says something about the nature of Japanese culture, or of women in general - or of Japanese women in particular.

However, I wonder if the costume below would make me a babe magnet in Japan? What do you think?