Megatokyo/Characters
Megatokyo has come a long way from its Two Gamers on a Couch beginnings, accumulating a lot of characters in the process.
The Megagamers
Piro
A nice, sweet yet repressed and self-criticizing artist/gamer geek who came to Japan because of what Largo did at E3. Out of money, he helped out some unknown girl in a train station and things just snowballed from there.
Associated tropes:
- Ascended Fanboy: His part of the story is pretty much learning that life doesn't work like a GalGe. When he sees the NPC's (Nanasawa Protection Coalition) objectifying him and Kimiko, he's disgusted that he was ever like that.
- Author Avatar - You have to be a good writer to get away with naming a main character after yourself without receiving (much) backlash.
- Beware the Nice Ones: After one incident in particular, the forums celebrated his development of "a spine and balls".
- Deadpan Snarker: Often his only recourse when Largo does something.
- Death Glare: He has a very good one.
- Genre Savvy: As a fan, he knew how Kimiko's rant on the radio would resonate with the fanbase.
- GIRL: Was this when he first met Miho.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation
- Weirdness Censor: Doesn't seem to notice monster turtles, Zillas, and zombie hordes rampaging right next to him, though it may actually be Selective Obliviousness, since he has no problems with the Anthropomorphic Personification of his conscience running around the place.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Massive fan of Romance Games and Shoujo manga, so he turned to them to figure out how to deal with him being stranded in Japan. It didn't help.
Largo
Largo is. Oh, you want more? He started off as an overenthusiastic FPS-playing gamer geek, but developed (some say Flanderized) into a l33t-speaking action guy.
Associated tropes:
- Boisterous Bruiser
- Best Beer Ever It's been some time since we have seen him drinking, there is good reason for that.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Largo sees no difference between "in-game" or "real life". Pack of ravers? Zombies! Manhole covers? Spawn points.
- Subverted, he may look like one for most times but there are moments when he is, in fact, very right about the situation: Extra-dimensional zombies are actually plotting invasion on Tokyo, and yes he really fights them while riding on a rentable Godzilla pastiche. He still can't seem to tell the difference between genuine zombies and ravers, though.
- The ravers weren't zombies yet. He specifically told Yuuki to keep the commandos away from the "horde," presumably he understood the consequences.
- Crazy Awesome
- Chivalrous Pervert: In some earlier strips, we have seen that Largo is quite interested in Erika's r4ck, but when Erika later suggests stripping due to static-y fabric (see here) Largo says no, because "It would... distract me"
- To clarify, it would distract Largo from the test session of Erika's newly assembled 1337-gaming computer.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Let's get this straight, he made anti-zombie horde sentries using cardboard and Duct Tape complete with Macross Missile Massacre weapon arrays
- He can also build a computer out of almost anything. The rush job ones are called "cereal box specials".
- Leet Lingo: It's called 'English' at the school he "teaches" at
- Nakama: Despite how much he and Piro disagree with each other at times, Largo has shown that he is willing to risky life and limb for his friend on a few occasions, once saying "If one of us is not secure, then neither of us is."
- Redheaded Hero
- The Unfettered: Though he's more comical than badass.
- With Friends Like These...
Erika
A former idol and occasional booth babe who works at Megagamers.
Associated tropes:
- Broken Bird: The Trope Namer. Has gotten un-broken lately, thanks to Largo, of all people.
- Deadpan Snarker: She has her moments.
- Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: Retired
- Kuudere & Tsundere: In many ways, she has been moving from being something of a Broken Bird to dithering between being both Kuudere & Tsundere depending on the day. She is neither completely cold and is too playful to be a permanent Kuudere (whom leans towards cynicism) while she tempers her rage more than most Tsundere (whom happens to also be a type A) characters. In either mood of the day, only Kimiko and (surprisingly) Largo can pull out full compassion or tears from her.
- The Tease: If there is one character that is this, it's Erika. But only among the other megagamers (Kimiko is a frequent victim).
Kimiko
A young wannabe idol and Erika's roommate who, through a combination of luck, the internet, a feverishly-awaited game and a radio interview, garnered a legion of obsessive fans who would do anything for her. Something of a female counterpart to Piro.
Associated tropes:
- Meganekko: Usually wears contacts, but is quite cute with glasses.
- Moe: Sometimes, though not everyone's happy about it.
- Rant-Inducing Slight
- Wide-Eyed Idealist
- Wrong Genre Savvy
The Schoolgirls
Miho Tohya
A mysterious teenage goth girl who appears after Largo has one of his adventures. It eventually becomes clear that the weirdness around her is not due just to Largo's skewed perceptions. She's prone to fainting spells and suddenly disappearing, and, despite many scenes in cafes and restaurants, has only once been shown eating.
Associated tropes:
- Creepy Child: A bit older than most, but more than creepy enough to make up for it.
- Dark Magical Girl: The current leading explanation for scenes like this. Not a Magical Girl but not a monster either
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: You know it's true.
- Gamer Chick
- I Have the High Ground: See above link; it's something of a hobby.
- Ill Girl: Possibly not just an Ill Girl, but the Ill Girl.
- Manipulative Bastard: The Endgames incident, a major event in the backstory, involves Miho abusing the emotional systems of an MMORPG to turn the entire virtual world into her minions. Only Piro and Largo resisted her. She carries this trait into her real relationships, too.
- Older Than They Look: Certainly older than high school age. Implied to at least as old as Piro and Largo, if not Yuki's mother Meimi. When Yuki finally discovers her, she certainly looks older than she was the last time we saw her.
- Parental Abandonment: Miho lives in the basement of a goth nightclub. No mention of her family is made.
- Actually, after one fainting incident, the school nurse complains that she can never get in touch with Miho's parents, and says she needs their cell phone numbers. It's never mentioned again.
Ping
A prototype of the Emotional Doll System, a PlayStation 2 app that uses a Robot Girl for Dating Sim games, Ping was left with Piro and Largo by Tsubasa, her owner. As you might expect, she's somewhat naive, but has a good heart and is very enthusiastic.
Associated tropes:
- Berserk Button. She has a flaw in her rejection subroutines.
- Does Not Understand Sarcasm: "Yay! I'm glad!"
- Elegant Gothic Lolita: Less pronounced than Miho, but still very much so.
- Genki Girl
- Hollywood Homely: For awhile, She tried so hard.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy. Programmed in; EDS units automatically break off any romantic reationships with their owners if they get a real girlfriend.
- Which means that, as Miho observed, "For her, every game she plays will end in a broken heart."
- Not necessarily. Miho is quite the pessimist.
- Which means that, as Miho observed, "For her, every game she plays will end in a broken heart."
- Ridiculously Human Robot
- Robot Girl
- Super-Powered Robot Meter Maids. Ping can use power poles as weapons. When the Berserk Button was pushed hard enough, she threw a 50-foot turtle through the top few floors of a skyscraper.
Yuki Sonoda
Yuki first met Piro while he was reading shoujo manga in a bookstore. After berating him, she discovered that he left without his sketchbook. After much drama, the sketchbook is returned. Then Miho and Ping turn up at her school, and her life takes a turn for the weirder.
Associated tropes:
- Beware the Nice Ones: The Power of Love + Mind Screw + Power Incontinence =This
- Bringing up Your Mom probably didn't help.
- Eyes of Gold: possibly to foreshadow her Magical Girl abilites
- I Am Who?: Remember back when she was just supposed to be a snarky Ordinary High School Student?
- Girlish Pigtails: typically how she wears her hair when not in her magical girl costume.
- How Do I Shot Web?
- Impossible Thief: She stole a zombie zilla right before the TPCD's eyes.
- Magical Girl
- Naive Everygirl
- Superpowerful Genetics: It comes from her mom, Meimi
- Ordinary High School Student
- Rapunzel Hair
- Zombie Advocate
Junko Ibara
One of the students in the Great Teacher Largo's English class along with Ping and Miho. She's not too pleased with the eccentric man nor the craziness than he brings. While full of snark and having a couple secrets of her own; she has shown a more caring side.
Associated tropes:
- Class Representative
- Dark and Troubled Past: She seems to have issues with her father and apparently was friends with Miho - that doesn't usually end well.
- Deadpan Snarker / Snark Knight
- Enjo Kosai
- Girlish Pigtails
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold
- Pet the Dog: Cheering up Largo and helping out Ping
Consciousness Agents
Seraphim
Seraphim is a field agent for the Conscience Enforcement Authority and Piro's "conscience". She routinely appears to Piro as a small angel-winged woman perhaps six inches (15 cm) tall with (apparently) correspondingly reduced weight and ability to make virtually everyone overlook her presence.
Associated tropes:
- Author Avatar: Author's Wife's Avatar in this case.
- Good Angel, Bad Angel: She is Piro's Good Angel.
Asmodeus
Asmodeus is the only conscience entity introduced into the story so far who is not a member of the Conscience Enforcement Agency. He is apparently the evil side of Piro's conscience, although he seems to generally view his suggested deeds as "having fun", rather than "doing evil."
Associated tropes:
- Good Angel, Bad Angel: He is Piro's Bad Angel.
Boo
Boo is a hamster who is currently employed as a temp agent by the Conscience Enforcement Agency. He was assigned to help ease Seraphim's caseload after she complained about how severely overworked she was. Soon after, he was given a role as Largo's conscience, which has been his primary mission ever since.
Associated tropes:
- Good Angel, Bad Angel: He is Largo's... concience ?
American Agents
Dom
Dom is an American who works for Sega's black ops division. When he hired in, the job opportunities were tight, with only one slot available for a new employee.
Associated tropes:
Ed
Ed is a Sony Enforcement Division agent, Dom's best friend and rival. They both applied for a job with Sega Japan after graduation. Dom locked Ed in the trunk of his car so he would miss the job interview.
Associated tropes:
Other
Junpei
A Ninja who first showed up as the challenger to Largo for a Mortal Combat Visa, Junpei now seeks to assist the 'l33t-master' and learn from him.
Associated tropes:
- Anime Hair: Slicked back into curved spikes, and multi-colored
- Badass Longcoat: Gains one later in the comics.
- The Comically Serious: "L33t Master must not eat 'scuzzy' things from trash. Not healthy. Give bad gas."
- Cool Mask: covers the lower half of his face. Color seems to vary from black to white, depending on if the image of him is in color or not. Compare the comics to the artwork on the 5th book cover.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Decides to follow the 'way of l33t' after being beaten by Largo at Mortal Combat (read: Kombat).
- The Faceless: We never see him without his mask, and the one time it is removed, we only see him from behind.
- He Cleans Up Nicely: Seen in an Armani Suit at one point. Very stylish.
- Highly-Visible Ninja: He does dress in black after meeting Largo for the second time, but still, he is seen by anyone (though not while doing ninja-y things...)
- Subverted at one point in the comic where it says that the real Ninja Headquarters cannot be shown.
- Hulk Speak: His speech patterns are based off old, poorly dubbed ninja movies, though that doesn't explain why he always refers to himself in the third person.
- Some Japanese still refer to them selves in third person, but that is done mainly to show how childish that character is.
- Honor Before Reason: At one point is willing to go up against a powerful magical girl in order to protect Largo. Keep in mind that Junpei considers the magical girls 'code of love' to be far more dangerous than the ninja 'code of honor'.
- Lawful Neutral: Seems to take the 'personal laws' variation on this. He follows the ninja code of honor, but also does what he can to protect Largo.
- Leet Lingo: Gains some after meeting Largo.
- Ninja: It even says so on his hoodie.
- Roof Hopping: Seems to be his main method of getting around. Comments at one point that this would be difficult to do while carrying Piro and Ping, as our resident robot-girl would be heavy, and some roofs on the way to their destination have a low load limit.
Yutaka Kobayashi
One of Yuki's classmates, and as of late her love interest. Evidently nursed a crush on her for many years which she has only recently become aware of.
Associated tropes:
- The Chew Toy: He gets injured so often that even Dom feels sorry for him.
- Everyone Can See It: Apparently Yuki was the 'only' person who wasn't aware of Kobayashi's affections towards her.
- Ordinary High School Student: Kobayashi seems pretty surprised by Yuki's superpowers.
- Pair the Spares: Kobayashi only became important to the storyline (and, in fact, appeared at all), when Yuki stopped being a real viable choice in Piro.
- Stalker with a Crush: It hasn't really been portrayed either positively or negatively yet, though. In fact, the only word someone used to describe it was "pathetic."
- Woman of Steel, Man of Kleenex: One of the few times where this trope is reversed. as well as non-sexual.