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MegaTokyo #2
Megatokyo, Volume 2
The wildly popular web comic that spawned a best selling trade paperback has found a new home! Fans and friends of the Megatokyo web comic have come to love the characters and their offbeat adventures. Whether they are entangled in a fantasy gaming scenario, saving Tokyo from devastation by rampaging zombies, or taking awkward and disaster-filled steps towards a meaningful relationship, we get to experience Tokyo through their many unique and drastically different points of view. Rife with references to video game and anime culture both here and in Japan, it is a story that contrasts the cultures, the characters, and their own perceptions of what is around them. Those new to the series may find familiar emotions and a dialogue that is eerily similar to their own. Volume 2 contains Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of the Megatokyo webcomic, complete with miscellaneous comics, sketches and other material. Extra material exclusive to the print edition includes editorial comments by the author and a short story with illustrations from the Endgames gaming universe.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 15, 2018
3 1/2 Stars
So here’s week two of my (re)read through of Megatokyo. As a reminder, this is actually an older webcomic series (and its worth checking out online, promise). It’s interesting to read an older series like this. For one thing it’s fun to see what I do and don’t remember about the series (as it turns out apparently I remember more about Ping’s plot than Largo’s). It’s also been interesting to see the older references, and what has and hasn’t held up to the test of time (okay, a smell test, to be sure, but still).
Megatokyo Volume two contains both chapters one and two in the series (confusing, I know; just remember that volume one had chapter zero/the prologue). It doesn’t have quite the same format as the first volume; the page style had changed by this point, so they didn’t need to fill in the awkward blank space on each page this time around. There is still a ton of extras included in the back; miscellaneous comics, sketches, finished artworks, artwork stand-ins (for days when the webcomic didn’t update on time), that sort of thing.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
So here’s week two of my (re)read through of Megatokyo. As a reminder, this is actually an older webcomic series (and its worth checking out online, promise). It’s interesting to read an older series like this. For one thing it’s fun to see what I do and don’t remember about the series (as it turns out apparently I remember more about Ping’s plot than Largo’s). It’s also been interesting to see the older references, and what has and hasn’t held up to the test of time (okay, a smell test, to be sure, but still).
Megatokyo Volume two contains both chapters one and two in the series (confusing, I know; just remember that volume one had chapter zero/the prologue). It doesn’t have quite the same format as the first volume; the page style had changed by this point, so they didn’t need to fill in the awkward blank space on each page this time around. There is still a ton of extras included in the back; miscellaneous comics, sketches, finished artworks, artwork stand-ins (for days when the webcomic didn’t update on time), that sort of thing.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
May 26, 2022
Again, loved the storyline of this manga. There were no author's notes on each page of volume 2 and this made it easier to stay in the plot. I also liked how the author kept in the weird side stories with the stick figures, but took them out of the middle of the story. Instead, he grouped them together as part of the extras at the end of the book. This worked better for me.
It was a cool idea to add in a "bad conscience" for Piro along with his good one. I loved even more the fact that the author wrote in Asmodeus as the bad conscience. This was so fun to watch play out. Hope Asmodeus stays a constant character in the later volumes.
It was a cool idea to add in a "bad conscience" for Piro along with his good one. I loved even more the fact that the author wrote in Asmodeus as the bad conscience. This was so fun to watch play out. Hope Asmodeus stays a constant character in the later volumes.
April 26, 2018
I haven't actually read this series online, so I am catching up with it at the library so I can make sense of what is happening now.
At the time the drawings in this book entered into public awareness, I was in middle school. The business class I was in had the NYSE on at 10 a.m., so I watched the second Twin Tower collapse. The memory this book inspired was crystal clear, as my long-term memory has not been as drastically affected by current events as my short-term memory.
That was quite upsetting on the international peace front.
Besides THAT, the difference between this book and the first volume pleased me. So, the upset and the pleasure balanced out to an average.
I appreciated frolicking in the past. (The events from this part of the webcomic happened around when I was twelve. My hair might have been somewhat longer in proportion to my chest and my hips may not have jutted out nearly as much if I were trying to draw myself from back then as opposed to now. Also, I had fewer scars and my shoe size had been somewhat smaller.)
ALSO, I was much more of a mathematics/physics geek at that time.
I checked the artists' Twitter (https://twitter.com/fredrin) to see the last update was 6 hours old, ergo my question has been answered: this series has not been abandoned. It is worthwhile to continue reading up to the modern time.
YUCK - a $200 Miho drawing??? I was barely introduced to the Miho character in this volume! NO NO NO - the Japanese is IYADA! By that, I do not mean "not likely" - rather one of the other two meanings. Hmm, that word may come from 嫌がる which is to hate or dislike. Ahh, looking down the page, the Miho sketch they offer seems like 嫌儲 ( けんちょ ), shady online money-making. But then again, I myself have both sold and bought art at significantly lower prices, through deviantART. (Admittedly I did less selling and more buying, but that may have to do with my low artistic self-esteem.) They are a reputable source.
I LIKE THIS WEBSITE: https://wikitokyo.org/wiki/Cultural_r... (I never knew about Cat Girl Nuku Nuku! I don't think I can handle it at the moment. ...and now I just got sucked back into watching a strange iteration of Tokyo Mew Mew, which I know because I recognized the attire of the characters a couple minutes into it. BACK TO REVIEWING THIS VOLUME OF MEGATOKYO AND WHETHER IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME)
So, I laughed four, maybe five times out loud as I looked at this part of the series. Otherwise, I was too tired or busy from doing RL junk such as litterbox duty to react. I like Piro, Largo, et al! I may be misremembering that 4-5 count and it may have been up to 20-30 times. I'm tired from another day, but desirous of telling you that this is a fun way to spend time.
The full series is available at https://megatokyo.com/
At the time the drawings in this book entered into public awareness, I was in middle school. The business class I was in had the NYSE on at 10 a.m., so I watched the second Twin Tower collapse. The memory this book inspired was crystal clear, as my long-term memory has not been as drastically affected by current events as my short-term memory.
That was quite upsetting on the international peace front.
Besides THAT, the difference between this book and the first volume pleased me. So, the upset and the pleasure balanced out to an average.
I appreciated frolicking in the past. (The events from this part of the webcomic happened around when I was twelve. My hair might have been somewhat longer in proportion to my chest and my hips may not have jutted out nearly as much if I were trying to draw myself from back then as opposed to now. Also, I had fewer scars and my shoe size had been somewhat smaller.)
ALSO, I was much more of a mathematics/physics geek at that time.
I checked the artists' Twitter (https://twitter.com/fredrin) to see the last update was 6 hours old, ergo my question has been answered: this series has not been abandoned. It is worthwhile to continue reading up to the modern time.
YUCK - a $200 Miho drawing??? I was barely introduced to the Miho character in this volume! NO NO NO - the Japanese is IYADA! By that, I do not mean "not likely" - rather one of the other two meanings. Hmm, that word may come from 嫌がる which is to hate or dislike. Ahh, looking down the page, the Miho sketch they offer seems like 嫌儲 ( けんちょ ), shady online money-making. But then again, I myself have both sold and bought art at significantly lower prices, through deviantART. (Admittedly I did less selling and more buying, but that may have to do with my low artistic self-esteem.) They are a reputable source.
I LIKE THIS WEBSITE: https://wikitokyo.org/wiki/Cultural_r... (I never knew about Cat Girl Nuku Nuku! I don't think I can handle it at the moment. ...and now I just got sucked back into watching a strange iteration of Tokyo Mew Mew, which I know because I recognized the attire of the characters a couple minutes into it. BACK TO REVIEWING THIS VOLUME OF MEGATOKYO AND WHETHER IT IS WORTH YOUR TIME)
So, I laughed four, maybe five times out loud as I looked at this part of the series. Otherwise, I was too tired or busy from doing RL junk such as litterbox duty to react. I like Piro, Largo, et al! I may be misremembering that 4-5 count and it may have been up to 20-30 times. I'm tired from another day, but desirous of telling you that this is a fun way to spend time.
The full series is available at https://megatokyo.com/
November 15, 2011
Megatokyo, the webcomic, is an inspiration and a glimpse into the future of sequential art. The story itself is enjoyable, and the art is pretty good over all, but neither is anything too special. Instead, the comic as a whole is evidence of a new age in publishing, both comics and writing as a whole. Originally published online, Gallagher was actually losing money making this, creating it more out of pleasure and passion than attempt for monetary gain (at the time, very few webcomics were more than just monetary drains on their creators.) This book to me, represents the idea that one can make money off of passion, and that the internet will create a new forum for publishing.
October 7, 2016
So at the end of this volume there's another story. Almost like a fanfiction for when Piro and Largo get into their online world. HAHAHA. I didn't get to read it all because my head was hurting at that point but from what I did read it was pretty interesting. HAHAHA. Piro always plays as the female characters, hm? My best friend does that, too. I'd totally be Largo. My guys are normally the big, beefy type.
I liked that this volume was more in the manga-esque type style.
There are so many characters in this series but I was finally able to recognize who was which person. I'm not in LOVE with this series but I enjoy it. Kind of shipping Largo and Erika together. HAHAHA.
I liked that this volume was more in the manga-esque type style.
There are so many characters in this series but I was finally able to recognize who was which person. I'm not in LOVE with this series but I enjoy it. Kind of shipping Largo and Erika together. HAHAHA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2019
Not as funny as the first one. The artwork is still top notch, but the story was a little harder to follow in the begging, but towards the end, it started to come together. The extras in the back of the book gave reasons as to why but it was still slightly disappointing. I'm hoping the next one will have a little more humor to it.
February 13, 2008
This volume is hilarious. Largo becomes a high school English teacher, we get to see a lot more of Kimiko [I love her!], and are introduced to the Tokyo Police Cataclysm Division [they fight all of the evil monsters that attack Tokyo!]. Time to read more...
June 28, 2008
megatokyo is a very interesting view on japan, and such. it has many refrences to anime and manga (the artist refers to it as a doujinshi). the artwork and storyplot progress in depth and likability through the series. very good.
March 21, 2019
This is a fun second book. You really start to see some of the overarching plot start moving forward. You get a little more in depth with some of the secondary characters, but there are still plenty of zany and enjoyable Largo moments.
July 13, 2025
I don't remember a LOT of what happened in book 1, but I kinda doubt it would help much. Yes, I remember Piro losing his bag with sketchbook, and... I don't remember her name, but whoever found it hadn't yet given it back, but now that she has and is done with him... meh?
The "Sony robot" part I don't remember. Granted, I could look it up, but honestly? I don't feel like it.
The problem is, while this is theoretically "better" since it starts the chapters where it takes a more serious slant and tries to keep the plot a little more coherent, I actually... kind of miss the "joke a page" format? Like, now it's not even "funny" to take the edge off the fact that I don't really follow what's happening.
Rating to give benefit of the doubt, and the fact that it's pretty good for someone who's an architect first, but I'm just struggling to keep reading, between not really being able to tell the difference between a lot of the characters and their only ever having like two expressions (other than Largo).
The "Sony robot" part I don't remember. Granted, I could look it up, but honestly? I don't feel like it.
The problem is, while this is theoretically "better" since it starts the chapters where it takes a more serious slant and tries to keep the plot a little more coherent, I actually... kind of miss the "joke a page" format? Like, now it's not even "funny" to take the edge off the fact that I don't really follow what's happening.
Rating to give benefit of the doubt, and the fact that it's pretty good for someone who's an architect first, but I'm just struggling to keep reading, between not really being able to tell the difference between a lot of the characters and their only ever having like two expressions (other than Largo).
January 8, 2022
Because the first volume of Megatokyo represents all the “first efforts” of an unplanned foray into making a web comic, it was called “Chapter 0.” This is the beginning of the middle, and we begin to see all the character development and continuity, with outburst of the ridiculous (this is supposed to be fun, after all), and the surreal.
Piro and Largo remain trapped in Japan without enough money for a ticket home. Piro continues to work at Megagamers and the owner has generously allowed him (and Largo as well) to live in the 3rd-floor space above the store. Piro’s missing sketchbook, the girls, Ping and Largo’s undead hordes and giant monsters, his L33t-speak culture encounters, Dom and Ed showing up with enough firepower to level part of a city… all these, and more, are shown in lovely manga-format pages, very expressively and painstakingly hand-rendered by Fred Gallagher.
Piro and Largo remain trapped in Japan without enough money for a ticket home. Piro continues to work at Megagamers and the owner has generously allowed him (and Largo as well) to live in the 3rd-floor space above the store. Piro’s missing sketchbook, the girls, Ping and Largo’s undead hordes and giant monsters, his L33t-speak culture encounters, Dom and Ed showing up with enough firepower to level part of a city… all these, and more, are shown in lovely manga-format pages, very expressively and painstakingly hand-rendered by Fred Gallagher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2022
I read the series online and adored it. Owning it as a physical book is an absolute joy for fans.
Though I was happy with the first, I do see the problems of it for new readers that never got into the web series. Piro's notes are gone, thanks to the change in comic format, to make it all more accessible.
I love the beer garden scene a lot in this book as it really juxtaposes the two perceptions of Largo and Piro perfectly. This also shows some real growth of Largo as more than just comic relief all the time thanks to his storyline with Miho.
Fred's art is amazing here, really built upon the earlier strips. As he is an architect first and comic artist second, his scenes are astounding, detailed and a joy to look at. He also does action scenes surprisingly well, with so much going on.
Though I was happy with the first, I do see the problems of it for new readers that never got into the web series. Piro's notes are gone, thanks to the change in comic format, to make it all more accessible.
I love the beer garden scene a lot in this book as it really juxtaposes the two perceptions of Largo and Piro perfectly. This also shows some real growth of Largo as more than just comic relief all the time thanks to his storyline with Miho.
Fred's art is amazing here, really built upon the earlier strips. As he is an architect first and comic artist second, his scenes are astounding, detailed and a joy to look at. He also does action scenes surprisingly well, with so much going on.
November 26, 2017
I bought volumes 1 & 2 of this series at a con quite some time ago. I read volume 1 a while back, and liked it, but not enough to go straight on to volume 2. Megatokyo is a pretty good web comic. It's still available online, so if you want to read it, you can just go to the website. (Though I just did, and discovered that their SSL cert expired yesterday, so Firefox doesn't want to let me through...)
Anyway, it's worth reading if you're into manga done by an American manga fan, with a lot of typical anime/manga/videogame references thrown in. It's a good story and pretty funny, with very nice art. Really, if you're interested, read some of it on the web first and see if you get hooked.
Anyway, it's worth reading if you're into manga done by an American manga fan, with a lot of typical anime/manga/videogame references thrown in. It's a good story and pretty funny, with very nice art. Really, if you're interested, read some of it on the web first and see if you get hooked.
April 2, 2023
Yes. Like volume 1, this volume (which covers chapters 1 and 2) has problems. It might seem I'm overlooking them but I think it's important to clarify that taking it in as a whole, this is a good time. Due to it's web comic nature, the story jumps around abruptly from page to page which might be off putting at first but evolves into part of it's charm. It could be argued that "not a lot happens" in this volume but, again, I'd say that's part of the MT charm. Considering that MT is character and relationship driven, the time dedicated to shorter, less integral beats fleshes out the world in a deep way. My main gripe is that the main story in this volume only clocks in at about 120 pages. I like the additional content but when there's 60 pages of it, I start to question whether it would be better collected in it's own volume.
December 30, 2019
We're still in the early "feeling things out" stages of this series, but this is definitely where framework started to get laid down. Characterization is still fairly loose, but we're moving in a good direction, and plot points are beginning to get put in place to actually get built on later on. It's still rough, definitely, but this has a lot of my favourite scenes from what I remember reading this back in the day.
October 8, 2023
(Read in 2005, review from 2023)
It was fine, not as entertaining as the first but like the first volume I identified alot with the main male characters.
It was fine, not as entertaining as the first but like the first volume I identified alot with the main male characters.
April 23, 2025
It was alright but definitely didn't get better as it went on.
July 4, 2017
OK, I'm done with what I consider to be the meat of the book, which is to say the main story. Which I like, and it's a good read. However, the book contained more fluff than I would have liked (Shirt Guy Dom), and honestly, I don't care for the Dom strips. It's kind of like reading an extended inside joke.
I'm still reading though, and still like the strip - I just don't anticipate on starting to like the Dom strips.
The other filler though - the sketches and off topic strips - aren't so bad though. All in all not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
I'm still reading though, and still like the strip - I just don't anticipate on starting to like the Dom strips.
The other filler though - the sketches and off topic strips - aren't so bad though. All in all not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
July 6, 2009
A great continuation of the first volume. As the story has become a bit more cohesive at this point, fewer notes are needed to explain what's going on. I do like the separation of Dead Piro Days, Shirt Guy Dom days, and filler sketches into their own groupings.
I'm still trying to figure out how real the zombies are.
I'm still trying to figure out how real the zombies are.
April 7, 2008
Read it online at http://www.megatokyo.com/ and decided this was a comic/artist/mangaka I wanted to support, so I took to buying it in paperback. If you like the comic, I urge you to support the artist.
September 19, 2011
The plot starts to pick up in this one, making a complex tale. It still has the random humor, though, like the Tokyo Police Cataclysm Division and the whole l33t thing. I learned to read l33t just to better understand this book. It wasn't that hard. Great book.
November 21, 2009
Please see my review of the first one, as I feel that, despite the amazing quality of this series, there isn't a whole lot one can say about each individual volume.
November 13, 2010
what can i say its part two of a great series
March 25, 2011
good book
January 21, 2016
Read prior to joining Goodreads.
December 6, 2012
[Full Review to Follow]
Re-reading this book (and series) for review purposes.
Re-reading this book (and series) for review purposes.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews