History Webcomic / Megatokyo

One of the most successful {{webcomics}} around, and one of the easiest to find in brick-and-mortar bookstores, ''[[https://megatokyo.com/ MegaTokyo]]'' is also one of the most confusing. The story starts off when two [[OccidentalOtaku American video game otaku]] -- Piro and Largo -- hop on a one-way flight to Japan, then find themselves unable to get back after a credit-card-maxing shopping spree.

Piro meets an aspiring voice actress called Kimiko and awkwardness ensues. Largo becomes steadily more demented and awkwardness ensues. Kimiko's flatmate [[BrokenBird Erika]] has to deal with her past as a popular IdolSinger and awkwardness ensues. A schoolgirl called Yuki gets a crush on Piro and awkwardness ensues. Piro gets stuck with a DatingSim RobotGirl called Ping and awkwardness ensues. And a mysterious goth called [[MysteriousStranger Miho]] stirs things up [[ItAmusedMe for her own amusement]], leading to [[OverlyLongGag awkwardness for all concerned]].

Debuting in 2000 and still ongoing, the comic has gained a great deal of infamy for its [[ScheduleSlip erratic schedule]], along with the [[FillerStrips Dead Piro Days (DPDs)]] and stick-figure Shirt Guy Dom (SGD) comics (a takeoff on the "Shirt Guy Tom" comics from ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'').

Has been called the ''Series/{{Lost}}'' of webcomics for its complex plot line and character histories, most of all the enigmatic Tohya Miho. [[InvokedTrope Quite intentionally]], it includes a number of anime tropes. Interesting to note, however, is that it is one of few works who take flak for being JustForFun/TropeOverdosed, despite it having a trope count of around 650.

* EnjoKosai: Junko is seen practicing this. She may actually be attracted to older men if her reaction to "Old Snake" from [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4 MGS4]] is any indication.

** Also PlayedForLaughs when Junko and Largo find a promotional poster for ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' and Junko calls Old Snake "cute".

In 2013, creator Fred Gallagher launched a [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fredrin/megatokyo-visual-novel-game Kickstarter]] for a Visual Novel game based on the comic. The funding request was wildly successful but for a variety of reasons the game never shipped and now appears abandoned. Gallagher continues to publish new Megatokyo comics as of 2020.

** Combined with {{Cameo}} in [[http://megatokyo.com/strip/67 this strip.]] In the midst of Piro's angsting, [[VisualNovel/{{Kanon}} Ayu]] appears in the background and [[CrashIntoHello gets tackled]] by Makoto.

* {{Bishonen}}: A few characters, but ''especially'' [[http://megatokyo.com/strip/470 Ed after his first facial reconstruction.]] The reaction by [[http://megatokyo.com/strip/482 random passerby]] later is ''hilarious''.

* OffModel: A common (but not unfounded) criticism of the comic's artwork in general, where characters seem to change their appearance from panel to panel on occasion. There are also times where the art looks like Gallagher [[http://images.shoutwiki.com/badwebcomicswiki/9/9c/MT04.jpg just ripped a page from his sketchbook]].

** Early July 2022, Page 1063 is released, with just two girls talking about what is happening, both of which being unfamiliar. Then you notice they have ''the same ear accessories as Ping'', and the light haired one calls the other '''''Peek''''', and tells her, flat out 'It's how I'm programmed' revealing that Ping's sister prototypes[[note]]Alluded to in a 2019 art piece as part of Fred's Save Point universe[[/note]], the hentai model Poke and the... unknown model Peek, just appeared in Megatokyo.

* FillerStrip: Dead Piro Day. Also, there are short "omake" stories using ''[=MegaTokyo=]'' characters in popular anime or original stories Fred wrote himself. The ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'' one strongly insinuates that the "omakes" are [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Ping's dreams]].

* OverprotectiveDad: Yuki's father [[http://megatokyo.com/strip/1297 runs]] a background check on his daughter's boyfriend.