Megatokyo, Vol. 5 [Paperback]

Fred Gallagher (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2007

The ongoing adventures of Piro, an obsessed anime/manga fan and his friend Largo, a hardcore American gamer and l33th4x0rm4573r -- or, for those who don't know leetspeak, "elite hacker master," continue with the duo still stuck in Japan and no closer to finding a way home. This volume collects chapters seven and eight of the popular online comic "Megatokyo." Largo is seriously off his game and even the efforts of the class president and a brave hamster may not be enough to get him going again. Piro is worried about his friend, but his biggest concern is for the safety of a certain voice actress who suddenly finds herself the center of attention of a massive, unyielding fanboy horde.

This collection includes one-shot strips and character artwork, as well as an extensive character and readers guides with notes and commentary to help you better understand the world of Megatokyo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The geek factor runs high in this fifth collection culled from Gallagher's popular webcomic. Friends Prio and Largo are still stuck in Japan, living in an apartment above the game store where they work. Piro is a sensitive soul; Largo is an explosive mess of a kid, a ruffled game addict who talks in the unpronounceable nerd-speak "l33t" ("You are t3h 3vil!") and teaches schoolgirls how to assemble computers, but only after they've removed their clothes to be free of the scourge of static electricity. This volume comprises two large stories, the first of which focuses on voice actress/waitress Kimiko who, after an outburst on a talk radio show, becomes the object of otaku adoration. That's the cohesive part of the story, but there are lots of derails along the way, making it about twice as long as it should be to have the most emotional punch. The second story is almost nothing but derails, as it picks through the rubble of Kimiko's and Piro's emotions, stopping along the way for bits of Largo outlandishness. Fans who read the story on the web daily already know Gallagher's unique storytelling style, and will relish the chance to revisit these storylines; first-time readers will be utterly confused.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: CMX (May 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401211275
• ISBN-13: 978-1401211271
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Warning: Even Largo's getting w33py, September 15, 2007

By 

Cedric "Washu" (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Megatokyo, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

Megatokyo was the brainchild of two rather different creators, who since fell out in 2002, and Megatokyo 5 shows this. The rather chaotic Largo has been gone from the series for a few years, and the more angsty Piro has given emo scenes to pretty much every main character in the book. Still, the art is getting better and better. Longtime Megatokyo readers will find subtle foreshadowing and other nuances reading an entire chapter that they may have missed when reading the online site every other day. Highly recommended, but watch out for the tears in your b33r.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars Made Five, July 12, 2007

By 

Miriam Banerji "Mfox" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Megatokyo, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

For first-time readers -- start with this one. For old fans -- this is probably the best book yet. It has the regular two chapters, 7 and 8, plus omakes, Dead Piro Art Days, and all that jazz. What really sets this book apart from the others is a mind-blowingly comprehensive reader's guide with character summaries and pictures and the plot so far.

All of the regular stuff, of course, is excellent, with the eighth and ninth chapters (numbered 7 and 8, just to make it confusing), with the greatest section of the plot so far and probably the best-drawn manga that I have ever seen. There's also the "Shirt Guy" Dom pullout section (perforated for removal) and the Dead Piro Art Days, single-shot panels that are amazingly drawn.

The book's real hit, however, is the reader's guide, prfect for a first time reader. Any person could probably, after reading the guide, simply pick up the story from chapter 7 and be able to understand anything that happens. The reader's guide is what makes a great four-star book into an amazing "I loved it!" five star book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Butts!, July 6, 2010

By 

David Huynh (FREMONT, CA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Megatokyo, Vol. 5 (Paperback)

Unlike the webcomic, which gets disjointed because of weeks of nonupdates, the book allows for instant viewing. What's more, since they're all uninterrupted, you can get a better sense of the action going on and everything flows better. I know some of you are put off by buying a book that is freely seen on the internet, but if you are a fan or if you know someone who likes this type of stuff, this is a good purchase.