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No. 86:

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Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/postcard/?comic=86

Recited from memory by: Leon Arnott

The author writes:

The webcomic Megatokyo stars two best friends, Fred and Rod, who embark on a short celebratory trip to Tokyo, Japan. But when they arrive, they discover two strange things. One, that they have become separated. Two, that the city of Tokyo is infinitely large. Just as Heraclitus said that you can never step in the same river twice, neither can the protagonists ever step in the same street twice. (Well, it is the centre of the universe, after all.) And so, they both set out on a seemingly impossible journey to reunite with one another in this endless expanse of skyscrapers and shop fronts. Fortunately, they can communicate with one another by phone and email.

Their shared objective is complicated when Fred repeatedly runs into an enchanting girl with blue hair, who remembers him every time they meet. Eventually, he falls madly in love with her, but keeps her a secret from Rod. Will he have to choose between his friend and this strange new love? ...Well, you'll see.

The infinitely large, ever-shifting setting of this comic gives the two authors (also named Fred and Rod) freedom to have their alter egos encounter anything and anyone - Japanese celebrities, Japanese historical figures, robots, witches, ghosts, tiny martial artists, dragon girls, psychics, ninja*, anthropomorphic skyscrapers, and, of course, lots and lots of kaiju. And, because of the ever-shifting setting, each of these encounters is entirely self-contained - the only persistent characters are Fred, Rod, and Blue, and the only persistent goal is getting these three together.

Considering that this is one of the earliest webcomics - which, as you know, tended to be ad-hoc and impulsive with little planning - it's quite impressive that the real Fred and Rod happened to hit upon an episodic formula so quickly, and that they have rigidly adhered to it all these years.

*The plural of ninja is ninja! ...Well, it's technically true.