Piro

Grew up… somewhere in America, but he’s always been obsessed with going to Japan.

Living… in Tokyo. After being kicked out of the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) gaming convention, Piro and his friend Largo fly there on a whim, but they soon find out they're too broke for a return flight. At first they were living with one of Piro’s friends, but after he kicked them out (and a brief period of homelessness), Piro and Largo were able to get a room above Piro’s workplace.

Profession… store clerk at the manga and video games store, Megagamers. Since he got the job completely by accident, Piro just does whatever his coworker Erica tells him to. Although he didn’t really apply for the job, his familiarity with the merchandise enables him to succeed.

Interests… anime, manga, video games, and anything nerdy. Piro is a true “otaku," a nerd so absorbed in Japanese media that he learned Japanese from reading manga and watching anime. He’s also a fairly talented artist, but he lacks confidence in his art and hasn’t made anything of it so far.

Relationship Status… always a mystery to him. He met a girl, Kimiko, and they have a budding relationship, but Piro fears she won’t be interested in a loser like him. And there’s the life-size robot girl who seems to think she’s in love with him. And someone from his past has resurfaced, an old – well, it’s hard to say if she’s a friend or an enemy. Piro is perpetually confused by girls, saying, “Even when they have digital readouts, I can't understand them.”

Challenge… boosting his self-confidence. Although he managed to get a job, speaks Japanese, and is a talented artist, Piro is full of doubt and self-loathing and frequently sabotages his own success. And as he stumbles through Tokyo, Piro must also struggle to navigate his increasingly complex relationships with the people around him.

Personality… sensitive, thoughtful, and artistic. He might be a bit of a doormat when it comes to standing up for himself, but he can be fiercely protective of his friends. And while Piro might have trouble with his own relationships, he's keenly insightful about other people’s emotions and motivations.