Shoujo manga

Shōjo or shoujo (少女 lit. young woman), as it applies to Megatokyo, is a type of Japanese literature targeted primarily at girls, though many of the stories are no less appealing to boys and men.

Megatokyo is often regarded by some of its fans as being a shoujo story, thanks to the romantic theme which has become central to its carefully constructed plot. Although plot and romance certainly distingush Megatokyo from the gag-a-day style of comics, the story is also different from the more common examples of shoujo manga that classifying it as such is a somewhat dubious task. The story is perhaps best considered shoujo-esque, as it attempts to combine themes of this genre with compatable shounen themes, as well as themes present in American comics.

The story itself contains numerous references to shoujo manga and some of the elements of Japanese culture that surrounds it. Although it is enjoyed by boys as well as girls, it is not always socially acceptable for a man to be seen publically reading or enjoying a shoujo story. Thus, when Piro was discovered by Yuki, her tone is appropriately non-passive as she addresses him. Perhaps somewhat to Piro's good fortune, Yuki appeared to realize that Piro is a foreigner and, therefore, might not actually have a clue at all what he was doing.

For his part, Piro uses the stories in shoujo manga as something of a guide to life. In addition to that first encounter with Yuki, Piro was seen a second time looking through the pages of shoujo manga, seemingly interested in using the stories to pick up hints of how he should handle his budding relationship with Kimiko.