Megumi Kobayashi is a supporting character in the novel, manga and anime series Welcome to the NHK. She is a former classmate of Tatsuhiro Satou, as well as his former class representative. After graduating, she got trapped in a pyramid scheme and gets Sato involved as well, and later Misaki Nakahara and Kaoru Yamazaki, though it's later revealed that she did so to support her older brother, who is an even bigger hikkikomori than Satou.
She is voiced by Risa Hiyamizu in the Japanese version of the anime, and by Monica Rial in the English version of the anime.
Appearance[]
Megumi is a woman (same age as Satou) of average height with short, light brown hair and brown eyes, which she wears a pair of glasses over. However, it's implied that she died her hair, as in flashbacks to her highschool years she is shown with black hair tied back in a ponytail.
Personality[]
In high school, Megumi was a uptight girl; she was very dedicated to her job as class representative, to the point that often arrogantly gave people orders. Satou found this very off-putting, as according to him, she took things far too seriously and in her efforts to come off as responsible, she was really just an egotist who was trying to force her own views on others. At first, Kobayashi didn't understand what he meant, but after she graduated she finally got the message.
As an adult, Megumi is a quite cold-hearted and manipulative woman. She has developed a lack of empathy to others and isn't beyond exploiting anyone, including friends, to meet ends. She is very good at deceiving people, as shown when once Satou found out that she had drawn him into a pyramid scheme, she ultimately convinces him to participate because she tells him it's a scam, that he can use to 'take revenge' on the world. Later she convinces Misaki to take part as well by using trying to get Satou's money back against her.