Mariko

Mariko Fujioka is one of the main characters of The Two Cats along with Expi. Her family immigrated to Paitoca from Sonrisa, an in-universe country with similarities to Japan. She likes being snarky and sarcastic, and can get away at certain times, and sometimes has feelings of depression and self-hatred. She lives with Expi in their apartment in Anibi.

Design
Mariko is a red cat with a brown hair and lower-half, who wears a light purple shirt. Her original design did not have her wearing clothes, but she was given a shirt around the time of Expi's redesign in 2018.

Origin
Mariko originally grew up in the country of Sonrisa. However, due to government corruption and the election of a fascist leader, her family ultimately decided to move to Paitoca in 2017.

Relationship with Expi
Expi and Mariko met after she moved to New Yolk City in Paitoca, and they met by attending the same school as each other. They began chatting with each other during lunch time after they had met, and they agree to hang out after school on Friday. Mariko is initially a bit skeptical, particularly after seeing Expi reply to one of her friend's jokes that put down Sonrisa, however Expi apologizes for what her friend had said. They end up hanging out after school on Friday as promised, and the next morning they both go out to a place that Expi likes to visit - a long stretch of land ending in a harbor. However, this harbor gets attacked by Sonrisan terrorists, which results in her getting discriminated against. Expi, however, stands by her, cutting off many of her own friends that were being mean to Mariko over her heritage, and the two remain friends. Nowadays, her and Expi are in a relationship, after their feelings for one another escalate throughout the rest of high school, and they both live together in Anibi.