T a i r a
Taira is first introduced as the bassist of a band called the Musicmans (manga: NC-17). When Eiji and Ryusuke split and both were forming their own bands, they were in competiton over Taira, who was not getting along with his bandmates in the Musicmans. He's an absolutely fantastic bassist, extremely strong and very talented. Most who hear him play say it's incredible how "funky" his playing is for someone who is Japanese. Since the bassist is a crucial part of a band, both Ryusuke and Eiji really want him. Of course, he eventually chooses BECK as his band because he believes that it has the best chemistry and will be a band that can really go somewhere.
Taira is usually very calm and level-headed, the one who thinks things through and comes up with plans in the band. He knows the importance of hard work, but he also knows when too much is too much. He believes in the band and his bandmates to a great extent. When we meet Taira, he is graduating and looking for a serious band. He works (we see him as some sort of security job) to pay for (assumedly) his housing/food/other necessities. Taira's birth-father was a very talented jazz musician, but ran off with another woman. Taira's stepfather is a simple car mechanic, but Taira really looks up to him as someone who protects, provides for, and cares for his family.

F u n k y
I thought "funky" would be a proper name for the fanlisting, seeing as how Taira's playing reflects a good deal of funkiness, and that's what most people comment on when they first hear him. Funky opened on July 20, 2005. Graphics capped from the anime and cropped from the manga, © 2005-2006 Sora/Stardrop Studios.