The two met through independent comedy groups in Tokyo, and eventually coupled and began performing on the highly populated streets of Shibuya.
After appearing on U-tchan Nan-chan's "UN Factory Kabosuke", they quickly found fame as they were recognized as two very talented manzai-shi (stand-up comedians).
By the late 1990s, London Boots, or Lonboo (ロンブー, ronbū) as they are often called in Japan, had already landed a spot as the hosts of their own show.
Ryō tends to speak with a mixed Osaka and Tokyo dialect (for example: それ、あかんだろ (sore, akan daro), mixing akan, common in the Kansai dialect, with daro, most common in standard Japanese), which only serves to accentuate his efforts at being polite.
The irony of this situation is that Atsushi is supposed to be the boke and Ryō the tsukkomi, which suggests a reversal of their comedic roles.