Animate is a fixture in Japan for anime fans as it’s the go-to store for merch and manga. Finally, fans in the US won’t have to fly to Japan to get their fix as Animate finally opened their US physical store in Los Angeles.
Previously, Animate’s US presence was only through its official online store. With this new physical outlet, anime fans in LA can finally select from a wide range of merch in person, including goodies from new popular titles.
Animate: One of Japan’s Most Well-Known Anime Stores
There are many retailers of anime merch in Japan, but Animate is perhaps one of the most popular. It’s also one of the most widespread as there are over 100 stores throughout the world, but most are found in Japan.
Animate’s first store is its flagship location in Ikebukuro, which opened in 1983. Since then, Animate has expanded into practically all major cities in Japan.
There are also numerous stores in Tokyo, including a big outlet in Akihabara.
Manga volumes and anime Blu-rays are sold in many stores across Japan, but Animate is unique as it features lots of official merch.
Animate also often releases exclusive merch lines such as the recent Quintessential Quintuplets x JR Central collab.
Aside from Japan, Animate has also expanded in other countries, but mostly in Asia. Specifically, there are Animate stores in China, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan.
Finally, Animate is opening a new store in the US, though interestingly, it’s not the retailer’s first US outlet.
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Animate Finally Opens in the US With New Los Angeles Store
Two decades ago, Animate expanded to the US with a store in LA, though it closed in 2003. Now, Animate is trying again, this time with another LA location.
The new Animate LA store was initially announced back in July. Finally, the store officially opened on September 30, 2023.
To celebrate the opening, the store announced various freebies for purchases of selected items.
As with other Animate stores in Japan, this new outlet features merch and other goodies from a wide range of titles, including Chainsaw Man, Haikyuu!!, Oshi no Ko, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many more.
While the store is finally open, fans who live far from LA can still order goods from the Animate official online store.
For those who want to shop in person, the Animate LA store is located on the second floor of the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance.
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