Best Places To Buy Anime

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Finding the best anime store is no easy feat. One of the many problems as a person who likes anime is to find a store that sells the type of merchandise or clothing that you are looking for. Whether it is finding the specific anime that you are into, finding the right character, design, or type of clothing, anime merchandise and clothing hunting can be difficult. Anime is still a growing industry and there are not many stores, specifically good quality stores, that support the fandom.

One of the many issues that I find when looking for an anime shop is looking for retail locations. Retail locations have been dropping left and right due to Amazon and e-commerce which makes finding a retail location that sells anime that much more difficult.

In this list, the best anime stores in the United States, whether it be online or near me, will be ranked. The factors will be based on availability, quantity, originality, accessibility, and overall guest experiences that I and others around me have experienced.

Best Stores To Buy Anime Clothing and Merchandise

Hot Topic

Although Hot Topic's selection can be somewhat limited when it comes to their anime collection, the quality of their products are really up there. Hot Topic is one of the few retail locations that are still around in many places, particularly malls, that carry anime merchandise and clothing. Although their prices are not the cheapest, being able to walk into a store and see what they are buying is a necessity that is not quite feasible in the day of online shopping. If you are looking for some main stream anime and in vogue apparel to wear, Hot Topic would be the place to go.

Tokyo Otaku Mode

Tokyo Otaku Mode is a staple in the anime community when it comes to a store that supplies the best anime merchandise. They are a store that has been in the game for a really long time and a safe and legitimate site that is solely dedicated to all things anime. When it comes to anime figures, it can be really difficult to find figures that are not bootleg versions of official merchandise. Thankfully this is not the case when you shop at Tokyo Otaku Mode. Here is an example of one of their classic Goku figures.

That being said, clothing is not their specialty and this is definitely not a place where I would recommend one to buy clothing. The prices do not match the quality of the designs that they provide, and they are a little out of tune with what is in fashion. There are better locations for anime clothing which are listed down below.

Animelife

Animelife is a clothing and apparel store that recently just came into the market. They are not as large as Hot Topic or Otaku Mode but a lot designs and styles are much more modern and have a streetwear vibe. Their pieces have originality while still sticking to what it's all about anime. I have found that a lot of new anime inspired clothing stores use anime to attract wandering eyes, but don't really have much to offer besides their own brand. Animelife's clothing happens to be fairly well priced and is cheap compared to other brands in the market.

Unlike Otaku Mode and other large anime retailers, animelife has a smaller overall collection, letting each one of the items they carry shine in the spotlight. Their variety of dad hats and caps are really what make them unique however. Their recent addition of crossed out Naruto caps have captured many eyes, and their Dragon Ball Trucker Hats were worn by the likes of famous soccer players; including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

iiii Clothing

Four Eyes Clothing is a new clothing brand based out of California. Above I linked a review and unboxing of their clothing. Although this is not necessarily an anime clothing store, it is important to note the newer trend that is growing across America which is "anime-inspired clothing". A lot of up-and-coming brands have been taking anime and doing their own spin and take on it. Whether they are piggy-backing off of the anime movement or actually inspired by the anime genre, this is none-the-less a style of clothing that many people are going crazy over.

One of IIII Clothing's motto is "Lewd and Rude" which happens to match their style and some of their designs. They try to lie right on the edge of SFW and NSFW, bringing a new perspective to clothing. Their prices are semi-decent as they are trying to still establish their brand and need people to purchase their brand.

Crunchyroll

It is no doubt that crunchyroll is one of the highest selling anime clothing and merchandise brands in the market right now. Although their main market at the time being is media, selling subscription based services to watch anime and read manga, they also have a store in which they sell clothing, apparel, and other anime accessories.

Their quality is most definitely top-notch and they have a wide variety of what you can buy. From official figures, table top games, to their own clothing products, most people find what they are looking for when they enter the crunchyroll store. Although their designs are not necessarily in fashion at the time being, their selection and anime that they host is quite large, making them have a well rounded category that not many brands and companies can boast. Their prices for most of their products are also well priced making them a popular choice for many.

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