NZ Shopping Guide

New Zealand Anime & Manga Shopping Guide

Updated: 7th August ’08

Those of us who live in New Zealand all know just how difficult it is to find stores in this country that sell quality anime & manga goods/merchandice. I look back at the time I’ve lived in New Zealand, and remember a time when if you had asked the local video store whether they had any anime videos, they’d turn around and say “Is that a kind of sheep?”
I kid you not.

Things have improved since then. With the change of ownership for the Manga Entertainment line (which was eventually renamed to Madman) we saw a massive influx of anime titles flooding the market. With the work done by all the various clubs in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the word began to spread.

Unfortunately, it’s still a niche market, and while more stores have appeared, there aren’t as many as we would like. The lack of a competitive market means that quite often, you have to order in what you want; and most stores will stock similar items on their shelves, and prices are usually a lot higher. While I would suggest that you buy local to support them and help keep them in business, I hate to admit it, but quite often you can buy the same items (more figures, artbooks and associated merchandice) cheaper through overseas online stores. So if you’ve got access to a credit card, online stores are a good option.

Then again, I’ve bought items from local stores that most overseas online stores have extreme difficulty getting in (GNC is great for scoring some of the rarer items direct Japan.)

Below is a list of stores, companies etc. that cater (either directly or indirectly) to the anime & manga market. I have tried to collate as much information about them as possible, but if you find there is an error, or I am missing detail, or that you can recommend more stores in your area of New Zealand, please please post a comment below with the details.

The more places fans have to shop from, the more the demand will be, and hopefully, over time, we’ll start seeing more stores popping up

New Zealand-wide Retail Stores

BookZone – by far the best place to get manga at very very affordable prices. They are a purely online store, but their shipping rates are amazing, and they can get in pretty much any manga that has been released in the USA. Check out their upcoming manga list, or email them with the ISBN and names of the manga that you want, and they’ll order for you.

Electronic Boutique – a general gaming store that stocks anime and some manga; quantities and variety really varies store by store. An EB store can pretty much be found in most major cities and towns in New Zealand (usually in the malls.) Check the YellowPages for one closest to you (keyword: EB.)

Gamesman – stores can be found in Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Tauranga, Lower Hutt and Wellington. They have a fantastic selection of anime, some manga and a few of the stores have even started stocking Gundam plamodels. You can also order the Newtype USA magazines from them.

Gameplanet – a great selection of anime at reasonable prices. An added bonus is that if you’re a gamer too, their site has a huge number of gaming gear & games for sale too. These guys are a purely online store.

GamePlus – Anime DVDs (All the latest + lots of earlier volumes) and a nice selection of recent manga. Being a games store they also stock anime style games. They have locations in Auckland and Hamilton.

Madman Entertainment – goes without saying. These guys bring anime into New Zealand, all other stores will source most of their anime dvds through Madman. If you’d rather skip the middle man, you can order your dvds direct from the Madman online store

Real Groovy – with stores in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington, these guys are a good option in terms of buying anime. Their online store has over 200 anime titles for sale (whether the titles are in stock in individual shops is another thing) and some manga too. Unfortunately if you order anything in from these guys, your order does take a while to arrive.

TradeMe – a place I both love and hate. In the last four years I’ve watched as the number of anime/manga items for sale has grown on this auction site. You’ll find a mixed bag of items for sale on this site, anything from anime dvds, manga, figures to wallscrolls and games, it varies. Sometimes there isn’t much for sale, other times you can find a rare item going for uber cheap.

A word of warning though, in recent times there seems to have been a growing number of bootleg/pirated items for sale on TradeMe. Anything from bootleg anime dvds, wallscrolls to cheap knock off figures. Do your research before buying please, and also be wary of anyone that has bulk lots of the same item for sale. I don’t know about you, but if I am going to spend money, I want to be sure I’m getting quality goods, and that I am supporting the fandom, and not someone’s wallet by buying their cheap knock offs. And while sometimes you’ll find a bargain, other times you’ll find that some sellers will be selling items at over inflated prices (this usually happens with figures.) So always do your research before buying! Be sure to also check what the trader’s feedback is like, and what their shipping methods are.

Other – Do check out Dymocks and Whitcoulls as well, as they stock a good selection of anime titles and manga.

Auckland

Borders – located just underneath the IMAX on Queen St, you can’t miss it! Four floors of book/music goodness and god knows what else besides. I remember when they first started stocking manga, a single shelf of badly organised books that had been well read. Now they have a massive shelf with over 200 titles available for you to choose from, and if they don’t have a particular book in, you can order it. If you’re wanting to stock up on your manga, Borders is recommended over the smaller stores since Borders orders en bulke (for it’s stores world wide) therefore the prices are generally cheaper. You will also find that they stock informational books on anime and manga, and the occasional artbook that has been officially translated into English (by companies such as DMP, Viz and TokyoPop.)

They also now have a store in Sylvia Park & Albany Megacentre, which has a fairly good selection too. Be aware though that the prices are more expensive than the Queen St. branch.

Gotham Comics – Gotham Comics has been supplying anime/manga goods to fans since 1997, when yours truly started harassing Tony (the then owner) to bring more of it in. Since then they’ve supported and helped fans, and I’d strongly recommend checking them out. You can order through the International section of Previews or check out some of the neat things thats on shelf. You can find them at 264 the Mall, Onehunga, Auckland, ph/fax: 09 634 4399.

Graphic Novel Cafe – the cafe is a haven for all fans of anime/manga in Auckland. Not only do they have hundreds of manga available for people to read (you pay for how much reading time you want) they have an anime rental system happening, as well as a viewing room available for those who want to watch anime on site… but wait, there’s more!

They have a very good selection of artbooks, manga & associated merchadising for sale! At delicious prices no less; and Seong is able to order in almost anything you want direct from his supplier in Japan.
If you were going to visit any one place in Auckland for an anime/manga fix, it would be here.

Note: I do believe Seong does mail order, so don’t be disheartened, check out the website, see what he’s got in stock and email him your orders.

Heroes4Sale – located on 277 K-Road, this store has a huge wall of manga that you can browse through, with a good selection of titles (some which you will not find at Borders.) They also stock English artbooks, a massive range of the How To Draw series & Manga University products, as well as anime figures. If they don’t have something you want in stock, they’ll do their best to get it.

Otherworlds & Otherthings – a cute little shop located at 27 Fusion Road, Flatbush, Manukau. They sell a good range of anime & manga products, predominantly figures, plushies and Gundam model kits. Definitely worth checking out. You can ring them on (09) 271 6788, or email on otherworlds@xtra.co.nz

Vagabond Games & Collectables – these guys sell mainly gaming items such as card games (Magic, Pokemon, DragonballZ) but also stock Madman anime titles and a good selection of figures and gashapon. Their prices are slightly on the steep side, but their range is fairly good. They also have a good selection of Gundam plamodels.

WARNING: They do sell pirated/bootleg figures, gashapon and merchandise. Shopping for anime/manga items at this store is a case of BUYER BEWARE. You may be purchasing non-legit items, which is not cool at all. How do we know? Some of the gashapon they sell have been long out of print, and yet they seem to have many many copies of them; items such as pillows which are printed with characters from popular anime series do not have any official merchandising tags on them (and with such a wide variety of titles from different companies, no one distributor could get the rights for all of them!) Don’t be tempted because you see things cheaper there or because they seem to have “rare” items that no one else has. DON’T SUPPORT PIRATED GOODS.

Two locations, Shop No.4 62-78 Hurstmere Rd North Shore (09 489 2750) and 291 Queen St Auckland Central in the IMAX centre (09 303 2750.)

Hamilton

Mark One (MK1) – a fan favourite in Hamilton, they carry an extensive range of anime dvds, as well as manga, figurines, gashapon and artbooks. They can also order stuff in if you request something in particular.

Palmerston North

Heroes4Sale – apparently affiliated to the Heroes4Sale in Auckland, but not exactly sure how. They can be located at 29 King St Palmerston North. They’re pretty much Palmy’s only source of anime/manga goods (other than EB.) They have a good selection of manga on the shelves, ditto with the anime; but can order in quickly from Madman or Diamond’s Previews magazine.

Wellington

Borders – along Lambton Quay, they have a good selection of manga and English artbooks for sale. Again on the steep side, but then it may be more convenient for you!

Graphics/Graphix – located on Cuba St. next to the Matterhorn Lounge. They have a selection of manga trade paperbacks but I guess when I was there they did’nt have much else. Alot of the anime/manga fans in Wellington swear by Graphics/Graphix, but I am assuming thats cause they probably order through Previews quite a bit.

Pulsar Max – located on Level 1, Te Aro Court, Manners Mall (upstairs between Dick Smith & Bank Shoes) they have a massive selection of manga and figures for you to choose from. I was blown away on a recent visit by just how much they had!

Prices are on the steep side, but if you’re like me and like to browse for goodies to pick up (instead of waiting for them to come from overseas) then this is the place to go!

They are working on a website, but in the mean time you can email them or ring them on 04 382 8688. Let em know you were referred through this site

Christchurch

Borders

Comics Compulsion – located on 181 Manchester St in Christchurch, Comics Compulsion have been around for a long time. Back when I visited their store there wasn’t much by way of anime and manga for sale, but was advised that they could order in pretty much anything people wanted. Of course this may have changed, please contact me if this is the case!

Definitely check out their website for more information about them and their opening hours.

Scorpio Books

The Game Station

Online Stores

Please note, these are stores I myself have shopped with and would recommend; but while my experience may have been good, I cannot be held into account for any bad experiences you may have. As is always the case when buying things online, do the research and be sure about what you are buying, and confident about where you’re buying it from

Amazon Japan – why yes indeed you can order from here, and trust me, we’re really lucky we can. Because NZ doesn’t really have an Amazon connected to it, we aren’t banned from buying stuff from Amazon Japan like some countries are. Which means, you can buy all the manga and artbooks you want, at Japanese retail price.

Need to know how to order from Amazon Japan? Can’t read Japanese to save your life? Worry not! Read this nifty guide and soon you’ll be in shopping heaven ^_^

JPQueen – second hand store but they categorise their goods by quality, and are usually spot on. A good place to get manga and artbooks from. Excellent selection, and I often find rarer books there. Sometimes expensive, sometimes not, really depends on what you’re getting.

Mandarake – yet another place that sells second hand goods, but quality of books not always so great. Although prices vary, you can usually find some exceptional deals here. Watch out for their auctions, some amazing things go for sale then!

HLJ – for all your figure, statue, gashapon and trading card figure needs. HLJ has got it all, and you can be gauranteed that none of it will be cheap, poor quality pirated goods! They also have an excellent selection of new artbooks on this website.