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From Japanese food halls to old school comic shops, we pick the best places to find manga in London
The days where reading manga was a deeply niche pursuit are over. A new generation of manga fans has dragged this time-honoured Japanese artform into the mainstream. Younger viewers are getting hooked on streaming anime online, while older audiences are more and more willing to flip open a comic as graphic novels explode in popularity. And although it's tempting to get your manga fix online, there's something extra-enjoyable about browsing it in a bookshop: especially if it's an independent one, with clued-stuff who can help you navigate the complex waters of finding your next read.
So whether your living room is a shrine to ‘Dragon Ball’ or you’re just dipping your toes into the Japanese genre, here’s our pick of the best places in the capital to find the iconic comics. Grab your cosplay outfit and get going!
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A staple of the Stables Market and a must-visit for manga lovers, this little shop is lined with shelves teeming with comics, figurines, toys, clothing and other manga and anime merchandise. It’s probably one of the only places in London where you can pick up Gunpla figurines. You’ll also find Dragon Ball and Pokémon merch ranging from the ubiquitous to the rare. It’s a good spot to load up on sweets too. Mango Pocky, anyone?
This long-established Camden comic shop is well worth a visit for its chilled-out atmosphere and friendly staff of expert comic book fans, who are equally able to make suggestions for manga newcomers and to guide seasoned manga fans to new choices.
This London institution has been introducing hungry Londoners to all things Japan since 1976. While the depachika (that’s Japanese for basement food hall) is best known for its psychedelic specialist groceries, Japanese bakery and chill counters full of colourful sushi, you’ll also find a stash of mags that are perfect for those with an insatiable appetite for what’s new in the manga world. Pick up issues of CoroCoro Comic, Shōnen Jump and Animedia to read while you sip green tea in the shiny cafeteria.
Duck down to the basement of this friendly Soho comic shop and you’ll find a veritable goldmine of manga. You can get your mitts on everything here from popular shonen, shojo and seinen titles like Fruits Basket to the more thematically complex gekiga work of mangaka (manga artists).
The manga section of Foyles' Charing Cross branch is just what you'd expect from London's most reliably excellent bookshops. There's a massive range to browse here, from new series to classics to anime-themed gifts. And after a recent revamp, this manga haven is now livened up with paper lanterns and cherry blossom branches.
Forbidden Planet stocks thousands of books – covering science fiction, animation, graphic arts, computer games, film, horror, sport, superheroes, and more. It also stocks a huge range of graphic novels, from classic Marvel comics and obscure small publishers from around the world to Viz manuals. Make a bee-line for its superb range of manga, which spans everything from shoujo and josei to LGBT+ issues and brand new titles.
Get a dose of authentic Japan at this slick spot where everything from the floor tiles (from Awaji Island) to the food (cooked by renowned chef Akira Shimizu) is the real deal. Browse the on-site library and you'll find hard-to-find Japanese manga alongside special displays about different aspects of Japanese culture.
The city is home to an impressive collection of beautiful, quirky and extensive stores celebrating printed pages
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