The anime world is one of the fastest-growing arms of the entertainment industry. This is particularly true as the number of anime movies, manga, and games churned out daily is quite enormous. Thankfully, its fanbase keeps growing, and consequently, many anime merchandise stores are sprouting up daily to provide fans with various anime items. These items have been found to perfectly mimic characters and scenes that many fans wish to relive over time. Keep reading to learn more about these items.
The ten best anime merchandise
In no particular order, these are the top ten cool anime items you should own.
Plush toys
Plush toys are among the most common types of anime merchandise. They’re toys made of stuffed anime characters with various poses and facial expressions. These plush toys are great for kids and adults who wish to relish moments with their favorite characters. You can also place plush toys in your living space as interior decor. These toys come in various aesthetically pleasing designs and styles. They are also durable and long-lasting if you buy from authentic stores.
Cards
Playing and trading cards are other diverse categories of anime items that you must own as a fan. You can buy them as mere collectibles or use them in a wide variety of card games with your friends. Typically, these cards consist of drawings and art of popular characters and scenes.
Action Figures
Action figures are one of the most common pieces of anime merchandise, as they appear to give fans a chance to relive and experience scenes and characters from their favorite show. There are quite a number of famous characters that have been made into action figures, which you can place in your home or office. Another advantage of buying action figures is that they are flexible and come in various poses and facial expressions. The flexibility means that you can detach and reattach some of the body parts to create various poses.
Bags
Most people carry various kinds of bags every day, depending on the occasion. As an anime fan, you can showcase your fandom with colorful anime clothing and handbags. Thankfully, several stores offer these bags in various colors, styles, and designs.
T-shirts
There are several anime characters and scenes that have been branded on T-shirts and other apparel. These shirts are a great way to immortalize your favorite show or manga. They come in various sizes, designs, and specifications. You can also get hoodies and sweatshirts that are branded with various anime characters.
Nendoroids
These are action figures that have been remodeled into small toys. They usually have disproportionate designs but look almost like your favorite characters. These items come in various designs and poses. They’re generally small in size when compared to statues or action figures. However, most of them are cheap and look adorable.
Statues
If you’re an anime lover scouting for merchandise on a budget, PVC statues are for you. They are long-lasting anime figures made from a wide variety of materials. They can be placed in your living or working space as they’re usually aesthetically pleasing. They also last longer due to the materials they’re made of. However, this category of merchandise is not usually customizable like action figures. They’re also usually large without detachable body parts. Aside from these downfalls, they’re a great anime item to own.
Posters
Posters are a great way to relish memories of major scenes from movies and video games. You can also buy a poster of your favorite character in any anime media. Typically, they’re one of the cheapest anime merchandise options, depending on the size and quality. Posters can stay in your room, garage, or even workplace as long as you keep them in place tightly. Avoid excessive moisture or sunlight exposure if you want them to last.
Accessories
Anime accessories are a large category of merchandise for every anime fan. They include necklaces, rings, notebooks, key rings, phone straps, and phone cases containing drawings or engravings of anime characters. These accessories are the perfect gift for any anime lover. Besides, there’s no limit to the kind of anime accessory you can find. These accessories extend to pillowcases, bedspreads, doormats, and other home items you can think of. Some of these items also contain multiple characters or scenes from a show.
Books
Without a doubt, buying a hard copy of a manga book gives a more fulfilling experience than reading it online. Besides, having a hard copy of your favorite anime story shows everyone how much of an enthusiastic fan you are. Aside from building a library of your favorite manga, these books can also give you access to extra stories that are not in the original show.
A final word
There are quite a number of reasons people buy anime merchandise. Most people buy them to keep a collection or decorate their living space. Other people buy them to express their fandom to everyone. Whichever reason you choose to buy these items, keep in mind that you’re supporting the industry in one way or another. This is particularly true as the proceeds from these items go to different staff and arms of the anime industry indirectly. Besides, the items are often made from quality materials and therefore last longer. They are also generally aesthetically pleasing.
If you have decided to buy anime merchandise, either for yourself or as a gift, you can purchase it online or offline. You might be able to find an offline anime merchandise store in your locality. However, finding and purchasing these items online is much easier and if you know a reliable source, you will avoid the counterfeits that are everywhere. Before you opt for any website to make these purchases, ensure they do not sell counterfeits by doing a brief background check and looking for previous customers reviews.
For example, if you are looking for Japanese anime merchandise, especially authentic Pokémon plush and figures, we can suggest Ichiba Japan. Go visit the online store and browse through the categories. Once you find the ones you want, during checkout, you can indicate the address to which you want the items delivered, worldwide, directly from Japan.
