Stumbled on a hidden gem anime store in Little Tokyo, LA

I was in Little Tokyo last weekend grabbing ramen and noticed this tiny shop called Animate Cafe tucked behind a bookstore. They had signed posters from the Eva rebuild movies that I've never seen online. The owner said they get limited merch drops every two weeks, so I grabbed a Rei figure for $35. Has anyone else found random anime spots like this in unexpected places?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron_craig1mo ago

Hold up, $35 for a Rei figure feels a little too good to be true for a random alley shop. Those Eva rebuild posters sound like they could be bootlegs if the owner is pushing that hard about "limited drops." I'd be real suspicious of a place that only gets merch that often, feels like a tactic to make you buy without thinking. But hey, if it's legit then you lucked out big time, I just got burned at a convention by a fake Cel shading figure so I'm always on guard now.

brown.susan1mo ago

That $35 Rei figure is exactly the kind of price that makes me check the box for a Toei or Bandai sticker before handing over cash. Did you get a close look at the paint lines on her uniform or the joint articulation before you bought it? I’ve seen bootlegs that look fine in the package but the plastic feels greasy and the face printing is slightly off center. The owner pushing that "limited drops" line makes me wonder if he’s just cycling through cheap Alibaba stock and calling it exclusive.