Tokyo Kid

NOTE:
As of 12÷25÷11, Tokyo Kid is out of business. Passed by a few times over the past month to confirm; store is gone.

Whether you like this store depends on what kind of animé/​manga fan you are, I guess. I really want to like this store, but I’ve been in a bunch of times and I’ve only purchased something once. Depressing. Here’s why:
First, the price markups on non-​rare goods and merchandise are pretty bad. I saw several things I wanted in here last time, so I checked the prices from my phone, and found out they were marked up on average about $ 30-​$ 50 compared to online US retailers. Even accounting for the possibility of shipping costs, it’s still a pretty extortionate markup. Maybe if you just want to buy one thing to have *right now* that’s okay– but I collect animé stuff and the extra money I would have spent on purchasing the marked up goods would have equaled me being able to buy several completely additional things on the internet.
Secondly, although there are some exceptions, the majority of merch seems to be from either very mainstream shows or very «classic» shows (like 80s and 90s). I had trouble finding things from shows I actually like. Yes, that’s just my personal taste speaking, so if you’re into Bleach or want a CLAMP wallscroll, ignore this one.
Three, it’s um… kind of dirty. I know they have a display full of busty animé girls in the window but that’s not what I’m talking about. I like that kind of dirty. The kind of dirty that was a little offputting to me was that the shop floor was in some areas really filthy. I realize that animé fans are filthy and horrible people, but can we just pretend we’re not, and maybe keep the store clean?
I do have some positive things to say about this store despite this. They have a whole cabinet full of what appear to be import games and J-​pop/​OSTs, some of which looked like they might be quite old or rare. Neither of these things interest me much but if you’re into either, they might actually have something cool and unique for you.
They also have a couple imported art books to which I guess the same rule applies, perhaps there’s something a little rare that you’ve been looking for. Everyone’s tastes are different so maybe there’s a hidden gem for someone here. I like that «candy store» feeling when I’m in a shop full of stuff I want, and I want Tokyo Kid to give me that feeling, but it doesn’t. However, if you’ve never been here, I still suggest you look and decide for yourself.

Hello, funky Animé store in a most unexpected place! What a nice surprise on a rainy day when all I wanted was a Vivanno from Starbucks and randomly decided to go upstairs to see what stores were there. I wish I had found this store during my Death Note phase– I may have purchased a statue or an action figure!
Located in Harvard Square, Tokyo Kid is pretty unique. Any fan of Animé, or even Japanese pop culture, should check it out. They have tons of action figures (some may call them toys!), statues, regular movie dvds, Animes (of course) and other cute items like fan magazines. The prices looked good to me, and the selection was tremendous. Above and beyond what you’ll find in even the best comic book stores with an animé section like Harrison’s Comics.
I am definitely going to make a point to return to Tokyo Kid. Depending on what I’m watching, I might even buy something. Not one of the body pillows, that’s just too creepy (unless they stock L!) but I could see myself purchasing a silly fan magazine. If you love animé, you have to check this store out!

This was a great find: I am really into the Japanese pop culture and I enjoyed looking around in here, great selection! te coolest part is that they rent animé DVD’s. Some of the things are pricey but that is to be expected. I will definitely have to check back.

Great selection but at a price! This place has some rare stuff for sure, but honestly it is ridiculously expensive. I took my sister here and she found some cool stuff but we could hardly afford pocky: P
Great dvd/​figure/​import selection. Though I’m not sure how legit ½ of it is. Do your research… and on that note, this is a good place to widen your repertoire.

I like this place. It’s got animé blaring in the background, there’s always some neat little display of themed merchandise, and I can buy plushies and other animé gifts without having to pay a convention admission fee first. I can’t recommend their manga section, since I can go into Borders with my key ring tag and get up to 40% off a book, but I will give a hearty plug to their shirts, DVDs, creepy body pillow dolls, and other little eccentricities.

Plenty of animé and manga and related goodies. If you love them Japanese cartoons, this is a good place to start. So why am I giving it only two stars? Well, the place sells knockoff CDs, counterfeits from Taiwan. It’s kind of sad, because an awful lot of the fakes they’ve got have actually been released here in the US legitimately. Because of this, I haven’t purchased there in years, even though I’d be happy to give them my money. Ditch the fakes please, Tokyo Kid!

If you are a big Japanese manga (Japanese comic book) fan and you love amine TV shows and movies from japan. then this store is for you.
This store have everything including the kitchen sink… and then some.
it even have CD soundtracks from your favorite amine TV shows and movies.
They have thousands of mangs there too. from death note to sailor moon. they have every animé TV shows from 1970 to the 21^st century. from trading card to stuff chibi dolls of your favorite animé character. From cool bags to Acton figures to everything Japan

This is the place every animé lovers, manga fanatic and animé collectors dream store. so what some stuff are a little bit pricey! it’s worth it!
if you love pop culture from japan. then go to Harvard and run don’t walk to this store. trust me this store is perfect!

I’m only allowed in the store for 5 minutes at a time… It’s kind of like i’m on super market sweep cause i lose control of my arms and grab everything i can… maybe that’s more mall madness… Regardless, this place is a one stop shop for any animé fan (Or Japanese RPG fan)
This place hasn’t changed much in the past 7 years, in HS i would go and buy action figures, look at cool imported things, and now, I can still do the same thing.
The prices are pretty much on par with amazon, the benefit of going here is, supporting a local business AND a cool as shopping center (the garage rocks). They have everything from, pillows, to cell phone key chains, patches, posters, action figures, pins, wallets, funny animal shaped hats, imported videogames… it’s ridiculous.
Also, if you are like me, you go there in the hopes you see a japanese school girl, willing to pose for photos and make the peace sign… one day i’ll find you…

Attention Animé Fans and Video Game fans!
If you’re an animé fan and video game fan like I am, this is the place for you. Everytime I’m in Harvard Square I always make a stop here to see if they have any new toys and trinkets. Things you’ll find here are manga books, animé figures, keychains, dolls, dvd’s, Japanese video games and cds. You can go overboard in terms of buying things here. The prices are tad more expensive due to the location they are in but that shouldn’t stop you from getting your new awesome toy!
I believe this is the only store of it’s kind that focuses on animé and video games in Massachusetts. The store is affiliated with the animé convention that is held every mid March so pre-​register if you are planning on going, otherwise face the 7 hour line.
This is a must stop place if you’re in the area and if you’re a animé and vid fan!

There are far better places to get manga and animé but it’s the merchandise that most people are there for. In that respect I hope they return to their old ways of importing.
I feel as though as animé becomes more and more popular, Tokyo kid will be less and less of an interesting place for me. Looking back now on the times when I was a young lass looking for anything pokemon related, their inventory was mostly imported. Nowadays they have merch made for the American market. Because of this, I’ve had to wait for kick-​ass series like Code Geass or Gurren Laggan to be dubbed so I could get my greasy little otaku paws on the action figures. Despite this, they do deliver. I was pleased as punch to find that they had one of revlotech’s latest figure releases. The gurren lagann now has a happy home on my desk and I’m tickled pink.
Tokyo kid is also a really nice place because you can be the biggest dork in the world and not feel uncomfortable at all. The staff is very knowledgeable and they have exceptional taste. If you’re looking for a new series to get into they’ll gladly tell you about their favorites. The only thing that could ever make you feel strange is that sometimes a mother will bring her youngins in to look for Naruto stuff or something and it gets a bit nerve wracking to hear the back and forth… but I’ve only had this experience a few times. Mostly it’s just teens and adults browsing.
Despite my recent qualms, I’ve always loved this place and will continue to drop by whenever I’m questing for something specific.

Tokyo Kid really needs two scores: one if you’re in the market for animé and manga merchandise, and one if you’re looking for just animé and manga. On the former, it’s a solid four stars — FYE might have a few Bleach/Naruto/whatever’s on Cartoon Network wallscrolls and a rack of manga, but Tokyo Kid has a whole range of products — wallscrolls, posters, soundtracks, figures, etc. — from a diverse range of series including Fushigi Yuugi, Sailor Moon, Chobits, Card Captor Sakura, Prince of Tennis, and more. They also have manga, DVDs, animé video rentals, and at least five different kinds of Pocky.
That said, Tokyo Kid isn’t as amazing as they were a few years ago. The supply of unique imported merchandise isn’t as broad, new series are underrepresented, and there just seems to be a lot less of everything. It’s still a can’t-miss if you’re an animé fan in Boston/​Cambridge, but if you’re looking for manga, Comicopia has a better selection, and you can get animé DVDs for the same price or better at a chain store. (To say nothing of online, hello Right Stuf.) Hence the three stars.
Still, Tokyo Kid has things no Borders will ever carry, and some of their older merchandise may be difficult to track down online. The Harvard Square location also makes it easy to just drop in. If you like the idea of having a local independent animé specialty store, pop in and have a look. Just keep your expectations realistic.

Not a bad animé store, as animé stores go. The location is good, though it’s obvious that the store is too small for all their stuff. Every inch of this place is packed with merchandise. I do like the fact they have an entire wall of action figures and that they carry most of the Square Enix Final Fantasy line, even the really new ones (last time I was there, I spotted animé-​style FF7 Cloud and Tifa, who are fairly new releases). Also, they’ve got a decent selection of cold-​cast figurines.
The manga and CD selection could use some work (and I can’t really comment on the legitimacy of most of their CDs — from what I saw, a lot of them were from Taiwan), but again I understand space is an issue. Surprisingly, they had a lot of goods from less popular or older series, so if you’re looking for goods from your favorite animé from 1999, I would say give Tokyo Kid a try.

Here’s a haiku for you, it’s titled «If I weren’t So Worried About Credit Card Debt, I Would Have Dropped A Thousand Dollars At Tokyo Kid Last Weekend» by Russ S.
Ahem.
«
Tokyo Kid has
Some Trinkets Related To
Super Mario
In A Perfect World
All Of Those Chotchkies Would Be
In My Bedroom, Yo.
Also You Should Know
If You Enjoy Animé
This Store Is For You
«
I felt like a Japanese poem would be suitable for this review. Thanks for listening.

Tokyo Kid is a tough call. I almost want to give it 4 stars for hanging on and for being, well Tokyo Kid. The truth of the matter is that Tokyo Kid isn’t really an Animé store and that it is more of an Animé/​Japanese culture store. It does well as this but it has never sold me as really deciding this whole heartedly. To me it seems like they are still trying to hang onto the days when they weren’t really competing with major corporations for the animé fans. They still do a good job with figurines wall scrolls and the lot but I would appreciate it if they would kick it up a notch.
The straight-​animé and manga. primarily focused on figurines and memorabilia.
What’s good-​nice selection of figurines ect good place for animé fans to purchase animé related materials.
The slap-​Their animé section takes up too much space for what they have in it. Either get more or put something else there.

It hurts me to give them only 4 stars, but hear me out.
Perhaps I’m being too picky, and perhaps it’s not fair, since I’ve been going to their shop for over a decade — back when they were at the much smaller location in back corner of The Garage, and when they still had competition from Animé Crash and Sasuga Books. Now that Animé Crash is gone and Sasuga left Porter for Waltham, this is the last big animé hangout that I know of in the metro Boston area. It’s not like it used to be, even though it’s bigger.
Now, Tokyo Kid is a great place if you’re a young kid just getting into animé, or a fan who needs their basic stash. By stash I mean posters, wallscrolls, figurines, toys. The store also has rentals and hefty English manga section. Props for the Jpop CDs and Japanese snacks. All these things make this store a popular pilgrimage spot for New England animé-​geeks out in the ‘burbs. (I know, because I was one.)
Tokyo Kid used to have a lot more obscure items that were legitimately hard to find anywhere. That’s a complaint I sometimes find myself saying and something I hear a lot from other people too — but I think that’s not really Tokyo Kid’s inventory as much as it’s the proliferation of online animé stores. The market is so fragmented now and there’s so much niche competition that you can pretty much find ANYTHING online. So the stuff Tokyo Kid keeps in stock in the store is the stuff that’s going to move fast, i.e. the vanilla popular stuff. So can you really blame them for trying to stay in business by mainly serving that crowd? Not really.
The owner, Andrew, is a walking encyclopedia of all things animé and jpop. Seriously if you have a question about anything — ANYTHING — he can help you out. And he’s very friendly to folks who don’t know anything about animé and are just looking to buy something for a friend/S.O./child, so it’s not like talking to Comic Book Guy or anything.
I used to be a little harder on this store because it didn’t specifically cater to weirdos like me who really like obscure stuff. But if they even tried to there’s no way this place would still be around. Tokyo Kid’s been a staple in Harvard Square for over 10 years now and I really hope it continues for even longer.

Unfortunately this store is overrated. As an animé fan the selection was predictable and not really satisfying. I can positively say that Best Buy has a better collection. The only thing I thought was ‘cool’ was that they had some cool shirts, dolls, and toys that you can buy.

Big selection of everything animé and J-​pop. Tons of manga books in Japanese and English, statues of your favorite female animé starlettes, huge selection of animé dvds to rent and buy (including adult movies), posters, calendars, etc. If you’ve got a fetish for japanese pop culture, you want to go here.

Insanely expensive stuff, and very well priced stuff are both here. Huge collection of animé and animé paraphenalia, figurines too. It’s an awesome atmosphere but kind of has a pretentious staff. You can basicly bit torrent everything they sell, so I’d say, unless you’re desperate or wanna get into the animé scene, skip tokyo kid.

This store looks like Gwen Stefani threw up all over the place – it’s oozing with Japanese animé culture. You can buy rare Hello Kitty accessories (rare because have you ever seen a glowing Hello Kitty castle?), tons of posters, games, comic books, dolls, Japanese candies and tons of other crazy stuff. The guys who run it look like the dudes from Kevin Smith’s Clerks and are really nice. Worth a drop by.