Anime Castle

a quaint animé shop with awesome people. The cashier was very nice and helpful. We told him that we were looking for more animé places to go to and he helped us a lot. He even gave animé titles that we might like to watch. This shop also sells a variety of cool animé shirts and jackets. They also have tables solely for playing your favorite card games like pokemon or yu gi oh.

Within walking distance of my Parsons Boulevard apartment, across from Flushing High School, and hidden within a thicket of tiny shops lies the Animé Castle. The name is a bit of a misnomer, as the square footage is more in line with a two-​bedroom apartment than sprawling medieval edifice. However, this tiny outpost would likely look like a towering citadel for the average animé fan weary of traveling to Manhattan.
I’ve got to say, I’m a huge sucker for the small-​time shops swimming against the current of soulless big-​box outlets. Each one is different, has their own identity, and at the end of the day you know where your money is going. The Animé Castle is a modest affair. There’s a place for manga, a place for animé, a place for statues, and also apparel. A few tables are set up for card games and a smattering of junk food is available to keep the Yu-​Gi-​Oh! games lively. Straight forward. No Frills. Efficient. I was greeted when I entered the store (there’s a buzzer to let you in) and I was asked if I needed help. It’s a small gesture, but you’d be amazed how few retailers emphasize simple customer service.
Keep in mind, I’ve only been there once and these are my first impressions. I went in, browsed the store, asked for a title, got it, paid, and went. Can’t argue with those results, however. The selection of animé seemed pretty serviceable, the action figures were a little weedy. The extras didn’t grab my attention much, so I can’t comment on that. But, the selection of manga was impressive, to put it mildly. Books upon books upon books. All sorted neatly and presented with care. All of them seemed to still be shrink wrapped (which does hinder leafing through them, but keeps bratty pre-​teens from dosing them with their bubble tea). An added note: the manga is sorted by publisher so between that and the plastic it helps to know what you have in mind before you stop in.
Animé Castle is a good model for a store of this type. It gives you everything you’d expect, but it has that one feature that really stands out. If you’re from the area or happen to be in the area, by all means, stop in. It probably wouldn’t draw in you from all the way across the city (unless manga is your poison), but it’s nice to see that there are alternatives to braving the 7 Line into the island for some boutique stores.

I love this store! Normally I’ll just preorder manga here and the occasional figure. It’s a great place to buy manga if you don’t want to support giant corporations. They have figures, t-​shirts and other animé/​manga/​videogame merchandise. If the owner is there he’ll try and get you to buy more stuff. There are also normally groups of teenagers there playing yu-​gi-​oh, vanguard or magic. And they carry ramune and japanese snacks too if you’re there to hang out.

It’s not for me, but I definitely see why kids and adults alike may like coming to Animé Castle. Saw this spot randomly in Unilocal and dropped in to see what was available. It just so happened that there was a pokemon playing card tourney that afternoon and we saw a bunch of kids hanging around talking and playing cards. I for one think that places like this are especially valuable in neighborhoods with higher crime rates and disadvantaged children. …because at the end of the day, it’s much better to see these kids having fun than out on the streets. It was especially sad to see the metal detector/​security apparatus at the front of the store, because you know some bad stuff has gone down previously. But I hope this place serves as a safe haven for years to come.

Very friendly, considering right then, my mom was a bit irritable and the counter lady was very nice and sweet. She asked me if I needed help a few times, but not overbearingly. Also, there was also a match going on for a card game, and I couldn’t believe how into it they were. I also found, INFERNAL DEVICES MANGA. I’m a huge Cassandra Clare fan, seeing as how I love reading fantasy things, and I had heard her infernal devices books were put into manga. The books I bought there were SO well preserved, and they were well kept; I love the idea of individual plastic wrapping. I aslo bought an Attack On Titan handbook and I love it. The atmosphere there is extremely quiet and comfortable. Unfortunately I couldn’t find much else related to Attack On Titan that I liked, but I did find an SAO card set, and I found it extremely cute, so I got it. All in all, I recommend for newbies like me.

I’ve recently stumbled upon this little gem of a store while trying to buy my manga from not a chain store such as Barnes and Nobles. Just would much rather spend my money to be spent in the «little guys» now that I live in NYC & manga is more popular here then it was back home.
I must say the selection of manga is HUGE compared to what I am used to seeing. It’s awesome! So many books I saw I just wanted to purchase since I haven’t even heard of them before. However, I guess my own imagination before actually stepping foot in animé castle led me to believe it may have more collectibles/​figurines/​etc but it was mainly books, DVD’s, and trading cards. Very cute little underground spot for manga lovers!

I watch a lot of animé (or so I thought) then I came across this place which sells animé and manga! Every time I go there I receive great help from the people who work there.(I really need to learn their names) they have a huge manga collection. You tell them what you are interested in and they make reading suggestions. So far they’ve been on point! Will definitely be giving them more of my money!

Best Animé store in Queens! I’ve been coming here for years and never been disappointed, the staff is very friendly and helpful, good selection of animé, manga and toys.

Ok this place is just awesome the people were so nice the manga was wrapped up in a plastic. The prices were good and the quality of the things I had bought were really good.

Great selection of animé. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Besides books also lots of dvd’s, japanse candy and drinks. Prices are better than online at amazon and the like.

Pros:
Good manga selection, price fair. Plastic wrapped so the manga aren’t faded, but you can’t check them out (good on them).
Fair animé selection from the looks of it. Not that big though and it’s mostly popular stuff, but that’s expected. Online store says they stock some rarer goods too, but the collection is so far from eye view in store you can’t really pick out the good stuff.
Vanguard section is good, but I don’t play. They have events and stuff for it and a lot of booster packs and decks.
The front of the shop has newer, official merchandise. Their selection changes and is pretty updated. Back, not so much.
Cons:
Service isn’t that bomb. I got recommended Sailor Moon when I wanted brolic men fighting, mannnn– that’s some judging. Staff is sometimes quiet or too pushy. Man I know my animé, dont be up on my grill if I ain’t buying either. So hold up. But they are nice and helpful at other times too. Also they follow you, but thats understandable cause the stuff seems easily jackable even if you have to put bags near the front. Verdict: their tastes suck but thats objective.
Overpriced food. Go to the chinese supermarket nearby. It’s actually like a block down.
Outdated magazine section and merchandise stuck in early 2000s. Some of the goods seem a little faded, no joke. They’re not official too, especially the keychains, but I don’t mind doujin (fan) goods, just wish their stock got updated. Went after 2 years and it was the same. Mostly mainstream animé… from like 2007. And popular new animé goods are featured towards the front of the shop.
The figures are all moe chicks. Aka girls made to look cute and appealing to fans who expect the same character archetype in every other series. The bags and shirts are your standard popular animé goods that aren’t standout and are just label placement.
Video game selection is lackluster and priced too high.
Neutral:
Atmosphere. It’s usually quiet but there are people playing card games sometimes. That’s cool, but cramping. It’s kind of small but it’s a warehouse like place, no frills.
basically:
As someone who’s pretty into animé, Animé Castle didn’t really strike a chord. Taste differences. But for people who are into your standard fare of whatever’s popular in the last few seasons, or people who are into popular cute girl stuff, it’s a shop worth a visit. They have a good amount of manga and animé, but not that much merchandise. Their online store is pretty bare too.

I quite like this store!
I feel that New York is severely lacking in animé stores, so when I discovered this place a few years ago, I felt extremely lucky! Usually when I visit here, there’s a small number of local high school kids playing some games or just hanging out. There’s never big crowds of people here, which I like. If you’ve never visited before, it’s right across the street from Flushing High School.
Anyway, the selection here is really great. They get imports from Japan and have lots of stuff that you’d probably have to seriously dig around for elsewhere. They have a GIGANTIC manga section that impresses me more and more each time I visit. There’s a section of various dvd’s and films as well, and some awesome wall scrolls that are fairly inexpensive. There’s another section with cute keychains and other accessories of different animé — including Attack on Titan, Death Note, Naruto, and Fairy Tail (just to name a few.) I really love the accessories they have, though, such as the plushies and t shirts.
I especially like that they have yummy Japanese candy available as well. The people working here are super friendly and easy to talk to. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area!

I’ve yet to be impressed by this store. They have such a limited selection of stuff. Their website is sorely out of date as well. You think in 2014, they would get a better design.

Great store, I always find the Animé that I’m looking for and I can always preorder an up coming release! The staff are very very knowledgable in manga and animé and I appreciated the advice and suggestions they provide for me. Store is a total recommend !

I am not as dedicated to manga and animé as true fans, but I admire both and enjoy them when I can. I visited the shop today for the first time, and I was shocked to buy a manga title and the register rang it up a few dollars cheaper than I thought, cheaper than the cover. They counter girl explained they give 20% off manga! (It was cheaper than
!!!) I spoke with the two young ladies at length about animé and manga, and the depth of their knowledge staggered me. Anything I asked, they responded without needing to look to a computer search. One of the ladies suggested two titles based upon the manga I mentioned having read and enjoyed, so I purchased both. Read them tonight and LOVED them. I know I have read that prices for toys and other trappings of the pop culture are overpriced, and to that I cannot speak. However, I can say they are well stocked for manga and discount the titles. If you have a question about the next thing you want to read and do not even know you want to yet, just ask them for suggestions. You will NOT be disappointed!!!

I’ve been in love with this place ever since my friend showed me it during my freshman year of high school. I’m currently a sophomore in college and I still come here on multiple occasions during the year. This place is just manga heaven. If you’re looking for a manga, they probably have it somewhere. And if it isn’t there, you could ask one of the staff members to order it for you and then you can pick it up a few days later (when they call you).
The staff here is so friendly and nice and funny, haha. They’re great people to talk to, so be sure to have a conversation with them if you have the time.
The only thing that annoys me about this place is that you have to leave your bag near the entrance, which I’m totally fine with. But then one of the staff members follow you around if you go towards the back area where all the t-​shirts and bags are. I don’t really understand why they do this. I mean, I’ve already left my bag at the entrance… how else am I gonna steal something? Hide it under my jacket? It just makes me uncomfortable when there’s someone following me around when I’m looking at stuff. I need my own personal space!
Other than that, this place is great. Come here if you want discounted manga and other animé related goods!

A great selection and very helpful and friendly staff that gives recommendations based on your interests and what’s new. The 20% off makes the prices comparable to early 2000s pricing, and they also have otaku related paraphernalia and trading cards. Check online for comparable prices for box sets, otherwise everything here is worth checking out.

Of all the years I’ve lived in queens… WHY DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE SOONER???
I see and shop from them all the time at con’s. Now that I know where their home store is I’ll definitely be coming here a lot!
Nice big store, friendly and understanding people working their, very fair prices, fellow otaku to talk with. Great store! Now get off your bums and go!

not too shabby! it was a delight to see this store while exploring Flushing with my brother. we walked in to find out that the store was JUST opening. they let us come in with no wait and turned on all the lights. that was sweet of them!
the store is not humongous. however, it housed a lot of good retail products like bobble heads, key chains, plush toys, collectables and t-​shirts. rare and hard to find t-​shirts! my brother found a Dragonball shirt; a replica of the ones you see the characters wearing at the training camp in the manga. too bad they didn’t have more sizes!
we browsed for a while– bought a few items and walked out impressed with our finds! i scored a Domokun plush dice set for my collection and brother purchased a few novelty gifts.

Animé Castle is a must-​visit for any and all who loves manga/​animé! It’s the only store in the hood with such a wide selection in English-​translated manga’s, DVDs, art books, magazines (Shonen Jump & etc), apparel, accessories, and toys ^_​^ *note: I’ve been looking for some old school manga’s, and they actually carry it!
I think another store that can rival their merchandise would be Kinokuniya in Manhattan… but it is both far AND expensive. Animé Castle has better pricing for the same things (if not more), so get smart!
The last couple of times I was there, the customer service could have been a little more friendlier, don’t know if that’s changed =X