TOM Infiltrates the Best Anime Shop in the World! [2/3]

The fourth floor of Animate Sunshine belongs to Shueisha, the company that publishes Dragon Ball, Rurouni Kenshin, and One Piece among others in Shounen Jump, the magazine that captures the hearts of boys and girls alike. When we visited, they were introducing the manga Ansatsu Kyoushitsu at their booth. This story follows a teacher named Korosensei, an unusually strong creature that has destroyed 70 percent of the moon and is able to fly at Mach 20. Their booth was decked out in a classroom theme with a life-size doll of Korosensei, it had such a negative aura that we considered running away. There were also reproductions of original pictures on display, and separate volumes of the manga were available to read as well as buy. Even though it was scary, being able to experience the world of Ansatsu Kyoushitsu in such a way is just another unique aspect of Animate Sunshine.

The fifth floor is for ASCII Media Works, most known for the Dengeki Bunko magazine. ASCII Media Works has published many popular light novel series such as Sword Art Online, as well as Oreimo and Hataraku Maou-sama! (both of which have anime adaptations beginning this month). ASCII Media Works is also well known for experimenting with new genres. When we visited, a gallery was set up for the anime movie A Certain Magical Index: Miracle of Endymion, which recently began screening in theaters across Japan, and has received glowing reviews. The gallery included production materials and original goods on display, as well as cardboard cutouts of the cute Index. There was so much to see that it felt a museum exhibition. This gallery is a great place to come after seeing the movie to soak in more of the work’s world. Beginning on March 22, a special exhibit titled "The Big Thank You Project" opened to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Dengeki Bunko.

The sixth floor is reserved for Kodansha, the company that has published many unforgettable works such as the currently broadcasting Space Brothers, Chihayafuru, and Attack on Titan, which drew attention with it's high quality PV and will begin broadcasting this month. At the time, an exhibit was being held for Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san that featured a giant Azazel-san drawn by the artist himself, reproductions of original illustrations, photos of the voice actors cosplayings as their respective characters, and cosplay outfits of each character on display. This exhibit is enjoyable for both manga fans and fans of voice actors. We would have liked to try on the outfits to identify with the voice actors... By the way, the protagonist, Azazel, is a dog-like creature whose speciality is sexual harassment. Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san is indeed a very unique manga.

We’re not done yet! Next, we will look at displays that any manga or anime fan would not will not want to miss!

ASCII Media Works:
http://asciimw.jp/ (Japanese)

ASCII Media Works (Facebook Page):
http://www.facebook.com/asciimw (Japanese)

Animate Sunshine:
http://www.animate.co.jp/special/sunshine/pc/ (Japanese)