One of the best parts of my trips to Japan are my explorations of the second hand stores. For me, as a collector of 90’s and early 2000 anime, these stores are Godsends, and this time I found items I’ve been wanting for YEARS.

Let’s go in alphabetical order, beginning with one of The very first anime series (and one of my most favorite) that I was ever introduced to: Ah! My Goddess (ああっ女神さまっ).

It’s a romantic dramedy about a poor (and very unlucky) college sophomore named Keiichi Morisato who accidentally calls a heavenly helpline and comes face to face with a the goddess Belldandy who offers him one wish. Believing it’s some prank, he wishes her to be his girlfriend forever. Over the course of 48 volumes (manga) a beautifully drawn animated series, a feature film, and multiple original video animations, Ah! My Goddess is a series with a lot of heart, fun, and some of the most addictive music in anime. Which is why I was thrilled to find as many of the soundtracks and 8cm singles as I did.

The music is just incredible.

The soundtrack to the feature film is absolutely stunning. Composed by Shirō Hamaguchi, the soundtrack features 27 tracks of wonder and inspiration. Fun fact, the movie actually inspired me to write my first novel The Phoenix Chronicles: Awakenings in 2007, and Belldandy was one of inspirations for the look of the main character.

I also purchased the single release of ｢Try To wish｣ from Saori Nishihata which was featured in the film.

Both of these were found at Mandarake in the Nakano Broadway shopping center.

I also found the entire collection of from the Plus (+) series – which are repackaging of some of the original releases from the manga and OVA (Original Video Animation) soundtracks – which were actually a pretty cool (and surprisingly cheap) find at Book Off.

Though they were missing their outer boxes, the sets were still in pristine condition, and supplied the soundtrack to the rest of my adventure in Tokyo – especially on my (almost) daily trips to Family Mart for snacks!

Another Ah! My Goddess find was one of my holy grails, the Nendoroid figure of Belldandy herself from the Good Smile Company.

She’s tiny. She’s cute. She’s perfect! And she has three different face plates and a several other accessories, including her steadfast broom which she uses to clean (and sometimes fly).

Purchased from One up, this one was brand new, so it was full retail price (¥ 6,900 / $44.00). A bit on the pricey side, she’s something I’ve been wanting for a while, so I had to get her – plus she would’ve been almost twice that if I had to have her shipped to the states.

What I love about the Nendoroid figures from Good Smile Company are not only how cute they are, but how well made. Bell is gonna look real cute next to by Sarawat and Tine from 2gether.

One of the items I’m most excited about from my time at the Nakano Broadway Mandarake is the Fullmetal Alchemist (鋼の錬金術師) -ARCHIVES- BOXSET. This thing is massive.

There are a total of 28 disc in this set, that contain all 51 episodes of the original TV series (on DVD), the movie (on Blu-ray), and an avalanche of premium extras including special bonus footage and all original soundtracks (to that point)—featuring theatrical themes like L’ArcenCiel’s ｢Link｣ and ｢LOST HEAVEN｣—plus an archive book packed with rare and unpublished materials, including illustrations from Yoshiyuki Ito and original creator Hiromu Arakawa.

When the series first aired in 2003, it became a phenomenon, sweeping up awards and igniting a global obsession that has only continued to grow. In 2009, a special boxset was curated to celebrate the legacy, and the release of the feature film Fullmetal Alchemist The Movie: Conqueror Of Shamballa. At the time, the set retailed for ¥ 71,500 (around $450) and was not something I was able to purchase. However, thanks to Mandarake, I was able to procure the entire set for ¥ 4,500 (around $30) in pristine condition with everything in-tact (for context the set still retails for hundreds of dollars on sites like eBay with a brand-new set currently listed for $412.00 on CD JAPAN.

Honestly, it’s worth every penny.

It’s a beautiful tribute to Elric brothers, and an anime that continues to inspire.

Walking into ROBOT ROBOT I found the shelves overflowing with other treasures—from Saint Seiya to Cowboy Bebop, and (to my delight) plenty of Studio Ghibli goodies – including a brand-new deck of Kiki’s Delivery Service playing cards that I couldn’t leave behind.

While I didn’t find as much Sailor Moon merch at ROBOT ROBOT that I could afford, I was able tp pick up adorable Luna plush from the 25th anniversary line. Second hand, she still had her tag attached.

It was a great store.

Suruga-Ya however, was a totally different story. That store never disappoints — and I put a major dent in my 8cm CD wish list.

Music has always been such a huge part of the Sailor Moon universe, so finding these albums felt like a real win — especially the two releases from the original series.

I also managed to track down one of the rarer 8cm CD singles from the musicals, which honestly felt like striking gold.

But the grand prize of the entire trip goes to the Anime Festa CD single of ｢Change the World｣ from the BL anime series Everything for Demon King Evelogia.

Easily one of the most expensive pieces I bought this trip, it’s also one I’ve been searching for since I first heard it as the theme song of this incredibly spicy and strange (yet incredibly addicting addicting) series.

Toshiaki Gozu dies—only, instead off gong to the hereafter, wakes up inside his favorite video game. Reborn as a NPC, he’s determined to break the script and rewrite the world’s destiny – especially after falling in love with the game’s ultimate villain—the Demon King, Eve—and together they set out to take control of the entire realm.

Incredibly rare, it’s one of the coolest finds I’ve ever experienced in a second hand store.

Heading to the massive Mandarake complex Akihabara, the store is 8 floors of take-my-money-NOW, and a must-stop anytime I’m in Japan. One of the things I was most excited about was the larger plush of Snow Man’s shining leader Hikaru Iwamoto from the Snow World dome tour, and another of Joichiro Fujiwara (Joe) of Naniwa Danshi from the 1st Anniversary of their debut line. Both were second hand, but both were pristine – which is one thing I love about Mandarake. While there are older items, most of them look pretty good for their age.

I also found a few more CDs from Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle – which I keep mistaking for a BL. It is not, but the music is actually quite good, and the discs were pretty cheap.

All in all, this Japan trip has been an absolute goldmine for second-hand finds. I’m pretty excited about what I got, but there is still so much more to tell so…

Stay tuned!