From: axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair)
Subject: Sydney Anime/Manga Shopping Guide
Reply-To: axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au
Organization: University of Technology, Sydney
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 12:15:28 GMT
Originator: irsincla@uts.EDU.AU


This is posted with Distribution: world, as I've received overseas
requests for such a guide.  Some of you might also be interested
in the manga prices/selections here.

==

                     Sydney Anime/Manga Shopping Guide
                              24th August 1992

   Australia uses PAL, not NTSC.  (Like Hongkong, the UK, etc.)
   Offically, to buy laserdiscs they have to be PAL and local.  There
   are NTSC laserdiscs, but are offically for rental only.  There is some
   grey marketing in NTSC laserdiscs, ie. will order for you off the US
   suppliers.

   All prices are in Australian dollars.  Rough guide: AU$1 = Y100 = US$.75
                                            Currently: AU$1 = Y89  = US$.71

   Sydney is a city of 3.5 million people, with a large Cantonese-speaking
   community (and an almost negligible Japanese community).  Shops are not
   guaranteed to be open on Sundays, to be open after 5pm, or to accept
   anything other than cash.
   
==============================================================================
 Tokyo Mart
 27 Northbridge Plaza
 Northbridge
 Comments:  A large Japanese grocery.  Plenty of food, but some videos
   for hire.  Examples:  Godzilla, lots of soaps taped off Japanese TV,
   Gundam, Dragonball, and other fairly popular stuff.
  
 
 Fashion Land
 Northbridge Plaza
 Northbridge
 Comments:  Pretty much the same as Tokyo Mart, catering more to the
    kids/bored housewife market. ^_^  More TV stuff, plenty of Miyazaki,
    SD Gundam, lots of kids' anime.  Some of the kids' anime is rare
    and obscure.
 
 
The following are mostly located in the central business district, and
more or less within walking distance of each other.  (Haymarket is the
Chinatown area, in the south.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Maxim's Video
 Corner Thomas and Quay Streets, Haymarket
 Comments:  An enormous selection of anime.  Some of it is poor or
   unwatchable quality.  Most are dubbed into Cantonese, but some are
   subtitled in Chinese. Their selection of anime TV shows, OAVs, and films
   is probably the biggest in Australia.  They have a fair bit of H stuff
   (Urotsukidoji, Guy, Cream Lemon), sometimes heavily edited.  Working out
   what's what from the Chinese titles can be fun.
 

 Maxim's Laservision Centre
 Sussex Centre, Sussex Street, Haymarket
 Comments: Rental only (ok maybe you can buy some, but no new stuff, 
    secondhand only).  Small to medium selection of anime (they had Beast 
    City when I was there).  Most stuff looked pretty battered.  I haven't 
    dealt with them just looked around. [MJE]


 Law's Laser City
 Corner Thomas and Quay Streets, Haymarket
 Comments: Standard Hong Kong laser disc centre, ie 80% HK cinema trash, the
    other 20% a mix-mash of Japanese movies (don't ask for Japanese movies...
    ie they're all Adult) or Japanese movies/anime with Cantonese dubs.
    Anime titles are influenced by the shop owners fascination into H stuff.
    [EL]
    When I was there earlier this year it was rental only.  Some 
    stuff was for sale but that's PAL discs only.  Small selection of anime.
    A friend visited recently and said they are now claiming to sell all 
    laserdiscs.  I haven't re-visited them yet to confirm this. [MJE]


 Top 10 Records
 37 Ultimo Road, Ultimo
 Comments:  These guys will order CDs for you, cheaper than anywhere
   else (provided you have the title, CD number and manufacturer).
 
 
 Po Hong Books and Stationery
 Two stores in Sussex Street
 410 Sussex Street, Haymarket
 Comments:  Entrance is newsagent type setup. Upstairs has the bootleg stuff.
   A fairly good range of bootleg manga, originating from Taiwan
   or Hongkong (ie. it's in Chinese).  Many titles are presented in
   'fortnightly' format, ie. two episodes in a small 30-50 page book.
   The 'fortnightlies' are cheap ($1.50) and usually are ahead of
   the original tankoubon, but behind the original manga magazines.
   Buying several 'fortnightlies' that look interesting is a cheap
   way to explore new manga.
   NB: the staff here aren't particularly helpful, to say the least.
 419 Sussex Street, Haymarket
 Comments:  Stationary mainly... Video and CDs downstairs.  All videos are 
   in Cantonese/PAL format.  I've seen Project A-Ko, Orange Road and some 
   unknown robot type stuff.  They also have a couple of dozen anime CDs and 
   sometimes cassette tapes as well.  Their J-pop selection is quite good.[MJE]
 
 
 Windfair Company
 389 Sussex Street, Haymarket
 Comments:  A typical Chinatown newsagent, which on any given day is
   likely to stock Shonen Jump, Family Comic (a popular bootleg magazine
   containing some big titles),  Young Weekly (a typical bootleg
   with many titles, in compact digest-like format),  Streetfighter II
   comics, miscellaneous bootlegs, and the like.  Windfair will also
   occasionally have magazines like Young Captain and Hobby Japan.
 
 
 OCS Bookshop
 (Contact IS for address)
 Hours:  Mon-Sat= 9-5   Sun= 10-4
 Comments:  A well-stocked Japanese bookshop, with plenty of manga.
   The manga magazines rack at the front of the store typically has
   SJ, SM, SS, YJ, YM, YS, Big Comics Spirits, Morning, Afternoon (sells
   out fast), Comic Burger, Comic Action, Newtype, Animedia, Anime V, Comic
   Feel, Be Love, Lady's Comic You, Ribbon, and Asuka.  Occasionally the
   rack will have Jump 30, BJ, Big Comics, Big Comic Original, Big Comic
   Superior, and assorted H stuff (Pink Time, Erotopia, etc).
     The selection of tankoubon is fairly respectable.  Off the top of
   my head, there are complete sets of Doraemon, UY wide, City Hunter,
   Hokuto no Ken, Nozomi Witches, and plenty more.  They'll typically
   have 1-4 recent tankoubon from the most popular titles in the
   manga magazines they stock.  95% of tankoubon now have plastic on them
   due to idiotic gaijin either trying to order H stuff, or complaining
   about H stuff.  All magazines and tankoubon arrive within 1-2 weeks of
   being released in Japan.  
     OCS will order stuff if you can write the kanji of the author,
   publisher, and title on a form.  Prices are steep:  $8.80 for a
   Y390 tankoubon, $6.30 for YJ, $12.50 for (440Y) Afternoon.  They also
   have plenty of novels and books on language and culture.  Service here
   is good, but you have to know Japanese.  OCS do not mail order.  [IS]
   Mangajin is *more* expensive here than in the comic places.  [MJE]
 

Miscellaneous bookshops, also in the city.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Land Beyond Beyond
 583 George Street, City
 Comments:  Specializes in underground comics, schlock cinema, and the
   like.  Stocks the usual range of manga-comic adaptations, and has
   some curiosities like Tetsuwan Atom anime comics, the full range of
   Gamera movies, and one or two unknown manga from the mid-70s.


 Comic Kingdom
 71 Liverpool Street, City
 24 Darcy Street, Paramatta
 +
 Comics & Cards
 135 Bathurst Street, City
 Comments:  These are all run by the same people.  As they import from the
   US most stuff is expensive.  They have a small selection of manga,
   normally Gundam!  They have most of the translated US stuff (Liverpool
   Street has the best selection of back issues). They also import NTSC 
   tapes.  A selection of Startrek, Robotech and at present Dominion and 
   some AnimEigo stuff...  Some model kits are available.   I haven't been 
   out to Paramatta... [MJE]

     Other city comic shops include Galaxy Bookshop and Kings', all of
   which will have similar stuff, plus some albums and art books
   (Yamato, Honneamise, etc), overpriced Animedias and other possible
   items of interest.
 

 Esoteric Sciences Bookshop
 Surry Hills
 Comments:  An occult bookshop with no anime or manga stuff, but 
   a valuable resource for manga addicts who require good references
   for religion, martial arts, mythology, history, and other unusual
   areas.
   

 Angus & Robertson
 Pitt Street Mall, City
 Hours:  9-6, open Sunday
 Comments:  No anime or manga here either, but one of the best Japanese
   language sections in the city.  The selection isn't quite as
   comprehensive as Abbey's, but it's cheaper and has more relevant items.


 Sheriff's Mini-Cars
 127 Church Street, Parramatta (02) 893 9056  \ take a train!
 85 Henry Street, Penrith      (047) 215 925  /
 also just opened in Canberra
 Comments:  I was told about this by Samuel Liu and a friend in Canberra.
   They have a selection of Japanese kits of various types.  The owner goes
   on a shopping trip to Japan twice a year.  Last visit he went to Wondercon
   and picked a container worth of stuff due late September early October.
   He usualy has a dealer table at Wondercon which means he gets to see and
   order things before the fans do!  Some of this stuff you wouldn't see in
   the USA either!  Some very limited edition stuff comes in this way.
   Things I have seen in here are: BGC Hardsuits, various Ranma, Lum,
   Patlabor (including SD labors!), Iczer-x, Appleseed (I've got a 1/6
   Deunan), Crusher Joe, Silent Mobius, Five Star Stories, Space Cobra,
   Lupin III, Orion... [MJE]
 

==============================================================================
Contributors:
  Iain Sinclair (axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au)
  Michael Edwards (michaele@nsg.com.au):  contact for LD info
  Edmund Louie (nishio@uts.edu.au):  contact for H anime/manga info
-- 
 Iain Sinclair    axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au
 $@0N0G(J $@?<9HNn(J