1. Animon Life

1. Animon Life

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San Francisco, CA

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Animon Life

4.9 (34 reviews)
Closed 10:30 am - 6:30 pm

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Juan V.

It seems like everybody is in character around the city and online and life is the stage. Some people dress up and take on a whole new identity in SF. They say it's Halloween everyday in SF but I also say it's always Halloween on Instagram, X, TikTok , YouTube and Instagram along with every other digital platform where you can see performative characters who do it for fun and some for pay. You will see all kinds of people changing their true character form into a digital platform character serving another role and identity even as an avatar. This has become the normal in SF and it's also become a lifestyle where now stores are embracing it. There is a place in Japan Center Mall where you can escape from reality into fantasy. It's called the Animon Life. Walking inside Japan Center West Mall I landed inside Animon Life. Inside you will see lots of characters from the land of the rising sun and the mobile gaming world and the anime world. Usually most you will find are not much of the mainstream characters. You will also find pixel pins and blind toy boxes. This to some is also a hobby store. They have lots of different types of merchandise you can give as gifts. They have lots of stationaries and novelties. Don't be surprised to see customers in cosplay costumes shopping inside Animon Life. This is the place for the party people to escape from the day to day reality and create your own fantasy. Some post on Instagram some post on "X"some to "flex "some do it for the community some for fun and some for the "checks"some have good content some content is like watching drama filled car "wrecks" Go to Japan Center with the cool "Don Juan "find stores which carries "Pokémon "and also get a "Japanese pan" and then visit "Animon"

bug pins!!
Beatriz M.

super awesome selection of small artists merch ! and well located ^_^ yay!! very nice genshin collection too

Hats
Ann T.

I'm a big fan of the Hayward location and if any business were to take over the old historic video spot here before, I'm glad Animon did because I know that the owners are fans and supporters of the series that they sell here. Very bright, well lit and well stocked shop. Definitely follow their socials to see what new items they have in stock and to do pre-orders for more limited release goods, as they do have staff order and go overseas for some of these events to get merchandise. Yes, most of the shop is Hoyoslop (no offense) and Chinese gacha game series, but there's a market for that and the fandoms are sizeable. Again, they went all the way to SoCal to support Asayoru with the Azur Lane event, so from 1 gacha gamer to another, they know ball and they love what they do, so massive props to them. They have lots of goods for Genshin, Honkai Impact 3rd and Stair Rail, ZZZ, Love and Deep Space, Arknights, Azure Lane, Wuthering Waves, Punishing Gray Raven, and more. They have an aisle section for smaller local/independent artists, many that I have seen at local anime convention artist alleys, so if you miss getting their items at an event or if you're mnot really a convention person, this is a great way to support them too. Love the collaboration! There's also some small gacha blind box items for other series like Uma Musume, EnStars, IdolM@ster, and FGO (BIG W for me). And again, a lot of it is newer stuff released overseas that they have here too. For example, the 10th anniversary FGO train station set was released a couple months ago in Japan, so the fact it made it overseas and reasonable price (considering inflation and tariffs), is amazing. Products range from many many acrylic stands and keychains, buttons, plushies of all sizes, to accessories and apparel (I think they're working on getting more apparel since there's more at the Hayward store, but they have ita bag set up and other purses and such, and character themed bracelets), desk mats, stickers, mini figures, and much more. For frequent shoppers, they have a loyalty system where you can get freebies. Great addition to SF Japantown!

Lily C.

This Animon Life store offers a wide variety of merchandise from all Hoyoverse games, alongside other popular gachas and otomes that are currently trending. Their collection is impressive, offering anything from impression rings to bags and regular keychains and pins. The only qualm I have is unfortunately the pricing -- they're quite high in comparison to other online and/or pop-up shops. Still, Animon is still worth checking out in your free time, and they do offer promotions from time to time!

Kristina V.

Super clean and super helpful staff! I always find something I want from their collection!

Full shelves
Mindi S.

Super nice stave- clean, well lit and a huge variety of merch, I was surprised to see local artists too. DEf worth the visit as I make sure to come every time I'm up from LA area

Anime official merch store is in town! Great selection of Love and deepspace merch, for the LADS gals out there. Great location in japantown. Friendly people working there too. Good deals as well.

Selection

Places like this are what I live for. I am so grateful that for this year's Cherry Blossom festival I was able to find a gem like this. The selection of gacha game merchandise made me wet myself with anticipation. They had many of the popular game merchandise and even some of the nicher characters from that game. The service was very friendly and I was glad to have purchased from this store.

Mystery bag from artist alley at Animon by rainubrew

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1 month ago

Lots of selections of different anime, if you like honkai, love and deepspace, or genshin this is a hotspot!

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1 month ago

Best place for Love & Deepspace merch in SF!! Has preorders for the new merch and tons of merch for every LI

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1 month ago

staff was is very friendly and helpful!! if you're a big fan of gacha games, this is a great store to visit :)!!

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1 month ago

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4 months ago

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5 months ago

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15 days ago

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2 months ago

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1 month ago

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3 months ago

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1 month ago

So many different merch from mihoyo, LADS, and they even have their own artist alley selection. Very organized!

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3 months ago

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1 month ago

It's a great place at Japantown. They have such great service and a lot of great merch from officials and artists!

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2 months ago

Nice selection of Hoyo merch that's not available on Amazon. Also have an artist alley selection with merch from artists.

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2 months ago

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4 months ago

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5 months ago

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1 month ago

Adorable and good items good variety of items. Y'all need a store in socal too. I like that y'all have love and deep space as well!

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Only place that has tears of Themis merch!! Love the local seller section with all the niche fandoms!!

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4 months ago

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2 months ago

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2 months ago

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3 months ago

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

Where else can you get officially licensed anime merch? The prices are fair, and the workers are always a pleasure to talk to.

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3 months ago

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5 months ago

Cute and bigger location compared to the Hayward one. Both locations have their own unique set up, but this one has more merch.

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

Great selection and a variety of items for all types of fandoms! Love everything about this place!

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4 months ago

One of my absolute favorite stores! It has the merch for all your favorite gacha games! Would definitely recommend the visit ^^

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4 months ago

amazing store! it has all the gacha merch you could ever ask for :3333 definitely returning in the future

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Review Highlights - Animon Life

Super big selection for many characters, and lots of different fandoms including Kuro, hoyoverse, and LADS.

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Japantown Collectibles

Japantown Collectibles

4.0
(79 reviews)
0.1 mi
$$

Used to come here every now and then for anime figures, but haven't been back since I stopped…read morecollecting. I started coming again now that I got into model kit building and painting and I have a totally new appreciation for this place. Due to the small size of the store, the selection is not comprehensive, but I always find very cool things every time I come in. I usually shop for gunpla, military model kits, game miniatures, and hobby supplies like paints and glues. I'm fine with paying a bit more to support a local store, but I'm always pleasantly shocked that prices here are either roughly the same as online or cheaper! I don't keep up with anime figure prices anymore so I can't tell you if the prices on those are as competitive. I can only vouch for the model kits/miniatures/supplies. The biggest downside is the place is super cramped, but in a way it's also somewhat of a plus because I can look around at the various stacked boxes and find lots of treasures. Plus the person behind the counter (think he's the owner?) is very nice and patient.

A great store with a wide selection of figures, board games, and other animanga collectibles :)…read moreThis store is across from the bathrooms next to Suzu Noodle House. The store offers a variety of collectible/fun items at competitive and relatively low prices. They have a rotating and wide selection of figures from various franchises that other stores in the Japantown mall might not have, even the Kinokuniya. During my last visit (12/17/2025) in particular I remember they had a huge selection of Spy Family figures and many of the Project Sekai Sega Prize figures but they also carry other merch from many other franchises like JJBA, Love Live, and MHA. The store limits its capacity to six customers at a time but that's only because they have so much items in the store! The employees are very nice and help get the items you want quickly, every item I've purchased from here has been unopened and in perfect condition. Highly recommend this store

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Hatsune Miku Nendroid Doll (Date Outfit Ver.) ($108.88 before taxes)
Hatsune Miku Nendroid Doll (Date Outfit Ver.) ($108.88 before taxes)
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"Num num num..." Mummyman likes their snacks.

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Classic Materials Sports & Collectibles

Classic Materials Sports & Collectibles

3.9
(45 reviews)
4.7 mi
$$

Resealed packs. I…read morebought a White Flare (JP) and Team Rocket (JP) booster box and found that two cards belonged to the Terastal Festival collection I don't have video proof of opening these boxes. These were the first boxes I've ever bought and opened them with some friends, but when I put them in a scanner neither original collection showed up. Thought it was an error, did some googling on these cards and the serial numbers - Terastal. If they respond, they'll call me out for lying - I have no reason to do so. In my lifetime I've now opened four boxes and two were resealed, apparently

I've been coming to Classic Materials for years! When they were in Tanforan Mall and now Stonestown…read moreGalleria. This store is tucked in the mall on the 2nd floor not too far from the Food Court and Target. They have a great selection of Sports Memorabilia, Funko Pops, Hot Wheels, collector cards, toys and more. I specifically like going there for their collectors items. I even remember meeting Klay Thompson and other Golden State Warriors current and past players when they used to be at Tanforan Mall. The team working at this store is great, especially DJ who is very helpful and knowledgeable of the products he sells The store gets fairly busy, however, DJ is always attentive to his customers and makes it a point to help the customers find what they want/need. The store is very clean and organized. The prices there are reasonable and I never leave the store without making a purchase! Never found myself dissatisfied with any of their items! Highly recommended! My kids love going here too! 5 stars!

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Classic Materials Sports & Collectibles
Classic Materials Sports & Collectibles
Japanese Booster Boxes

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Gamescape

Gamescape

4.5
(251 reviews)
0.9 mi
$$

To sum it up: Many games for purchase, clean and organized store, MSRP Pokemon trading cards, and…read moreallows donations. My husband and I are huge Pokemon fans and we love to open and collect cards. But with the surging popularity of this hobby, many stores such as Target, GameStop, and other collectible places sometimes increase their prices, so it's not worth it to buy them overpriced. Gamescape keeps their prices as MSRP and their staff is very friendly. They keep it simple and easy with their Pokemon trading card items behind the counter and if they have more, they'll tell you and if they're not, they're out. None of that "hiding items from customers" nonsense that you see from other stores because they want to keep it for themselves, and etc. I also appreciate them accepting our donations of Pokemon items and accessories such as playmats, dice, binders, etc. After opening Pokemon cards, my husband and I do not need 10+ playmats, bunch of dice, and countless binders. With all of these in "never used" conditions, we would rather donate them to kids who would appreciate them more and have fun with them. I definitely do not want to sell those to kids or others as well, since they are free items with the Pokemon cards. Gamescape accepted our donations and was very appreciative. Thank you Gamescape for being one of the few places who sells their Pokemon items at MSRP and allowing us to enjoy this hobby without burning our $$$ too much lol

Was in the city and looking for a TCG shop for Pokemon and they had some here. Price was…read morereasonable and surprisingly they had some in stock. If you are looking for TCG or other games I'd definitely recommend checking out Gamescape. If the sales person had better knowledge of Pokemon cards that would have been great but he lacked some so minus a star.

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Tiny puzzle
Tiny puzzle
VW collectible puzzle containers
VW collectible puzzle containers
Collectible VW & Double Decker Bus Puzzles

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Nintendo San Francisco

Nintendo San Francisco

4.2
(142 reviews)
1.2 mi
$$

The Nintendo San Francisco store is located right in front of Union Square. The store is lined with…read moreNintendo merchandise featuring popular characters, bringing back the boyish spirit even for adults. The staff are cheerful and seem to work in a relaxed atmosphere. In the basement, you can play Nintendo Switch on a large screen and enjoy a dynamic game of Mario Kart. Nintendo has spread its wings and become a global success from Japan, where I was born and raised. The products you can buy here are more than just price-conscious; they are filled with the dreams and hopes of childhood.

Nintendo San Francisco is a dedicated Nintendo retail store in the city, and it delivers on what…read moreyou would expect from that concept while adding enough of its own character to make it worth visiting even if you are not coming in with a specific purchase in mind. I walked into a clean, modern space with interactive displays and character installations throughout that gave the store an energy beyond a standard merchandise shop. The product range covers the full breadth of Nintendo's franchises. Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Pikmin, Splatoon, Donkey Kong, and Kirby all have dedicated sections, and the merchandise extends well beyond games into clothing, accessories, plushies, kitchenware, home goods, cards, and collectibles. The exclusive items, things I cannot find at a general retailer or order online easily, are the main draw for serious fans, and the store stocks enough of them that it justifies the visit for collectors. The window decals, which show Nintendo characters from the inside looking out onto the street with passersby visible behind them, are a small design detail that worked better in person than it sounds. Game demo stations are set up throughout the store and add an interactive element that makes the space feel like more than a gift shop. Staff were consistently friendly and engaged, willing to have actual conversations about the products rather than just processing transactions. The store gets busy, particularly on weekends and during summer, and there can be a wait to get inside during peak periods. Weekday afternoons are the easier time to visit if I want to move through the space without too much pressure. For Nintendo fans of any age, it is one of the more enjoyable retail experiences in San Francisco, and the prices are more reasonable than I expected going in.

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Don't ask how much I spent.
Don't ask how much I spent.
Entrance
Entrance
Every joy con color

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TAP Plastics

TAP Plastics

4.1
(187 reviews)
1.1 mi
$$
Committed to satisfaction
Established in 1952

Tl;dr: this store has amazing customer service - Junior gave 110% effort to making sure I left Tap…read morePlastics with the perfect products for my family's needs. He was extremely patient in listening to what we were looking for, and showed me a variety of different options around the store. Background: I ended up at Tap in search of plastic display cases (for cherished figurines), and plastic display frames for pictures. The SF store seems to have a much wider selection of the 'Showcase Plastic Boxes' than the San Mateo store. Thanks to Junior's expert guidance, I left the store with a variety of boxes that perfectly fit all of the objects (big & small!) that we were looking to encase. It was as if we'd gotten them custom made! Pro tip: Know the dimensions of the objects you're looking to encase beforehand, or simply bring them with you to the store and let the magic unfold.

Thank you Junior and your plastic craftsman for replicating a clear plastic pick guard for my…read moreGibson Les Paul Custom Shop R9 guitar. It looks great and a perfect match to perfectly fit on my guitar without any problems. Now, I can show off the wood-work of the full body of my guitar while protecting the it from my picking motions when I play. Thank you for rushing my order and for the excellent service. All of you treated me so well, and you treated me like I was your only customer when you had a bunch of customers in your shop today, 5-November-2025. I wish you all the best, and I will be a return customer. /s/ Alfonso Faustino

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Acrylic shelf separates sweaters in tight area
Acrylic shelf separates sweaters in tight area
TAP Plastics
Tap Plastics's replica of the OEM factory pick guard using clear plastic.

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Tap Plastics's replica of the OEM factory pick guard using clear plastic.
The IMIM Store

The IMIM Store

3.0
(2 reviews)
9.6 mi
$$

The IMIM store is the retail storefront face of Hobby Engineering and is owned/run by Al…read more Some background : I started going to Hobby Engineering when he was located in Millbrae on El Camino. Got a PIC programer and some other various things. After he moved to the current location thats closer to the airport I continue to buy things from him, usually emergencies when I'm short a part or have a rush on something. Hobby Engineering has a searchable website so you can see what he has in stock. The IMIM store hours are what I would nicely say Quasi-Predictable. He's basically running two businesses at the same time by himself and most business is through the mail-order/warehouse side of things however you can really tell he wants to have a storefront. I know currently he's trying for regular Saturday hours but its always best to read the website instructions. When I need something I check the website, then I call to see when he'll be around. If I'm in a rush after confirming he'll be there I'll place the order online and pay for it as a Will-Call and swing by. He has also been incredible in the past and met me at weird or late hours to pick something up. The IMIM store itself is on the second floor and he's making good progress on it as of my last visit. Quite a bit of hobby-related stuff on the shelves to browse. His speciality seems to be Robotics but a lot of general model making supplies around too. Not some much on display for general electronics but the warehouse is just downstairs so if you know he has it in stock and he doesn't have bunches of customers upstairs he has no issues grabbing parts from the warehouse. I have to reiterate, you need to read the website. Local store. One person. Hard to cover everything by himself. My hope ( and I'm sure Al's ) is that the storefront gets enough traction to warrant an employee. He's got a bunch of space and a lot of possibility.

I am working on a project that requires a microcontroller running a a servo. I was interested to…read moresee this store show up, and thought it would be nice to support a local hobby/electronics business. I tried to visit last week, but it was closed and appeared empty. Realizing that the store had some idiosyncratic operating procedures, I called the number on the web site. The person who answered was positively discouraging of a visit. He wanted to know what I was working on, and told me that he didn't really have any stock out to look at. I suspect that this is really a mail-order business, and references to it as a retail outlet are misinformed It would be nice if the owner changed his website to reflect that fact.

Animon Life - hobbyshops - Updated July 2026

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