No SoCal visit is complete for me without a visit to Book-Off. For the Japanese lover in me, it is a great place to find music, movies, magazines, books, manga, video games for the cheap. The Gardena location is probably 80%-20% Japanese vs. English content, but that's okay with me. :) The Del Amo location is all English in case you wanted to know. Note that the Japanese DVDs are region 2 so you need to have a region-free player. But there are plenty of movies that have English subtitles so they are great if you are learning the language. They currently have a number of JPOP CDs from the 90s for only $1. You should stop by if you are in the area since you never know what you will find. read more

Book Off is the largest used book reseller from Japan. They are known for shaving off the edges of the pages so that the books will appear newer. Currently this location sells both Japanese and English books and manga (Japanese comic books) as well as Japanese language mooks (large book like magazines). In addition, CDs, DVDs and some games are sold at this location. Since its a used book store the selection can vary but they usually have a good stock of items available which makes hunting for new manga a lot of fun. The prices for manga and books is very competitive, with most manga volumes selling for $5. The price of DVDs tends to be not as competitive. However, the staff is very helpful and friendly. This is one of my favorite places for finding bargains on manga as I usually find something good. read more

Used books, CD's, video games! Japanese niche stuff, at bargain used prices!!!!!!! One of the best places for us freaks, geeks, nerds, and otaku to congregate and buy up whole sets of manga for $1 a piece or so. M-Flo albums? L'Arc en Ciel? They'll usually have it. Fashion mags, car mags, this place is a kind of paradise! read more

Fans of japanese pop, anime, manga, movies, this is your place for one stop shopping. Since they are a purveyor of new and used goods, this a great place to find some fantastic deals. Likewise if you want to sell any of your jpop CDs, manga, artbooks, video games, movies, this is also your place to go. Of course like any store that buys back used items, you are never going to get fair market price for any of your items, but for the convinience and rates for cash/store credit being identical, you cannot beat the convinience. Staff is of course polite and friendly and can speak just enough english to get the transactions done. read more

It's really only for anime and manga so if you're into that highly recommended had first editions for a lot of stuff and some solid recents.

Not much to say about this place. I stop by this place whenever I buy a drink @ Tea Station. They buyback anything from books, CDs, Dvds, and games. I usually go to Wherehouse music to sell my stuffs and whatever they don't buyback, I swing by here to get my small cash* I still think the game prices are too high.. (If you want used games, go to Hyper Game Action @ Sawtelle instead) You can buy books & mangas for a $1 if you're lucky. They have a huge selection at this branch. I come here when the Japanese DVD's are on sale and buy used Japanese novels if I find something good to read. Staffs are always friendly & helpful. Great place to kill time* read more

Disclaimer: a second-hand store for those who aren't drawn to such places But this place has a great selection. They items from clothes to books, movies, CDs, electronics, video games, and kitchenware. They're Japanese owned and they carry many items (literature mainly) that reflect that. But movies here can range anywhere from $1 to $10 depending on if it's bluray, if it's new, or if they have an overwhelming stock of it, etc. You can find a lot here and get it for a steal. Definitely a hidden gem for people who don't mind hand-me-downs. The service is always excellent. They also do trade-ins for items you don't want and will pay you. I'm not exactly sure how generous they are but some money is better than none for your junk right? Parking can be a little bit troublesome because it shares the plaza with popular establishments like Mitsuwa, Poki one n a half, Ross, and Nishiki Ramen. Sometimes they even have sales! Recently all of their kitchenware was 50% off and I took advantage and got some nice bowls and a mug for a dollar each! read more

I really like the energetic greeting the staffs gives you when you enter the store! Several staffs will give a warm holler in Japanese, i thought its a bit funny, since its so rare ANY store do this anymore even in Japan. And they don't do this like randomly or on a whim..... they're pretty consistent. I browse the store for like 40mins and heard them holler pretty much everytime someone walks in. Putting that aside, this store is more or less like the Costa Mesa location. It has a wide selection of used Japanese comics. Personally, I thought the Costa Mesa location has a better selection of used Japanese comics. The one thing this place does have that Costa Mesa doesn't, is they have about 2 small shelf of new Japanese comics available. These are not used comics, so they come in full retail price. But its not that big of a deal for me....since at Costa Mesa, Kinokuniya is so close to the bookoff (5min drive). Its more of a nice feature for the Gardena location, since there's no Kinokuniya around there. The con of buying the new comics there at bookoff is there's no discount (or at least not that I know off). Kinokuniya, if u pay a small membership fee, you get membership that lasts 1 year- which is something I do have. read more

Seriously...this place is one of my favorite 'haunts; in Los Angeles PERIOD! Granted, I live more than an hour away so, this is a once a year destination but when I go it is a place I look forward to going. I liken it to my Disneyland of books. I am obsessed with all things Japan so, when you cannot hop on a 14 hour plane ride (but need some of the culture that is Tokyo and surrounding area), get yourself to a Book Off. The book/magazine selection here is bar none the best....why....because this place has them for as low as 1.00! You can buy a lot and the selection is only as good as the people around the area because they get most of their stock this way so, veer away from the Del Amo mall location because they have ZERO asian magazines. Go to the stores closer to the local Japanese/Asian neighborhoods. NOTE: There is a very solid community of Japanese in San Diego so, that Book Off should be another top consideration if you are in the area (or even if you are not..)..I went 45 minutes from where I was staying in SD and it was worth it! read more

Best deals on books! I got two books for 3 dollars. They have lots of antique plates and silverwares in one aisle which are priced very reasonably. If you're into anime this is place has lots of figures, trinkets, etc. For a very low price. They have quite a selection of movies and cds pro ed very low too. Definitely go here if you're looking for a quick book at a moderately cheap price. Also about the review that says the white Japanese speaking guy is rude, please ignore that because I'm an Asian man and he was pretty nice, he greeted me when he came into the aisle I was in. Anyways, cheers! read more

Bookoff - Gardena - Bookstores Near Me - Gardena, California

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I love to come to this place when I am in town for their discount section. Their regular books are a little much for a used store. Good selection on Blu rays and DVDs as well. read more

I'm Japanese, but that doesn't automatically make me an otaku. I'm not obsessed with anime, but I do love this store! This is the first stop I would make if I ever needed a Japanese book, manga, CD, or DVD. Book-Off has both new and used items, but it depends on what you want I suppose (new magazines, for example, I'd go to Kinokuniya, etc). But racks with $1 novels and manga... CAN'T BE BEAT! I occasionally buy random novels to read, but at the current exchange rate I don't care to buy the new releases. Book-Off has a great selection of Japanese books, from novels to factual books, dictionaries and educational material... I can spend hours at this store if I wanted to (mainly because the books are not wrapped in plastic, and you can just stand around reading). In a way, it's a blessing that this place is located 30 minutes away from where I'd live - any closer, I'd be spending a fortune and would probably be broke right about now. read more

Awesome place, I could spend a kabillion dollars here. they have used CDs here, which is great, because if you've ever tried to build a J-pop collection on a budget, you likely have about 2 albums! These things are pricey new. This location is in a mall, but it's well-stocked. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. I had a vague notion of the name of a pop act, and they helped me find it right away. read more

Book-Off! My savior when I want to save up on book/manga cash :P You can get one manga volume for $3 or $1. CDs range from $3-$30 and DVDs from $5-$50 I think. There's American,Jazz, and Japanese pop CDs and Region 1 and Region 2 DVDs ranging from movies,concerts,drama,and anime. The items are in great condition, considering the fact that most items are used.They also sell magazines and DVD players. Almost every item here is in Japanese, with some English stuff here and there. The workers are pretty nice if you need help locating an item, a few have a a little hard time speaking English and a few don't. I can spend hours here and not realize. That's another thing, the workers won't say anything to you if you spend a long time there. You can spend $20-$30 (and have a lot to take home with you) that is if you don't buy a big DVD/manga pack or something. It's small compared to the one in Rolling Hills, but there are some items here that aren't in the R.Hills store...and vice versa. Just check once in a while and you might come across something you wouldn't expect to be there. read more

LOVE IT! I was one of those first time anal customers that were skeptical if the L'Arc~en~Ciel CDs were Limited Editions or Regular. I know, it's silly... but as a collector, it makes a HUGE difference! However, the guy who works there was cool about it. He opened up each album for me to check the editions. I felt really bad but I was so glad he did that for me. The USED albums are GENEROUSLY priced, better deals than eBay! This is my new favorite store! read more

I have seen this book-off in this plaza for a very long time, and visited the store a few times, and every time i do, i always get something. The store offers a lot of different things, not to mention books. They have a good collection of games and offer old game consoles, as well as a collection of games for said console. The book-off also has plenty of books(in japanese) as well as mangas. I got a movie from book-off for $1.50; very cheap for a great movie! I will be coming back whenever i go shopping in the plaza! read more

I found novels that I was looking for! Little bit pricy but the people working here were all nice. read more

Great place to go if you ever need Japanese books, magazines or DVDs. I've been to both this location and the Del Amo location. This one is by far the better one. Friendly Japanese staff and well kept store. I bought two childrens DVDs in Japanese, $15 and $9. Some older DVDs were selling for $2-3 each. Even though the items are meant to be "used" the two I purchased look brand new. Bargain. read more

Bookoff - Gardena - $15 and $9 - Bookstores Near Me - Gardena, California

Great assortment of Manga in Japanese, perfect if you're fluent or in the process of learning. The employees there are really nice as well. Some aren't as fluent in English, but they're all kind and helpful. If you are a fan of Manga, this place is fantastic. In the $1 Japanese Manga section, I've found Pandora Hearts, Knights of Sidonia, Claymore and more. This place is amazing and I spend way too much money here. Love this place. read more

I had several Nippon joygasms come here after Yuko's review and seeing the wide selections of Japanese books, magazines, manga (with 1/3 of the store dedicated to it), CD, and DVDs here! It bears repeating: Check out the $1 book selection and other discounts! read more

This is a place for those who appreciate Japanese culture for sure. Lots of books, manga, magazines, DVDs and games. People who work here are very friendly. Located next to Tea Station, Oko Cafe, and Phoenix Bakery. Great place to find gift ideas for friends that are very much into Japanese culture! read more

The best used Japanese book store. Ever. On top of the facility being clean, service is fantastic. Always greeting customers at the entrance, Walmart style, and speaking at lightning speed. Very helpful and very friendly. Their selection is fantastic. It's like the scene in Harry Potter when he goes into the wand shop for the first time. Or in Transformers, we see the All-Spark in the cave. It's THAT amazing. But with books and comics. And some CD's and DVD's. Check the $1 section. You'll find treasure. TREASURE, I say! It's every nerd/dork's (or as the Japanese call "otaku") wet dream. Sorry, boys, no porn. You're going to have to get that stuff like everybody else: the internet. read more

Yay, what a gem! I found 3 books at very reasonable price, was thinking of getting these from Kinokuniya for triple the price. The store has a discount promo during the holidays, I think 10% off. Almost all are Japanese books, except for a limited collection of English manga, books, and CD/DVD. I was surprised to see the CD prices of around $1-3. I got every little thing and Misia CD for about $4. Amazing! I wish I spent more time there, but after 3 hours browsing, my feet couldn't stand it anymore and finally headed to the Tea Station. Will be back again - if I can get cheap airfare from Texas! read more

Im so glad that there is bookoff in LA !! polite staffs always help me out right away ! I love to spend time here !! read more

Yet another treasure trove of goodies, starting at $1 (sometimes even less). This is a great place to find used books, CDs, and DVDs. You're kind of screwed if you don't know at least a little bit of Japanese, but I think for the most part, you can get by. Most of the stuff here is in Japanese, but they do have a selection of English books/music/videos. This store is perfect for finding that anime series you watched "waaay back when \D8/" (yes, emoticon for that, because GEEZ), a concert DVD, that old book you always wanted to get but never wanted to pay full price for, and whatever else. Yes, that includes the soundtrack for the first Pokemon movie (don't lie - you know you'd have a fit of nostalgia when you see it for $1.99). Of all the other Book-Offs I've been to (Costa Mesa and Rolling Hills), this is the smallest one - but don't let that fool you. You never know what you're going to find at each one, and prices vary, too. What's $3 at one store may be $15 in another. Sometimes it's a miracle that my friend and I walk out of every one of those stores spending less than $20. We easily spend hours in there. read more

"Daniel-san, first I want you to Book-on and then Book-off" Well maybe the Mr. Miyage didn't exactly say this to the karate kid. It use to be that if you wanted any japanese printed material or video, you had to buy new and pay a premium. I enjoy looking at japanese modern interior designs and I've been able to find them here for less than $10. Sometimes I'll grab a car magazine and then head over to the boba tea shop. I would say overall the selection is very good. The bummer is when you try to sell them something. In fact, I would go in with the mindset that I'm recycling because you don't get much in return. Another small downer is they close kind of early, so it doesn't leave much time after work to look through the books. read more

As an anime figure fan, I think they have a pretty good range of selection. (Though I never buy pre-owned ones so I'm not sure about the price.) They have retro games too so if the store fits your needs, it's like heaven on Earth. I also recommend purchasing English ver. manga here instead of Kinokuniya even if that means you must wait since you cannot beat the price and they sell long series in a bundle. My only complain is that their Newest lineup for Japanese manga are pretty old even for a used bookstore. But overall, the staff are nice and it's a good bookstore to visit every now and then. read more

I love it here! If you're an anime and Japanese culture fan, this place can satisfy you. Tons of Japanese books, magazines and manga. The English section is very limited but still good. There's tons of good finds here. I bought a How To Draw Manga book here for $13 and it's original price from Barnes & Noble is $25+ Quite the catch! Gonna come back here real soon. :) read more

Bookoff - Gardena - Bought this for only $13. It's $25+ in Barnes & Noble. :) - Bookstores Near Me - Gardena, California

This is it. The last samurai. The last holdout Book-Off that resists changing over to totally Americanizing and ditching the Japanese roots. Most of the other Book-Off locations don't even bother with Japanese books and CDs anymore. I haven't been to the one in New York but the Honolulu and San Diego stores seem to be about half way on that road to transformation last time I bothered to check. Because of this, it was definitely refreshing to see that one store didn't get the memo or was refusing to go that route. One store still left that made you feel like you were transported magically to some store in Japan when you walked through the door. For that alone I'm dumping all my stars on this review. Forget that I found a bunch of stuff that I'd been looking for in all the other Book-Off locations for years all within the first fifteen minutes of walking into the store. Rare stuff. Makes me wish I'd known about this one much sooner. The only section that was lacking in selection was the Japanese DVD titles available - a mere handful of titles. No matter - coming in here still made my day. Staff here all converse to customers in Japanese - even the one white dude. Here's hoping this store doesn't change! In the Pacific Square Shopping Center that also is home to OKO Cafe, Meiji Pharmacy, Akane Chaya, Sea Empress Seafood Restaurant, Tea Station, Pizza Machine, Toraji Ramen, and Tokyo Central And Main. Lots of parking in the big mall parking lot. read more

Bookoff - Gardena - Book-Off - Gardena branch. - Bookstores Near Me - Gardena, California

Snatched Vogue Japan and Spur magazines for my mom and nearly bought a second hand copy of The China Study. Other fun finds: Jpop CDs, Maruko Chan DVDs, and Japanese cuisine cookbooks (all written in Nihongo!). Other treasures: $1 (Japanese) magazines, books, and VHS, second-hand DVDs and CDs (from classical music to electronic), a limited section of English novels, mangas, and video games (I saw XBOX). Book-off purchases your old books, CDs, DVDs, and video games. They're open 10am-8pm, 365 days a year! read more

I went there before meeting a friend for dinner. Maybe because I did not have any specific book to buy in my mind at that time, I only bought one book. While the selection is probably the best in the States, the price is very expensive. For example, a normal Japanese used-book store would charge a hardcover around $3 to $5. This place charges about 60% of the original price, which can easily go more than $10. I tried to buy a CD, only to be discouraged by the price being pretty much the same with the original sticker price. So if you cannot find a specific book at other bookstores, this place is good; otherwise, look elsewhere. You sometimes get a better deal by going through online ads of moving sale. read more

I've been coming to this location for almost ten years now. It is much smaller than other BookOff locations, but it is very clean and has a wide collection of Japanese books, CDs, and DVDs. There are plenty of English CDs and DVDs. The English book section is location in the back of the store (you'll see it once you walk down the DVD isle) If you're looking to sell some used books, manga, CDs, and DVDs this is an option if you're not up for the hassle of selling online. Unlike some of the other locations this one doesn't accept instruments, electronics, game systems.e sold books here before and while I didn't rake in hundreds, I did make a few bucks I wouldn't have had otherwise and hopefully those books will end up in the hands of people who do want them. Looking at other reviews about selling items here, yes you would be better off selling on Ebay if you wanted to make a lot of money. However, they at the end of the day they are a business and would probably lose money if they offered $20 for blurays. The staff is pretty friendly and I'm sure they would explain how they determine their prices if you ask them. read more

I like going to this place ever since they opened in Lakewood. The dollar section on cd's alone was able to make me almost complete my cd collection. I could spend hours here and I wouldn't be bored since it also has that Tower Records feel on it. read more

Book-Off is primarily a used book store, but they also carry music and movies. There is a small selection of English language books. In my experience, books tend to be in excellent condition. Prices seem reasonable, certainly lower than standard import bookstore prices. It's a fairly small store, and might be intimidating if you cannot read Japanese. Service is adequate. Parking is easy as there is a big lot. There is a cute cake shop a few doors down, and a Japanese supermarket across the way. read more

If it's one place I like to get lost in, it's a building filled with lots of books, music albums and video games! And that's a good thing! :-) What's also a good thing is finding familiar and even some rare used items in good condition and at cheaper prices plus the friendly customer service! That's what Book Off delivers. :-D I googled for Book Off locations here in Southern California after watching a Youtube video about a Shonen Jump and Rip Slyme CD haul at the Youtube user's local Book Off. The nearest Book Off in my area is Lakewood but they don't have as much Japanese-related literature as the Gardena Book Off. I must have spent about 3 hours going through all the aisles of books, CDs, and video games. Although this place has lots of media, it's clean and organized. This Book Off store is in the heart of Gardena, which has a vibrant Japanese-American community. A majority of the used books, CDs, and video games sold here are in Japanese, but don't let that deter you: there are several shelves that have books in English related to Japanese traditional and pop culture, language and plenty of manga as well as music CDs and video games in English. If you can be able to read Japanese, the $1 books and manga can't be beat! I've just gotten through learning how to read and write in Hirigana and my next hurdle will be Katakana. And hopefully, by then I can start the challenge of understanding Kanji. Purchased items thus far: "Trigun #10" (the one about Nicholas D. Wolfwood, my fave male manga/anime character) for $6 and Ayumi Hamasaki's "Duty" album (J-pop) for an unbelievable-but-oh-so-true $3. Normally, most individual volumes will cost you about $9-15 at other places. J-pop CDs can get expensive...sometimes an import can cost $35-40. The Trigun manga was in good condition and so was the Ayu CD (even if the plastic shrink wrap was torn at the back...other than that the CD worked like new and the jewel case had no cracks). Fun finds I saw: "Persona 2" for PSP, at least 3 Gundam picture books (Wing, SEED and SEED Destiny), back issues of "Shonen Jump", and J-pop/J-rock/J-hip hop CDs by plenty of Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA, Pizzicato 5, Mr. Children, L'arc en Ciel, LunaSea, Uverworld, Rip Slyme...and many more. This is a place where you have to look closely for good finds. It is worth spending the extra time to discover an awesome deal. You can also sell your books, CDs, video games, game consoles, mp3 players/iPods, e-readers and tablets if you choose to do so. I will visit again when I'm in the area and I highly recommend this place to anyone interested in reading Japanese books as well as the popular manga and playing Japanese music CDs and video games. read more

My dad wanted to buy country music cd's...When we entered we saw a lot of japonese music but we could find other american music too. I was surprised that we could find many country music cd's between 1 and 3 dollars in this store. Very nice people to help us too! read more

Nice staff, a lot in the store but really pathetic buying prices. Came here to sell some cds (one being an album that was released as an sd card and usb), almost new condition by a well known artist. Waited 15 minutes to only be told all three cds and usb album were "worth" $.70...and I thought GameStop was bad. I get that items can lose some value but there's no way that they are worth that much. Of course I seen one of the albums being sold for $15 in the display.. so yeah, don't come here to sell your cds, even if they were recently released. read more

Now this is what I'm talking about ... This Book Off actually has real Japanese manga and art books unlike other stores that mainly have English books. They even sell region 2 DVD players so you can buy the original Japanese DVDs. Love this place. read more

always find good thngs here. (fyi 90% of the store is japanese books, dvds, and games) i've been coming here frequently to find $1 used book deals for my kid who needs as much japanese exposure as possible. dvd's were there too. anpanman and hello kitty dvd's. the dvd's were not cheap exactly. average is like $10. xP gonna check out the dvd rental next door so i can rent them instead... read more

This is the third Bookoff I've visited outside of San Diego. I just gotta say, I was a little disappointed. This is located in Gardena, a city with A LOT of Japanese so as a result, majority of the books are in Japanese. The English selection is VERY limited. If I could read and speak Japanese then this location would get 5 stars but unfortunately, I can't. I liked it when the worker greeted me in Japanese and I like the J-pop music playing in the background read more