Animetal

Animetal is an anime figure and collectibles shop on Endell Street in Covent Garden, trading online since 2007 and from its Covent Garden store, which it calls the Comic Con Store, since 2023. It describes itself as a one stop anime figures shop for the real otaku, and it is known for carrying one of the largest selections of official, licensed anime figures in Europe, imported directly from Japan.

The business grew out of years on the convention circuit, where the team met the collectors who encouraged them to open a permanent shop selling figures that could be bought with confidence. Animetal takes a firm line on bootleg merchandise, works to keep fakes out of conventions and tries to teach buyers how to spot counterfeit figures and plush. The store is open seven days a week and sits about three minutes on foot from Covent Garden station and five from Tottenham Court Road.

The anime shop Covent Garden collectors head for

Expect more than 2,000 different anime figures and statues, from affordable prize figures and Nendoroids to limited-edition statues by makers such as Banpresto, Kotobukiya, Prime 1 Studio and Oniri Creations. Series on the shelves include One Piece, Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, and the stock extends to blind boxes, gashapon, plush, model kits, keyrings, posters, Japanese clothing, and Japanese snacks and drinks. A rolling programme of pre-orders lets collectors reserve major releases ahead of launch, and a Studio Ghibli section was part of the plan for the store from the start.

What to expect on a visit

The shop opens daily from 10am, closing at 8pm Monday to Saturday and 7pm on Sunday. Seeing a premium statue in person before committing is the main reason to visit rather than order online, and the same catalogue is available through the website for anyone who cannot get to London. Animetal is one of the more specialised gift shops in Covent Garden, and The Astrology Shop on nearby Neal Street is another independent worth a detour on the same walk.