On my last visit to Cardiff, I took the opportunity to visit Otakuzoku. They are a relatively new independant shop selling a mixture of things, primarily anime-related. Haydn and Russ, the guys behind Otakuzoku, kindly accepted to be informally interviewed for kyokohunter.net.
Otakuzoku started to come about March 2009, although the seeds of the idea have existed in their minds for almost 10 years. Although the aim was always to have a shop, they dipped their toes in the online market first to test the viability of the business. Their online shop started up in May 2009 with the initial idea of leaving a year before deciding whether or not to set up physical premises. Things didn't go as planned - though in their case, it was for the better. The online shop received a much better response than expected and so at the end of September 2009, Otakuzoku opened their store in Cardiff.
Otakuzoku explained that they had originally hoped to have a central location in Cardiff but the as the prices were too high, settled for their current location just off the beaten track from the centre. It's an area popular for student accommodation, so already Otakuzoku are in a great area to appeal to customers.
Otakuzoku sells an eclectic mixture of things. They've got a wide range of manga in particular with many titles that you won't find at your average Waterstones and at a price that's much more palpable - the cheapest start from just under £3. They also sell a variety of console hardware, games, DVDs, CDs, merchandise and Warhammer.
They are extremely passionate about the genuinity of what they sell - they work hard to ensure that what they sell is genuine and licenced. Although they primarily source stock from UK and French suppliers, they are working on their Japanese connections and hope to have a regular supply from Japan. I certainly welcome this, having seen the wide and fantastic variety of licensed merchandise in Japan for myself. Otakuzoku also wants to stock licensed cosplay, although this will be a far trickier market as it's awash with unlicensed manufacturers.
Otakuzoku certainly seem to be doing well and in the future said they would love to set up a chain of franchised stores. It's a bold goal, so at the moment they're concentrating on building up their range of stock and revamping their website.
It was a pleasure to speak to them, as they're extremely passionate about what they sell, and I wish them the best of luck on their ventures. If you're ever in Cardiff or happen to live nearby, don't forget to pop in sometime! And even if you're not, you can visit their website at http://www.otakuzoku.com/.
