NEWS
VIBE CHECK: ANIME KAT
Where Fans Can Explore New Ways to Enjoy Their Favorite Manga and Games
Posted by Brigid Alverson on July 29, 2026 @ 2:01 pm CT
Founded in 2010, Anime Kat offers a wide range of products, including anime, manga, tabletop games, video games, collectibles, accessories, and snacks. As a result, Drew Schwab, who owns the store with his wife Robynn, sees customers engaging with their favorite franchises in multiple ways. “Even with trading card games growing to over 42% of our business this year, books have maintained nearly the same share of overall sales as last year,” he told ICv2. “That suggests customers aren’t replacing manga with other hobbies. They’re expanding into multiple interests. We’re seeing customers preorder more often, purchase premium editions and box sets, and explore related categories like figures, games, and collectibles alongside manga. It feels less like isolated product trends and more like deeper engagement with fandom as a whole.” Below, here are Drew’s observations about his customers and their tastes.
Anime Kat Current Vibe
Location: 114 W 1st Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Store Specialties: Anime, manga, tabletop games, and accessories.
Sales Trends: Sales have remained very strong this year. Through the first half of 2026, we’re up 18.96% compared to the same period in 2025, and July is currently tracking at over 10% year over year.
Some of that growth has certainly been driven by major releases like Riftbound, which was a completely new product line for us this year, and Magic: The Gathering – Marvel Super Heroes. At the same time, we’re seeing broad-based growth across nearly every product category, which is encouraging because it suggests customers are engaging with multiple parts of the hobby rather than just chasing one hot release.
One trend that’s especially encouraging is preorders. Our presales from January through July have already matched our total presales for all of 2025. Customers seem increasingly willing to commit to products well before release, particularly when they’re tied to established franchises or organized play.
Buying Mood of Customer Base: The mood has been very positive. We’re seeing a mix of longtime hobby customers introducing younger family members to their favorite franchises, and younger customers discovering anime, manga, and games for the first time.
Streaming services continue to be one of the biggest drivers of manga sales. Customers watch a series, become invested in the story, and then come in looking for the manga to continue reading. There’s also a strong sense of excitement around shared fandom. Customers enjoy having a place where they can talk about what they’re watching, playing, or reading, and connect with other fans.
Anime Kat’s Current Hotness: We’re seeing strong interest in both newer breakout series and established favorites. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Chainsaw Man, Gachiakuta, and Shuna’s Journey have all performed very well for us.
We’re also continuing to see exceptional demand for premium editions and box sets. Tokyo Ghoul: The Complete Box Set,the Chainsaw Man Box Set, the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set, and Death Note All in One Edition have all been standout performers.
Junji Ito’s catalog continues to have remarkable staying power. Titles like Uzumaki and Tomie remain among our top sellers, helped by continued interest following Netflix‘s Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre.
Comics That are Drawing Customers: Anime adaptations continue to be the biggest gateway into manga. The hottest series on streaming platforms almost always translate into increased interest in the print editions. Customers often come in wanting to continue the story beyond the anime or start collecting the series they discovered online.
Series with active fan communities tend to perform especially well because excitement stays high between anime seasons through social media, conventions, and online discussions.
Games That Are Drawing Customers: Trading card games remain our largest category, accounting for just over 42% of sales this year. New releases, prerelease events, and organized play continue to bring in new customers.
What’s interesting is that those customers don’t stay in a single category. Someone may come in for Pokémon, Magic, or Riftbound, then leave with manga, figures, or another collectible tied to the same fandom. Anime figures and blind box collectibles continue to be strong companion purchases, with franchises like Pokémon, Hatsune Miku, Demon Slayer, Frieren, Chainsaw Man, and Sanrio leading the way.
The Biggest Challenge in the Past Month: Our biggest challenge has actually been adjusting to stronger than expected demand. Going into 2026, we expected a more conservative year based on the broader economic outlook, so we planned our purchasing accordingly.
Instead, sales from May through July significantly exceeded our projections. We’ve had to shift from a mindset of carefully watching every purchasing dollar to investing more aggressively in inventory so we can keep popular products in stock, stay ahead on restocks, and support our events. It’s a good problem to have, but it’s definitely required us to adjust quickly.
Pick Hit for Q3 and Beyond: My pick is Gundam Assemble(see “Six New ‘Gundam Assemble’ Products Revealed”).
Gundam has been steadily building momentum through recent anime releases, growing interest in Gunpla, and Bandai’s continued investment in hobby gaming. I think Gundam Assemble is especially well positioned because it bridges multiple segments of the hobby. It introduces Gundam fans to miniature wargaming through preassembled miniatures with a lower barrier to entry than traditional model kits, while giving existing miniature wargamers a globally recognized franchise to rally around.
Miniature wargaming has continued to be a growing category in our store, and I think Gundam Assemble’s crossover appeal between anime, model building, and tabletop miniatures positions it to be one of the biggest hobby launches over the next few months.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brigid Alverson
Contributing Editor. Alverson has been writing about comics since she launched MangaBlog in 2005. She wrote the Comics A.M. column for Robot 6 (now part of CBR), and currently edits the Good Comics for Kids blog at School Library Journal. In her earlier life, she had roles at magazine and book publishers.
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