The Philippine-based anime shop Aniporium proudly celebrated its anniversary on May 27, 2023, as well as the grand opening of its in-house anime-themed cafe and the shop’s second-floor extension. The otaku haven, inspired by the authentic Akihabara, Japan experience, is a melting pot of all things anime, manga, light novels, music, games, and gacha that are particularly collected for Filipino anime culture. Aniporium’s anniversary event holds a lot to celebrate as it recounts its journey and success so far, especially having become the country’s official Good Smile Hub last November.
One year later, the Aniporium name is established for its original and high-quality goods, wide selections, friendly prices, and pleasant communities, not to mention its charming brand ambassadors. The anime shop happily celebrates all of its big and small achievements, claiming that it is just the beginning of its goal of becoming every Filipino otaku’s one-stop shop and entertainment center.
Aniporium Café Grand Opening
The three-day event anniversary, from May 26-28, also included the grand opening of the Aniporium café. A hidden charm behind the shop, the cafe offers a variety of cold and warm drinks meant to energize one’s spirits. On this occasion, the café had special drinks called the Nyan Nyan Ube, Moe Moe Blue Lemonade, and the Kyun Kyun Strawberry — and it all came with a fluffy ball of cotton candy. Everyone at Aniporium was able to enjoy the experience not only for its refreshing and satisfying flavors but because the cafe offered a Buy-1-Get-2nd-Drink-50%-off promo and a complimentary stub for the grand raffle.
The Cosplay Catwalk
To celebrate Aniporium’s milestone, a contest called the Cosplay Catwalk was added to its program of activities. Cosplayers joined in on the fun as they showed off cosplays of their favorite characters.
Ambassadors at the Aniporium Anniversary
In case you haven’t noticed, a highlight of Aniporium is the ambassadors who promote Aniporium’s brand with the utmost cheer and enthusiasm. Cosplayers Sam Mi, Seikatan Sei, and William Junior Mescallado were present at Aniporium’s anniversary celebration and walked alongside other cosplayers on the Cosplay Catwalk. In addition, a new feature on the second floor is the Ambassador’s Corner, a small display of the ambassadors’ photo sets and cards.
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony with Good Smile Company & SEGA
Many customers, partners, and brand ambassadors partook in the momentous ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Aniporium cafe and second floor. One of its most notable attendees included the Good Smile Company and SEGA representatives. Mr. Aoi, the CEO of Aniporium, warmly welcomed them into the celebration. He also gave recognition to the Aniporium staff, the Cafe staff, and to his partners. He also expressed how he felt. “Today I am so happy. We have the grand opening of the cafe and the anniversary of Aniporium… Now we have this space… a place for so many otakus– an anime shop and now a coffee shop. From now on, we will always events and have more collaborations with you guys, so I appreciate that.
Today we open our second floor, but it is not yet final because next month we will start selling light novels and English comics. We also have new different products coming soon, so please join us then. So yes… together, let’s enjoy today!”
In case you missed it, the fifth episode of Aniporium’s AniSession was also live on Facebook during the event. Ms. Yen and Ms. Sue gave a virtual tour of the store, the cafe, and the second floor. The interview with Good Smile Company and SEGA was also part of the show.
Ventures Into Aniporium’s Second Year
We also had the opportunity to speak with General Manager Zab Leccio and Marketing Lead Yen Munoz (also the first two staff members) and they shared their highlight achievements of the year. Sir Zab mentioned that “One thing I could say is the staff. We found good people. They give us a lot of advantages and provide a lot of assistance in terms of building what we have right now – the expansion, upgrade, and development of the company.
In terms of products, they’re always there – revising and improving – but an achievement we got is the selection. In comparison to last year, we got way more now like R18, plushes, and also light novels eventually since it just got delayed. The selection and spacing is actually the reason why we had to expand. It was always my plan to get upstairs (second floor,) and with the help of Yen, we were able to do that.
Another achievement is that we have good partnerships, like for example, Anime Corner, Cosplay.ph, and our other media partners as well. Our ambassadors are actually contributing ideas, like the cosplay catwalk, their special corner, and events – they contributed a lot to our success. Branding-wise, the name Aniporium is already out there. That’s the goal. In comparison to last year, we have a lot more engagements and a lot more people talking about us. So that’s everything – the staff, partners, the people who engage with us – those are our achievements this year. “
Ms. Yen also adds that their recent event experiences and opportunities have helped them, including the recent one in Cebu where people recognized the name Aniporium. “When we opened during the pandemic, it was a good thing that these events were coming back. We got most of our revenue from events. That’s why for this year, we plan to get more events and even host our own in the showroom. [A lot of] the ideas and suggestions of our customers and partners are what help us as well. We’re not all otakus (of the same fandoms) here but hearing the ideas of our customers helps us get what they want and need.”
From 3 employees to 15, from a shop to a whole community – Aniporium is truly developing into a Filipino anime culture highlight. The managers share that the shop has plenty of future ventures, including a photo studio, a light novel/manga reading lounge, more branches in the south islands, and many more. They’re even venturing into distributing centers, which is why a pile of boxes is stacked around as they will be exported to Canada in a while. Lastly, Mr. Zab said, “We’re just starting. What we have right now, everything that we’ve achieved so far this past year– it is just the start. We have a lot of plans and things ahead of us. We look forward to more.”
Congratulations and thank you again to everyone at Aniporium and Avalon Oath for having us!
For more otaku information and updates, make sure to visit the Aniporium Facebook and website. You can also visit their store at 928 Antonio Arnaiz Ave, Makati, Metro Manila, or visit their pop-up booths at Cosplay.ph events.
Anime Corner is Aniporium’s official media partner.
