Many fans of the Japanese comics genre manga consider the 1988 Japanese manga hit “Akira” — about a boy and a scientific experiment gone wrong — an all-time classic film. Akira helped bring the manga craze to the West. And it’s also the name of, and inspiration for, a comics store in Madrid, which has been recently named the best in the world. 

“I love graphic novels,” said Nazaret Garcia, who shopped at the store recently with her 9-year-old son. “But I also like classic superhero comics. I go from one extreme to the other.” 

And many can do precisely that at Akira Comics. It has everything from manga to the Marvel universe to fantasy literature. 

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Akira Comics in Madrid offers a variety of comics and literature.Gerry Hadden/The World</figcaption></figure>

Garcia said she only shops at Akira Comics, even though in Madrid there are several other comics stores. “It’s a fantasy-land. You become immersed in another world.”

Akira is like no other comic store on Earth — which is partly why it won Best on Earth at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the biggest yearly comics industry gathering hosted in major cities around the globe.

If you walk around the 9,000 square foot Akira store — the largest in the world — you soon will find a life-size facade of a Hobbit house. It’s a replica of Bilbo Baggins’ place, from “The Lord of the Rings” fantasy series. 

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shoppers to Akira Comics can revel in areas like the replica Hobbit house, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” series.Gerry Hadden/The World</figcaption></figure>

“Instead of using all of our wall space for comic books, we decided to do something no business person in their right mind would do,” Akira co-owner Jesus Marugán told The World.

<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The store has a to-scale replica of R2D2, the beeping droid from the “Star Wars” franchise.Gerry Hadden/The World</figcaption></figure>

To wit, wasting prime retail space on non-sale decorations.

“… But since we’re bona fide weirdos, we took the weird route,” Marugán said.

And when people saw the hobbit house, many were elated and intrigued. “And that’s how it all started,”  he said.

But where will the fantasy end? Marugán has no idea. 

On a quick tour of Akira, The World saw a to-scale replica of R2D2, the beeping droid from the “Star Wars” franchise.

Two columns are holding up the store’s second floor; one has been transformed into a magical, glowing tree. The other is the twisting green beanstalk that a certain Jack once climbed.

There’s an upper level to the store currently being remodeled to emulate a European cathedral.

“For those unfamiliar with comics, it’s to let them know they’re in the European section for sci-fi, fantasy and Steampunk literature,” Marugán said.

When done, the walls and ceiling will appear as vaulted, stone arches, replete with gargoyles in the form of Yoda, the “Star Wars” Jedi master, and Stitch, the Disney alien.

But, by far, Akira’s largest section is devoted to Japanese manga: a street sign at the start of the long corridor reads, “Neo-Tokyo District.” The area is adorned with red Japanese lanterns.

“Our clients really like our style, the way we think,” Marugán said proudly. “We put our soul into this place. We leave a trace of our essence in everything we do.”

Clients recognize that, and are drawn to the positive vibe, the helpful staff and a selection of over 60,000 comics and books to browse through. For serious collectors, like Madrid college student Alejandro Carasa, it’s a place where rare gems appear.

“We just saw an exclusive limited edition of The Wolverine, from Marvel’s X-Men,” Carasa said. “They’re always getting new and rare stuff in. You need to be on the ball and get here fast. Otherwise, things sell out.”

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Shoppers to the Akira Comics store in Madrid are greeted by a “Neo-Tokyo District” sign, letting them know they’ve entered the beloved Japanese manga part of the store.Gerry Hadden/The World</figcaption></figure>

Getting there does take some effort. Akira Comics is located in Madrid’s far north, and during the week, it only opens from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

While The World visited the store, a woman complained to a clerk that she and her kid had been coming by day after day, only to find the store closed. Those tight hours might explain why, before opening, the sidewalk outside is usually filled with comic lovers waiting to get in. 

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The store attracts customers seeking rare and limited comics, that some say, you can’t find anywhere else in town.Gerry Hadden/The World</figcaption></figure>

Among them is a young office worker named Maria Serrano, who recently traveled an hour and a half on the subway from the far south of the city.

“We came all this way just for this,” she said. “It’s our third try. My boyfriend and I are creating a shelf at home to display all of our various Marvel comics editions. And we hope to find more.”

Once Akira’s doors open, Serrano and the others rush inside. Each into a world of their own choosing.

The post The world’s best comics store says immersive fantasy is key to its success appeared first on The World from PRX.