Written by Vika
Manga, anime, cosplay, merchandise, K-pop, gaming, music!
Heroes Made in Asia is an event for Asian pop culture fans featuring a market of all things Asian. This year’s festivities took place in Gorinchem on February 24-25, where the ABC sold the latest and most popular manga and fantasy books.
It was an amazing collaboration where we enjoyed not only working, but also listening to live music, experiencing new cultural happenings—including food tasting, manga drawing lessons and tea ceremonies—and buying merchandise. Who can resist a soft plush toy with lovely anime eyes, right?
The ABC bookstore was in the middle of these events, and many guests stopped by to say hello and browse our merchandise. We were astonished by the diversity and design of cosplays: characters from Genshin Impact, Spy Family, Pokemon, Bungo Stray Dogs, Doctor Stone, One Peace, Avatar and more. Even Deadpool took time out of his schedule between eating Chimichangas and his mercenary job to stop by our store! It is still a mystery, though, what he has been looking for.
During the weekend we sold a lot of manga, but the event’s top prize goes to Chainsaw Man, Volume 14. The story follows Denji, a poor teenager, who enters into a pact with a dog-like Devil named Pochita, providing him the ability to change parts of his body into chainsaws. Soon he is enlisted in an organization dedicated to hunting devils.
Does that sound intriguing? You can find this manga in our stores!
The Sakura Densya Book Nook was another of the weekend’s bestsellers. What is it, you may ask? Let us present a 3D wooden book nook kit that you build with your own hands, the result of which is a beautiful scene of Tokyo streets in spring, a brilliant design for your bookshelf.
We had a great weekend doing our favorite job – selling books. And our manga section was definitely a hero of the Comic Con Heroes Made in Asia 2024.
Are you an Asian culture lover? Let’s meet next year at Heroes Made in Asia in Utrecht.
Are you a manga reader? Stop by our stores in Amsterdam, The Hague and Leidschendam and browse our extensive collections. You can also check out our books online.
Some moments from the event:
