Buying Japanese books/CDs and kPop for people the UK!

Hi everyone!!

So my first post is for everyone who is trying to get cool stuff over here in the UK but isn't sure where to start. I've had some experience with ordering from different sellers and websites, so I'll share with you guys!

First things first, customs charges. If you are ordering items from abroad, I believe anywhere outside the EU, then you might get charged for bringing it into the country. Usually these charges occur when you spend about the price of £15 and above, not including postage, but don't quote me on that, go check it out for yourself on the Customs website, as the amount changes! (Read on for advice on buying items over £15)

Secondly, be aware that if you pay for stuff through PayPal and they have to change the currencies, they will charge you for it! I've found this to be about £1ish - just something to look out for. It's annoying as they don't even tell you they're planning to do it! But the plus side of PayPal is that if anything went wrong, you can get your money back!

So, soundtracks and kpop! So maybe you are interested in a game soundtrack, but not sure where to buy it or who to buy it from? Well, let me assist you with some links and advice! Hooray! It's much nicer to have a real copy of something like this, than simply listening to it off YouTube. Kpop in particular I think it is very much worth getting the Korean CDs because the packaging is something else - so very cool! (Check out youtube unboxings!) Downloading from iTunes is such a shame when you can have some lovely items!

If it's on eBay for under £15 then I think these sellers are good choices:

Pandoramusic : I have used this seller many times for kpop CDs and the items always arrive really well bubblewrapped! My only slight complaint is that the CDs sometimes have a teeny tiny defect, like a small scratch or dent, but I am fussy, I think most people wouldn't even notice!
I've also found their prices to be good, and when you email to contact them they are friendly and quick to reply - always a bonus!

Catchopcd: I haven't used this seller myself, but my friend has and has found them to be good! They also sell some soundtracks too. I would use them without any worry. Tip: Their website is sometimes slightly cheaper than their eBay shop.

Now, if you're looking for art books, or any music over £15, or indeed models, merchandise, kdrama and other awesome stuff, yesasia.com is definitely where to go. With no problems with customs to the UK (they send it somewhere else in the EU first it seems and then send it on to you!) and good packaging and service, they're a good place to buy from! Their prices are also much more reasonable for art books than the prices you sometimes see books going for on eBay - and best of all, above about £25, it's free shipping!

Yesasia tip: Can't find what you're looking for? Try finding the Japanese name on the Wikipedia page and searching that instead. It's great for uncovering hidden items on yesasia!

For Korean cosmetics, I can recommend the eBay seller cosmetic.love , their posting was very fast and the items were great and well packaged. Also, they include lots of (well about 3) free samples to try!


However! I know you sometimes just do not want to wait 2 - 4 weeks or longer for post. So what about buying from the UK?

Amazon UK, of course are well worth a look! They stock some great English published manga character guides and art books, as well as sometimes stocking kPop. Something which looks great that has just come onto Amazon are some Studio Ghibli soundtracks, I think would be well worth a go. I can also recommend the Studio Ghibli library art books, they are lovely, big, and best of all - in English!

Viz media do a lot of great products for anime and manga fans in English, and Udon entertainment also have some great art books. (I particularly recommend the Shigenori Soejima art book, and the Okami art book, if you can find it!)

So! I hope this post helped anybody! Don't forget, even if you aren't in the UK you can still use a lot of these sites. Let me know where your favourite places to buy are! Remember too, if you aren't sure, it's best to use somewhere well known and recognised, or go through eBay, where you can shop securely!

Introduction: Hi everyone! Welcome!

Hi everyone!
Welcome to my new blog  SUPER CUTE SUPER ^_^

I hope to blog on the following topics (and more!)

1. kPop music, the CDs, where to buy them (for the UK!)
2. Game reviews, as well as reviews of game soundtrack CDs, game art books and where to buy both!
3. Anime/manga art books in general
4. Fashion and cosmetics, including Korean cosmetic brands
5. Anything else which I like a lot!

I hope to take nice pictures to show you all the inside too, to help with deciding whether to buy!

My favourites..

K-Pop bands:
2NE1, T-ara and SNSD (I love all equally, can't pick a fav!)

Games:
Ace Attorney, Hotel Dusk, Persona 3, Trauma Centre: Second Opinion, Animal Crossing, Pokemon

Anime:
Soul Eater, Bleach, Fruits Basket, Studio Ghibli, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Manga:
Bleach, Tegami Bachi, Ultra Maniac, Full moon

So please look out for my posts and I hope you enjoy reading what I write!