When strolling the streets of Barcelona people expect to be immersed into the culture of beautiful beaches, football, great weather, you name it. But if you look closely to what the locals are reading manga and Japanese culture has taken over the young demographic of the country and the entire world.
This is where Norma Comics has made a name for itself. The award winning comic shop is the place for locals and tourists alike to be in awe of the collection available and the gallery display of the multiple floors and stores that are to offer.
When walking past Norma you don’t expect what’s in store. From the outside the shop looks inconspicuous, it looks just like any other local bookstore. Walking inside the display is impressive Marvel and DC comics everywhere almost every modern edition all translated into Spanish and locals everywhere picking up their weekly reads.
The massive store hosts two floors and a satellite figurine shop a few doors down that might as well be called a museum. If you like pop culture you cannot miss Norma Comics during your stay in Barcelona.
Comic Shop
What is interesting when you first walk in is the loud congregation of voices that you can’t pinpoint exactly where they are coming from. Walk around the countless Spider-Man comics and you will find a colorful staircase leading downstairs.
Take one step down and you know this isn’t an ordinary comic shop. The walls are aligned with every anime character imaginable and people crowding the stairs. Next thing you will find yourself in one of the most impressive manga stores the world has to offer outside of Japan.
What makes a good bookstore is not entirely the collection, but instead how the display is organized. At Norma it is one of the most organized well put together bookstores you will ever see. It is why the store won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comic Retail Award for the best comic bookstore in the world back in 2018. It is that special.
Even the workers know how amazing the shop is and don’t shy away from the fact. Natalia Garcia said “it’s the most important manga shop in Barcelona … sales are increasing every year because culturally manga is growing in Spain as amine continues to grow.”
The manga in the shop is categorized by genre and popularity. There is a massive wall with sections dedicated to each of the most specific mainstream Shonen manga over the past years. Each series has full collections that are hard to come by in English let alone Spanish.
When a customer purchases a volume the store employees immediately pull out a replacement copy from the back and are constantly replenishing stock.
Even if you do not speak Spanish and are interested in manga this store will take up at least an hour of your day as you flip through all the art you have only seen online.
Even smaller niche series like To Your Eternity have their entire published run in stock at Norma.
But of course the mainstream series such as Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Jujitsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia, Black Cloverare the centerpieces of this shop and steal the show. But, if you think this is impressive the store hosts a collection of the full run of One Piece in Spanish and Catalan. Now this is a sight to behold. Over 100 volumes in two languages is something else.
And yes, you heard that right. The store has full series of Catalan Manga in stock.
As rare as Catalan is worldwide the commitment to have full series like Hunter x Hunter, One Piece, and all the different Naruto runs in Catalan shows how impressive the stock of the store truly is and Normas dedication and love for comics.
When talking to shop keeper Lidia Colom she stressed how important the Catalan manga is to the culture. “I think it’s hard to find Catalan manga as we only have a few and they make them all in Catalan. We are one of the only places in the entire world with Catalan manga. I am proud and it is special.”
You will not leave this store disappointed by any means of your imagination. The only wish for someone reading this article will be the need for more English manga, but more so the urge to resist buying anything.
If you are one of the lucky ones to walk away with your wallet not taking any damage a store employee will direct you to the statue and figurine stop on you way out. This is when you know you’re in deep trouble because you will want some deep pockets right about now.
Figurine Shop
If the comic and manga shop showed you anything it’s that Norma is far from normal and the figurine shop follows suit as it is also a sight to behold.
This is not a shop. This is a museum that rivals anything you will see in Spain.
Everyone knows the urge to browse the internet looking at collectibles whether it be for sports, TV shows, videogames, or another hobby. Well, this is the holy grail of nerd paradise.
At the entrance you are met with a Zenitsu sward, Star Wars memorabilia, pristine Marvel statues, you name it they have it.
Take one step inside its game over. Give your wallet to a trusted friend because there is no way it’s making it out alive. Make sure your bank knows it’s not credit card fraud because they will be calling the second you leave this store.
The organization and display is unmatched. The centerpieces reach to the thousands of dollars and most patrons just look in awe. While walking through the store jaws will be open. People will be in visible shock of how much is in this store and the sheer quality of the merchandise.
Do not worry you will not be buying the expensive merchandise, but the 20, 30, 40 Eruo products will start adding up. If you were eyeing that Funko Pop that’s been sold out in the States for months, they have that, at retail price. Have you been looking at a sold out Sideshow collectible? That’s at retail price. An exclusive Hot Toys figure. You guessed it retail price.
This store has almost every imaginable item your inner 5 year old has wanted all at retail price.
Even Josh Clarke from California said “I have never seen a place like this even in California. My girlfriend had to cut me off with the amount of stuff I have bought today. All of the stuff in the store would have been double or triple the price back home. This place is amazing.”
The amount of people getting dragged out of this store by friends and family was comical.
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