Otaku Gift Guide

Sharpen your otaku I.Q. with this fun, savvy and fascinating guide to Japanese pop culture. Learn the origins and meanings of terms like moe, tsundere and NEET, visit otaku hotspots and events like Akihabara and Comiket and meet some of the idols, animators and creators who make the anime, manga, toys and music you love to love.

Author: Helen McCarthy
Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
Compare Prices for The Art of Osamu Tezuka

Before there was Naruto, Dragon Ball or Card Captor Sakura, there was the creations of Osamu Tezuka. Called by many as the "God of Manga, Tezuka was a prodigiously creative, influential and prolific creator whose influence in Japanese manga and anime cannot underestimated.

This lavishly illustrated, coffee table-worthy art book gives readers an engaging overview of Tezuka-sensei's life, creations and influence. As an added bonus, it includes a DVD, with a short documentary showing a few days in the life of this manga master at his prime.

Read a review of Yen Plus
Learn more about Yen Plus Available from: Yen Press

This double-sized, doubled-sided manga and manhwa magazine features tons of reading enjoyment every month, including the latest installments of fan favorites like Soul Eater, Black Butler and Maximum Ride. Give a subscription so your favorite otaku doesn't have to comb the newsstands for this sometimes elusive manga magazine.

Distributor: FUNimation
Compare Prices for Neon Genesis Evangelion: 1.01

One of the most talked-about feature length anime releases in a while, the first installment of the feature-length Evangelion movie is a DVD that's sure to be on many anime fans' wish lists. With all the action and angst that makes this series an addictive pleasure, Eva 1.01 is one movie that they'll watch, dissect and watch over and over again.

Available from: Infectious

No, you won't find this at the Apple Store! Stand out from the pack and dress up your iPhone with with this naughty but kinda cute iPhone skin by avant-manga creator Junko Mizuno.

Before he created Yotsuba&!, Kiyohiko Azuma won the hearts of otaku with his slice-of-life comedy, Azumanga Daioh! Through four volumes, readers fell in love with child prodigy Chiyo, quiet but strong Sakaki, spacecase Osaka, straightforward Yomi, her best friend Tomo, and peppy gal, Kagura, as well as their kooky teachers as they went through four years of high school.

Azumanga Daioh! is back and is collected again in one mega-volume with new translations that will likely please those persnickety-types who thought the last edition was somehow lacking. A giant chunk of manga fun that will bring a smile to almost anyone's face.

Distributor: VIZ Media
Compare Prices for Monster DVD Box Set

Currently featured on SyFy channel, the animated Naoki Urasawa's thriller Monster series is now available as a deluxe DVD boxed set. Now you can watch a marathon of this suspenseful series as Dr. Tenma seeks out the boy who he once saved that has turned into a monster of a man.

Available from: Pop Japan Travel

For anime and manga fans, the ultimate gift is a journey to the land where their obsession is created: Japan. With tours focusing on various aspects of J-Pop fandom, including anime, Gothic and Lolita fashion and yaoi manga, or just experiencing the seasonal pleasures of life in Japan, Pop Japan Travel has got a tour to fit your tastes.

Many tours include visits to otaku hotspots like Akihabara and the Ghibli Museum and special PJT-exclusive meet and greets with leading manga artists and visits to anime studios.

Available from: Think Geek

Who says learning Japanese is hard? "Biiru" is beer. "Besubooru" is baseball. "Aisu Kureemu" is ice cream. And that Used Panty Machine? No comment! This tee is sure to get a few laughs from your fellow Japanese 101 classmates.

Available from: Otaku USA

Independent and opinionated, Otaku USA is a new magazine written by and for fans of Japanese anime, manga, games and pop culture. Each issue includes in-depth articles, tons of color photos, reviews, commentary and manga previews, plus a bonus DVD with anime episodes and trailers, links to game demo sites and more.

Available from: JBox.com

For many otaku, there's no such thing as too much Pocky. So give them the choco-overload they've been craving with a case of this addictive snack from Japan.

Not satisfied with original Pocky? Jbox.com also has strawberry, green tea or even "Men's Pocky" dipped in bittersweet chocolate. Mmm. Manly, but I like it too.