Update: Halina Kabayan Ko has closed shop as of April 2015. We are really sorry to see them go.
It’s been a while since we went to Halina Kabayan Ko, so on a whim we went by early this evening. With the construction on the corner of Quezon Avenue and G. Araneta Avenue, the commute to the store is not fun 😦 We were stuck for a good half hour in heavy traffic, and nearly didn’t make it to their 8PM closing. So protip to you guys if you plan to go these next couple of weeks: allow plenty of time for your commute.
We did make it in the nick of time, so we got right down to checking the shelves. Although there were still plenty of stuff on display, it looks like it has been a while since the toy shelves were restocked. There were still plenty of Gundam and Star Wars collectibles, but little else.
The plush toy section looks a little fresher than their figure counterparts — there were plenty of newer toys such as Keroro Gunsou plushies and a huge Rilakkuma pillow (a steal at PhP 600). What certainly expanded since the last time we were at the shop was their manga section. Instead of just three or four shelves of dusty old manga, they now have close to fifteen shelves — each about ten feet high.
We spent a good hour scouring the shelves in the dark. The shop people — who were following us around trying to be helpful, said that it was better to come early in the morning if it was manga we were after. Good tip, that. Despite the Japanese horror movie setting, we were able to find several gems in their shelves: complete sets of XXXholic, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Gantz, and Kuroshitsuji.
There were also some *cough* Biblos publications — several Kamo Nabako books, and what looks like someone’s personal collection of Kodaka Kazuma works, which include Kizuna, Kusatta Kyoushi no Houteishiki, and Sebiro no Housekeeper. It was not really my thing, but if you love their works you’re welcome to them for just Php 100 per book.
Not a bad visit, but not a particularly good one either. I think I’ll drop by the store again after a few weeks — maybe they will have a few new things on stock by then. It’s still a great place to shop if you’re a manga fan on a budget, or if you want a few Japanese household items and furniture for your student flat.
JPOP Manila 
My last visit there was also just when the sun set, so we were poking around the shelves using mostly our phones for flashlights. Horror movie setting indeed haha.
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Half-expecting Sadako to pop out hahahahahahahahaha ungh not funny >.>
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Hmm…. I’ll try to get there when I’m not too busy.
Dati… lagi ako napapadaan dyan kaso laging sara na pag naabutan ko. 😦
I heard from a friend that you can find alot of goods there.
But now I rarely pass g. araneta now. all because of the traffic thanks to the construction. 😦
about the Biblos publications – oooh tempting~ hahahaha
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hello there.. i don’t know that there was a kind of store there in Q. ave.. hehe
and WOAH!! they sell MANGAs there?? for a long time i was searching for a manga store here in the Phil. because since when I was young ng mapanuod ko dati sa Tv ung Inuyasha, naadik ako (til now that was my all time fave, hehe) kaya want ko mgkaron ng manga niya.. hehe, you think they have there? or something like Fushigi Yugi… etc. 🙂
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Meron sya..kumpleto pa. It’s in the shelves that has arranged sets.
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I have to report this but unfortunately, Halina Kabayan had just recently closed shop.
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Bummer 😦 Thanks for the update though.
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Hello! It’s so unfortunate that the store already closed. Do you know any existing Japan surplus store similar to Halina Kabayan Ko in Metro Manila particularly in Quezon City, Pasig, Mandaluyong, or Makati areas? Thank you! 🙂
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Hi — sorry, we don’t go thrifting as much as we used to so we have no idea if there are any newer stores popping up.
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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Thanks for understanding 🙂 The minute we find a promising new place we will let you guys know!
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