Manga Shoten: a new bookstore that blows away the manga spirit in Nîmes

A 48 ans, Nicolas Augros a décidé d'ouvrir sa propre enseigne de manga. Midi Libre – Pierre Meuriot

Un ancien militaire qui troque l’uniforme pour les mangas, c’est l’histoire surprenante de Nicolas Augros qui a ouvert sa librairie ce samedi 10 août en plein centre de Nîmes.

There's something new in the air in Nîmes, and it's not just a summer breeze. Saturday, August 10, rue des Marchands saw the birth of a new setting for manga enthusiasts: the Manga Shoten bookstore. Behind this adventure, a passionate man, Nicolas Augros, former soldier converted into a bookseller.

When the sea gives way to manga

With seventeen years of service in the French Navy, Nicolas Augros is not the type to stay with both feet in the same shoe. After swapping his uniform to become an assistant director in a non-contractual school, he decided to take on a completely new challenge: opening a bookstore dedicated to manga. A crazy project ? Maybe. But as he himself says, “it's the last page of my professional life. At 48, I wanted to make a living from something I was passionate about. The bookstore is above all a business of leisure and pleasure."

Between books and goodies, Manga Shoten is a real Ali Baba's cave. Midi Libre – Pierre Meuriot

So how do you go from the oceans to the world of manga?? The story begins at home, with his children. “My daughter introduced me to manga in animated form”, he remembers. “At first, it was to please them, but very quickly, I became a fan!” Today, it is the narrative universes and themes addressed in these works that captivate him: harassment, disability, sport… universal topics that touch people well beyond generations.

“Reading is opening up to the world”

When you push open the door of Manga Shoten, you are plunged into a veritable ocean of manga. 6,000 volumes sit proudly on the shelves, with the ambition of reaching 8,000 volumes within a year. And from the first day of opening, customers are there. “I didn't expect there to be so many people” , he confides, delighted. It must be said that Rue des Marchands is a good choice, with its quiet charm and its stream of curious passers-by. Loïck, also a soldier, is one of those who couldn't resist the temptation. “While walking down the street, I saw this store. I grew up with manga, so even though I watch less and read less, it's still a little pleasure.”

More than 6,000 volumes on display. Midi Libre – Pierre Meuriot

The walls of the bookstore are lined with every kind of manga you can imagine. From Shônen with the essentialsOne Piece, Fairy Tail andDragon Ball, to a selection of LGBT manga with genres like Yuri and Yaoi (romances between two girls or two boys), Manga Shoten aims to be inclusive and diverse. “It was my desire to open the bookstore to a wider audience than one might think”, explains the former military man. So, ready to set off on a journey through the pages of a good manga ? Because as Nicolas Augros says so well: “Reading is opening yourself up to the world and to many discoveries. When I read, I go on vacation."

Practical: Manga Shoten is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. at 15 rue des Marchands. Price: 7.50 euros per volume.