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In the last few years, anime, KPOP, and video games have become adored by people from many different backgrounds. For mother-son duo Davius Reid and Lonetha Thompson, this unique interest has become something so much more.

Reid and Thompson are the founders of Otaku Games and KPOP, a local shop in LaGrange (Studio 314) dedicated to serving Troup County and surrounding the counties with everything from KPOP and anime merchandise, video games and even T-shirts custom made by Reid.

“I have been interested in anime and KPOP since high school. When I got older, I was looking for a way to start my own business doing something I was interested in,” Reid said. “I started selling online on EBay before I said, ‘Hey why not branch out a little?’ and started to do flea markets and thrift malls.”

The relationship between Reid and Thompson has only grown since starting the business together in Nov 2021.

“Ever since he was able to walk, he’s been my road buddy. I like music and he ended up liking music too,” Thompson said. “The music he would be into, he would share it with me and vice versa. A lot of our interests coincided, so we would go on trips to concerts and did things together.”

I think that this has really made our relationship as mother and son stronger, she said.

Alongside their shop in LaGrange, interested parties can find shop in River Market Thrift located in Valley, Alabama, and Angels and Antiques Flea Mall located in Opelika, Alabama.

“I can’t be the only one into this kind of stuff, especially in Georgia, so I thought maybe I can be the one to bring this to LaGrange and hopefully down the road take it up Atlanta and so forth,” Reid said. “Most people will know Pokémon, they’ll know Dragon Ball Z and now they know BTS and that’s it. I’m looking to change that and open the door for people looking to try something new or learn something about a different culture.”

Reid works at West Georgia Tech doing computer software tutoring and runs the businesses with Thompson on the weekends Friday – Sunday noon to 6 p.m.

“My main goal for the shop is for it to be successful and to introduce people around here to something that’s different and fun,” Reid said.