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保When I first heard about Baoguo Weimin Manga Store from a friend, it immediately reminded me of my university days, when I often went to Taipei for events. At that time, youth hostels were not cheap, and my budget was limited, so staying overnight in a manga booth was often my choice. After all, the price was good, and I could have drinks, read manga, take a shower, and still have a certain amount of private space. For me at that time, it was a very practical option. Because of this past experience, when my friend mentioned this store, I quietly kept it in mind.
Since I am a local, I basically do not need to stay overnight here. I also do not need to play games, so a private booth was not necessary for me. Instead, I chose the cheaper public area. After visiting several times, I was quite satisfied with the public area. The seats were comfortable, there were many drink options, and the drink selection changed from time to time. The atmosphere was also quieter than I expected, so I had written some short reviews before.
Later, while chatting with a friend, she strongly recommended the private booths. She said that the last time she went with a friend, they originally planned to stay for only four hours, but it was so comfortable that they ended up staying for seven hours. I was a little tempted after hearing that, but for me, the public area was already comfortable enough. I did not feel a strong need to upgrade to a private booth.
That changed when I suddenly needed to attend an online video meeting. The internet connection at home was unstable, and I was worried that it might disconnect during the meeting. While thinking about where I could use my laptop, Baoguo Weimin Manga Store was the first place that came to mind. Among the options I could think of, it seemed to offer the best value for money. However, I later realized that it was not the best choice for online meetings. If you need to join a video meeting, a proper coworking space would still be better. I will talk about this later in the article.
This private booth experience gave me a very different feeling from using the public area. Because of that, I decided to organize my experiences with both spaces in the same article. This way, readers can compare them more easily and decide whether the public area or a private booth is more suitable for them. The only type I have not tried yet is the bunk-bed style booth. If I use it in the future, I will add it to this article.
Location and Pricing: Open 24 Hours, Charged by the Hour
Baoguo Weimin Manga Store is not too far from Tainan Railway Station. If you are used to walking, the distance is still acceptable. Nearby, there is also Dong Market, which has many good food options, Qingqi, a famous vegetarian shop where even non-vegetarians often buy food, and the well-known Taiwan Fucheng City God Temple in Tainan. The famous plaque with the words “You Have Come” hangs inside the Sanchuan Hall.
You could come to this area in the morning to eat, drink, and walk around. Then, around noon, you could go into Baoguo Weimin to enjoy the air conditioning and read manga. After the weather becomes less hot in the afternoon, you can continue with the rest of your itinerary. I think this would be a very good plan.
Baoguo Weimin Manga Store is open 24 hours a day and all year round. Even on special days, such as typhoon holidays, it has opened as usual before. However, if you are worried about making a wasted trip, you can check their social media platforms first. The store updates its opening status and latest announcements there.
The pricing is charged by the hour. When you enter, you need to choose your seat type first. There are mainly three types:
- Public area
- Bunk-bed style private booth
- Single private booth
For reservations, the public area cannot be reserved in advance. Private booths can be booked online, but only for the time period between 6:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. For the late-night period from 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., registration is mainly done on-site. The minimum usage time is 2 hours for the public area, and 4 hours for private booths, including both bunk-bed style booths and single private booths.
The price varies depending on the size of the space and the level of facilities. In general, the public area is the cheapest, followed by the bunk-bed style private booth, while the single private booth is the most expensive. The rates are also divided into two time periods:
- Weekday rate: Monday 12:00 a.m. to Friday 5:59 p.m.
- Weekend rate: Friday 6:00 p.m. to Sunday 11:59 p.m.
After choosing your seat type, you also need to decide your usage time at the same time.
Public Area Experience: Seating, Drink Bar, and Manga Collection
The public area does not require a reservation. You can simply enter and use it, and it is also the space I choose most often. There are quite a lot of seats here. If you do not have a specific seat in mind, you can usually find a place to sit. If there is a seat you prefer, you can also tell the staff first, check whether the seat is available, and then go back to pay. Usually, this is not a problem.
After payment, the staff will give you a small receipt. It shows your entry time and leaving time. If you want to extend your stay, you can take the receipt to the staff, tell them you want to add more time, and pay the extra fee. In the public area, you can usually extend your time freely as long as nothing unexpected happens.
On weekday mornings, there are usually empty seats. This is especially true for the popular sofa seats by the window. There are not many of them, only three sets with six seats in total. The sofa seats are quite comfortable, and the table is spacious enough for long use. I often bring my laptop here to change my working environment and write articles. There are also enough power outlets, so charging both my phone and laptop at the same time is not a problem. There is also some extra space by the window where you can place personal items.
The drink bar is self-service. The hot drink options are usually fixed, such as coffee, milk tea, and latte. The cold drinks in the large round containers change a little each time I visit. Only unsweetened green tea and plain water seem to be always available.
I think it is good that plain water is always provided, because there is no place here to wash cups. If you drink several different drinks, you can at least use plain water to rinse the cup a little, so the flavors do not become too mixed.
I also like to mix drinks depending on what is available that day. One classic example is mixing guava juice with green tea to make guava green tea. It actually tastes quite good.
The hot drink options are quite stable, probably because the machines are already fixed. The coffee machine offers common choices such as Americano, latte, yuanyang coffee tea, and cocoa. There is also another machine for milk tea. My favorite drink from that machine is almond tea. The almond flavor is strong enough, and the only downside is that it is served hot, so I usually add ice cubes to cool it down.
As for the soft drinks, I felt they were quite ordinary, so I basically did not drink them.
One thing to note is that if you order food before 8:00 a.m., it will not be served with disposable tableware. I also personally feel that the night-shift staff cook the food better. Maybe it is because there are fewer customers at that time, so it is easier to control the quality. After all, late at night, there are usually only a few people in the public area, and the guests in the private booths are probably already asleep.
After the morning-shift staff take over, probably because there are more customers and washing dishes takes too much time, the food is usually served with disposable tableware instead. Whether this matters or not depends on the person. For me, I think it is fine. As long as it makes things easier for the staff, I do not mind.
As for the food, my favorite item is their bak kut teh instant noodles. It comes with some basic ingredients, such as an egg and oden-style fish cake, and it is cooked quite well, especially when made by the late-night staff.
Other items I have ordered include minced pork noodles, small hot dogs, and braised snacks. The hot dogs are good when you just want a small snack. The braised snacks are also quite good. The basil flavor has really gone into the sauce, and the sauce itself is very fragrant. It is so good that I feel it would go well with rice. It also has a little spiciness. Most people may not notice it, but I am extremely sensitive to spicy food. Even pepper salt can defeat me, so eating the braised snacks was a little difficult for me. Luckily, there were drinks to help reduce the spicy feeling.
Overall, I think their food is quite tasty, and the prices are reasonable. Since outside food is not allowed, it is a big plus that they are able to maintain a good level of food quality.
As for the manga, although I have not read manga here many times, their collection covers a wide range of genres. They also have quite a good selection of boys’ love works. In addition to manga, there are also some romance novels available, though the number of romance novels is much smaller than the manga collection.
At first, I thought most of the books might be old books bought from closed rental manga shops. After all, many rental bookstores have closed in recent years, so supply should not be a problem. Later, however, I realized that they actually buy quite a lot of new books. Most of the currently popular manga are available here. For some popular older series, if a new edition is released, they will also buy the new version and add it to the collection.
Private Booth Review: Space, Facilities, Shower, and Rest
The single private booths are a popular area and can be reserved online. Even on weekday mornings, they may be fully booked. I have seen several customers who wanted a single private booth in the morning but had to switch to a bunk-bed style booth because all the single booths were full. If this already happens on weekdays, I imagine weekends are even more popular. There is also a notice at the counter saying that if you reserve a single private booth, it is better to book all the hours you need at once. Otherwise, someone else may book the booth after you, and you may not be able to extend your stay.
This time I needed to attend an online video meeting, so I was worried that there might not be a single private booth available. I booked one about two days in advance. However, maybe because Tainan suddenly announced a heavy rain day off that day, there were not many people using the single private booths in the evening. Customers who wanted a single booth on-site could still get one. Instead, the public area was already half full. The window-side sofas and high chairs were all occupied.
When checking in for a single private booth, you need to show a valid ID. You also need to pay an extra NT$100 as a deposit for the key card. If you lose the key card, you will have to pay for it, so be careful with it. The lights do not need the key card to turn on, but the air conditioning does. The key card is also required when entering and leaving the booth area. This creates one small problem. You need the key card to go out, but once you take the card away, the air conditioning turns off. As a result, if you often go outside to get drinks, you will have to keep turning the air conditioning on and off. This may be a little annoying for people who are sensitive to heat. Later, I simply set the air conditioner to the lowest temperature first to cool down the room. Then I turned it off and relied on the remaining cool air.
After entering the private booth, my first impression was that the space did not feel cramped. It was about the same size as the private single room I stayed in at Minami-Senju in Japan. However, because there were fewer unnecessary items inside, the room actually felt quite spacious. The layout was also simple, with just a computer desk and a bed.
The computer area had a curved monitor and a mechanical keyboard. Since I do not usually use this kind of equipment, it was a rare experience for me.
The curved monitor felt more natural and immersive than I expected. It did not feel oppressive. A long time ago, I worked at a company that used a large monitor similar in size to the one at Baoguo Weimin, or maybe even larger. Every time I sat in front of that screen, I could clearly feel a strong sense of pressure from the monitor. Because of that, I used to think that all large monitors would have the same problem if the viewing distance was not far enough. Later, when I bought a new monitor, I simply avoided large screens because I did not want to spend money to make myself uncomfortable.
However, after using the curved monitor here, my impression changed a little. The screen was about the same size, and the distance was not especially far, but I did not feel much pressure from it. It seems that curved monitors do have their own special advantages. They are not just regular monitors with a curved shape. I was honestly a little tempted. If I have the budget to replace my monitor in the future, I may consider getting a curved one. The only thing I would need to think about is whether it can work well with another regular monitor in a dual-monitor setup.
The mechanical keyboard had a higher key travel, so I was not used to it at first. However, I quickly fell in love with its clear clicking sound. It felt like typing on it would be very relaxing. Unfortunately, I am not used to logging into any of my personal accounts on public computers, so I could not open my website dashboard and write articles there.
Still, I really liked the sound of the mechanical keyboard. One day, when my wireless network adapter had a connection problem, I went to Sunfar to buy a new one. I happened to see some mechanical keyboards on sale. I tried a few models in the store. At first, I thought I would like the Logitech brown switch, but after testing them several times, I still chose the blue switch. The sound was not as nice as the keyboard at Baoguo Weimin, since it was just a blue switch keyboard, but it was already satisfying enough for me.
The chair was very soft and suitable for curling up in. However, for sitting upright and typing for a long time, I felt that the support was a little weak. It may be more suitable for gaming. Although the chair was large, it was surprisingly easy to move when no one was sitting on it. But once I sat down and added my own body weight, it became much harder to pull.
The bed inside the booth can be used for lying down, but compared with a hotel bed, the comfort level is clearly different. I think it is more suitable for sitting or half-lying down to rest. Because of this, I actually preferred the space beside the computer desk. It worked well as a video meeting space. The pillow was quite firm, so it was more suitable as a back cushion than as a pillow. If you prefer a soft pillow, I suggest bringing some clothes and folding them as a substitute. If you need a blanket, you can rent one at the counter.
As for the bathroom area, the toilet space was not large. There was one squat toilet and one seated toilet. It felt similar to the small bathroom size you often see in Japanese hostels. The basic cleanliness was acceptable, but that was about it. It was a usable and fairly clean toilet.
After all, even on weekends, there seemed to be only two staff members. Maintaining such a large space is honestly not easy.
The shower room was unexpectedly spacious and clean. I did not use it this time, but I once happened to see the inside when someone came out and the door was not closed. It looked the same as the photos on the official website. Since using the shower requires an extra fee, this may actually help keep the shower room in better condition.
Overall, the experience was quite good. The only thing I found a little disappointing was that the internet connection was not as stable as I expected. I originally planned to finish my online meeting here, but the connection was interrupted once during the meeting. There were also several moments when the signal became unstable.
It seems that a wired internet connection would probably be more stable. If you rely on Wi-Fi, the quality may still be only acceptable. Next time, if I need to attend an online meeting again, I think I should still go to a proper coworking space designed for work.
Conclusion: A Place So Comfortable You May Forget Both Time and Budget
After using both the public area and the single private booth several times, I now have a clearer idea of how the two spaces feel different. In the end, which one to choose depends on your needs and budget at that moment. If you only want to stay for a short time, read, or take a nap, the public area offers the best value for money. If you need a quiet private space without interruptions, the private booth is the better choice. For me, both have their own advantages.
The biggest advantage of the public area is that you can move in and out freely. It is also very easy to get drinks and pick up manga. The atmosphere is relaxed, so it is suitable for people who want to rest for a short time or read quietly. The single private booth offers more privacy and helps you focus better. If you feel uncomfortable in crowded spaces, the sense of separation in the booth will feel more comfortable. However, getting drinks is less convenient. The bunk-bed style booth is somewhere between the two. If you want some privacy, do not want to deal with the air conditioning turning on and off, and do not need to use a computer, the bunk-bed style booth may be a suitable choice. I would suggest choosing the lower bunk because it is more convenient.
There is also one type of person I strongly recommend choosing a private booth: people who need to read out loud, discuss things, or are used to speaking while studying. Most people in the public area read quietly. If someone talks for a long time or speaks too loudly, it can really disturb other users.
The main reason I have returned to Baoguo Weimin Manga Store several times is the comfort of its space. Whether it is the public area or the private booth, both are places where you can stay for a long time without feeling tired. There are manga to read, drinks to enjoy, food to order, and even space to take a short nap. It almost feels like being separated from the outside world, like entering a hidden retreat.
However, for me, my main purpose is writing articles. Manga can easily become a distraction. Also, the longer I stay, the more likely I am to keep eating and drinking without noticing. When I pay the bill, the final amount is often higher than expected. It made me think of the phrase “a money-draining place.” I feel like I can understand why some men in the past became fascinated with pleasure quarters. After visiting a few more times, I reminded myself not to come too often, or to simply choose a similar but more suitable place instead.
Overall, if your purpose is simply to relax, Baoguo Weimin Manga Store is indeed a good choice. Its three seat types can meet most people’s needs. The space is bright and open, and the cleanliness is well maintained. However, if you care a lot about having a very complete manga collection, this may not be the best choice. The Jin Cheng Chonghui branch in Yongkang, Tainan may be closer to what you are looking for.
- Address: 2F, No. 140, Qingnian Road, West Central District, Tainan City
- Phone：06-222-0140
- Official Reservation Website：qingnian.simplybook.asia
- Social Media：instagram & facebook
＊Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this article were taken by the author (yanshoto.com) during personal travels and are fully copyrighted. Please do not reproduce or use them for commercial purposes without prior permission. Thank you for your understanding and respect.