Do you like dressing up as obscure characters from animated movies with poorly translated subtitles and nearly incomprehensible plots? Do you insist the manga was superior to the film adaptation? Do you own a meticulously handcrafted gun-sword? Well, then, the Anime Banzai Convention is for you.

Now in it’s fifth year, Anime Banzai is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of all things Japanese pop-culture-related.

Their con offers the opportunity to mingle with like-minded people and maybe find that first-edition long-sought-after, I’m-not-even-going-topretend-to-know-what. There will also be events of social and competitive and competitively social natures, plus video games, strategy card game tournaments, costume contests and even a formal ball with a Final Fantasy VIII theme.

So, go, let your Nippophile colors fly—or at least show up and gawk at the scene.

Anime Banzai Convention @ Sheraton Salt Lake, 150 W. 500 South, 801-401- 2000, Oct 16-18. AnimeBanzai.org