Many of those walking past Halifax Common on Saturday were caught staring at a group of about 100 people gathered on the grass.

That's because masked Samurai Ninjas were mingling with full-grown adult ballerinas. Gathered were people dressed as their favourite character from Japanese Animation, or anime.

While not as popular in North America, the art form of anime is ubiquitous in Japan, with a devoted following spread across all age groups.

The earliest known Japanese animation dates from 1917, according to records of the National Film Center in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. The now colourful, eye-catching animation has been mainstream in Japan since the 1980s. Among the most recognized anime characters in North America are those from Pokemon or Sailor Moon.

Marsha Reid is the organizer of the weekend festival and wore a purple maid's costume and pussycat ears on Saturday.

"Because it's different, it helps you stand out," she said. "Every one of these people comes from different communities where they're all alone. They can't do this where they come from so they come here and do it together," she said.

Reid said the gathering helps anime devotees make friends and identify with a group.

Lindsay Soper, 21, of Liverpool, N.S., said she wears the Noel Vermillion costume only when she comes to Halifax.

Noel Vermillion is a popular anime character that appears in video games.

"It's nice because around my town there's not really many people that like that stuff, so being around some people is pretty great," she said.

The festival continues tomorrow with a gathering at the Westin Hotel.

All 500 tickets have been sold.