Smash! Sydney Anime and Manga Show is on

The Smash! Sydney Anime and Manga Show is shaping up to be the biggest Japanese pop-culture experience in Australia.

The annual convention, now in its ninth year, celebrates Japanese animation, manga, food, video games and music.

"Japanese culture is very quirky and weird and Smash! embodies that uniqueness," publicist Susan Ma said. "Many people grew up on shows like Dragonball Z and Pokemon, unaware they were Japanese cartoons.

"As they get older, the passions form and lots of people travel to Japan where the pop culture is so eccentric."

Last year more than 13,000 people attended the convention and this time the international guests and Japanese pop stars are expected to draw an even bigger crowd.

Headlining the event will be Naruto voice-actor Noriaki Sugiyama, TV personality Danny Choo, world-class cosplayer Reika and J-pop duo GARNiDELiA.

But front and centre will be the costumes, or "cosplay". Many kinds of costumes will be on show, from gunslinging schoolgirls to angsty samurais to city-destroying robots.

Some outfits such as Hai Phoung Nguyen's Organisation XIII from the wildly popular Kingdom Hearts series are pre-made and bought.

But others — with armour and wings — can take a year to make and Smash! is the only opportunity to show it off, said Ma.

Going in costume means standing out but the community will never judge you for it, said Greystanes' Gino Antioquia.

"Standing out is kind of the point," he said. "It's only embarrassing if you let it."

Despite wielding a giant sword, Antioquia said the convention was a safe space. "Cosplay is for everyone."

■ Smash! is on August 8 and 9 at Rosehill Gardens on James Ruse Drive. Click here for details/tickets.