video transcript

Strange and colorful creatures invaded the Los Angeles Convention Center for the annual anime expo. Japanese animation has spread into a worldwide cultural phenomenon, gathering fans like Tina Chang and Daniel Joseph who enjoy bringing its characters to life. (SOUNDBITE) Tina Chang, anime fan, saying (English): "People that are just hiding away in little tiny holes and they just need something to just bring them out, and then this brings them out and allows all of them to actually socialize and actually feel like they're actually not alone in this anime world because this anime world, although it seems big, it's still pretty small." (SOUNBITE) Daniel Joseph, anime fan, saying (English): "It's kind of unique and it's also a great way to meet new people who have the same interest as you. And, you know what, out there today, it seems like not many people are really doing that." This year will be the 21st annual convention. It's considered the largest of its kind in the U.S. Kilmeny Duchardt, Reuters.