They came. They cosplayed. They conquered.

Downtown burst with true animated color over the weekend thanks to San Japan, an annual San Antonio convention that celebrates Japanese animation called anime and many other facets of Far East pop culture.

San Japan wrapped Sunday at its new larger home at the Convention Center and Grand Hyatt.

San Japan: Mach 5, so named for its fifth year, roared to a start Friday and finished with thousands of attendees, many of them engaged in vibrant cosplay (short for “costume play”) that wowed fellow congoers with tons of bright pastel wigs, furry tails and ears and other cartoonish, often handmade outfits and accessories.

“I pretty much swore I would never go to a con without cosplaying it,” said Aleena Foster of Houston, sporting two long aqua blue pigtails to punctuate her point.

At the convention Sunday, many cosplayers favored the wide-eyed characters reminiscent of myriad Japanese franchises, such as the robed warriors of “Bleach” and the elf-like hero Link from “The Legend of Zelda” video games (which originated in Japan), not to mention plenty of so-called “magical girls” — long-haired, short-skirted lasses of the “Sailor Moon” variety.

Meanwhile, others took their outfit inspirations from more domestic works, such as a neo-Victorian or “steampunk” version of a storm trooper from “Star Wars,” Jane Jetson and Rosey the Robot from “The Jetsons” and the quirky spaghetti-limbed characters of “Adventure Time,” the hit Cartoon Network series created by San Antonio's own Pendleton Ward.

“We really love ‘Adventure Time,'” said Frankie Martinez, a San Antonian who dressed as the funny white-hat-wearing hero Finn from the series and held hands with Anna Cerecero, who was dressed as Fionna, the bunny-eared female version of Finn.

“It's been pretty amazing,” Cerecero said of her first San Japan. “Better than I expected.”

“It's exceeded the expectations,” said Jessy Jester from San Marcos, another San Japan first-timer dressed as the pink-haired Charlotte from the anime “Puella Magi Madoka Magica.” “It was very small from what I've heard. And now it's just blown up.”

San Japan organizers would certainly share that sentiment. This year's San Japan drew about 9,300 attendees over its three days, a record for the ever-growing extravaganza.

“It's a destination convention. Not just an anime convention,” said S. David Ramirez, San Japan media/PR coordinator, noting that San Japan attendees and their families could also visit the Alamo and other downtown hotspots within walking distance. That's assuming they had any energy left for such local diversions.

San Japan also hosted numerous vendors hawking anime-inspired miniatures, T-shirts and other gear, while a bevy of creative artists sold prints and took on commissions that included drawing buyers as cutesy little caricatures called chibis. The event also included anime-related panels as well as voice actors behind those swirling animated creations.

rguzman@express-news.net

Twitter: @reneguz