www.nytimes.com: For certain fans, anime creators are like rock stars. So it seems fitting that this celebration of Japanese culture features, as one of the headline acts, AKB48, a female pop music group from Japan, which will be making its first visit to the United States. In addition to a question-and-answer and autograph session, the group will be performing on Saturday at 3 p.m.

One of the most anticipated anime series premieres is “Soul Eater”, about students at a special school for weapons training. The cast of the series, from FUNimation Entertainment, will have a signing session on Friday at 4 p.m. and another on Saturday, just after a 1 p.m. screening of the first three episodes.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, Manhattan, 800-209-0700, newyorkanimefestival.com; weekend pass, $55; Friday and Sunday, $35; Saturday, $40.)

Read more here.

I confess, I don’t know much about Anime, but this seems to be a really cool event loaded with lots of fun things to do and see.

Will you be there this weekend?