Tekko 2021 – A Convention Behind a Mask

Happy Holidays Rockers, hope you are having an enjoyable time with your loved ones. Whether you are with family, friends, or your significant other, the holidays are a time to be grateful for what you have. Like family gatherings, conventions are a time for fellow anime enthusiasts to gather and enjoy their time with one another. Anime groups are like small families in the convention community. Some groups in the community are closer nit than family. So how does a family band together in dark times? They do whatever they can do to protect their own. Sadly, trying to do their best isn’t always good enough. We could easily see this at Tekko 2021.

Two weeks have now passed since Tekko 2021. While many are now suffering from post-con depression, others are recovering from illness or returning to their everyday lives. Tekko 2021 was originally scheduled to take place in July of 2021 after Tekko 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. With the pandemic ongoing, The Japanese Culture Society vowed to have Tekko 2021 while attempting to keep congoers safe.  In order to do this, convention guests were required to wear a mask while at the David Lawerence Convention Center. Guests were required to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative covid test. Sadly this did not stop guests from contracting covid.

Covid aside, despite some guests complaining about the mask mandate and the requirement for testing, Tekko staff did a good job enforcing their rules. The staff was patient with guests whose masks may have slipped. Unfortunately, the security they hired was not compliant and mocked guests for their efforts.

Special Guests

Some minor difficulties aside, you could tell that things were a bit strained at the convention. Like prior Tekkos, the event offered a variety of activities for guests to participate in, just with a few twists. This year featured more cosplay guests than voice actors. This is partially due to Steel City Con snatching up some of the more popular voice actors; Ian Sinclair, Monica Rial, and Luci Christian were at Steel City Con, Meanwhile, Tekko 2021 featured Kyle McCarley, Katelyn Gault, Erica Lindbeck, Caitlin Glass, Erica Mendez, and Billy Kametz.

Tekko 2021 also featured reoccurring guests and PA locals Charles Dunbar, Samurai Dan, and Nancy Kepner. The convention also featured special cosplay guests: Risuruu, Trickssi, Costay.Moo, Ely, AgapeCos, Slothtier, Hal Gwyne, and Akakioga. This year featured four musical guests: NANO, Sleepyhead, Mega Ran, and James Landino. Finally, the event welcomed a featured designer, Puvithel. Due to the events line up, it was difficult to attend every panel featuring a special guest.

Tekko also featured a special lineup of anime and pop culture-themed cars that were stored in the dealers’ room.

Dealers and Gaming Halls

This year, Tekko 2021 had a few changes beyond the mask mandate. In previous years, the dealer’s hall and gaming hall were right next to each other. This year, the gaming center and the dealer’s room were separated and on opposite sides. The anime and pop culture-themed cars were located within the dealers’ hall but were in an open space. This allowed for guests to take pictures with the cars and even allowed for marriage proposals. Additionally, guests were able to get autographs from their favorite voice actors. On top of that, merchandise stands allowed for guests to purchase a variety of pop culture-themed items. Going through the stands, there was not much overlap with merchandise

The game room allowed players to play a variety of games. Multiple PCs were set up in the front of the room allowing guests to play games such as League of Legends, Valorant, Overwatch, and other Co-op games. The gaming hall also allowed gamers to play card and board games. During the convention, guests were able to compete against Billy Kametz in Super Smash Bros for an autograph. This was a nice overall experience that allowed guests to get an autograph without having to open their wallets.

A new company was hired to supply arcade games for the event. Sadly, an issue occurred where staff informed the gaming center to start shutting down prior to the official closing time of the hall. This led to some guests being kicked off their games while in the middle of playing.

Panels & Other Activities.

Although there were a good variety of panel options, the panels themselves did not feel the same as they had in prior years. This is not due to the content presented but the overall feel of the convention. Most of the time, guests felt on edge despite trying to have a good time. Yes, the panels were still an enjoyable time but ultimately the guests’ energy is what made them feel off. This was easily noticeable in the way people interacted with one another. The pandemic has definitely sucked the life out of everyone.

Guests could attend quiz shows, karaoke, dance classes, formal and casual dances, and workshops. During leisure time, guests could participate in sleeping samurai, go to cosplay repair, or watch movies/shows on the top floor.

During our time there, the two panels that we enjoyed the most were interactive panels. The first panel asked the audience to decide if a character was a hero or villain. This panel offered a change to the status quo where guests were asked to use a white marker to vote villain, a black marker for a hero, and both for an anti-hero. The hosts offered a variety of options and gave comedic responses.

The second panel we enjoyed the most was a Kingdom Hearts quiz show. Participants were asked to answer Kingdom Hearts-themed questions on a variety of game topics. These questions ranged in difficulty and really made you think about your answer. If incorrect, you had to admit you were not smarter than Organization XIII.

Takeaways

Tekko 2021 was overall a fun experience but felt like a shadow of its former self. Guests’ energy levels were not what they typically are; it was hard to recognize friends from strangers due to masks. Panels and events offered guests a variety of activities to participate in but with lower energy, you could notice that guests were not as involved. In fact, it was easily noticeable that Tekko 2021 had fewer guests than prior years. At night, the convention center felt like a ghost town. You would have a better chance of seeing a staff member than a guest on numerous occasions. While the energy was not at its typical levels, the event as a whole was enjoyable.

While the event might not be what it used to be, we hope that Tekko 2022 will bring Tekko back to its former glory. The event was not bad but it definitely was not as fun as it could be. It was nice to see guests enjoying themselves and smiling occasionally for a photo opportunity. In a time where people are stressed and worried about the future, Tekko 2021 gave guests the opportunity to relax, have fun, and try to remember an easier time.

Though we could notice the difference in energy, it was definitely worth going to. Most guests put in a good amount of work into their cosplays and it really showed. If you are in the Pittsburgh area, it would be worth attending either Tekko or the Sangawa Project. Hope to see you at whatever convention comes next.

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