When it comes to anime conventions, you typically can expect some kind of road bump along the way. Whether it be a force of nature, bad luck, technological issues, or environmentally caused, you should prepare for the worst; however, some things you can not prepare for. So what do you do? Do you rely on strangers, gods or goddesses, or try to make the best out of any situation and keep pushing forward? Tekko 2022 guests and even the convention itself face this dilemma. Just a month before the convention, the fate of Tekko was still at risk. But thanks to generous benefactors in the form of congoers and corporations, Tekko was able to welcome guests for Tekko 2022.
Within a seven-month time, The Pittsburgh Japanese Cultural Society hosted two different Tekko events at the David Lawerence Convention Center. In a typical year, the PJCS will host two events: Tekko and the Sangawa Project. Due to Tekko 2021 being pushed back to December, the Sangawa Project was canceled. What made matters worse, the fate of Tekko 2022 was in flux due to budget issues and lack of funding. Between April 2022 and June 2022, The Pittsburgh Japanese Cultural Society attempted to raise funds to hold Tekko 2022 in July. This was primarily done through a GoFundMe drive.
Many in the Great Lakes area were concerned that Tekko 2022 might not happen. Because of this, former guests, Pittsburgh companies, and potential congoers banded together to help raise money for Tekko. With Tekko 2022 funded, Tekko was able to announce their special guests and hold the event as intended. So how was the event and was it worth going to?
How We Spent Our Time
Thursday
Upon arriving at the convention, we were able to quickly get through the security checkpoint to secure our badges. This year, security was more prepared to do ID and COVID vaccination records. Unlike last year which took over half an hour to get a badge, the check-in process took under 20 mins. With badges obtained, we decided to check out the flea market. Despite the PJCS best efforts, the heat inside the convention was a bit overwhelming on the second floor due to an issue with The David Lawerence Conventions Center air conditioning unit; this would not be resolved until the middle of Friday afternoon.
After spending some time in the flea market and breaking into a sweat, we wandered up to the third floor. Oddly, the third floor had air conditioning; because of this, we decided to stay on the third floor and attend “I watched it for the Plot Send Lewds Edition 18+ w/ Moby White” and “DJ Metalic“. With these two events complete, Day 0 of Tekko was complete.
Friday
On Friday afternoon, we got to the convention a little bit past 1 p.m. Our first stop was to rendezvous with the other members of our group and wander around the vendors’ hall. After a brief tour around the hall window shopping, we made our way to the “Let’s Kill a God” panel. The gods decided that this panel was not meant to be as the host never showed up and a different panelist attempted to entertain the audience using YouTube. This would not be the only time that a panelist did not show up for their scheduled panel. With the panelist not there, Tekko asked the guests to leave the room.
After leaving the room, we went to check out East vs West – The Role of Hero/Villian in Story Telling. Although the panel seemed informative, the panelists appeared to be very nervous. Sadly the panelists’ nervousness detracted from the overall experience so we only stayed for a short amount of time. Looking to relax and have fun, we went to Weeaboo Bingo. Yet again, the panelist did not appear, however, this time, Tekko staff let some of the guests run their own panel; this panel would be called Makeshift Anime Hangman. Despite not being the original panel, people who stayed around still had a good time.
Once Anime Hangman was complete, we decided to hydrate and check out Cosplay Action Choreography Beginner before heading to Anime Would You Rather. Ultimately, Anime Would You Rather was a bit forgettable.
Friday Evening
With 30 minutes to kill before Name That Blip: A VGM Game Show, we decided to walk around the convention center taking pictures of different cosplayers. Once in the Name That Blip panel, we realized it wasn’t what we were expecting and left the panel early to listen to DJ Metalic again. Listening to the set, we were happy that it was not the same as the previous one.
The last three panels of the night that we attended were the Out of Place Isekai w/ Bryce, Cassandra, Jeannie, Trina, Alejandro and more!, Not Your Grandfather’s Pine Wood Derby, and Pokemon Smash or Pass 18+ w/ Moby White. When Bryce is on a panel, it seems like the panelists never can stay on track. Yes, they would answer questions regarding the topic, but it would often spin into an offshoot. If you have never attended the Not Your Grandfather’s Pine Wood Derby, it can be a comedic but adult time. Finally, Pokemon Smash or Pass was not as exciting as other panelists have made it; rather than letting the audience vote, the panelist shared their personal opinions.
Saturday
Saturday, we had a late start due to cosplay preparation and stomach issues. We started our day with Fuzion Games, Who’s that Pokemon? Chris the panelist made the Pokemon Pictures more obscure providing a challenge to those playing. After that panel, we stayed for their next panel, Anime Wheel of Fortune.
After Wheel of Fortune, we decided to get some food before heading to the dealers’ room. This year, there was an issue where people had issues with the ramen; in prior years, Tekko’s partnerships allowed for discounts at nearby restaurants. We are uncertain if this year had similar offerings. At 7 p.m., we went to assist with the Twitch & Social Media Growth panel. Assisting with the panel made Zaffluto less nervous and kept the audience engaged.
While waiting for the dance, we checked out Bryce Papenbook & Trina Nishimura Talk Attack on Titan! This Panel A-R and Anime Family Feud w/Fuzion Games. After not being chosen for Family Feud, we briefly left the convention. This year’s lineup of DJs for the dance kept the congoers engaged and having fun. Despite the pandemic still keeping some guests away, you could tell that Tekko 2022 had more guests than Tekko 2021.
As the dance started to die down, we decided to check out the Bad Fanfiction Sex Scenes Read-Along 18+. Each person who participated in the panel tried to add their own creative spin to the reading. Once we learned that the bad fanfiction was from Stephenie Meyer, we decided to leave.
Sunday
On Sunday, after a late night Saturday, we arrived at the convention late in the afternoon to attend Zaffluto’s So You Want to be a Streamer panel. Sunday’s theme of the day was tiredness. As we walked around the convention hall we could tell that the energy was lower than on previous days. We spent the remainder of Sunday at the flea market and the vendor’s hall. Oddly, the David Lawerence Convention Center staff kicked our guests around 3 p.m. despite the Closing Ceremonies running until 5 p.m.
Featured Guests
Tekko 2022’s featured voice acting guests were Bryce Papenbrook, Jeannie Tirado, Sarah Leeann Wiedenheft, Alejandro Saab, Cassandra Lee Morris, and Trina Nishimura. The Industry Guests were Nancy Kepner, Samurai Dan And Jillian, and Charles Dunbar; these three guests are reoccurring guests at Tekko and the Sangawa Project. The musical special guests were NANO and ACME.
Final Takeaways
Despite Tekko 2022’s uncertainty before the actual event, the Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society managed to pull everything together with the limited time they had available. Prior to the event, most of the special guests were not announced; however, the guests booked for the event did not disappoint. It was actually refreshing to see the diverse lineup of voice actors. Sadly, this year’s Tekko could not offer guests free autographs signings, but guests were still happy to meet some of their favorite voice actors.
With an increase in Tekko 2022’s guests, we noticed an increase in guest tension and even drama. Part of the escalated tensions were due to issues with the air conditioner, panelists and photoshoot organizers not showing up, food poisoning, and an increased amount of guests. Despite these issues, in no way was the Pittsburgh Japanese Cultural Society to blame.
The only thing guests could actively blame PJCS for was a difficult-to-read schedule, panel changes, and the late posted schedule. Despite this inconvenience, Tekko 2022 fulfilled a need that some guests had, while not satisfying them all. It will be interesting to see how Tekko adapts next year and deals with some of this year’s issues.
Overall this year’s event was a good time, but there is room for improvement. Next year should be better. If you are looking for a convention in the Pittsburgh area during the summer, Tekko might be your best option. We want to thank the PJCS for access to the event and for allowing us to share the experience with you.
