The beloved celebration of Japanese culture and animation is back on campus
Illustration by Neha Saxena.
Fans of Japanese animation and culture rejoiced last month as Tsukino-Con made a return to UVic after a four-year-long hiatus. This convention, which brings thousands of anime fans to campus, took place from Feb. 23–25 in the Engineering and Computer Science Building, the Bob Wright Building, and the Elliot Building.
The first Tsukino-Con happened in 2010 as a continuation of its predecessor, Kei-Kon, which ran for seven years and ended in 2009. The convention hasn’t run on campus since 2020, but returned this year to the delight of anime fans in Victoria.
The name Tsukino-Con translates to “convention of the moon” inspired by both UVic’s Ring Road and the main protagonist of the anime Sailor Moon. This year’s theme was “The Beach Episode,” so the mascots (Luna, Nox, and their animal companion Hoshi) were drawn in beach attire. The appearance of the mascots changes each year with the theme of the convention, which is voted on and pitched by the staff and volunteers.
Attendees come with their passion and love of anime, manga, Japanese culture, cosplay, and anything related to that field for an exciting experience run by a diverse group of volunteers and staff. The convention features all sorts of entertainment for a diverse audience, ranging from all-ages to 18 plus programming.
Contests were an integral part of the convention. The cosplay contest, where participants showcase their craftiness and acting skills, drew the biggest crowd this year. Of course, there was also the swimsuit showdown, described by Nyanko Pankotanko, Tsukino-Con’s head of programming, as “kind of like cosplay burlesque.” Finally there was Walkoff: Tsukino Taisen 2, whose sign-up sheet directed participants to “think ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ but more Anime!” Competitors dressed up as and acted like their favorite characters, taking on their personality, signature catchphrases, and more.
For further entertainment, the talent show and the lip-sync battle featured dramatic, dance, and vocal performances on stage by attendees. Anime cover songs were also played live by the band Time Skip. Trivia shows tested attendees’ knowledge of anime and videogame music and offered many opportunities to win prizes. Attendees could also take a break from programming to play video games on one of the many consoles and arcade machines in the games room or watch some animation in the viewing room.
This year, the vendor hall featured 60 artists and vendors from all over, ranging in a variety of items from 2D prints, 3D sculptures, clothing, and more. Many artists took commission-based work if attendees wanted something specific.
Special guest appearances are common at Tsukino-Con. This year, the Seiryu Guild joined live from Japan and around the world discussing their work animating motion capture models for virtual streamers (Vtubers, for short).
Traditional Japanese culture was also at the forefront of the convention. Kimono specialist Hitomi Harama ran a panel discussing the history of kimonos and how to wear one. Chris Tooley, a local sword expert in laido, also had a panel.
Industry celebrities were spotted as well. Autograph sessions were offered by the American voiceover artists Kyle McCarley and Ben Diskin, whose work has been featured in video games and animation such as BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle and the Elder Scrolls Online.
The real saviors of the event were the kind folks at the cosplay repair station. They ran panels on the fundamentals of making costumes and provided an integral service fixing cosplays and props quickly and safely throughout the event.
If any of these events interest you, make sure to join in on the fun next year!
