SAN ANTONIO - The streets were once again littered with costumes as anime, comic, and pop culture fans set out to attend San Japan 15. The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center was packed with fans of all ages hoping to enjoy a weekend filled with games, merchandise, autographs, and like minded people.
When it comes to "Comic Cons" in the South and Central Texas area we have been to many and it must be said that San Japan has become an impressive figure in the lone star state. Austin may be our music capital, but San Antonio has the crown when it comes to pop culture conventions.
This years guests included voice actors such as Erica Mendez, Charlet Chung, Caleb Yen, and Cory Yee. If fans were so inclined the special guests did offer autographs, photos, and meet & greets to those who attended.
In addition to the many guests there were also musical guests such as Tokyo Machine, Find the Rabbit, and The Ken Dolls who closed out Saturday night. The evening events included an EDM event, Electronic Dance, and a cosplay inspired burlesque show.
Other attractions included a video game tournament that included titles such as Super
Smash Brothers, Tekken 8, and Mario Kart 8. If the tournament was not your style, the gaming section also had free standing arcade cabinets, a rhythm game section as well as the addition of a claw machine section.
Truth be told, the arcade cabinets were in fact 1up arcade cabinets. Though they have never been a personal favorite they did serve their purpose and were enjoyed by hundreds of people.
Will the 1up machines ever truly replace the classic arcade cabinets we grew up with, no. However, the large number of games that were available for the attendees eclipsed the fact that these were not the cabinets of old, no one was bothered by that small detail.
If video games were not really your style the gaming section also had a tabletop section which saw a great deal of use. For those interested in Pokemon, Yugioh, Magic the Gathering, and Dungeons and Dragons, this was a one stop shop for hours of fun.
When it comes to cosplay, San Japan attendees never fail to impress with the effort they put into the details of their costumes. This is why it's no surprise that so many spend hours of their day in the merchandise room.
A staple of any convention the merchandise room serves as a mecca for all things pop culture. T-shirts, prop weapons, masks, shoes, jackets, kimonos, pants, and jewelry can all be found in this singular hall.
Aside from the above mentioned items collectables are also a major attraction in this section of the convention. Hard to find action figures, collectables, trading cards, plushies even video games/consoles were readily available and of course, everything was for sale.
Speaking of clothing and the every popular plushy selection; this year San Japan also had Okashicon in attendance. For those not familiar, Okashicon is a J-Fashion themed convention that usually focuses on the Harajuku, Decora, Kawaii style of dress.
We had the privilege of attending Okashicon last year when it was held in the North Austin/Pflugerville area and have to admit it was a very enjoyable and cute event.
It is no surprise that Okashicon brought their unique sense of style to San Japan as their vendors sold lolita and decora inspired attire. Their vendors included Ugly Plants, Cursed Kaiser, Empire Noir, and the one and only Gloomy Bear.
One of the main events for us was of course the Gloomy Bear booth which was one of the featured vendors for the Okashicon section of San Japan. Created by Mori Chack the Gloomy Bear brand has become a hit stateside over the past several years blending cute with gloom which is a perfect fit for this weekends event.
We had the chance to speak with Gloomy who is a bear of few words but was gracious enough to let is tour the booth which had an array of different items raging from shirts to rugs. In addition to their normal products the brand also had some of their collaborative merchandise which featured HyperCore.
Like many things at San Japan, the two went hand in hand.
With the many panels, events, meet ups, and attractions taking place at the event, one might wonder, how can we cap off this evening. While many gathered at the electronic dance or EDM shows, there was quite an impressive line forming to watch The Ken Dolls perform on Saturday night.
Anyone who is familiar with the midnight showing style of entertainment will be a fan of this dance group which combines the subtle art of burlesque with the pop culture phenomenon of cosplay. Have you ever seen someone get a lap dance to the theme song from Pokemon? This is the place.
Having first seen The Ken Dolls at San Japan 14 we were quite impressed at not only the tasteful manner of the performances but also by the effort and energy that each performer puts into their act. Having met with and interviewed the troops leader Ken Sevier we can tell you first hand that this show is a labor of love.
Hearing Sevier interact with his audience and banter back and forth with his fellow performers you can tell that there is passion in this show that truly comes to life as the show goes on. It is easy to see that like his fellow performers, Ken is truly alive when in front of his fans.
The show features both male and female performers in various states of undress but truth be told, male or female there is something for everyone. In addition to dances, the show also features an areal and pole dancing element. Then there is everyone's favorite audience participation segment of the show.
What does audience participation mean? Well, to the point it means lap dances, or more accurately, willing members of the audience will be danced on by all performers.
One of the great things about The Ken Dolls is that they focus on putting on a good show where everyone can be comfortable. One of their 3 rules is that Cosplay is NOT consent.
As many know cosplay can unfortunately attract some unsavory characters, glances, glares and generally unwanted behavior. Well not at this show, the troop reenforces the fact that Cosplay does not mean consent and if consent is not verbally conveyed, it doesn't count.
The troop successfully puts forward a show steeped in positivity and inclusiveness. When we say inclusion is a part of this show, Sevier really went above and beyond demonstrating this at Saturday nights performance.
Sevier revealed to the audience that English was in fact his second language as he was signing before he could talk. Having been taught to sign by his mother due to his sisters hearing impairment the performer credited his mother who was in attendance that evening, as being the person who taught him how to treat others.
Following that revelation Sevier signed a special song in dedication to his sister. What made the performance even more stunning was the fact that there was in fact a person in the audience who had a hearing impairment.
The fan was brought onto the stage for the signed performance that incorporated signing with dance. It was not only a great dance but it was also uplifting to see the audience member applaud as Sevier reached the chorus of the song Half Life by Livingston.
With the Ken Dolls you will be entertained and positively charged as each performer brings their own unique energy and talent to the stage. San Japan has become a staple of Texas Comic Cons, and The Ken Dolls have become the only way to end night two of the event for this reporting team.
San Japan is in our opinion, the top comic con, pop culture, fandom event in Texas at this point in time. Should you be in the area, stopping off at this convention is a must as it has managed to not only combine various genres of pop culture, but also many genres of conventions and performances.
See our full interview with Sevier below:
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