IkkiCon 2018 Report

Ikkicon, held around the year's end in Austin, Texas, is also home to the Texas Idol Festival, a celebration of Japanese-influenced idol singers and groups from across the state. A good, medium sized convention, Ikkicon drew attendees from Texas and beyond, as a last hurrah con of the year. 

Ikkicon was surprisingly packed for the size of the hotel it was located in, with easily 6000+ attendees roaming the halls and atrium. The hotel staff got in on the fun, with many of them dressing up and chatting with attendees about their cosplay. The hotel bar offered some fun themed drinks and shots for the weekend, allowing those who partake in libations to have a bit more fun. 

Panels and screening rooms were scheduled from mid-morning all the way to late night, with a wide variety of events to enjoy. There was of course a masquerade, concerts, dances, and even a maid cafe! Unfortunately, things ran late constantly all weekend, with no rhyme or reason. Even the karaoke room started late a few times, and I mean, that's just karaoke!

Ikkicon did land a Japanese guest, the DJ and producer Bighead. Bighead is best known for his songs using Hatsune Miku, and we did get to chat with him a bit. He seemed genuinely excited to be in Texas, and looked forward to seeing more of the US, whether through conventions or other shows. He talked about his upcoming show at the Sapporo Snow Festival, his dreams of collaborating with The Chainsmokers, and his favorite kind of ramen. He played for a bit during Ikki's late night dances, and the crowds were very into it. 

Then, of course, there was the winter edition of the Texas Idol Festival. Texas conventions are interesting to me in that local idols are always present (something I haven't seen a lot at cons in other states). Ikki seems to be going all in on it, even going so far as having their mascot be a cowgirl themed idol. Throughout the weekend there were several concerts, meet and greets, an intro to wotagei panel, and more! 

 Overall, Ikkicon wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great. I liked an excuse to travel out to Austin, and stopping by Buc-ee's on the way. I met some cool people. But it seems that the con is on the verge of outgrowing its current venue, but also lacking in panel variety. I don't know why everything ran easily 60-90 minutes late constantly, and the staff seemed just as upset and concerned about it as everyone else. I'd forgive these issues if Ikkicon was a new up and comer, but after finding out it's been around for 13 years, I'm less inclined to overlook them. I do think pushing hard on the idol related events offers them a leg up on unique programming compared to other cons and helps support a passionate group, and hopefully next year's is better organized. 

​-Janette G

For more on Ikkicon, please visit http://ikkicon.com/
​For more on the Texas Idol Festival, please visit https://texasidolfestival.weebly.com/