'Tsubasacon' brings anime fans, gamers to capital city

Cosplayers attend a previous Tsubasacon. This year's convention runs Friday, Oct. 11 to Sunday, Oct. 13 in Charleston.Photo byTsubasacon

CHARLESTON, W.Va.-- Anime lovers, cosplayers and gamers will convene in West Virginia’s capital city this weekend as Tsubasacon returns for its 20th year to the Coliseum and Convention Center.

Dubbed “West Virginia’s favorite” convention, the three-day event offers video and tabletop gaming, fan panels, a cosplay contest and more. Fans of anime, video gaming and pop culture enjoy food, games, karaoke, contests and other entertainment during the gathering.

This year’s musical entertainment will be provided by The Blibbering Humdingers, an “acoustic nerd” rock band. According to their bio on the Tsubasacon website, the band is particularly popular with “gamers, geeks, and galactic guardians; browncoats, centaurs, and Mandalorians; hobbits, elves, and wizard gangsters; avengers, defenders, and black-belt hamsters,” among many, many others.

This year’s convention also features several special guests, including:

• Mike McFarland, who voiced Master Roshi in “DragonBall Z”;
• Katelyn Barr, the voice of Ryuko “Ryukyu” Tatsuma in the “My Hero Academia” anime series;
• Chris Cason, Agent Shao in “Battle of Gods”;
• Natalie Rial, the voice of Kana Arima from “Oshi No Ko”; and
• Bryn Apprill, who voiced Historia Reis in “Attack on Titan”, among others.

Vendors, gaming lessons, karaoke, panels and other attractions are offered all three days of Tsubasacon at the Coliseum & Convention Center.Photo byTsubasacon

Tsubasacon, in case you were wondering, derives its name from an anime character. But you don’t have to be a fan of anime to attend.

The conference’s schedule includes everything from a Ghostbusters Get-Together to a "Pirouettes and Pop Culture" Dance Show.

There are also gaming demonstrations, board game tournaments and a Jeopardy-style game scheduled, among several dozen other events.

Tsubasacon got its start in Charleston in 2004, organizers said. It was later moved to Huntington. In 2019, the convention returned to Charleston, where it has remained.

More than 2,000 visitors attend Tsubasacon each year, organizers said, with some attendees traveling to the city from other parts of the state.

This year’s conference runs Friday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets run $25-$55 for adults and $15-$30 for children.

More information, including a complete schedule of events, is available on the Tsubasacon website.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.