KadabraCon 2024 ran earlier this month on Oct. 4-6, its second year as a convention in the South Texas pop culture and anime scene. With many pop-ups and advertisements promoting the event, this year’s turnout was expected to surpass the previous year’s effort by a large margin. Expectations were set high with a stacked list of special guests including the full cast of “The Amazing Digital Circus” alongside voice actors from properties like “JuJutsu Kaisen” and “Genshin Impact,” in addition to a live performance by musical artist Beomhan.

It seemed this year was destined to be one for the books. However, depending on who you ask, some would say the book closed before Sunday came to an end.

Having attended one of the pop-ups in March, the expectation going in was that the main convention in October would be a fully realized version of the pop-up experience. While in some ways that criteria was met, there were moments and issues that made the overall experience feel inferior to that of the previous effort.

The venue was changed in the lead-up to the event, going from the Emerald Beach Hotel which has hosted many conventions, to Mansion Royal, a much smaller venue used primarily for weddings and similar events. While not an impossible location to find off South Padre Island Drive, the lack of any signage or indication where the entrance was made arriving unnecessarily frustrating.

Upon arrival we received our badges and proceeded inside. Figuring out what was happening became difficult, as there were no hardcopy pamphlets or agendas handed out, meaning attendees had to have brought their own schedule or wait until a main stage event was announced. Being a smaller, more condensed space, it made maneuvering inside the venue difficult due the amount of foot traffic. This also extended to dining at the con as there were no tables or dedicated spaces to eat.

In fact, the overall experience of eating on-location could have been better. We had to not only carefully get our plates out of the hallway, but also find any possible spot to eat amongst the crowd. Having resting spots to talk and or eat is an integral part of the con experience, especially for a paid event lasting the whole weekend. Weak phone signals were also a prevalent issue, leaving some vendors with no means of taking card payments for quite some time.

The main stage events, such as the performance by Beomhan, were very energetic and a highlight of the weekend. Other events included panels dedicated voice talents like the one for “Demon Slayer” hosted by Kaiji Tang (voice of Sanemi Shinagawa from “Demon Slayer” and Satoru Gojo of “Jujutsu Kaisen”) and Landon McDonald (voice of Enmu from “Demon Slayer” in addition to Norotoshi Kamo and Eso of “Jujutsu Kaisen”). The panel was not only entertaining for fans of the series, but also for those wanting to hear stories from professionals in the industry. The same could also be said for the events themed around “The Amazing Digital Circus,” like the watch party and voice actor panels. These events all carried a sense of community. An interesting tidbit: Kadabra Con was apparently the first to host a reunion featuring the entire “The Amazing Digital Circus” voice cast.

There was amazing costume work shown off during the contest and throughout the weekend. Some of the more detailed costumes even had integrated lights and moving parts. The culmination of the weekend was the cosplay contest, which was split into two different categories for adults and children. These contests wouldn’t be without their own issues. Based on my own experience as a contestant, technical issues were prevalent during the entirety of the contest as most contestants were missing either their character name or a real name when announced. Some went under handles while others were only called by their characters’ name. For my own entry, I had to check with staff to make sure they had both my name and the name of the character I was dressed as before going on stage.

The artists and vendors had a lot of variety and personality, with each booth being distinct from the other. This was complemented with the theme and architecture of the venue. The floral trim with the decorations and lighting accented some booths and made the art and merchandise really shine. There were also several meetups happening in a smaller side room near the venue entrance. This room was mostly used for events like trivia and discussions, but also doubled as the location for the swap meet and registration for the cosplay contest.

Speaking from experience, this type of convention is best enjoyed when in the company of others. I was fortunate enough to have gone with my significant other and spent most of the time with them. We both enjoyed taking in the ambiance and attending panels, all while talking amongst the vendors and cosplayers.

Like any convention, Kadabra Con 2024 had its fair share of hiccups. While aspects like the lack of spaces can be attributed to the venue, a lack organization cannot. Many of the issues like more visible entrance signs and physical copies of schedules for those attending could have been resolved if better planning was done. The weak WiFi signal was a big hindrance, since it affected both the vendors and the attendees. Social media is a big part of a convention, and the lack of a solid connection meant it was difficult for those trying to post about the event as it was happening.

Despite the issues, KadabraCon 2024 was still a fun event. With such a wide array of featured guests, this year’s con was a great chance to meet and interact with industry talents and famous cosplayers, and especially enjoyable for fans of “The Amazing Digital Circus,” “Demon Slayer” or “Jujutsu Kaisen.” The artists and vendors were friendly and engaging which is a big plus at conventions. With Kadabra Con 2025 set to take place at the American Bank Center, hopefully many of these issues can be resolved by next year.