The VTuber Con Comes West: OffKai Expo

VTubing is growing exponentially, finding more and more exposure in the overall anime sphere and representation in various conventions. OffKai Expo‘s mission was to be the very first dedicated convention in the west: for VTuber fans, by VTuber fans. For three days in San Jose, California, OffKai Expo was a haven for VTuber fans – as the tagline says, “where online friends meet”!

I had the chance to attend all three days, and I truly loved my time—I could see the same on the faces of every guest, staff member, and attendee. We had enjoyed feeling at home and were looking forward to returning next year, bigger and better. Perhaps this would spawn more VTuber expos worldwide, as travel plans to America’s San Francisco Bay Area can be quite cost-prohibitive.

If you weren’t able to attend or have only heard of OffKai Expo recently, I wanted to guide you through what it was like to be at the west’s first VTuber convention. If you were one of the more-than-700 attendees, then join me as I walk down memory lane.