Geek Culture Club brings anime villains to life

Andres Rivera | Staff Writer

The villains were taking over campus, and they were here to stay. 

On Friday, Apr 8, the Geek Culture Club hosted the Koneko Spring 2023 convention in the Graham Center, in which students and club members dressed up as their favorite villains from mainstream Netflix series to popular anime and manga.

The event kicked off with an artist alleyway, where GCC members showcased their art to guests. Guests were also treated with many games to play, including a collection of online minigames named Jackbox.

Later in the evening, the club held a runway show for attendees to show off their cosplay. Near the show’s end, the GCC’s editorial board stole the show dressed as the Akatsuki, a group of powerful villains from the anime series Naruto.

However, not all attendees were in cosplay. Jordan Nino, marketing major at FIU and treasurer of the GCC emphasized that guests did not need to be in cosplay to enjoy the event, saying that the club “likes the mix” of guests present.

“We believe that a healthy engagement between those who are dressed and who are not is what really helps define the club and keep it creative”.

Johnathan Reveron, sociology major and president of the GCC, stated that this event was the club’s “big end-of-the-semester event” for this year. 

The convention also served as a fun yet emotional farewell to long standing members of the GCC, including Reveron himself, who will be graduating this semester.

Overall, the Koneko Spring fest overflowed with passion for pop culture as both guests and GCC members shared their love for villains, who deserve as much attention as the titular heroes in their stories. 

“I wanted to give thanks to everyone before and after us who joined in these events. This club means a lot to a lot of people; it’s a social event for those who aren’t often social, it helps them gain friends that they wouldn’t have met outside of this club,” said Nino.