What was my first anime convention of this year would turn out to be the only one at this event’s small and humble finale.

Following the successful Brick City Anime Festival 2026 weeks earlier, I was obviously eager to continue my anime convention journey for the year. Before I discovered SSAS+’s Toracon in late 2025, I was always checking animecons.com to see if any new anime cons in Florida would pop up—and sure enough, one did. This humble convention, despite having run for 15 years, was one I shamefully never knew existed. After learning, it was held in Sarasota—a city I was already familiar with from my previous time at Sarasota Anime-Fest 2025—I knew my chance to attend Toracon was all but cemented. Once it concluded, SSAS+ Toracon became my second anime convention of 2026. It was also my first free convention ever and one of the few free ones this year. My choice of cosplay? None other than the original one: Tobi! My good boy deserved to attend his first anime convention, and at long last, he did!

SSAS+Toracon is an anime convention located in Sarasota and hosted at the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences charter school. It was first inaugurated in 2012 and ran for fifteen years, with 2026 marking its final edition. It is highly likely that no future events from SSAS+Toracon will happen anymore. Unlike previous years, the con was admission-free in 2026 and lasted only three hours. Toracon is notable for its family-oriented theme and popularity among children—particularly elementary and middle schoolers—but despite that, it remains an all-ages anime convention open to everyone. This simple fact makes Toracon the smallest and shortest anime convention of 2026 for me (as of right now). So, the question is, why did I travel to attend SSAS+Toracon? Well, exactly for that reason. This con had its last year ever in history, and just knowing that I, Kurai of Animangemu, got to attend Toracon’s finale—with photos, recordings, and having witnessed all the events—makes me feel proud that this otaku was able to be present at an anime con’s closing chapter. In the distant future, when some advanced civilization discovers that an anime convention called SSAS+Toracon once existed, they will see that this otaku journalist’s name and brand were etched into the history books. At the same time, just remembering it fills me with overwhelming sadness. Toracon wasn’t just a con; it gave me my first real taste of “con crash” in the history of my otaku life—something beyond the usual anime, manga, and video game consumerist world. In other words, this was a truly revolutionary moment for me…

SSAS+Toracon 2026 had a lot of great things. However, you’re probably wondering: How did this anime con, despite its small size and short three-hour run, manage to rock the fun for me?

As with my previous anime conventions, it’s my tradition to always take a thorough look around at any new con. I usually start with the vendors, then move on to checking out the panels, and finally explore the entire area in general. What made Toracon so unique compared to those previous conventions was that it wasn’t hosted at a typical convention center, but instead right inside a charter school. Walking through the school buildings, classrooms, and hallways brought back a powerful wave of nostalgia for my own childhood days of attending school.

As I entered, I was handed a map of the school showing where Toracon’s panels and events were located. I struggled a bit to get oriented, since I’m so used to how anime conventions are typically hosted in big convention centers. In other words, this school setting was completely brand new for me—but I couldn’t help feeling massive excitement because I knew I was in for an unforgettable ride. Eventually, I found the vendor room, and like at most cons, I got to check out a ton of awesome goodies that looked incredible! Not to mention, I also spotted some fellow cosplayers rocking amazing, creative costumes. After wandering around a little, I decided it was time for a nice selfie as Tobi—because Deku and Len had already had their moments, but the poor good boy hadn’t yet. So, I snapped a few selfies.

Still trying to adjust and get my bearings, I eventually found the gym, and that’s when I finally witnessed the megalith of vendors and their incredible goodies. The experience, as usual—like at my previous anime cons—was nothing short of stunning. I got to check out a ton of amazing otaku items I’ve had my eye on for years—actually, I’d argue for more than a decade. There were costumes, figures, homemade merchandise, model kits like Gunpla (I’ll get to that in a bit), plushies, and all sorts of other awesome stuff. Oh, and that’s not all—I spotted a super cute Kirby plush that I’ve wanted to get my hands on for a while. He looked so adorable that I couldn’t resist making a silly little skit of myself being all goofy and overly sympathetic around him.

Finally, perhaps the merchandise that caught my eye the most was an HG Exia from Gundam 00. Do you know how long I’ve wanted that model kit? At least seven years—ever since 2019, aka the great epic 40th anniversary Gundam craze of mine. There were moments when I was seriously tempted to buy it, but in the end I had to pass because I’d already promised myself that this year I’d prioritize merchandise way less than before. Cosplay and anime conventions have become far more important to me, and I don’t want anything else interrupting this epic feeling and incredible run I’ve been enjoying and embracing so far. Either way, I do plan to buy it soon—but for now, the “no merchandise” policy matters more. Still, of course I couldn’t resist doing a funny little skit—why wouldn’t I react with pure joy at seeing one of my favorite Gunpla kits right in front of me?

SPOILER ALERT: Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep up my tradition of taking awesome photo-ops with a bunch of fellow cosplayers. Of course, I did manage to get one incredible shot—and unexpectedly, it was with an awesome Spike Spiegel cosplayer from Cowboy Bebop, complete with his VERY adorable dog, Ein (a Welsh Corgi). It was such a perfect, heartwarming moment and an absolutely stellar cosplay that I feel so happy and honored to have shared a photo with him!

Even though I was having a blast at Toracon, there was one HUGE issue: the weather was absolutely NOT nice that day! It was darn cold, and what made it even more baffling was that the temperatures dropped to levels we hadn’t seen in Florida in more than two decades. The irony was hilarious—here we were in southwest Florida, freezing our butts off. It got so bad that I overheard a girl complaining, “Ugh, why is it so cold? Florida isn’t supposed to be this freaking cold! It’s supposed to be sunny and warm!” I completely agreed. What made it even more shocking was that today, my state was actually colder than most northern frost-belt states. To top it all off, a freeze warning was set to kick in later that day. I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “Of all the darn days, it had to be today? What’s up, Florida? Are you okay?” Because the cold got so intense, I had to do whatever I could to warm up—but unfortunately, my method of staying warm wasn’t exactly effective. Either way, I still managed to snap a quick selfie of myself bundled up and trying (and failing) to keep warm.

Ah, finally—one of the panel events I always look forward to at anime cons is Idolfest. Just like at Brick City Anime Festival, Toracon had its own Idolfest too. The performance? Stunning as usual. I truly have to say these idols did an amazing job with their performances. I heard a bunch of iconic songs from Love Live, Vocaloid, and even “Connect” by ClariS from Madoka Magica. The dance moves, acrobatic maneuvers, lip-syncing, and cosplays were just awesome. I genuinely congratulate these amazing idols—I bet just knowing they got to perform on the very last day of Toracon in front of such a humble crowd must have felt absolutely sensational. On a more hilarious note, the wind and cold were so intense that they caused some little mishaps and spoofs during the show. Not to mention I deeply admire the performers for rocking outfits that left them exposed to that brutal chill. Meanwhile, even in my Tobi cosplay, I was still shivering like crazy—something I deeply regretted later on. Why? Because it didn’t keep me warm enough at all, and I completely underestimated how cold it would get. Anyway, here are some footage clips of the Idolfest in action. If you want to see the rest, head over to my Instagram profile and check out the SSAS+ Toracon 2026 highlights!

After the Idolfest wrapped up, I headed over to meet up with my bud, tc_lifestyle_adventure! The day before Toracon, he and I had planned a collaboration, and it turned out to be such an awesome moment because we got to reunite in person for the first time since Sarasota Anime-Fest 2025. On top of that, he interviewed me, and I gave an enthusiastic (and pretty emotional) statement about how I felt knowing this was Toracon’s final year ever. He also picked up some cool stuff to display. Of course, to commemorate our first meeting, we snapped a photo-op together! It was truly a marvelous moment!

After that, I decided to take another look around the gym area at Toracon 2026 to see if I’d missed anything. I did spot a few things I really liked, but once again, I stuck to my cosplay-and-con rule: I knew that if I spent even a tiny dime, I might not have enough left for more cosplays and anime cons down the line. Anyway, here’s another silly skit photo of me going full consoomer mode over some Gunpla model kits. Don’t worry—I’ll buy some soon!

So, remember when I said I was going to stick to my cosplay-and-con rule? Well, I’m still following it overall, but there was one piece of merchandise I just had to buy. And no, it wasn’t a figure, model kit, plushie, anime DVD/BD, or manga book—instead, it was a Toracon pin. A pin that’s probably already a rarity as of today. I had to get it to commemorate the finale and keep it as a special collectible. I won’t lie: every time I look at this pin, a powerful wave of emotion washes over me, reminding me that 2026 was Toracon’s last year ever. That’s exactly why I bought it. It looks really nice and cute, and I’m so proud to display it as proof that I was there for Toracon 2026. I’m genuinely glad I attended.

As Toracon was coming to an end, I decided to take one last tour around the gym room full of vendors. Ironically, that was exactly when I realized there were still some goodies I would have loved to collect—but I knew it wasn’t the right moment to break my rule. So, to make this farewell special and knowing it was the con’s final year ever, I recorded myself walking through the space, capturing the sound of my own footsteps echoing in that room. Memories through memories: photos, videos, and recordings. Truth be told, it felt completely surreal—knowing that Otaku_Kurai of Animangemu got to walk through this con room during its very last moments.

Finally, the moment arrived: Toracon was officially entering its last minutes, and a powerful wave of emotion surged inside me. As the con began to wind down, I started to feel the weather crunch biting hard—meaning I had to head home as soon as possible because of the looming weather issues. Specifically, that freeze warning I’d been dreading forced me to leave ASAP! Sheesh, it felt like Brick City Anime Festival 2026 all over again. Either way, before I went, I wanted to take one last photo of myself standing in front of the building as Toracon’s fifteen-year run came to a close—and boy, what an amazing experience it had been for me. To make the memory perfect, I wanted the shot to look exactly how I’d imagined it, and it turned out precisely that way.

After that, as I was leaving, I’m not sure if I heard it right, but I think a pretty emotional song was playing? I could be wrong, but either way, a strong wave of emotion hit me hard. On the drive back home, for some strange reason, I didn’t get that happy, triumphant fanfare ending I’d experienced at previous anime conventions. Instead, it felt like my first real emotional “con crash.” Of course I was happy, pleased, and proud to have attended such a special event—but at the same time, I was left feeling deeply sad knowing this was Toracon’s final year. It just killed me to think that the name “Toracon” will never be heard again. The fact that my very first time attending was also its last made the whole thing feel incredibly emotional and almost poetic. Nonetheless, I did leave with a smile—especially knowing I walked away with something from Toracon that I’ll always keep and cherish. In fact, keeping this pin feels like a badge of honor, a tangible reminder I can show people to prove I was there for Toracon’s last year.

Well, my fellow otakus, that was my awesome journey at SSAS+ Toracon 2026. You know something? This amazing anime convention proves one thing: size and hours don’t matter. What truly matters is the love and passion poured into an event. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about anime conventions—thanks to Toracon—is how much the community invests heart and dedication into making them happen. For me, that was what counted most.

Not only that, but seeing children everywhere expressing their passionate love for anime and manga wasn’t just amazing—it moved me deeply. Moments watching kids have fun at events like the My Hero Academia trivia game, the Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, the K-Pop Demon Hunters fan game, Vocaloid children’s art displays, and so much other awesome stuff reminded me how far the otaku world has come. Back in 2011, or even 2016, it wasn’t like this. I was usually the loner at these kinds of events, either by myself or with just a handful of people my age. Now the picture is completely different. Seeing kids cosplay and role-play as their favorite anime characters was simply incredible. In fact, at times I actually envied them… Moments like these make me wish, just for a second, that I could be thirteen years old again.

Either way, I couldn’t help but feel utter happiness knowing that a medium once shunned and ignored has now become so popular that even younger generations get to enjoy anime and manga together, full of joy. Toracon taught me the importance of living life, embracing what you love, and connecting with fellow otaku—no matter the location, size, duration, or crowd. Toracon made me realize that anime conventions feel like home. Without them, there’s a void. It’s funny, you know: what I kept searching for over and over again was solved simply by attending anime conventions. Oh well—better late than never, right?

SSAS+Toracon 2026 was a fun event I will never forget. The con was filled with humble people, talented performers, passionate individuals, and it was incredibly well-organized. I loved several of their panels and got to witness some truly amazing events—like the Idolfest, for example. I was blown away by the vendor room and everything they had for sale, including handmade items that looked absolutely incredible. There were tons of other fun activities too, like laser tag and video game tournaments for Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate—two games I hadn’t played in a while, which made it even more special. The cosplays were tremendously awesome as well. Honestly, there were so many panels that looked amazing. And keep in mind: this was all packed into just three hours, yet I had an absolute blast.

My only sadness is that I wish it had lasted longer. Either way, I am utterly grateful to SSAS+Toracon and deeply thankful to have attended such an amazing anime convention. I won’t lie—as I’m typing this right now, I feel emotional knowing there won’t be an SSAS+Toracon 2027 next year. Regardless, I’m incredibly happy and proud to have been there for its very last year. I will never forget this wonderful anime convention.

Sayonara, SSAS+Toracon. Thank you for this unforgettable experience!

Thank you for reading my article! Did you attend SSAS+Toracon 2026 this year? Did you happen to encounter me by accident without knowing it? How was your time at the con? Let me know in the comments!

Overall: A-rank

“Florida’s #1 Akiba-Kei!”