-
Tokonatsu 2018 – The Houses Explained!
So, we have had the announcement on the new houses, and Tokonatsu 2018 draws ever closer. If you haven’t seen the reveal yet, you can check it out at the bottom of this post! Some of you may be wondering at the new houses, and what is the meaning behind their name? Well, Toko-Retreat has you covered once again đ The houses this year are based on The Four Gentlemen, also known as The Four Noble Ones in traditional Chinese art. They are four plants, Bamboo, Plum blossom, Orchid and Chrysanthemum, and stem from Confucianist junzi, or “gentlemen”. They have been used in Chinese painting since the time of the…
-
Zombie Nation
For weeks, we have been hinting at something coming from the dark⌠Of a madness spreading throughout Tokonatsu and Toko-Retreat⌠Of something evil in the winds⌠Our posts may have left some of you confused, maybe even a little scared. âWhat could they be talking about?â âHamburgers?â âShould I be worried?â Today, we are here to bring you answers, but the answers cannot bring you hope Iâm afraidâŚfor in your future, there is little hope to be had! Without further ado, the time has comeâŚTokonatsu Events team and Toko-Retreat are bringing you two new events this year! 28-Minutes Later It starts off as what would appear to be an ordinary…
-
Thunderbolt Fantasy
Recently, I was sat watching some Anime with my housemate, and he was like âhave you seen Thunderbolt Fantasy? Oh man! Itâs awesome, put it on!â So, naturally I was expecting Anime, but what I got I was not prepared for. My first thoughts were, âJapans done a Thunderbirds?â as you are presented with a set of puppets moving in real time, with very extravagant movements and in VERY ornate costumes. Initially, this put me off, but only for about two seconds, as the show immediately kicks off with why itâs amazing. Rarely have I seen fight scenes so well executed, and never have I seen it done with puppets.…
-
Tokonatsu 2017 Nerf War footage
First of all, weâd like to thank all those at Tokonatsu last year that turned up to the event and made it the fun that it was. Without you it would have been nothing, and as it was, it was awesome! We actually ran at max capacity for the eye protection we had, which, considering that it was such a last minute event, is REALLY good. The event was a Tokonatsu/Toko-Retreat collaboration, with help from the Events team to get it off the ground, and run and mostly organized by ED-SKaR, a first time attendee that pushed to make this happen. He provided the vast majority of the guns, and…
-
Heckle Rezal
Time for some shameless self-promoting! As some of you probably know (especially those in the Toko Hype Group ^.^) I have started my own youtube channel about two months back and have been publishing at least two videos a week. I thought Iâd take the time now to explain a little about what it is I and my hecklers do, and what we aim for in the future. Heckle Rezal For those that donât know, we have chosen to adopt a format which essentially is a letâs play, but instead of just me playing a game, and responding to those on a Twitch feed, I invite a bunch of mates…
-
Hibanacon 2017 – First thoughts
Hello all! Itâs been a couple of weeks now since Hibanacon launched their first convention at the Juryâs Inn, Milton Keynes! We at Toko-Retreat were unfortunately not in full attendance, but we did pop down to say hi to friends outside, and were lucky enough to be invited to be shown around the venue, got to see the Games room, and hung out in the bar area with a lot of the attendees, which was a free access area outside of the convention. The Games Room is virtually fully kitted out by Captain Tyler, and his collection of retro to modern consoles. Needless to say though, there was plenty to…
-
Our New Events (expanded)
Hello! Today weâll be going into some more detail on the new events that weâre offering this year. Weâve tried to pack quite a lot into this yearâs line-up, while keeping the competitions that you all loved last year. We donât know if these will all work out, but we listen to feedback, and will try and make our events next year better based on what you think. So feel free to hit us up during the festival to let us know how weâre doing, or to email us afterwards with any thoughts. This Little Shrine of Mine (Co-hosted with The Festival) We say Co-Hosted, but the Festival are mostly…
-
The Tokonatsu Museum
Hello All! Today we bring you some more information on what we are trying to do with the Tokonatsu Museum, and bringing you a look at what Tokonatsu has been through the years. We mentioned this earlier in the year, and have been making some good progress into what we think will be a good display for you all. We will have a set of boards on easels, with memorabilia dating back through to the first Tokonatsu in 2005. We have managed to gather a collection of art, old badge designs, and photos, largely in part to the original artist of most of the early stuff, Daryl. Many of you…
-
Essentials that you should bring to Tokonatsu
Every year, we get all excited, and flustered, and pack everything we think weâll need at Tokonatsu, and letâs be honest with ourselves, every year we forget something. It could be a toothbrush, or a torch, but youâll get to a point in the weekend, and think, âDoh!â So weâre here today to provide a list of what we think are the essentials that every Con Goer should pack, to ensure they have the bare minimum to get by comfortably for the weekend. How many will you forget? 1. Torch It gets dark at night, and youâre going to want to be able to see. Whether you are going to…
-
How to survive the Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Coats are coming! The Yellow coats are coming! Ok, it doesnât have quite the same ring to it, but the threat is still real. Apparently wasp numbers increase and decrease in 2 year cycles, and guess what, this year is a high wasp count year! That means, as youâre sitting, enjoying an ice-cold cider, youâre likely to be swatting the air around you, or running for cover (depending on your preference). Well, weâre here with some tips on how to survive the onslaught, and have a more enjoyable Tokonatsu! 1. Drink from covered cups with straws: Itâs no secret that wasps are attracted to sweet smelling substances. The…
