Just need to get this off my chest after attending the TCGKL event this weekend. To put it bluntly, what was supposed to be a dream event for fans turned into a logistical nightmare, entirely due to the organisers’ greed and incompetence.
The following is based on my personal observations and experiences at the TCGKL event. These are my own views and interpretations of the event as I witnessed them. The organisers are welcome to address any points they believe I have raised in error. Greater clarity is deeply appreciated.
Let’s talk about the main attraction for many: the artist sketches, specifically with Arita-san.
From the very beginning, the process was shrouded in secrecy and shady deals. We were led to believe slots would be released online. Spoiler alert: They weren’t. Instead, it appears the organisers hoarded these precious slots and funneled them through “official” middlemen like Pokefrov and other middlemen in Singapore, and others in China. Each of these middlemen reportedly had 100-200 slots.
So, while genuine fans who followed the “official” channels got nothing, the slots were being sold off-site to middlemen.
But the circus didn’t stop there. On the first day, the queue management was non-existent. The instructions changed more often than the weather.
· Morning: Each person from these middlemen could queue for 10 slots at a time.
· Afternoon: Suddenly, it’s changed to 2 slots per person.
· Later: Panic mode sets in, and it’s now 1 slot per person.
Why the constant changes? Because Arita-san, the artist himself, rightly noticed the same faces cycling through the line over and over again. From his perspective, it looked like a swarm of scalpers. And who could blame him?
Here’s the critical failure: Instead of the organisers being transparent with Arita and explaining, “Hey, these are the people from the middleman agencies WE endorsed to sell the slots YOU are drawing for,” they seemingly said nothing. It feels like they had something to hide from him. This lack of communication directly led to Arita implementing a strict “1 person per day” rule to protect fans from the “scalpers” that the organisers themselves had created.
To circumvent their own guest artist’s rule, the organisers and middlemen hired phantom queuers. They roped in random people from everywhere to queue on their behalf. These backups had no real interest in the event. AND the privileges didn’t stop there. Not only were these phantom queuers allowed, but they were also blatantly allowed to cut queues right in front of everyone. When I tried a question the staff person in charge of maintaining order, their response was to avoid eye contact and literally walk way. No explanation, no accountability.
This complete breakdown of order and security had direct consequences. There were multiple instances of cards going missing. Is this any surprise? When you flood your own event with unchecked hired hands and foster an environment where queue jumping is tolerated, you create the perfect conditions for theft.
The entire situation was a mess caused by the organisers’ greed in overselling and their cowardice in not being upfront with their own guest artist.
And it wasn’t just the sketch slots. The general queue management was a joke. There were no clear instructions, decisions were made on the fly by individuals who hadn’t consulted their own team, leaving their staff as confused and lost as the attendees. We spent the whole day standing in lines that went nowhere, chasing information that was always changing.
It’s incredibly disappointing. Fans save up, take time off, and travel with so much excitement, only to be treated like an afterthought by organisers who were more interested in backdoor deals than creating a smooth, fair, and enjoyable experience.
TL;DR: TCGKL was a poorly organised event ruined by greedy, opaque practices and a complete failure in communication and queue management. Learn from my experience.
As at the time of writing this long rant, we have seen the official statement from the organisers, albeit only to those who bought slots through their app. Their official statement is a classic non-apology, using vague corporate language to avoid addressing any specific failures. Heavy on apology language but completely empty of substance. Notice what it does / does not do:-
- It does not acknowledge any of the specific egregious failures: the middlemen deals, the phantom queuers, the queue cutting, the stolen cards, or the miscommunication with Arita-san.
- It hides behind vague, passive phrases: “unforeseen circumstances”, “logistical challenges”, “operational hurdles”. These are terms used to describe shipping delays, not a self-created disaster of greed and poor planning.
- It takes “full responsibility” in name only, without detailing what that responsibility is for, making the phrase meaningless.
- It tries to frame the event as a success by thanking everyone for their “faith and support”, which feels insulting to those who had negative experiences.
A real apology names the failure. The community needs to know the truth. Your statement says you “take full responsibility” but you haven’t even acknowledged the actions happened. You have not explained why you misled your guest artists, or why you created a system that privileged backdoor deals over genuine fans.
The community doesn’t need more vague apologies. We need answers and a commitment to radical transparency. Until you address the specific points raised, your words ring hollow.
