【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. exposition [ek-spuh-ZISH-uh n] (n.) – a large event in which people gather to exhibit their works or products
Example: Many anime fans came at the exposition wearing their costumes.
2. cosplay [KOS-pley] (n.) – the practice of wearing costumes to portray characters from movies, animation, or comics
Example: She bought a lot of makeup and accessories for tomorrow’s cosplay event.
3. ultimate [UHL-tuh-mit] (adj.) – highest or best in form
Example: My friend, who is a musician, believes that the piano is the ultimate musical instrument.
4. unconventional [uhn-kuh n-VEN-shuh-nl] (adj.) – not ordinary, different from the usual
Example: In my country, anime and manga are considered as new and unconventional art forms.
5. geeky [geek-ee] (adj.) – expert or excessively knowledgeable about something
Example: Knowing a lot about computers, my geeky sister offered to fix my mother’s laptop.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation held the 2013 Anime Exposition last month in Los Angeles, California.
The 2013 Anime Expo is a four-day event organized to celebrate the Japanese pop culture. The event featured the best of Japanese anime, manga [MAHNG-guh, MANG‐], video games, films, shows, and cosplay. Over 130,000 people attended the said exposition, most of whom were cosplayers.
According to the organizers, the exposition aimed to increase the Americans’ awareness and interest in Japanese culture.
One of the most anticipated portions of the convention is ‘The Masquerade,’ a contest in which cosplayers compete against each other with their costumes and creative performances. Contestants were allowed to join individually or as a group. The winner of the contest, Group 30 Leathal Soul, took home a prize of $3,000.
Guest of honor Alodia Gosiengfiao, an internationally known cosplayer from the Philippines, also wore different costumes for each day of the event. According to Gosiengfiao, cosplay is the ultimate art form because a cosplayer uses his or her own body for art.
Kyle Hebert, host of ‘The Masquerade,’ believes that the Anime Expo also provides a great venue for people who like unconventional things such as animes, video games, or cosplays.
According to the host, every person is naturally geeky about something. For example, the sports fans who diligently watch sports games are geeky about sports. Thus, he believes that anime fans are no different and that they are just geeky about arts in a foreign form.
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【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Do you agree that cosplaying is indeed an ultimate art form? Why or why not?
· Why do you think anime is so successful even in foreign countries?
Discussion B
· Do you believe that raising awareness about a country’s culture is important? Why or why not?
· What parts of your country’s culture would you want the world to know? Share them with your tutor.