Ice Skating Pair's Engagement News Boosts Their Advertising Value
Listen to the story
A well-known Japanese ice dance pair, nicknamed Rikuryu, has announced their engagement, and reports say their value for advertising deals has risen sharply as a result.
Before the announcement, the pair's true relationship was unclear to the public. This vagueness reportedly led some people to feel jealousy or unfair suspicion toward them.
According to reports, the pair took great care to hide details of their romance in order to avoid distractions, or "noise," that could affect their performance in competitions.
Now that they have confirmed their engagement, the situation has changed dramatically. Their public image has improved, and companies are reportedly eager to sign them for advertisements.
One report suggests their advertising fee could now reach around 50 million yen, a huge increase compared to before.
Meanwhile, TV personality Mariko Morita congratulated the couple on their engagement. She also attempted to recreate a proposal scene, but the performance received harsh criticism online.
Many viewers said her portrayal did not resemble the real male partner, with some commenting that "Ryu looks completely different." Others expressed strong disappointment with the skit.
The story highlights how public image and personal news can directly affect an athlete's commercial value in Japan's entertainment and sports industries.
Vocabulary10 words
- advertising
- paying to show a product or person to the public
- unclear
- not easy to understand or know for sure
- noise
- here, unwanted distraction or trouble
- congratulated
- told someone "well done" for good news
- recreate
- to do something again to look like the first time
- public image
- how people see someone in general
- commercial value
- how much money someone can earn from ads or business
- vagueness
- not being clear or exact
- suspicion
- a feeling that something may not be true or good
- portrayal
- how someone is shown or acted in a performance
Quiz
Answer key
1. Because they announced their engagement 2. To avoid distractions that could affect their competitions 3. With heavy criticism
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A well-known Japanese ice dance pair, nicknamed Rikuryu, has announced their _____, and reports say their value for advertising deals has risen sharply as a result.
Before the announcement, the pair's true relationship was _____ to the public.
This vagueness reportedly led some people to feel _____ or unfair suspicion toward them.
According to reports, the pair took great care to hide details of their romance in order to avoid _____ that could affect their performance in competitions.
Now that they have confirmed their engagement, the situation has changed _____.
One report suggests their advertising fee could now reach around 50 million _____, a huge increase compared to before.
TV personality Mariko Morita _____ the couple on their engagement.
She also attempted to _____ a proposal scene, but the performance received harsh criticism online.
Many viewers said her _____ did not resemble the real male partner.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think keeping a relationship private helps athletes focus on competition?
- Do you think it is fair that an athlete's advertising value changes because of personal news? Why or why not?
- Why might people react strongly, positively or negatively, to a celebrity's engagement?
- What responsibilities do you think public figures have when sharing personal news?