WEBVTT

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- [Narrator] Characters from
science fiction, comics,

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and games filled the Atago
Hills Lotus Cultural Center

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to celebrate pop culture
from around the world.

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Marine Corps Community Services hosted

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the second Iwakuni Comic
Convention or IWACON off-base

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to allow both Americans
and the Japanese community

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to attend.

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- It's nice to have
some, like, real action

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that might happen in the
States, and it's also nice

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for the community to get
together and get to know people

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and see what else there
could be out there.

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- [Narrator] The event
included games, booths,

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question and answers from
artists and voice actors,

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and a costume contest.

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Neil Kaplan, the voice
actor for Optimus Prime

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in Transformers: Robots in
Disguise, says his job allows

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service members to take
a break from their work.

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- When men and women in the
military are going through

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their exercises, they have
to absolutely concentrate

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and treat it like it is real,

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and that has gotta be stressful.

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To put smiles on people's
faces, to have a laugh,

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to think about something
else for a couple of hours

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or a weekend, I'm here to do
my job to help make it easier

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for them to do theirs.

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- [Narrator] Approximately
1,000 people attended

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the two-day convention.

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Reporting from Iwakuni, Japan,

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I'm Lance Corporal Lennon Dregoiw.