神さまがまちガえる Home Thread (Beginner Book Club) - Currently Reading: Volume 3

And, I can totally understand that, but reading and writing Japanese is the easiest part for me. I really should be spending more time, listening and speaking. Sigh.

For me, this is the fun part :upside_down_face:

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@Akashelia
Dropping my two cents here since I only recently started reading recently (beginning Novembre).

I must say it was painfull in the beginning (still is some days!), but I set my expectations low (2 pages of ABBC a day). Very quickly I increased this target.

Now I usually set my target at one chapter a day (16 pages of ABBC). I keep BBC reads for the week end since I tend to parse more carefully through the chapters, and extra time is more than welcome.
Depending on my mood, time and energy I read either trying to understanding everything (looking up vocab + grammar), understand most of it (only looking up vocab) or I just read through and I look up nothing ( Read 3 chapters of Tagaki san in the car yesterday with no internet and I was actually surprise how much I could get.)

Grammarly speaking I’m probaly N4 and vocab wise I seld assesed that I know between 1000-1500 words.

Recently I’m less concerned with understanding everything. I’ve kinda accepted that some things will be out of my grasp for now (light reread later and see the difference!). I’m glad I reach this feeling because I think it helps me progress. By accepting my own level and still enjoying the process.

Not gonna mention how much reading can help sometimes with readings that I can seem to remember in Wanikani but somehow feels easy once I’ve seen it in context.

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I was very much N5 level when I started reading, and struggled. I suspect if you try the next ABBC pick that would be a good start, if it’s something you’re interested in. The current pick is a little tricky even for me (I just sat N3). You will always struggle a bit when you start reading.

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wanted click like jlpt3.5 … (somewhere above 4 but not quite 3) haha

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I think we’re about the same level. I started on the book before this, so we must have started around the same time? I completely agree. I also read differently, depending on the time I have. I’ve really enjoyed this book, and I find it easier to read then the last. The first book club I tried was one level lower. The book was all slang, which I found annoying. (Not that we shouldn’t learn it, but if you’re starting out - that isn’t what you’re being taught nor speaking.)

I’m pretty active in my learning - so much so - that the (online) Japanese school (in Japan) that I have been attending, asked me to be a part of a study next month - and I’m getting my lessons free! I am not particularly good at languages, but I just keep pounding at it, and it seems to be slowly working.

Now that we can travel again, I’m trying to figure out a good excuse to go :grin:

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Good to know!

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I still have this weeks reading to do, but reading this volume seemed to go so quickly! I was genuinely surprised to realise this is the last week!
I’m hoping there is enough interest for an offshoot club, because its been a really fun read.

Off Topic Reply

@Akashelia
I selected JLPT N4 in your poll, but in reality I’m somewhere between N4 and N3.
I passed the N4 test well in July, but would currently fail if I tried the N3 test.

When I first started reading though, I wasn’t at N4 level yet.
Reading took me a long time, and I definitely felt more like I was decoding the text rather than reading it - but I learned so much by doing it that it was definitely worth it!
Now I read with the Absolute Beginner Club for “fun reading”, and the Beginner Club for stuff that is readable, but more challenging.

If you want to get started with reading, I’d recommend joining a bookclub. It’s great to have the support of the vocab lists, and threads to ask questions when you get stuck.
If you are interested, the Absolute Beginner Book Club is going to be choosing their next book soon. :slight_smile:

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Feedback

Did you finish the first volume?
  • I finished it
  • I’m still reading and I plan on finishing it
  • I don’t plan to finish it
  • I never even started

0 voters

How would you rate the volume? (1: hated it, 5: loved it)
  • ★★★★★
  • ★★★★☆
  • ★★★☆☆
  • ★★☆☆☆
  • ★☆☆☆☆
  • Unsure

0 voters

If you read the book, how would you rate its difficulty?
  • No effort at all
  • Minimal effort
  • Moderate effort
  • Significant effort
  • So much effort my head might explode
  • I don’t know

0 voters

Here are a couple of stats for the book club the views use the right y axis and the rest is on the left yy axis.

Offshoot Bookclub

Would you like to continue reading this manga in an offshoot club?
  • Yes
  • I have already started
  • No

0 voters

If you are interested, when would you like to start?
  • Jan 7th
  • Jan 14th
  • Jan 28th

0 voters

If you plan on reading a physical copy what is your situation like?
  • I’m going to read digitally
  • I have volume 2
  • I play to buy/waiting for the book to arrive

0 voters

Edit: I totally forgot about this. If you have a natively account it would be great if you could head over there and add the book to your library to grade it in the future! 神さまがまちガえる 1 | L24

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I don’t know why but this didn’t quite interest me - the first chapters were fun but my interest just fizzled out. It may be that it’s a bit more superficial than the other things I’m reading.

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Yeah, “superficial” describes it quite well. I also expected something with a little more depth to it, especially considering that one of the characters is a researcher…

My favourite chapters were the first and the last one. Before reading that last one I was quite sure that I don’t want to continue, but considering that I liked it a lot, maybe I will after all. Hmmm…

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I feel like there are rich stories that could be told in this setting. Where the world doesn’t look the same every day and instead behaves in weird ways. But instead it is more of a bug of the week kinda thing (like monster of the week). Feels a bit like the author is thinking what weird thing can I come up with next and what tiny bit of story/situation can arise from that.

I will not continue with an off-shoot club right now. While it is enjoyable, I’d have to do a new book order (I prefer to read manga physical), or own half this physical and half digital. (I’m also trying to get myself to finish some of the big collection I’ve already bought before buying anything new. It is hard. :sweat_smile: )

However, I’ll be interested in knowing if this grows into more of a cohesive story, aka gets more of an underlying narrative. So I’ll probably watch this space to see what people think of future volumes, thereby help me decide if I should jump back in. :blush:

I enjoyed it for what it was, it just isn’t what I’m interested in reading at the moment. ^^

Thanks for hosting the club @Shadowlauch!

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Thank you guys for all of your feedback I agree that the “bug of the week” kind of format definitely has its limits. I have read the second volume already and can tell you if it continues with that format or not in the details below.

Light spoilers volume 2

So the second volume actually goes in a somewhat different direction. It does not completely eliminate the “bug of the week” format but it brings in an overarching narrative and somewhat higher stakes.

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Oooh, thanks for that update! I’m still not in a position to get the next volume anytime soon, but it means I probably will. :blush:

I haven’t set a goal for how many books/volumes of manga/VNs I need to finish before I can buy new stuff, but I will soon. xD

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I pretty much feel the same way. Although, I am buying the next book (and the book after next), and I might read it on my own. I cannot get a hard copy that quickly.

Thank you all for all the help and fun.

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I feel a little torn on whether I want to continue or not. There were a couple chapters that I liked a lot and a couple that I didn’t enjoy at all. I’ll go ahead and order it and see how it goes I guess!

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My sentiments exactly. The epitome of that being chapter 3 - although it seems that one resonated more strongly with you than with me :laughing:

That does sound good. Mhmmm… How big is that change? Do you think it might satisfy someone unsatisfied with the shallow slice-of-life “bug of the week”-ness of volume 1?

Currently the most voted option for the offshoot club is Jan 28th, if that helps?

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Well, at least the bug resonated with me more strongly. :joy: If it ever happens to you, let me know if that doesn’t leave a lasting impression for you too. xD

Definitely curious about this too, for future buying purposes.

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And possibly an ankle sprain :face_with_peeking_eye:

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To this day, I can’t believe I walked away unscathed from that. I must have landed just right to not take the brunt of the fall on any one part. :sweat_smile:

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Still finishing up the final chapter, but overall I thought it was a fun read. Though it certainly could have been better, it was interesting and amusing enough such that I really didn’t feel bored reading it at all. Considering that @Shadowlauch said the second volume is more interesting I would love to pick it up at some point (even if just to read it in English) but as for the book club, I would rather continue with the main book club since I don’t even have the time to add another spin-off club lol.
If I have any questions after I finish the final chapter I’ll post them in the relevant thread, and after that I’ll be joining everyone for the next book.
And many thanks to @Shadowlauch for managing the club this time :smiley:

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