Bizawa Buckles Down

My advice here is once you have the basics of grammar (like completing Genki I or the N5 section of another textbook or app) and a basic vocab (like… 10 levels of Wanikani) then you’re ready to try your first manga in the ABBC.

It’s going to be hard, but that’s true even if you wait until level 60 in Wanikani first - reading is sort of its own skill that’s a little more than just knowing the grammar points and vocab in isolation, and the sooner you get to practice putting that together, the sooner you can start making progress.

Yotsuba is often recommended as a beginner manga, and it is on a relatively easy level, but it’s not the easiest either as Yotsuba herself has rather childish/slangy talk. Because of that, if you can tolerate childishness, I’d recommend 小さな森の狼ちゃん (Chiisana Mori no Okami-chan) as a first read, and helpfully there’s a past ABBC club to take a look at if you do.

Alternatively, when you’re ready, feel free to hop on whatever ABBC is current then and don’t be afraid to ask questions in the threads.

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