Going From Intermediate To Advanced(Strategy)

[Noursaidana]

@Jfwlucy

Your plan sounds very thorough, but you don’t make any mention of working with a native speaker at all. Is that part of your plan?

I would say that would be the final touch to go towards fluency but I will probably do it way before that(I will need years to be fluent anyway haha).

I want to have a solid foundation before starting to use something like italki. Maybe after like 6 months of using this strategy, I will try to add a one-hour session once a week. Then, after like a year maybe twice a week. It’s not the priority because as I said before, speaking doesn’t bring anything to me. That being said, I don’t want to have like an N2 level and struggle to say one or two sentences.

I have to reach a level where I can play a game like Pokemon without a dictionary before I worry about puns and stuff like that

@Solfatare

You can save yourself a lot of work by using the Animelon Website.

@Solfatare I agree with you. The only problem is that we are limited by choice and some episodes load infinitely without starting(maybe it’s just me). However, they do have some nice entries so I might use it as well. Thanks for reminding me!

PS: As long as you are practicing some Japanese, you are doing well

@skymaiden

Totally empathize with this post, the only difference is that I’m trying to get to a solid, confident intermediate level

@skymaiden Honestly, I don’t have a solid level yet. Let’s say I am really intermediate when I have Google

@skymaiden

Have you joined book clubs on the forums? I started this year and am finding it super addictive - I’m now a manga fan And hoping to read a children’s novel later in the year.

Not yet. I like manga but the problem is I can’t practice listening with it. I am also not into light novels. However, after I improve my Japanese a little bit more, if I find something interesting I might join.

@NinjaGandhi

Your plan seems very similar to Matt vs. Japan’s MIA approach, which is probably a good thing since he’s been mistaken for a Japanese person on VR chat by natives multiple times.

@NinjaGandhi Hmmm, I don’t know about that. If anything, it would be a simplified version…maybe. Matt’s approach is more advanced but it’s for those who can dedicate a lot of time to Japanese.

@DagaKotowaru

Cool! How do you legally get access to raw anime with Japanese subtitles, or even just without?

@DagaKotowaru The word “download” and “legal” don’t go well together

[skymaiden]

Yeah I mentioned the book clubs because your post says your goals are to be able to consume drama/anime/manga/games - the Beginner Book Club has read quite a few manga, I haven’t checked out the Intermediate Club yet but I think they mostly read books.

If you already have Netflix that can help on the anime side of things (legally) – there’s quite a lot of Japanese content with Japanese subtitles available on the French version
(and even more if you use a VPN to access the Japan version)

[pjleitch]

https://animelon.com/ has all kinds of anime with both J and E subtitles. Shirokuma Cafe is one of the best for early readers of Japanese.

[cklehe]

That website is exactly what i was looking for! Thanks so much. I found the complement that I was missing for the moment.

[rever4217]

@Jfwlucy

A) Japanese language changes very quickly, and new words and slang are always being added (and older ones discarded.) And it changes so fast you won’t find up to date guides easily.

Yeah, as in words being replaced with katakana and young people using ヤバイ in every facet of their lives

@DagaKotowaru

Cool! How do you legally get access to raw anime with Japanese subtitles, or even just without?

Legally? For free? You don’t. You can very very easily get them otherwise though

@skymaiden

and even more if you use a VPN to access the Japan version

I thought netflix cracked down on this and there aren’t like any ways to access japan server vpn’s.

[skymaiden]

@rever4217

I thought netflix cracked down on this and there aren’t like any ways to access japan server vpn’s.

Depends on the VPN service, not all of them work apparently, but mine does!

[rever4217]

pssst, which one do you have?

[skymaiden]

Nord

[sigolino]

@rever4217

I thought netflix cracked down on this and there aren’t like any ways to access japan server vpn’s.

SoftEther VPN is free and works with Netflix. Might be the only free option that does as far as I’m aware.

It does slow down my connection a bunch, but beggars can’t be choosers. I can still watch without the video stopping to load.

[rever4217]

Thanks! I’ll have to try it. I used to use proton vpn as they had free jp servers but like last month they no longer worked with netflix (brings up you’re using a proxy page or something) and I didn’t find anything else.

[DagaKotowaru]

I shouldn’t have to risk viruses and even the most miniscule chance of legal punishment to watch anime in Japanese.

[DagaKotowaru]

As far as I know, animelon isn’t legal, though.

[DagaKotowaru]

I shouldn’t have to break the law just to learn Japanese efficiently. There has to be another way.

[Noursaidana]

I used torrents for years and I never had any problem. So many people do that as well. It’s your choice.

Just know that without illegal stuff you won’t find enough interesting stuff and even if you do you will have to spend a lot of money.

I am not encouraging any behavior, just mentioning some facts.

PS: You can @ people like @DagaKotowaru to avoid answering many times in a row.

[rever4217]

Pfft, viruses? Literally the first link when you search “raw anime” on google gives you like every anime series out there. You can then just go to kitsunekko or some other website and get japanese subs, sync them up in VLC player, and boom you’re watching raw/subbed anime for free with minimal effort. Get ublock origin or something to avoid ads/sketchy sites.

If you’re so concerned about the ‘government’ or your isp watching what you do (even though I’m pretty sure they don’t gaf) then get a damn vpn and stop whinging, you have to realise you’re just making excuses for yourself here.

@DagaKotowaru

As far as I know, animelon isn’t legal, though.

Mate, you’re sounding like some idealist with your head in the clouds. You wish to get all that for free AND keep your conscience of ‘law abiding citizen’? Come on be serious.

@DagaKotowaru

There has to be another way.

Yeah, by actually going through the regular paid routes. You can’t expect it all to be free man. It seems like you’re asking for something that’s free, easy, and legal. You can get one, maybe two of those, but never all three.

[rever4217]

I got it working! Just wanted to say it works great and can’t thank you enough for it.

[Naphthalene]

@rever4217

that’s free, easy, and legal

abema.tv is all that (their business model is that streaming is free, but you have to pay to see something specific; they do have a lot of streaming channels though, with multiple ones dedicated entirely to anime). The only issue is that it’s blocked outside of Japan, as far as I understand. They are also blocking vpns but maybe one of those can get through? Or one could just move to Japan

[rever4217]

oooo, looks like you need to sign up though?

1: Wait you mean abema.tv right? Not ameba.tv. The latter is a kids’ streaming service.

[Naphthalene]

Yes, abema.tv!
Somehow my phone autocorrected that…
(ameba.jp is a blogging service that I browse once in a while; there are blogs with nice book recommendations there)

[rever4217]

Farout this is pretty cool, they certainly have a variety of shows, and a butt ton currently streaming. I’m not in japan but using softether vpn it’s working fine. I’m also able to see something specific without having to pay so it’s not limited to just shows that are streaming. Thanks for mentioning it!