Gratitude - An Ode to the Wonderful Durtles

Oooo thank you for sharing that comic! It’s so sweet and well-done.

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Sure. Viet is everywhere.

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Even in your dreams.

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Reading this, I am touched (referring to your first line in English).
Your story is moving and I wish for you to one day be able to walk the paths you want to walk.

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Thanks for sharing Bakemono san :slight_smile:

Yes, Ainsley san and Trunk san are PURRfect durtles :blush:

My pleasure to have helped you. Glad to her that you found your pace Bakemono san :+1:

Yeah, I feel you. I didn’t expect to make such strong and wonderful connections either. It is probably one of the most serendipitous events of my life :slight_smile:

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Thanks a lot for the poem Green san :slight_smile: It is great to see a fellow Zen Pencils fan among our durtles :wave: I missed reading this one years ago, This comic is beautiful and moving :relaxed: thanks for giving me a chance to experience these emotions :raised_hands:

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tenor 168

Thank you for introducing Viet san to me :slight_smile:

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Today’s gratitude is a little different than usual. 24 hours ago, I didn’t know this awesome durtle existed. Thanks to Ryosuke Senpai, I came to know of @viet san’s existence. I have read through multiple threads dating back to 2012 to understand a little about Viet san.

Viet san, you were actively participating and guiding folks through their troubles. There were many instances of rollicking humor :slight_smile: Reading the 2012 posts makes me realize how far Wanikani has moved forward in 8 years. For all those countless hours, patiently scrolling through the forums and answering people’s questions solving their problems, and for all the things you have done to make our lives better … Thank you :bowing_man: :bowing_woman:

You are like a shadow, always with us to help us in a pinch. In the honor of your title “Ninjaneer” and your work, I bestow upon you the title of Kage Durtle

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What happens when you mix the right proportions of Confidence and Curiosity with a measure of Flexibility backed by a Stubborn Perseverance… you get a deadly durtle called Zeus :slight_smile:

My first brush with Zeus san was in the “Level 21 before 2021” thread. I was following their conversations with other newbie durtles. The way they broke down details and planned things was nothing short of art. My first plan in Wanikani was a version of Zeus san’s plan I tweaked to suit my needs. It worked wonders.

The only way I can describe their magnificence is through a example or two. Zeus san reminds me of a Conductor in Orchestra or a midfielder in Football/Soccer. The most important part in an Orchestra is the “Conductor”. A skilled conductor can easily increase the level of performance by a notch or two. They interpret the music and the flow of the situation and make decisions on the fly to provide a delightful performance for the audience. A master conductor leading average performers can deliver a better performance compared to an average conductor leading top performers.

A masterful midfielder can deliver a beautifully weighted pass to their teammate to help score a goal. They can see the spaces others cannot see. They control the tempo of the game providing an added advantage to their team. A skilled midfielder also takes the condition of teammates and opponents into consideration before making a pass. While they make prefer fast and sharp passes at the beginning of a game, they may deliver slow and flighted passes to assist their tired teammate. This final part of flexibility is where Zeus san is more skillful and is what makes them extra special :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

If it feels like I am gushing, it is because I am ( ≧∇≦* ) . For all the delightful conversations and incredible help you have provided to the community, I thank you @zEUs_Japanese from the bottom of my heart :slight_smile: I bestow upon you the title of Metronome Durtle

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I’m… kind of speechless.

Lately I’ve been getting back to being a little more active on the forums. And so this fine morning I scrolled down the WaniKani category when I noticed a new message in the new Gratitude thread. Clicking on it I was more than surprised to see that you seemed to have dedicated this day to me. This was this morning.
Now, after reading the final letter, I feel overwhelmingly honored and I am not sure that I deserved this. Seeing these incredibly flattering words about me made it hard for me to know how to feel. You’re description of me accurately names all the things that I actually feel proud for, that I am interested in and where I aspire to know even more of. Really. I don’t know what to say. Thank you. This means a lot to me.

Seeing as Christmas is coming up, I started writing the annual cards for my close relatives. And it’s really hard to find something original and honest to write each person and to refine every letter until every single word feels right. And yet you’re here writing letters like these every day. I’m seriously impressed by your preservance and the magnitude of your undertaking. @KyokaJiro, I wish you good luck on your journey, here on WaniKani, in your Japanese learning and in life itself. I dont know who you are and what your story is, but I’ve never seen a person so giving and selfless, so zealous to advance our conviviality. This response is kind of all over the place, because I don’t really know how to deal with a message like that. The only thing I can do is end this letter by once again expressing my own gratitude - thank you.

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You deserve it Zeus san. I would be glad if you felt happiness :wink: The world is quick to criticize, yet we are reluctant to speak of love and beauty as though they are taboos. When I see something awesome in people, I want to look at them and say “You are awesome. You did ABC and it mattered a lot because of XYZ.” Feel proud, swell your chest with pride and give yourself a gentle pat on the back Zeus san :slight_smile:

I am glad I could capture the essence of your nature accurately :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Thank you Zeus san. Your acceptance means a lot to me :grinning:

Look at you Zeus san… You keep saying you don’t know how to respond, meanwhile your beautiful and kind words turn my heart into mush :blush:… LIAR :stuck_out_tongue: Thank you once again for your kind words Zeus san, they are as gentle as they are moving.

感動しました (I am moved)
本当にありがたいです(I am truly thankful)
:bowing_man: :bowing_woman:

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Today’s durtle is one of the originals who participated in the TextFugu era and has been with Wanikani for the last 6 years.

You can’t miss their presence in the forum because it heats up the moment they enter (The power level - It’s over 9000 :wink: ) And that wonderful durtle is @Aikibujin san . Aikibujin san is one of my fellow durtles from “Level 21 before 2021” thread. They have been helping durtles since 2013 with detailed posts and innovative visual mnemonics. Looking at the depth of each one of those posts, I can’t imagine the amount of time and effort that went into an endeavor like that. It is truly a labor of love :heart: The energy they bring to the thread is immeasurable… all those beautiful gifs are encouraging :grin:

Imagine the anime moment when the villains destroy everything and all hope seems to be lost and just before the final blow you sense the presence of a hero…you know you are saved because the hero is here :blush: That’s the kind of presence Aikibujin san has in the forum. For me this moment always brings up Sakura crying and screaming “NARUTOOOOOOOOOO” and Naruto appears in a majestic manner in Konoha with that awesome music in the background and the camera pans to the Sage Mode Orange eyes. Minor Naruto fight spoiler.

Thanks for all your patience and encouragement Aikibujin san :slight_smile: We are grateful for your knowledge and kindness :smiley: While I can’t give your chersihed name of “Ultimate Supreme Super Duper Explosions of Colortastic Turtle Burning Flavor of Awesomeness and Power Durtle”, I am willing to break my rule to give you more than a word :wink:

I bestow upon you the title of The Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Durtle

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I wish I could give you an actual hug, but these will have to do:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:
:hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

Unfortunately it’s actually been seven years since I’ve been here (unfortunately as I still haven’t finished…). I’m assuming you did a deep dive on my past posts to find out all of that (stalker! :stuck_out_tongue: ).
That definitely would have been a trip…

You are both magnificent… and insane.

A special combination that’s the basic foundation for my favorite people in this world. :grin:

I have no idea how you are going to manage to keep up with this thread, it’s such a monumental undertaking it’s enough to even make me dizzy.

You have a beautiful soul, you’re Awesome, and it’s an honour to know you.
_ ( . _ . ) _

Good luck with it all!


* hugs *

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Thanks Aikibujin san :slight_smile:

It was definitely a wonderful trip down other durtles’ memory lane :grin: It’s the Wild Wild West of the Wanikani :wink:

I hope I will level up to Sage mode if I train daily in gratitude :stuck_out_tongue:

Hugs

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Every time I hear the word “Irasshaimase”, one of my favorite gifs by @Joeni san would pop up in my head.

I met Joeni san on “Level 21 before 2021” :slight_smile: (You are going to hear a lot about “Level 21 before 2021 thread” because that is where I met most of the durtles before venturing into other parts of the forum.)

Joeni san is that Cool Senpai everyone wants to be in High School and College. He is the quintessential bard that can regale countless interesting stories that would make your heart throb. He is a master at GIF posting who can get the perfect GIF for the moment. His Photography can take your breath away. His British wit is sharp as a Razor’s edge and it also tickles you like a soft feather. His voice would make you feel like you are listening to an audiobook from Stephen Fry. He takes care of his family, job and makes sure he pays his respects to Crabigator everyday. He makes all of it look effortless (we know it is a herculean task and we marvel at your patience). And at the core he is a Noice Durtle, a Consummate Gentleman that would put Mr.Darcy to shame :grin:

It is hard to define Joeni san. If I have to give him a fancy title, it would probably be “Master of All” :grin: There are so many things about him that make you go “WOW”. You end up repeating that word so many times your mind creates an eternal connection between “Joeni” and “Wow” :wink: Our Akko loving, World of Warcraft playing, Crabigator praying durtle Joeni san, Thanks for spreading joy and cheer in the forum mate. I bestow upon you the title of WoW Durtle

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I shall respond in the only form I can truly articulate in:

What a lovely thing to write, thank you so much. I feel like I’ve been majorly slacking lately, so I’m very flattered that you wrote this <3

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That’s… a lot of durtles. Do we even have that many active users? Will you instead give multiple durtles to some people?

Anyway, that’s such a nice initiative. Looking forward to all the durtles you can come up with!

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Anyone who has come through the pain group forum. Your messages have kept me going.

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tenor16

I am honored to write it, Joeni san :slight_smile:

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Thanks for dropping in Naphthalene san :slight_smile:

I sure hope we do, if not both WK and I would be in trouble :stuck_out_tongue: Seriously, I truly believe we have enough folks around here :slight_smile:

The answer is “NO”. Each one gets a single durtle :grin:

Thanks for your kind words, Naphthalene san :smiley: While big acts of kindness and love are easily visible they usually tend to be one-off moments. My intention behind this thread is to highlight those little continuous acts of kindness and love and call attention to them :slight_smile: (Of course, I welcome kindness in all the sizes :grin: )

Ganbari masu :bowing_man: :bowing_woman:

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