No problem, glad you enjoyed it!
I will say, some people definitely do need wanikani at the start. The structure is something very important for certain people.
What I will also say however, is that no one needs to use wanikani for more than 40 levels. And I will stand by that till the day I die. The people who need the structure and need that big support system to get their feet on the ground WILL have their feet on the ground by level 40. Its just question of whether or not they are willing to take the leap at that point, and if they aren’t, then its for no other reason than they dont want to.
Stopping part way is a very wise choice for a lot of people in my opinion. With that being said, going full speed thatll make a few months out of your year more efficient which isnt a huge deal in the long run anyways. Itll save a bit of time and money, but itll get you making a very important transition: having native matieral be your primary source of learning.