Oh yes, HUGE progress!! When I started it last summer, prior to that I had completed Genki 1 and 2, and read about 20 manga (on the easy side, Happiness, Yotsuba, Ruri, Rojikka, and was just starting on Flying Witch). For the first few weeks, I think it would take me almost an hour to get through 1k characters. Even if I had more time to commit to it at the time, I don’t think I would have at the stamina to read longer. But then after a couple months in, I felt it was okay to increase to 1.5k. Two more months and I increased to 2k. I don’t think the speed was much faster just yet, but the stamina was better. And when I started to read novels around that time, I found it super easy (so long that I had lookups available, I’m still reading manga + novels + VNs with Yomichan) thanks to the time spent on ISLAND already. Since march, I’ve been reading 5k or more a day, and now I think my speed is between 5k to 10k an hour! Depends on my focus, on how interesting I find what I read (I think if it’s plot reveal I read 3 times faster than when it is slice-of-life haha), on the content (dialogs that is voiced is way easier than philosophical monologues / lengthy poetical descriptions of feelings or of surroundings). All in all, I would definitely recommend reading Visual Novel for improving reading speed/skills in general 
a lot of practice, and very fun. And I’m using JPDB alongside, my vocabulary has increased so much too! And not all VN are as long as ISLAND (in hindsight maybe it would have been fine to pick something shorter as a first one!). VNs are not on Natively but they have their own database, where you can see how long they are and other things: ISLAND | vndb
See also this guy’s post: My daily reading speed log after six months of reading visual novels
21 May | Study Log
 |
Title | Type | Natively | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
焼いてるふたり 4 | manga | 25 | 35% → 56% |
 |
とんがり帽子のアトリエ 1 | manga | 26 | 83% (no change) |
 |
また、同じ夢を見ていた | book | 25 | 85% (no change) |
 |
ダンジョン飯７ | manga | 29 | 57% (no change) |
- Snatched two chapters of 焼いてる二人 on the train. The cooking section this time had a lot of pickling-related dialogue which I am not up on so had to look up.
- In line with the above (both my above point) and Akashelia’s post I am this close to committing to figuring out how Mukuro works because I’m beginning to realise no matter how much I optimise manga lookups the thing I really like with the way I currently read LNs is being able to just tap words and it tells you how to pronounce it and what it bloody means. Grr! (Certainly it’s not perfect, but the way instant lookups don’t mess with your flow is becoming more and more attractive)
21st may
pg 148-156 of ガリレオ, aka one section. this one isn’t any more difficult than the others (i don’t think) i’ve just not had as much time. also apparently it’s been 湯川 not 湯川 this whole time 
also kusanagi, my guy, ruby lang = ‘ja-JP’>湯川 this whole time also kusanagi, my guy, should you really j. also read the renshuu book club intermediate read, which was a (very) short story about a snake with a phd who wants to ‘stand out’ so checks notes builds a base on the moon and decides he’s gonna blow up earth with a missile. yeah.
today’s nhk article was this one, plus appendix 4 (conjunctions) in aDoIJG
words that stood out
ししゃも - (shishamo) spelt.
テーブルタップ - power strip, power bar. …but why tho
浸かる - to be submerged (in water, etc.), to be totally immersed (in an state)
I was travelling and missed a week but I’m back!
May 19
Read some バグ (39% → 48%)
May 20
Read 1 ハイキュー!! chapter and some バグ (48% → 57%)
5月21日 (火)
-
Three Kingdoms : 5 (11-12/20) -
STEINS;GATE 比翼恋理のだーりん
Words of the day
- 車窓 = train window. Gazing feels lonely.
- 多湿 = high humidity. In addition to 猛暑
= 高温多湿. - 夏服 = summer clothes. Before switching to 合服 and 冬服.
May 21 | Home post
I finished the first route in Island 
yesterday and started the second route today. 9000 characters! If one page in a normal book had 400 characters, then today’s 9000 characters is equivalent to at least 22 pages in a normal book. I don’t have the stamina to read that much at a time in a normal book, but in a VN I can just go on and on. 2 months in and I can really see a difference in my reading abilities. I wonder what my reading will be like if I continue reading like this for a year!
5月21日 | Home post
Finished また、同じ夢を見ていた Chapter 4 (Week 6 of the BC).
- また、同じ夢を見ていた (26.05 → 29.74%)
- DoBJG: さ; 様 (60%)
I’ve never played a VN, but I will definitely attempt to read one soon! I am thinking of starting with Loopers, since I can follow the discussion in the VN Book Club, it’s short with a linear story, and it seems to be relatively easy. I’ll leave Island for later 
I’m not looking forward to the set-up, though - I have an M1 Macbook, and I’m not sure whether VN’s will play nice with Parallels. Worst case scenario, I have an old Windows desktop that I can use, but then I won’t be able to read on the couch, which I suspect will significantly decrease the amount of reading 
Thank you for sharing your experience with VN’s! It’s really motivating to see the progress of those who are ahead of me, but at the same time, not so far away that it’s hard to imagine being at that level. And it seems like VN’s might be coming to Natively soon!
With all the raving recommendations for VN’s, I will have to finish my current book quickly to see what all the fuss is about 
home post
2024年5月21日
|
Title | Read today | Currently at | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ISLAND | 10k | 610.000 char | 48 new words |
 |
Dialog: Bus | 2 episodes | 8/8 | — |
Oh yeah 
Nice news with VNs on Natively!
Oh too bad for the Mac, I don’t know how the setup overthere for something like Texttractor works! But I know that in some VNs you can easily switch between EN and JP (like only with pressing one button), that could be an option.
Loopers seems like a nice first choice! You could also consider Marco & the Galaxy Dragon, it’s rather on the shorter side and it was read in a Natively Book Club and it has a JPDB prebuilt deck. I think it’s going to be the next one I read because I would love to play something short when I’m done with ISLAND
2024-05-21
Previous
| Date | Name | Type | Amount | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-21 |  放浪息子１２ |
 Manga |
 8 Chapters 196 Pages |
 0h55m |
Volume 2/5 of 放浪息子 for this week completed! Honestly, in some ways, it felt very conclusive, more so than when they moved to middle school back in like volume 3. Time sure flies by in this series.
Thank you for the great suggestion, I hadn’t looked at the Natively VN Club.
Home post // May 21 
・ 今はもうない - Switch Back (91% → 91%)
I swear I read a bit this morning, but perhaps it did not constitute a whole percentage 
Today was intense ガリ勉 at campus and in study circle on zoomies after 8 pm. Ready for tomorrow!
5月21日
I want to continue, but I’m too hungry to continue. Tomorrow, for sure.
| Reading | Type | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
原罪物語 -罪- | LN | 44/252 |
 |
ノーゲーム・ノーライフ 1 | LN | 21/301 |
 |
VA-11 Hall-A | Steam game | Day 2 out of ?? |
|
Little Witch in the Woods | Steam game | Day 14 out of ?? |
New Vocab
- 虫よけ = 虫除け = insecticide
- ツルハシ = pickaxe
- 心が踊る = to be thrilled
- 片付け = finishing, tidying up
- 備品 = furnishings, furniture, equipment
- ご馳走する = treating someone to a meal (I haven’t seen this in kanji ever wow)
- 勤勉 = hard working
- 草花 = flowering plant
- ナイトランプ = night lamp
- 辺り一面 = whole area
- 粘土 = clay
5月21日 (home post link)
Tiny update and freebie recommendation!
The first few chapters of the manga adaptation of 夜のクラゲは泳げない are free on pocket magazine’s web reader right now! (It’s anime original with a manga side release, but the manga is a few weeks behind the show)
I’ve really really been loving the show. It’s a music show, so having the soundtrack really helps it out, but the manga has been fun too
I submitted it to natively, i’d say it’s somewhere around like level 24/25 with full furigana. If you like music stories and/or yuri, definitely worth checking out!
I blitzed through the first volume (first 4 chapters, according to the 単行本 release on bookwalker) over last night and today.
22 May | Study Log
|
Title | Type | Natively | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
焼いてるふたり 4 | manga | 25 | 56% → 100% (complete) |
|
とんがり帽子のアトリエ 1 | manga | 26 | 83% (no change) |
|
また、同じ夢を見ていた | book | 25 | 85% (no change) |
|
ダンジョン飯７ | manga | 29 | 57% (no change) |
- Finished 焼いてる二人4. A nice easy read … though it still feels like it takes too much time for its difficulty level, alas.
- [Content warning: abuse] I also half- read this apology letter from Toru Furuya (Amuro VA in Gundam) to try and figure out what it was about, since the tweet I saw reacting to it didn’t say specifically. It… is not good. JFC
22nd may
pg 156-179 of ガリレオ, about two thirds of the way through this case. different from the others in that the who is very clear early on, but the how is still a complete mystery. don’t leave a glove behind when you commit murder, kids
today’s nhk article was this one, plus appendices 5 and 6 in aDoIJG
words that stood out
舌なめずり - licking one’s lips (at the sight of nice food, in anticipation, etc.)
慧眼 - keen eye, keen insight
梱包 - packing, crating
不承不承 - reluctantly, grudgingly
旋盤 - lathe
it just gets worse the further through the letter you go, yikes
5月22日 (水)
-
Three Kingdoms : 5 (13-16/20)
-
STEINS;GATE 比翼恋理のだーりん
Words of the day
- 天に召される = to ascend to heaven; to be called to heaven; to decease. With アンジェル・ラダー (angel’s ladder) in context.
- 御骨 = ashes; cremated remains. Uses On’yomi and お.
- そぼ降る = drizzling rain. Light rain of long duration.
- 法事 = memorial service. A specific type of 仏事 or 勤行.
- 一助 = a help
- 勉強になる = to be illuminating; to be educational
- ビシバシ = mercilessly; energetically; without holding back. Also about 鞭 in context.
- がぶ飲みする = to gulp down (がぶがぶ)
- 記録を更新する = to break a record => 記録更新
- 熱帯夜 = a sultry night; oppressively hot night where temperature doesn’t drop below 25 degree Celsius
- 斜陽 = setting sun; declining sun
五月二十日 ー 五月二十二日・Home Post
| Title | Today | Progress | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
老女的少女ひなたちゃん | 2 chapters | 74% |
 |
葬送のフリーレン | 7 pages | 24% |
5月22日 | Home post
Read the first half of また、同じ夢を見ていた Chapter 5 (Week 7 of the BC). I found the part where Nanoka talks to Minami about アバズレさん really funny, I wonder if we ever learn their real names?
- また、同じ夢を見ていた (29.74 → 34.06%)
- DoBJG: させる; せっかく (62%)
May 22 | Home post
Still reading Island , 7500 characters today. I just can’t put it down! There’s something about this VN that just keeps pulling me in…