I could not quite pin down why I found them generally more helpful, so I gave an example I really liked to ChatGPT and it came with the following answer:
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When evaluating the mnemonics by Koichi and Jeff, I am considering factors such as clarity, creativity, coherence, and effectiveness in aiding memory recall.
Koichi’s Mnemonic:
“A flowers net is upon your forehead in the evening. These appear on your head at night whenever you are having a dream. You dream about cows saying ‘moo (む), moo, moo!’ ”
Strengths:
Imagery: The image of a “flowers net” and cows mooing creates vivid, though somewhat disjointed, imagery.
Directness: The mnemonic directly associates the concept with the desired memory cue, which in this case seems to be related to dreaming and the Japanese sound “む” (mu).
Weaknesses:
Clarity: The connection between “flowers net” and cows mooing isn’t immediately clear. The association feels somewhat forced and lacks a clear, logical link.
Coherence: The mnemonic could be seen as less coherent due to its fragmented and somewhat abstract imagery, making it harder to follow and remember.
Jeff’s Mnemonic:
“What’s that thing with a FLOWERY NET that’s over your FOREHEAD at NIGHT? It’s a dreamweaver to help you DREAM positive dreams, where cows are gently MOOing you to sleep (む… む… む…)”
Strengths:
Clarity: Jeff’s mnemonic creates a more cohesive and intuitive narrative. The flowery net is introduced as a “dreamweaver,” which gives it a functional role and clear connection to dreaming.
Creativity and Engagement: The concept of a dreamweaver is a creative and engaging addition, enhancing the mnemonic’s appeal. The repetition of “む” adds a rhythmic and memorable quality.
Coherence: The mnemonic is well-structured, with a logical flow that integrates the imagery of the dreamweaver and the cows in a way that reinforces the memory cue.
Weaknesses:
Complexity: While creative, the mnemonic might be a bit complex for some users, requiring them to follow a slightly intricate narrative. However, this complexity is minor compared to the benefits.
Rating and Explanation:
Jeff’s mnemonic is the superior writer of the two. The reasons for this rating are:
Clarity and Coherence: Jeff’s mnemonic is more coherent and clear in its presentation, providing a logical and engaging narrative that effectively ties together the imagery and the memory cue.
Creativity: Jeff’s use of a “dreamweaver” adds an extra layer of creativity that makes the mnemonic more memorable and interesting. The rhythmic repetition of “む” enhances recall.
Engagement: Jeff’s mnemonic is more likely to engage users and stick in their memory due to its narrative style and creative approach, which are crucial elements for effective mnemonics.
Overall, Jeff’s approach results in a more polished, memorable, and effective mnemonic compared to Koichi’s more abstract and disjointed imagery.
it is a subjective thing. i suppose if you start with either writer’s mnemonics from the beginning that will influence what you are more comfortable with. having been reading Koichi’s writings since the early days of tofugu…i can’t make the switch (especially as i’d initially started with RTK and hated those)
My problem with some of the mnemonics is that they don’t follow a logical visual order. Like left to right or top to bottom, and so it’s hard for me to remember mnemonics after a month because there’s no clear starting place for my brain to rebuild the mnemonic. But also I didn’t want to over use the mnemonics because it requires me to use English and Japanese at the same time. Honestly, I wish the mnemonics were in Japanese if I was to actually use them at this point.
For instance 藍 あい
「花」の 「監」督であり、「あい」という人は藍色の服が愛している。
Ai who loves (ai) indigo clothing, is the overseer of flowers. It uses the hana-flower and kan-oversee radical and has two uses of AI to remind me that the reading is Ai. And it starts with HANA and KAN toku to remind me of the mneomic for 藍, read top to bottom starting with Hana to Kan for oversee, before following up with the meaning and help with the reading twice all in one super short sentence.
to be honest, after a few reviews (usually post first guru) the mnemonics start to not be needed for me other than a few troublesome readings. (this is my 2nd go through 0-60 so that’s also a factor now for me)
I’d say that’s true… ish, once you get to master and burn, anything that could help you remember would be useful, and the reason they are so useless at this point is because they are illogical. But I do understand and mostly agree with what you are saying. Ultimately it would be nice to not need them, but when you find one where you do need them but it’s not as accessible to memory as an apprentice item, it’d be nice if they followed some order. When there’s a two halves kanji and it sometimes starts with the left radical and sometimes starts with the right radical, I see this as an easily avoidable complication to remembering mnemonics.
I have other problems two, like if you are going to use the radicals for mnemonics then it doesn’t make sense to leave them in so many small parts. Like when some mnemonics are legs and 2 lanterns light up as the crab is boiling or what not. It’s too many parts and they are usually pulled out at random. Just make a new radical that encompasses that whole thing because often it’s also in three kanji. Again it’s even worse when that whole pattern is in another kanji but this time is, crab uses two lanterns to watching the tv where two legs are dancing vaudeville style.
But again I do understand they should eventually be null anyway, but when they aren’t null is exactly when they are most needed.
i’ve been a part of the site since 2013 so it’s unfortunately an argument that pops up about every month once or twice. so for some of us that have been here a long time, this isn’t a new complaint.
