So this is it… The Edge of the Universe…
…Or, level 60, rather… Let me be a little cheesy, alright?
It’s been a long journey, one that was started with the simple utterance of “haha, wouldn’t it be funny if I learned Japanese to play more video games?”
And here I am. The coveted level 60. Perhaps the most desirable WaniKani treasure of all is now in my hands.
Just kidding, attracting a durtle is technically more rare…
Not the smoothest chart ever, no. I never really doubted whether or not I’d reach the final level, but it sure does feel weird now that I’m here. The last levels zoomed by, so it feels like I should still be in the 40’s.
Now, I’m not the best at writing these kinds of posts, so I’ll just make it easy for myself and split it into a fake Q&A of sorts!
The biggest question of all: Did you bring the trinities?
60 is a factor of 3, and you need 3 for a trinity, so yes, yes I did!
Has WK changed your life?
Absolutely. It’s pretty insane. I went from barely being able to read anything, thinking I was too stupid to learn the language, and now I’m reading novels, playing untranslated games, writing, etc. Obviously I studied grammar on the side, but it’s crazy to think that I went from almost 0 kanji knowledge, to recently winning 3rd place in a Japanese speech contest with a speech I wrote myself!
Is WK the best kanji learning service?
It was for me, but it might not be for you. The structure and mnemonics helped tremendously (not to mention the fantastic community!), but the slower pace and price won’t work for everyone. I can’t imagine learning kanji without WK, but I know some people prefer things like RtK, or the Kanji learner’s dictionary.
What now? Will you be leaving the forums?
Nah, not at all. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.
I mainly use the forums for social purposes, and there’s always going to be Japanese-related stuff I need help with, so there’s no reason for me to leave! I’m also going to continue paying for WK until I reach a point where I absolutely feel comfortable with all the kanji on here, and will hopefully wean myself off by eventually paying bimonthly or so. There’s still a lot of kanji left that WK doesn’t teach, but I’m probably just going to handle those as they show up. Once I was in the 50’s, I was already able to read mostly everything I came across (provided I actually remembered the kanji, hehe).
I need to continue studying grammar, and the next goal is to finish the N1 course on Bunpro as it comes out. Outside of that, I’ll likely just focus more on using the language in general. My goal isn’t to pass the JLPT or get a job in Japan; I just want to play games…
Outside of reading though, my listening comprehension is still garbage, so that’s the next main priority!
Special thanks?
But of course! Firstly, I want to thank the entire POLL thread. It’s too much to tag individuals, so I’ll just have to settle with a generic “you guys are awesome”! I’m really thankful for everyone here. My life has been made so much brighter because of you all.
I also want to thank all the script creators, app creators, and Tofugu themselves. Another shoutout goes to the lovely users on here who take precious time out of their day to help others with grammar woes, and especially the people who explain to new users how WK works, even though everything you need to know is in the user guide.
So a thank you for everyone, really!
Any lasts words? This is starting to drag…
Uhhh, you guys are epic, and cheers to more Japanese learning! I will continue bringing more trinites to these forums, and hopefully I can share my knowledge in a way that’s useful! Yeehaw!
Best regards, your favorite thief treasure-hunter, TrinityBringer.
And remember to watch Noein: To Your Other Self