Minimalist language learning

(I finished this novel in 2025) I already read 変な家 (1) so I wanted to read 変な家２, too.  First, the author presents a number of "short stories" about strange houses. Each case was quite interesting by itself. However, one story was very hard to stomach for me ( trigger warning : this one story contains very disturbing experiences of a child). I had to pause reading for a while because of this. After sharing lots of information about these houses and their inhabitants, the author connects the dots. It was fascinating to see how all these houses and people were connected to each other. This revelation phase felt a bit forced, but it was interesting nevertheless. Often things were different than they seemed at first. The end was sad and tragic.  変な家２ is easier to read than most novels. In some scenes you will come across difficult vocabulary, but overall the author uses an rather uncomplicated writing style.    

(I finished this manga series in 2025) I loved the Yu-Gi-Oh GX anime as a teenager. That's why I wanted to read the manga version in Japanese. Interestingly, the manga has many similarities but also big differences. To put it simply: they took familiar characters from the anime, added some new ones and told a complete new story. The manga version feels like a parallel universe. I really liked the anime so I was a bit sceptical at first. It's a very different story, yes, but overall a good one in my opinion. For example: I liked how the manga gave the protagonist (Judai) more depth. Quite early in the story, his backstory explains how he became a duelist and why he uses this particular deck. In the manga, Judai has a strong "why". This is something I missed in the beginning of the anime version.  Difficulty Most chapters contain two types of scenes: story scenes and duel scenes.  Language wise, the story scenes are much more interesting and beneficial for Japanese lear...

 (I finished this novel in 2025) Volume 1 was so much fun! The setting was very interesting and I really liked the rather unusual yet relatable main character (He acts not very nice in the beginning, but the more I learned about his feelings the more his reactions made sense.) There was lots of action but also very emotional scenes. I'm looking forward to see how the main character develops during the following volumes! Language-wise, the book was a bit challenging. Some scenes were very difficult because of technical or biological details, but overall the level was okay for me. By reading more volumes of this series, I hope I'll eventually reach a point where I can enjoy it with only occasional look-ups.      

What I regularly see online are Japanese learners arguing about whether their way of learning is better or more efficient than another. Or people who simply describe how they learned Japanese up to their current level (say, around JLPT N2 or N1) get accused of claiming that this is the "only right way" to learn (which they never claimed). I want to share my personal thoughts on this. About Advice   Of course, people are different, and what works for person A may not work as well for person B. As long as you enjoy your way of learning and are reaching your goals (whatever they look like for you), you are doing fine.  It’s okay not to like another person’s approach (because your learning activities reflect your goals, which may be very different from the other person’s goals). However, if a person is comfortable with their way of learning, I think that choice should be respected. But often people seek advice because their current way of learning didn’t get them the results the...

 (I finished this game in 2025) It was so nostalgic and fun to play all three parts again after so many years! Interestingly, playing part 3 (especially the last chapter) felt almost like a completely new experience. I remembered only a few things, so I was surprised by all these twists again. The last chapter was quite confusing towards the end. I wished I had taken notes during my play sessions. Can't wait to play the other Ace Attorney games in Japanese, too!    

 (I finished this novel in 2025) The second half of the book felt much more dynamic and dramatic, and I found myself reading it much faster than in the beginning. The mysterious tunnel wasn't just central to the plot, but also a very fascinating element. Especially in the latter half, the tunnel scenes were at times quite eerie. To me, the story is ultimately about coping with loss—about letting go of the past and finding a way forward into the future. This is hard, it hurts and takes time, of course. But once you let it go, you'll feel libertated. Suddenly you can see new possibilities and other things you couldn't see before.