Alexandria

The Joys of Japanese Literature Accessible to Beginners

Despite being a children's book, this book manages to have meaningful conversations about various topics. Despite being named after Tokoi, it's mostly from Koyomi's perspective and she has a lot of ideas. Structurally, each chapter could be read individually but some side characters do reappear. I like the short but thoughtful narration throughout. There is a little bit of wordplay, too.

Language-wise, this is perfect for beginners. The grammar isn't terribly complex and the vocabulary repeats.

Entertaining Literature

Some people say this is easy, but it often lacks the context that comes from a predictable plot, and context is important for language learning. This is mostly due to the abstract nature of Alex. I agree with other reviews that refuse to spoil this book. Just jump right in, get lost, feel real emotions, and just have a good laugh while learning Japanese.

But, don't underestimate the level of Japanese just because it's currently at level 24. It is still introspective literature, even if it is co

Kinda bad

I have read one Akagawa before this and I enjoyed that one a lot more. I read this one because the premise was so ambitious that I wondered if he would actually make it work. Unfortunately, its very unrealistic.

While Akagawa seems to specialize in writing large ensemble pieces, this one is difficult to follow because multiple characters are introduced at the beginning and only become vaguely relevant in the last few pages (I hope you took notes). Meanwhile, there are multiple storylines that e

Native Content for Upper Beginners

This was my 6th finished novel, and despite being a children's chapter book, it was still a worthwhile read. The vocabulary is very simple and the grammar is even easier. While the story is childish, it is still engaging and even heartwarming at some points. It is easy to follow without having a predictable ending. If all you have read are graded readers and/or manga, this is a great step into reading native novels.

With a self-mined Anki deck of about 5000 words, I added about 100 new words fr

If Jerry Springer and Deathnote had a baby...

Don't go into this book with expectations, but if you like ghosts, affairs, and death, you'll love this.

Despite the excess of characters, the book is a very easy read. There is a lot of dialogue which makes for good reading practice but also fills the pages with white-space. It was my 5th book and was the second easiest. There is very rarely any technical vocabulary.

Entertainment-wise, it's great. Akagawa is a prolific writer and his work isn't exactly literature, but it's fun. This book is

Entertaining First Step

I read this because the English version is my favorite book of all time. The main benefit is that it is entertaining enough to push through the difficulty (it was my first book in Japanese). You learn standard vocabulary alongside violent and gory words like whip and gallows so while it is good for learning, only in a roundabout way. If you like sci-fi or the original, I highly recommend, but if this isn't your thing, don't even bother.

Also be warned, only the first two out of 6+ books are tra

Great Step Up

The story is fine, if a bit childish at times, it is still an entertaining read and definitely something to read again on a slow afternoon.

For language learners, it is not a good firstnovel as it contains a lot of dialect specifically from Mitsuha's perspective but occasionally Taki's dialogue is decidedly non-standard. The writing style is artistic and you don't get a full understanding of some of the scenes until the last chapter. However, there is clear repetition throughout of key moments

Sufficient and Rewatchable

This movie does not take itself too seriously so if you watch it expecting to be emotionally moved, this is not the movie for you. However, it does have fun moments.

It is entertaining enough to keep your attention and the level of Japanese is great for someone beginning to develop listening skill. The only exception is when Little Red Riding Hood speaks. It goes on and on and while I like her character, she gets annoying at the end. Still, the movie is easily rewatchable, which is great for li