astro

That was beautiful and made me tear up
 
And then I heard "Archmage Thigh" at 1:16

I just thought I'd add on with a tip of my own. This isn't about reading untranslated Japanese per se, but learning the Japanese required to get to that point:
 
People who are learning new challenging skills generally have the habit of spending most of their time asking experts for 'secrets' or 'tips' to getting good instead of actually practicing - this includes questions such as "how did you get good at Japanese?" and "what's the fastest way to learn?" This may be because they are unconfident, unsure of themselves, don't know where to start, or just hoping that an easier method will just magically appear (I'm also guilty of this).
 
First off, there is no 'secret' to learning a language, solely due to the fact that everyone learns differently. Some people learn better with mnemonics, and some people learn better with pure grinding. It's entirely up to you to find what clicks for you. If you're unsure of which route may be optimal for you, then maybe try a bit of everything. Alternatively, you can stick with one thing and switch if you decide that it's not working for you. Learning a skill takes time, and perfecting it takes a lot of trial and error. If you're someone like me and you're always uncertain of where to start, then just do it (cue Shia Labeouf voice). There is no 'bad' starting point as long as you start.
 
I know that many of you don't have access to Japanese lessons or tutors. While it's true that it's faster to learn something if you have someone to teach you, there is nothing in this world that's impossible to learn on your own if you really put your mind to it - especially with the internet at your fingertips.
 
With regards to motivation, I know all too well how fast it can drain, even if deep down you're really eager to learn. It's easier at first because you see a lot of progress when you're first starting out, but there will be a time where results will not be as apparent. For me, this was when I first got around to learning kanji. The grammar just flew by and sort of clicked, but I'm the type of person who hates really grindy things (this is also why I hate most RPGs), so it went by really slowly for me. That is when I adapted from grinding to simply reading visual novels (easy ones at first), though admittedly I only grinded for about a week before quitting lol.
 
Anyway, I suppose that there are some people who are just better at learning languages, but a lot of it is just getting into the right mindset.

I just thought I'd add on with a tip of my own. This isn't about reading untranslated Japanese per se, but learning the Japanese required to get to that point:
 
People who are learning new challenging skills generally have the habit of spending most of their time asking experts for 'secrets' or 'tips' to getting good instead of actually practicing - this includes questions such as "how did you get good at Japanese?" and "what's the fastest way to learn?" This may be because they are unconfident, unsure of themselves, don't know where to start, or just hoping that an easier method will just magically appear (I'm also guilty of this).
 
First off, there is no 'secret' to learning a language, solely due to the fact that everyone learns differently. Some people learn better with mnemonics, and some people learn better with pure grinding. It's entirely up to you to find what clicks for you. If you're unsure of which route may be optimal for you, then maybe try a bit of everything. Alternatively, you can stick with one thing and switch if you decide that it's not working for you. Learning a skill takes time, and perfecting it takes a lot of trial and error. If you're someone like me and you're always uncertain of where to start, then just do it (cue Shia Labeouf voice). There is no 'bad' starting point as long as you start.
 
I know that many of you don't have access to Japanese lessons or tutors. While it's true that it's faster to learn something if you have someone to teach you, there is nothing in this world that's impossible to learn on your own if you really put your mind to it - especially with the internet at your fingertips.
 
With regards to motivation, I know all too well how fast it can drain, even if deep down you're really eager to learn. It's easier at first because you see a lot of progress when you're first starting out, but there will be a time where results will not be as apparent. For me, this was when I first got around to learning kanji. The grammar just flew by and sort of clicked, but I'm the type of person who hates really grindy things (this is also why I hate most RPGs), so it went by really slowly for me. That is when I adapted from grinding to simply reading visual novels (easy ones at first), though admittedly I only grinded for about a week before quitting lol.
 
Anyway, I suppose that there are some people who are just better at learning languages, but a lot of it is just getting into the right mindset.

I love this blog.