I am reading Yotsubato vol 13 currently, and its very very easy, a few words that I have to look up but overall is very easy, I am reading Kiki delivery service in kindle and while I have to look up words often is readable for me… Then a friend recommended me Shirokuma Cafe because it was a often recommended beginners manga, I bought the first volume and was completely defeated, it shattered all confidence I had reading Japanese, I found myself more time using my phone to look for words instead of reading and having fun… to me there is simply no way this manga is n5-n4… the interactions are easy but then out of nowhere very hard puns and uncommon words… and this repeats all the time… the first chapter interaction have words like:
無糖派になったんだ -> sugar-free group -> N3
それは武闘派 -> militant group -> N2
それは無党派 -> non-affiliated (political) -> N2
それはカメハメハ -> Kamehameha (Dragon Ball) -> common I guess
それは未踏破 -> unexplored / unconquered -> N1
ダイエットしてる -> on a diet -> N5
からお砂糖は -> so sugar -> N4
控えてるんだい -> avoiding / limiting -> N2
I've never used more the dictionary in a manga or text aimed to beginners lmao. While I'm not a textbook oriented learner I have my fair share of reading and interacting with internet slang and news Shirokuma is in a weird spot for me, the puns are simply way too hard to understand, sure you have the visuals but still have to look up very obscure words… sure the other text is fairly easy to read since the language is simple but the puns is a deal breaker tbh.
by mTbzz