Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother with the tapes
Review: Ajalt has done a very good job with the book, but the audio series is worse than bad. The native speakers on the tape speak too quickly, there's no English to reinforce the Japanese, and it's just too frustrating to learn from.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the easiest course - but one of the most thorough
Review: By Edward Trimnell, (author "Why You Need a Foreign Language & How to Learn One," ISBN:1591133343...)The "Japanese for Busy People" series assumes that the learner wants to master the written language as well as spoken Japanese. This may discourage some learners who just want to learn some of the conversational language. However, the "Japanese for Busy People" approach is well worth the time and effort. I would also recommend purchasing the cassettes, as well as the more advanced volumes in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Need help? Read this.
Review: FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ALREADY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS:
If you're buying the book I and are thinking wheter or not to buy this CDs, buy it! They might look expensive, but you're not going to learn how to pronounce correctly unless you hear them. Even if you can read all the hiragana sounds, that doesn't mean you can render the printed kana in the textbook correctly. I have had a lot of surprises comparing the kana writing with actual japanese speech. For example, "gakusei" is actually pronounced more like "gaksee". A lot of times, when you expect a final "u", that "u" is almost erased from real spoken language. And the biggest surprise to me, was to discover that all "g" sounds (ga, gi, gu, ge, go) become more nasal, very close to "n", when they are in the middle of a word. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your time trying to imagine the correct pronunciation and accent without the CDs! Some people complain that the speech is too fast, but I don't think so... perhaps when giving telephone numbers. Just concentrate and let the Force flow...
By the way, although the printed textbook says that only the opening dialogues, key sentences and short dialogues are recorded in the CDs, actually all the vocabulary words are there, too, and spoken slower than the same words in the dialogues, so you can better grasp all the sounds. About the presentation, I thought the CDs would be placed in a flimsy plastic thing inside the box, but in fact they were inside a sturdy 4-CD jewel case (like that of Pink Floyd's The Wall), occuping, of course, only 2 of the 4 maximum spaces. You can carry this case with you along with your discman or put it with you other CDs.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT SURE ABOUT WHAT THIS IS:
Yes, these CDs are only a complement to the textbook and not an independent course on their own. For a good audio-only Japanese course, try Pimsleur's.
These CDs are part of the famous JFBP series, which is almost the official instrument for studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Tests (administered by the Monbusho every year).
If you don't have the corresponding textbook and are considering these CDs, buy the textbook. Book I has two versions: The romanized version (this is, representing japanese sounds with English letters) and the kana version (representing japanese sounds with a small set of simple syllabic symbols, very different from chinese characters, which represent ideas and thus are far more complex.) I have the kana version of the Book I, and using these CDs along with the book gives you a double input of information. Very effective. The romanized version must be far easier, but it can mislead you to pronounce words as if they were English. To be able to read the kana version, first learn the kana anywhere else. Perhaps the kana workbook from the JFBP series (along with the tapes), or perhaps a downloadable PC program like Declan's will do the job.
When you've finished all three books (and CDs), you could be able to pass JLPT Level 3! (4 is the lowest, 1 is the highest) If you want to make it to Level 1, go to Japan and read and talk a lot.
FOR ALL OF YOU:
Japanese people talk very fast, and this fact is reflected in these recordings. However, the reading parts and the vocabulary parts are slowed down a lot so you can get your feet on the ground. Just concentrate and you'll identify all the sounds! It's not much faster than Spanish, you know?
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Helpful
Review: I found this series to be extremely helpful... it truly is for busy people. Easy to follow and nicely paced lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Helpful
Review: I found this series to be extremely helpful... it truly is for busy people. Easy to follow and nicely paced lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Please be aware
Review: I just got this recently because I am interested in learning Japanese as a hobby.
This is not necessarily material for a beginner. There is no text, just audio CDs that contain Japanese. It would be very effective for drilling and learning with supplemental translated material, but alone, it is not very useful for a beginner. I repeat, there are no translations, all of the material is in Japanese only. The only English on the discs is the voice of the announcer, whom introduces the chapters.
Rating:
Summary: Please be aware
Review: I just got this recently because I am interested in learning Japanese as a hobby.
This is not necessarily material for a beginner. There is no text, just audio CDs that contain Japanese. It would be very effective for drilling and learning with supplemental translated material, but alone, it is not very useful for a beginner. I repeat, there are no translations, all of the material is in Japanese only. The only English on the discs is the voice of the announcer, whom introduces the chapters.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent way to begin learning Japanese
Review: I used this book while in Japan and taking a college course in Japanese. My Japanese improved considerably. I had previously taken a course in Japanese which used a different text, which I did not find very helpful. This book has recently come out in a Kana version, which I would recommend over this one which uses romajii. I would recommend James Heisig's book Remembering the Hiragana to learn the Hiragana.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent way to begin learning Japanese
Review: I used this book while in Japan and taking a college course in Japanese. My Japanese improved considerably. I had previously taken a course in Japanese which used a different text, which I did not find very helpful. This book has recently come out in a Kana version, which I would recommend over this one which uses romajii. I would recommend James Heisig's book Remembering the Hiragana to learn the Hiragana.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent guide for spoken Japanese (with book)
Review: One of the many hurdles facing a learner of Japanese is correct and understandable pronunciation as well as adequate listening comprehension of this beautiful, but sometimes frighteningly fast-paced language. Unlike mastering "superiority and deference levels" or learning enough Kanji (symbols) to be literate, however, speaking and understanding Japanese is surprisingly not that daunting a task -- with these CDs, of course! The CD accompanyment to Japanese for Busy People I features a unintentionally comical English-speaking guide who announces the number of the lesson, etc. in a hilariously monotone fashion as well as a flurry of jumpy, colorful native Japanese speakers. As you would expect of actual Japanese people navigating the chaotically busy streets of Tokyo, these speakers emote, emphasize, and speak very, very fast! Although the velocity of their speech may discourage you at first (as it did me), after a few lessons and repeated listenings you will get a hang of the flow of this language. Upon finishing this excellent CD accompanyment to Japanese for Busy People I, you may not be a Japanese-English dictionary or know the ins and outs of all Japanese grammar, but you will have a priceless grasp on the flow and structure of Japanese speech. For this essential aural and oral facet of Japanese alone, these CDs are well worth their price. Just make sure you have the textbook to follow along with.
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