Basic Japanese Through Comics (Part 1)

Rating:
Summary: For the student of Japanese who could use a little break ...
Review: ...and the manga fanatic who wants to know what the characters are doing and saying in their favorite comic, this is THE book. This volume of 'Basic Japanese...' deals with body language and gestures, informal (and occasionally rude) expressions, cop/street slang, and the all-important discussion of 'face' in Japanese society. It also pulls its sources from a variety of manga genres---office girl, shonen and teen, salary-man, and 'ladies.' (If you thought manga was all about big-eyed schoolgirls with magical powers, robots, and apocalyptic events, you'll be in for an eye-opener.) It's not a substitute for regular Japanese classes and textbooks (sorry, kids), but it opens the door to a culture that really isn't THAT polite or subtle. And did I mention it was funny, too?

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but not basic
Review: This is a great supplement for those studying Japanese language and culture. Don't expect to pick this up as a first Japanese book, however! In the introduction, the author admits that "Basic Japanese Through Comics" may be a little misleading. It is basic Japanese, but the book assumes that you have studied a year or more in a classroom environment.

With that aside, this is the best resource I have seen for transforming "classroom" Japanese into "natural" Japanese. The book uses popular Japanese manga to smooth out some common errors for Japanese learners. For example, there are two chapters discussing the many uses of "Hai" and one chapter on how to naturally say "anno..."

The manga used is very fun and gives a good cultural insight into daily Japan. No giant robots or magical girls, it is mainly office humor in the same line as "Dilbert." The office humor demonstrates varying levels of polite language, and Mangajin is kind enough to offer a "politeness scale" to show how polite anyone is being in a given setting. This is very useful, as politeness levels is where many English speakers find themselves in trouble in Japan!

Rating:
Summary: Very good, but not basic
Review: This is a great supplement for those studying Japanese language and culture. Don't expect to pick this up as a first Japanese book, however! In the introduction, the author admits that "Basic Japanese Through Comics" may be a little misleading. It is basic Japanese, but the book assumes that you have studied a year or more in a classroom environment.

With that aside, this is the best resource I have seen for transforming "classroom" Japanese into "natural" Japanese. The book uses popular Japanese manga to smooth out some common errors for Japanese learners. For example, there are two chapters discussing the many uses of "Hai" and one chapter on how to naturally say "anno..."

The manga used is very fun and gives a good cultural insight into daily Japan. No giant robots or magical girls, it is mainly office humor in the same line as "Dilbert." The office humor demonstrates varying levels of polite language, and Mangajin is kind enough to offer a "politeness scale" to show how polite anyone is being in a given setting. This is very useful, as politeness levels is where many English speakers find themselves in trouble in Japan!

Rating:
Summary: A brillient expose on Japanese Language & Culture.
Review: Two barriers separate the English world from the Japanese world. The first is language. Yet differences of culture really present the greater barrier.

This book uses authentic Japanese comics for adults to explain the cultural significance of the many words which are routinely mistranslated in all beginning Japanese text books.

Mangajin's guide to Japanese does not replace, but rather supplements the traditional Japanese spoken course in an invaluable way. This book is a must for all students of Japanese.

A truely fun book with lasting importance.