While we're talking about language milestones, this is one of my proudest. While visiting the Iga Ninja Museum in Mie in 2024, I listened to the Japanese tour of the ninja house (understood 80%) and after being dragged on stage during the ninja performance, I engaged in banter with the performers.

2025 has been an extremely challenging year, but... - I've read around 25 volumes of manga in Japanese for the first time - Made steady improvements with drawing/art - Despite the things I've endured and survived, I've reconnected with a lot of things that make me excited about the world

Being able to get through a lot of games, books, anime, and movies with at least 50% comprehension of what's happening is an insanely empowering feeling. You really shouldn't blow it off, especially if you start feeling burnt out on studying.

One of the single best things you can do for yourself as an intermediate or above Japanese learner is to revisit pieces of media that you've enjoyed. You may not think you're making progress, but when you realise how much of it is just clicking this now, you'll realise how far you've come.

I've been a big fan of monster, horror and ghost stories since I was a kid, and I stumbled upon one of the photos that had a very important role in how I envisioned ghosts in some stories. The infamous Specter of Newby Church photo from 1963 appeared in a book, and it captured my imagination.

Some key reminders from the fantastic @scriptingjapan.bsky.social. Fluency takes time, and you're own road takes the time and the pathway it needs. Likewise, working together to make a positive learning community is where it's at.

Looking back at it 25 years later, I think this was the scene that really got me into anime. Not quite the VHS tape quality of the time, but definitely the old Evangelion dub that did it.

It's deeply strange trying to play No, I'm Not a Human during Australian summer. Regardless of how hot it is, it's pretty much the norm to see warnings like 'UV is extreme, please limit sun exposure if possible' on a daily basis. 'Extreme' is the highest category, incidentally.

Finished Certain Dark Things last night, and Moreno-Garcia is shaping up to be one of my favourites. This was a fantastic crime/vampire novel that was simultaneously small-scale and character-centric, but also intricate between the margins. Definitely worth a look if you like vampire stuff.

So, I found a template from a certain horror game and felt compelled to make a quick Meathead edit. #meatpaint #noimnotahuman

Wait, we're getting a live action version of Look Back from Kore-eda?! This could be quite the thing.

Seeing a few language Youtubers I'd previously liked descend into being pro-genAI and advocating for AI app usage has been deeply disappointing. It's beginning to feel that the idea of language learning being a process, rather than just an end, is fading in the minds of more people than I'd like.

As harsh as this year has been, and as complex as a lot of things will be going forward into 2026... having a little room to stay up late and read books on warm nights for a few weeks as the year wraps up, is wonderful. Let's see which books I can knock off the pile.

A fun, lighthearted game series to chill out to: any game in the Katamari series. A surprisingly horrific example of cosmic horror: any game in the Katamari series.

Add to this that social media age checks in Australia are being outsourced to KWS, a US-based subsidiary of Epic Games -- created by startup SuperAwesome (youth-targeted ad strategies). "We may share your information with our Epic Games family of companies" www.kidswebservices.com/en-US/partne...

It's official, Bluesky is now behind the verification wall for Australians now, and is a privacy and data security nightmare. This 'Kids Web Services' platform is owned by Epic, and the security of your data is unverifiable. Your options are to give up your face, card number, or ID. This is bleak.

It still amuses me on a low-key level that my first exposure to the cyberpunk genre was in the late 90s as a kid. I still have a massive soft spot for Phantom 2040.

It's been an exceptionally long year, and it's been a little bit since I did a proper Meathead piece. Feeling a bit rusty, but to anyone who's had a rough year, you've survived! #meatpaint

Finally got around to watching Sinners (2025). Absolute fantastic piece of vampire/weird fiction/Southern Gothic cinema. No notes, and it's definitely amongst the best vampire films I've seen.

Not usually one to watch the Game Awards too closely, but I must confess, a new Control, new Ace Combat, and two new Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raiders, and a Yakuza spiritual follow-up from the original creator as a combo are rather lovely. Also, Pragmata officially has my attention now with the demo.

Been a long couple of months, but I've finally got another Meathead piece in the works. I'm fooling around with a physical concept before trying it digitally in the next few days. #meatpaint

Was digging through old files, and I found the photos of my first trip to Japan as a student, way back in January 2005. The trip was mainly spent as an exchange student in Okayama, and then the standard Kyoto-Hiroshima-Tokyo circuit. Sadly, I lost contact with my home stay over the years.

Update on the previous post, Discord is already being affected in Australia with any channels that are tagged. This... could get complex.

Fair warning, depending on the nature of identity verification that Bluesky pushes in response to the new laws here in Australia, this account might go dark for a bit. I'm in my late 30s, but I'm not willing to risk a data breach of my ID for the sake of social media if push comes to shove.

Following up on the repost about the joy of the creative process and its struggles, I must say that it's very much the same with language learning. We do this because it kindles a fire within us, and the struggle is half the point. Replacing that with genAI removes the fundamental joy of learning.

This is something about "AI" that I have a hard time putting into words, but creators just love the WORK. It's just fun. Even when it's hard. All the thinking, and all the detail work, and all the struggle, it makes the things we make, I don't know... have weight and value for us.

My life has had a lot of turns. 2006: Started Continuers' at Uni 2009: Finished Continuers' with one mini-thesis completed 2010: Felt rusty, panicked, took/blitzed N4 2010-2022: Snowed in with career 2023-4: Travelled to Japan, started reading books/resumed study 2026: Likely going to take N3

Hard choice really, but I'd say a certain video tape that cost a LOT of woolongs is definitely a favourite. The whole scene remains as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking.

The only thing less human than these AI dub performances is the decision to sign off on them A company this big can pay human actors a decent wage, not produce slop that intentionally removes the human element.

Metaphors for linguistic concepts/grammar have a storied tradition, but this one from Madrigal's on 3rd person pronouns is definitely... something. This third man, sleeping in a sombrero (drawn by Warhol) represents EVERYTHING and EVERYBODY, except YOU. The third man is legion, but singular.

The 教師と学習者のための日本語文型辞典 is a grammar dictionary for teachers and linguists that every intermediate and advanced learner of Japanese should get. The explanations and examples are written for native Japanese speakers, which (I think) makes some complex grammar patterns easier to understand.

2025 is in its final stretch, and I'll be honest, this has been the most difficult year of my adult life due to a range of factors. That's not to say there hasn't been some fantastic stuff with language learning, reading and learning to draw, but a... great deal has happened in these past 11 months

One of the unfortunate consequences of the language app boom is that in many ways, languages have become another part of hustle/productivity culture with scores and streaks. When in reality, languages are organic things that need time to take root, and in time, to bloom across many seasons. 1/13 🧵

Experimenting with language methodology practices a little. I'll report back in due time.

Been hearing about the new 'AI-based instant translation AirPods', and it's another reminder that companies see languages as a problem needing products to 'fix' it, rather than languages being one of the best opportunities for personal growth, broader understanding and for potential human connection

Looking for intermediate Japanese listening material? I can highly recommend Seika's Japanese podcast. It's fairly accessible language-wise, and is fantastic for learning to listen to/decode extended articulations of experiences and thoughts/opinions by a native speaker.

Finally got around to watching the first of the 忍びの者 films tonight (Shinobi: Band of Assassins). It's a bit of a winding origin story for Ishikawa Goemon, with Iga machinations and the rampaging Oda as driving forces for the plot. A little messy, but definitely a key piece of ninja film canon.

森崎書店の日々 is back in print, and after tackling the English translation, I definitely want to read the original as part of this ongoing reading project.

A rare JLPT practice question that caters to Australians like myself.

Happy Halloween from a very spooky future time zone!

While Pokemon/DBZ were some of my first tastes of anime (and few smaller things as well), ultimately it was Evangelion that got me into anime. Between the animation, music and characterisation, I was intrigued. That, Bubblegum Crisis 2040 and Martian Successor Nadesico were the trio that hooked me.

Well... this is at least ONE bright spark in a rough week, speaking as a Toshinden apologist/fan. I do wonder whether 4/Subaru will make the cut though.

It's been a deeply challenging week with complications with family health, adding to the slog 2025 has been. It's been a time in which the world has felt impossibly small, but also dizzyingly broad. Been resting where I can, reading old comics as comfort food, and taking each day as it comes.

My Kanji knowledge isn't quite up to standard for more formal history texts yet, but I think this new arrival might be a starting point for Bakumatsu and Shinsengumi reading.

Language learning is a personal journey, and it will take the time it needs and different forms for every person. There is no singularly most-optimised method that will bring sustainable results quickly. Also, language learners need to be kind to themselves, as the road is long and winding.

I'm coming up on a year since my last trip to Japan, and given the health of family, it might be a while... I'm leaning into language study in the mean time, and it's time to tackle some translated literature as well. Got some Natsume, Dazai and Akutagawa ordered, and I'm reading some Edogawa.

One of the biggest traps of the intermediate plateau with Japanese is the loop of "I haven't gotten N3/2 yet, so I can't do X" and "This text is difficult, I need to study for N3/2 first". At this stage, you're actually building literacy, which reading is essential for, and study BOOSTS it. Do both

Decided I'd look back at some of the spookier cartoons I saw when I was a kid, and one of the most unsettling at the time was a Mr. Magoo episode adapting Frankenstein. There's a fever dream sequence featuring this imagery while stomping, laughing/moaning and organ music plays. Intense for the time

From the camera roll #5: There's a special place in my heart for the streets around Chayamachi, particularly at night.