#yeah i've FINALLY started listening to the audio drama

[mzannthropy]

Favorite and least favorite. DJATS scenes? My least favorite is the overdose scene in ep 8. Like,wydm Billy called Daisy "baby?" I doubt that. My favorite is either Billy saying good morning to Camila and Julia in ep 5,Daisy kicking Nicky out,or the Camilabilly s*x scene at the end of episode 5. (and he wasn't thinking about Daisy,idk what Daisybilly shippers say. He loves his wife, aurora is about her, nothing can change that.)

I can't shut up about the Pick Up Your Kid scene from Episode 3. Bc I know how much Sam loves his kids and being a dad, I knew how difficult it would be for him to film it. The tears were unscripted, that's just Sam crying for real. I've not really thought about favourite scenes. Camila and Billy on the balcony in the finale, but that's only bc of their acting. Aside from the fact that the dialogue was ridiculous, it shouldn't exist, bc there's nothing like that in the book. Erasing the Daisy and Camila hotel room scene was a huge disservice to the characters, to the fans, to TJR. Just thank the gods that Sam and Camila are such good actors. I liked all Billy's scene with Camila and Julia. As for other characters, I liked Teddy being a father figure to Billy, the final scene with Karen and Graham. I know the poor guy was devastated, but Karen made her choice.

Least favourite, where do I start. I agree on the ending of Ep 8. (It was in fact what set of me off on a mini villain arc that lasted all through till the end of June, when I accepted that Sam was not going get an Emmy nomination, which is why I wasn't even upset that he was snubbed, bc I had already grieved it, but it was a painful process.) It should have been Simone that found her. Once again, a female character robbed of a scene. Not to mention that a man cradling a woman in his arms (while she might or might not be dying) is the most overdone scene in all of TV/film history. Start noticing it and you'll never be able to un-notice. Also, same episode, when after the press conference they walk in that corridor and Billy tries to kiss her. The whole argument, even. Cheap drama for the sake of it--nobody argues with faces that close together. It gives me so much second hand embarrassment that I literally recoil any time I think of it. I don't get triggered by horrible scenes that usually carry trigger warnings, but I do get triggered by stuff like this. Bc it's stupid.

Sam has a film, The Nightingale (dir Jennifer Kent), in which he plays the most horrible character of his career. It's a brilliant film and I recommend it, just heed the warnings bc it gets really violent. Yet it's easier for me to watch than a lot of DJATS. Bc I understand his part in the story, bc he is supposed to be like that.

ETA: Bc I misremembered, I thought Simone found Daisy in the book, (I can't check the book bc I listened to it on audio.) so I thought they should have kept it like that, but she actually just woke up herself, broke up with Nicky and then called Simone. I knew Simone figured somewhere, at least. Doesn't change my point, though, bc it still takes away from a female character. It's even worse bc it means that in the show, Daisy needed a man to 'save her'.

Yeah, if anyone had to find her in the shower, Rod would have been the better option; he's the manager after all, and if Daisy saw in his face that he was really worried about her, not just bc she was the lead singer and he'd lose money or whatever if something happened to her, but out of genuine care, she'd realise she was worthy. But nooo, they had to go for the most male writing stereotypical scene instead.

[03-17]

i should be writing my paper for my class but nooo i just had to rediscover the hetalia x sleep by sheep collab more specifically the italy brothers centric drama cd and i think listening to each track had the same impact as if i just snorted a line five times over and gotten into cardiac arrest

the thing that sucks is that on youtube someone has only uploaded tracks 1 to 3 but if i remember where i listed to the others i'll add them here.. regardless the most important thing was that i found fully translated pages of the tracks so YAYYY

i've been thinking about these specific lines forever ever since the first moment my eyes read these words and my brain registered what was being read

such as my fav moments from track 1:

veneziano desperately begging romano to help him with his problem and being so stubborn to the point that he quite literally clings to the other like a koala crying sobbing shitting himself and does Not let go until romano gives up and gives in to him

romano casually threatening veneziano and he just does not give a fuck meaning he very often does this to the point where the latter just laughs it off and moves on

the entirety of this part.

no i'm being so serious i read this segment and blacked out for an hour THERES SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT

when i heard the audio as i was reading romano starts talking with a gentler tone despite the fact that of course he's still picking at veneziano but it's also just the "my stupid little brother" that gets me because yeah! that's what he is! he's yours! you're stuck with him!

veneziano's second line saying they don't really do stuff like this together and that he's happy ohh ohhhh [BOMB EXPLODING] [BABIES CRYING] THEY'RE ACTUALLY FOR ONCE GETTING TO DO SOMETHING TOGETHERRR AND IT'S THIS SILLY ASS ACTIVITY 💥💥💥

listen i know he immediately backtracks at the end but that's because romano is Like That but listen to me listen are you listening to me *voice cracking* listen to me

the pointing out of veneziano's expressions .. this isn't the first he does this throughout the track and it's certainly not the last but he pays attention to shit like that he pays attention to that detail in expression

romano bitching and whining that he's doing something sooo embarrassing and he's wondering why he's even still putting up with it when in reality it's like Boy. You know why.

(because you care about veneziano and despite it all you want to try to help and you want to make an attempt at least once)

THE. THE SECOND OF DOUBT THAT HE PROBABLY DID SUCK ASS AT COUNTING SHEEP UNTIL VENEZIANO CALLS FOR HIM! AND HE IMMEDIATELY FOLDS! BECAUSE HE'S GETTING THAT ONE SHRED OF REASSURANCE THAT YEAH! HE DID IT!

the admitting that doing stuff like this together is nice because they're actually finally getting the chance to do stuff together just for themselves and of course romano only finally admits it when veneziano is asleep because he would rather do a back flip into a volcano that admit it out loud in front of him

*voice cracking* *knees shaking* *eyes watering* i hate them so much

BONUS FROM VOLUME 2:

volume 2 of the hetalia x sleep by sheep collab was with germany and prussia and in the beginning of track 1 we get this confirmation from prussia

THAT PROVES THAT DURING THE ENTIRETY OF THE EVENTS OF VOLUME 1 TRACK 1 .. veneziano and romano were laying together in the garden of their home doing the sheep counting and napping and spending time with each other 💔💔💔💔

[nocaffeineforlevi]

CON ROUNDUP

Day One:

Cosplay: S4 Simm!Master

My mom was with me dressed as Missy so we got stopped a bunch for photos.

When I was down in Artist Alley someone started doing the drumbeat and I swear I almost collapsed.

I was part of a panel about Trans stories in Doctor Who and everyone was very sweet and supportive.

The con had a thing where cosplayers could sign up and do a walk across the stage with whatever ers you were apart of, so I did that, all the cosplayers were super nice and I had a great time.

I was going to go to a dance party thing that the con had, but unfortunately the time difference really got to me so I didn't end up doing it.

Day Two

Cosplay: Weeping Angel

Had another panel much earlier so I had to rush a bit to get the makeup and everything on, but the cosplay came together wonderfully and I got asked for lots of photos again (My mom was Ten this time so we also got asked for a lot of photos together)

Once we got down into artist alley we get approached by this 13 cosplayer who compliments our cosplays and starts to ask for photos, but is interrupted by me impulsively screaming because I realize that the 13 cosplayer is Katiegangel. I talked about this a bit in a different post but yeah she was super nice and understanding about me freaking out. AND She did a little thing for one of our photos where she took my hand and said "I've never had a Weeping Angel as a companion before" and my heart was beating so fast but I managed to get out a response so aaaaa. (Just found out she DOES have a tumblr @katiegangel hope you don't mind me tagging, it was awesome to meet you!) (Dang imagine if that's an impersonation account) (welp)

Big Finish had a table in the center and I managed to pick up a copy of the Ten and Missy audio drama since they didn't have any of them the previous day. (I listened to it today and it was as amazing as I expected, although I was a little sad it wasn't technically ten who was meeting missy)

I went to my panel which was much emptier this time, so luckily there weren't many people around to see me awkwardly attempt to sit in a chair while wearing those wings.

After I had a break I went back down to artist alley and got to meet ANOTHER cosplayer I recognized from tiktok (I can't remember their username, but they cosplay Yaz with Katie as Thirteen a lot and that' why I recognized them) and I got to get a photo with them as well.

In preparation for watching the Star Beast I had to change from the Weeping Angel cosplay back into Simm!Master and it took SO LONG to get all the makeup off.

I brought my knitting with because I knew we were going to have to wait for a while before we got to watch the episode, the line outside of the room was super long but I was too anxious to knit.

Once we finally got in and got seated we ended up in the row behind Katie and her friends and I was silently freaking out again, so I started knitting and ended up talking with the person next to me who liked the panel I did on Friday. Katie turned around and we ended up doing some in-character banter because "haha the Master is knitting a scarf" "It's an evil scheme I swear" "You didn't shave Beep the Meep to make that yarn did you" "even if I did I morally committed no crime" so anyway by the time the event started I wasn't as nervous anymore.

When announcing the event the guy on stage I think misspoke and mentioned "The Master" so, like any normal group of people, this ballroom full of hundreds of Whovians started doing the four-beat clap. I unfortunately didn't get my phone out in time to record it but it was insane hearing that lol.

The director of the episode was a guest so she came out and talked up the episode a bit before recording a video of all of us cheering to send to RTD and David Tennant.

Then the episode begins and I already talked about that so no need to talk about that.

Final event of the night, we did Karoake and found a S3 Simm!Master cosplayer (we had run into him several times the previous day as well) and he had a Ten cosplayer with him this time. They did Good Old-Fashioned Loverboy together and were overall awesome. Me and my mom did Starman and it was really fun.

The entire time throughout the con people were giving out these ribbons that you could put onto your badge and by the time we left mine was over a foot long.

Overall, super fun con, props to you if you actually read through this whole post, I cannot imagine that anyone else found this interesting to read through, I'm mainly just writing this to remind myself about all the fun things that happened.

[stolligaseptember]

wei wuxian, hearing his son, who he doesn't even know is his son at that point, being berated for something he didn't even do but not standing up for himself because of the lan sect's no-confrontation principles: now listen here, you cunt-

[cricketrocker]

That Moment of Silence Between

Okay. I have decided to cancel my "True Confessions" series. That's my decision and there's not a rulebook by which anyone can call a penalty on that. I will tell you, however, that I still read the newspaper every morning. Yep, the real newspaper. Based on your age, world perspective, feelings about 5AM technology, etc.--you may be asking "What's a newspaper?" or "They still do that?" Yes, they do! I cannot even wake up early enough to see the paper-boy on his bicycle toss it over the Hell Bitch (that is still not quite fitting in the garage) and onto my sidewalk. But between 5:35 and 5:40AM every morning, I creep out my front door, pick up the paper, and scamper back into the house before joggers see me and my morning-hair.

I read all the paper. By "read" I mean that I generally parse headlines until I get to the comics. Then in the comics, there's this weird one I've started to read this year: "Judge Parker." In case you don't know--this is one of those "boring comics" that I'd never read until one day I did and never stopped. Judge Parker was a widower and a judget with two children, Randy and Ann. Later, Judge Parker married a younger woman, Kate. Initially he was a dashing figure who solved crimes and chased criminals, he kind of turned into a dull and serious judge who rarely strayed from his courtroom--and the strip began to transition away from the Judge and over to Sam Driver, a young attorney. I mean. I don't even know how Sam relates to Judge Parker. I couldn't tell you who Judge Parker was anymore. But anyway, there's a lot of drama. And today, Sam and Abbey are split up, their world is torn asunder and Abby says the above:

"...exist in that moment of silence between what was and what will be."

Silly Judge Parker. But not so silly today. What Abby said stuck with me as she described that place. That place between what was and what will be.

THAT PLACE BETWEEN WHAT IS AND WHAT WILL BE.

Okay--now I'm switching over to Top Gun: Maverick for a few minutes. Too close for missles, so I'm switching to guns. Ha ha. Mayday, mayday, Mav's in trouble, he's in a flat spin, he's headed out to sea. That's what Iceman said into the radio when Mav's F-14 flew right through Ice's jetwash. And the thing is, it was just a freak accident. But Mav's RIO (radar intercept officer) Goose hit his head on the canopy when ejecting, and the rest, as they say, is history.

So. Top Gun. Yeah. Remember how I'm sure I said something about how my parents never let me see any movies growing up? Top Gun was different. I was 12. My little brother was 8. My dad had been in the Navy. Not sure of all the backstory, but my dad took my brother and I to the Los Alatos movie theatre in Albuquerque to see Top Gun. I mean. Wow. WOW. That open scene and where the Top Gun anthem and all the jets and the fog and how it explodes into Kenny Loggins' DANGER ZONE. WOW. I'd gone to 12-year old heaven. But then when the profanity started flying and the TAKE MY BREATH AWAY SO MUCH TONGUE--I was suer that I was going to full time hell, and kept glancing over at my dad to notice him totally geeking out over the NAVY JETS, and then checked over at my brother to make sure his head was on fire, I settled in and Top Gun became my thing. I eventually bought it on VHS and made an audio recording of it on cassette for my Walkman. While other kids were playing real music, I was jamming out to just listening to the audio of Top Gun. I had the whole thing memorized. I was going to be a Naval Aviator. I don't know. Then when I was 13 we moved from Albuquerque to Texas.

Anyway. When I heard that Top Gun: Maverick was coming out way back in 2019 for summer 2020--I made plans with my dad (and brother) to go and see the sequel. How amazing and lucky it was/is to get that chance. But then COVID delay 1. Then COVID delay 2. Then FINALLY in May 2022, it happened. We saw it together, all the families were there. The genius innovation of reserved seats made the same row possible. Left work early. Met everyone there. Finally. And it was truly as good and actually much better than I'd thought possible. I sat until the very last second of the credits. No one else was left in that place. Went out to the lobby, hugged my brother and dad. It was a moment, truly. Sometimes you win, 36 years later. Lucky, blessed, charmed, whatever--it was a moment.

I'd see it as many more times as I can without being too weird and I guess soon it'll be streaming. But that's not why I bring it up. I bring it up because a cool thing happened--in July, I had to do something called The Predictive Index thing with HR. The Predictive Index is one of those new tools that help give you insight into yourself as a HUMAN, as an EMPLOYEE, and as a MANAGER or TEAM MEMBER. I'm in the process of doing this myself--but then also asking my team to do it so I can just be better. Hey, any insight is good insight? I guess? But when insight isn't good, maybe it can just be GREAT! I took this tool--which you fill out to measure your cognitive abilities, personality traits, and behavioral tendancies--and it said that I am a:

Right? Maybe this is the perfect tool. Or maybe I am. Whatever.

I'm not quite sure yet whether or not this is just kind of like a horoscope yet, because I haven't looked at what other people might be. But LOOK--the tool said I AM MAVERICK, and kind of hit the nail on the head with a few things. Even a jet, the F14 original Top Gun style and not the new F18 style--so maybe that is because I am an OLD Maverick. We'll see.

Maybe you probably won't be lucky enough to ever manage me, or manage anything for that matter, maybe you're a full-manager, maybe you're a freaking manager of managers, all you do is manage until you're blue in the face, but you should totaly take your PI and see if it somehow relates to your favorite movie or life or when you were 12.

Right now my favorite part of Top Gun: Maverick has to do with the character of Phoenix (pictured below). She is a badass and in one scene she has my favorite line of the whole movie. SPOILER ALERT--it happens when essentially Maverick has to STEAL A JET because he's just been fired so that he can prove to his mean John Hamm Admiral Boss that he is the best of the best and it really can be done--well he STEALS A JET and proves that miracles can happen--while he is doing it, right before he does it, they cut to Phoenix who says in the coolest voice ever, "Nice."

That's my point.

There's what happens in that moment between what has happened and what will happen. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck right there where anything is possible. Like the Lottery. Like when the missle that's going to blow your jet smithereens is fired and when it hits. Like the space between jump and gravity and impact--or flight. Like that little blink between laughter and tears. There's that moment.

"Nice."

Worth the price of admission, even 36 years later.

[razberryyum]

TGCF donghua Special Episode Thoughts (SPOILERS for episode & novel!)

Favorite moment:

Of COURSE that amazing ending sequence, which is the mirror of Dianxia's backstory at the end of the first episode, except this time from Hua Cheng's point of view. Speaking of, holy mother of YUM, dear gods, Hua Cheng:

Look at this "hideous" man. I am DROOLING.

Funny thing is, I didn't even know his appearance was supposed to be a secret, that we technically hadn't seen his face yet all this time. I remember we had a super quick glimpse of him in the Banyue pit and I thought that was his reveal, that that'll be all we'll get for now and I was fine with that...that is, until this ending sequence happened and we actually see him in his entirety. My eyes will forever never be the same. What was I even thinking??? The flashes in the pit were absolutely inferior to the real thing. No comparison. He is so gorgeous; I can't WAIT for Xie Lian to meet him next season.

Second favorite moment:

What I love about this scene is first of all it features some of my favorite lines from the novel, "If you don't know what to live for, then just live for me. If you don't know the meaning of life, then take me as the meaning your life." Even though Dianxia was playing it up for dramatic effect, I loved how he crawled towards San Lang and then uttered the lines with such conviction. I LOVED the way the music reached a cresendo during his words--hell, I love the music in this entire episode, this entire show, period. I also love how bittersweet this scene is: here Dianxia is so embarrassed by his own words that he even laughs about them, dismisses them, not know just how much of an effect they had on the person he said them to, how they really did serve to motivate that person to live on, to exist, utterly for him. Not knowing at all that that person he said what he now thinks were silly words to is right in front of him. The irony!

I'm still making my way through the book so I haven't gotten to the part where all is revealed to Xie Lian yet, but I can only imagine how shocking and emotional this particular revelation would be. It'll probably be ten years before we get to see all that in the donghua, if we ever do, but I'm gonna keep on crossing my fingers and hoping.

"I swear, whether in Heaven or or on Earth, you cannot find someone more sincere than me". The subs left out the Heaven or Earth part but it's still such a good line. Love also how San Lang precedes that by trying to reach out to touch Dianxia but is like too afraid to. The donghua really captured his feelings of...I guess I'd call it timid inferiority...so well.

I have a strong suspicion what that ring is (irl, I've seen companies advertising turning ashes into diamonds as a keepsake of your loved ones...never tried it so I don't know if it's the real deal or some kind of scam) and I cannot wait to get to that revelation as well. Putting aside the potential significance of this momento, the fact that Hua Cheng left Dianxia a ring to wear around his neck is already a beautiful gesture on its own.

I already miss seeing how San Lang looks adoringly at Xie Lian. In fact, I think I'm going to miss San Lang for quite a while since next season I think we'll be mostly spending time with Hua Cheng. Not complaining at all since Hua Cheng will no doubt look at Dianxia just as adoringly, but I will miss this cute guy.

Also already missing the cuteness that is Dianxia. I love all his expressions...the way he said "San Lang" just made my heart explode. How can he be this adorable??? Really, bravo to Jiang Guangtao-laoshi, his voice actor, for such an endearing voice performance. I actually started listening to the Qiang Jin Jiu audio drama because I've become a fan. Imagine Xie Lian being super seductive all the time. That's the ear candy I'm enjoying now, even though I only understand like less than half of the plot due to my shoddy Chinese comprehension.

Proud of how San Lang didn't just lose it when Dianxia cradled his face like that. This man really has unbelievable self control.

I loved that they were chatting in bed like an old married couple. I'm sure this is a glimpse into their future married life. 😁

Besides SanLian, I know Banyue was in this episode as well, I still think she's adorable and love her voice, and I'm glad she gets to enjoy a torture-free life now (I am assuming she does).

I'm glad we got this special episode to really close out the season, but I'm still kinda confused as to why we didn't get it at the actual end of the season but rather as an odd stand alone episode like this. Obviously it picked up right where the 11th episode left off, so it would've slotted in perfectly well. I was hoping the reason they held on to it was because they were going to attach a teaser PV for the next season, but alas that wasn't the case. I wonder if they just needed more time to finish the episode. I still don't quite understand how the Chinese donghua industry works: for something seemingly as popular as TGCF, you would think they'd have good enough budget and resources to finish episodes in time and to make more than just 12 episodes. There are other donghua shows I've seen on Bilibili that have blown way past 12 episodes, so I don't understand why they have to stubbornly stick to a dozen only for something like TGCF. Or is it a danmei thing, I wonder. They just don't want to devote the time and resources to danmei shows beyond just 12 episodes? So weird. Again, VERY GRATEFUL we're getting a second season. SINCERELY praying that we get many more seasons after so that eventually they'll finish out the book. God I hope I finish reading before the donghua team finishes putting out the show.

And that brings me to: Current Reading Progress...chapter 160. Look, I'm gonna be honest, I'm just not a fan of the whole jinx demon concept or the Brocade Immortal. I know all mysteries of the week lead back to the gods and their backstory, but as CONCEPTS, I was just NOT into them so I constantly got distracted. I know MXTX-laoshi was under a LOT of pressure from both censorship and just ridiculous deadlines (I was told she had to produce a chapter a day, which is INSANE), so I feel like a douchebag for even thinking anything negative about the book...not to mention I'm only on Book 3 still so maybe all of this will be wrapped up nicely at the end. But for now, yeah, those two as ideas are a bit underwhelming and almost silly (especially the Brocade Immortal) and maybe I don't need the backstory of ALL the gods. Anyway, before anyone yells at me, there's always a chance I might change my mind about all this by the end...which I hope to get to soon. Didn't finish the book in time for this special episode which was my goal, so readjusting the goalpost back a little further...hopefully just a tad...like a few weeks, because I DO want to get to the unrelenting pain soon so that I can get through the suffering and finally to the HuaLian happily ever after ending.

[yukusaki]

Hi I've been trying to learn the Japanese language for quite a while, I've been using Memrise and NHK Japan but i am having trouble with their grammar and I'm not sure if I ever made progress. Now, I don't know what's my next step to improve. Do you have any recommendations? I hope u had a good day :>

And to no one's surprise. I wrote an actual novel on the topic.

I'll give you some resources but I recommend trying out different kinds to see what works for you. Learning about your own learning style may also help--for example, I'm a very hands-on learner so I can read about grammar rules all day but until I actually try to put together my own sentences using those rules and get some feedback on what's right and what's not, I Will Not be able to use those rules effectively. Also I have no motivation so I don't study on my own unless I'm working towards a goal (such as the JLPT or answering an ask)

I started with the Pimsleur program, recorded audio lessons that were at my library to check out. You'll learn phrases mostly, but it does not go into detail about grammar and you will learn nothing about writing. If you're mostly concerned about grammar you can definitely skip this one. You can try programs and apps like Duolingo, Rosetta Stone. etc. Duolingo is a bit better about grammar rules and stuff but depending how in-demand the course is, it might not explain anything (try the PC version if it doesn't). I personally think apps like this are good for basic grammar and stuff but once you get more advanced you need More.

Textbooks are actually not a bad way to self-study. I used Genki in my first 2 years of Japanese at university and it's supposed to be one of the best. There's also so so many resources online now. Follow some blogs and get bite-sized tips during your leisure time.

Now, for how I like, Actually learned a lot of my Japanese before I started learning it in organized classes. Listen to music, look through the lyrics, pick out some words you hear a lot and look them up. Watch drama/anime/movies/etc and do the same. Or just put on the subs and don't really pay attention to the audio. I generally have a pretty good ear for pronunciation and intonation already but I attribute how often I get comments on my pronunciation to how much time I spent in my weeb days just hearing naturally-spoken Japanese even if I wasn't totally paying attention. I always recommend exposing yourself to as much content as possible, even in the early stages of learning.

I've got some general study tips on my blog (search studytips) that should help. If nothing else, remember to not burn yourself out. Learning vocab for 5 minutes a day is better than studying 2 hours one day ond taking a 2-month break.

One thing I might not have mentioned in those tips that I feel like more people need to be aware of: a lot of programs are like "learn naturally by immersion like you learned your native language! Just hear phrases and you will Understand the grammar eventually!" okay but like your brain goes through a critical period for language learning when you're like 2. You are (presumably) no longer 2. Your brain is not the same as it was when you were 2. You should not expect to learn the same way as you did then. I read somewhere that being able to learn rules is the one advantage the adult brain has over a child's brain when it comes to second language learninp. So what this means in practice is: when you come across some grammar thing you don't get, don't let people tell you "oh you'll get it in time, you'll just Know." Look that shit up! What's the difference between は wa and が ga? There a literal list of rules you can memorize! (I don't have a link, it was a handout from one of my classes, sorry!) Familiarizing yourself with English grammar even helps to learn how to apply those rules to a new language. Learn the difference between a subject and an object and all that good stuff. You have different resources now as a not-2-year-old so use them!!

Finally, some resources I personally use:

Kanji draw (app): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.lusil.android.kanjidraw.jlpt5 (not sure if there's an IOS version sorry)--like flashcards for kanji but makes you actually write it, and with correct stroke order which I promise makes them easier to remember (and this was the only app I found that actually checks you for accurate writing). It has some algorithm for how often you see each character that is fantastic for memorization--more often when you first learn a character and after you get it wrong, less often once you know it well, introduces new characters gradually but keeps the old ones in rotation for a while so you never get thrown into a set of 20 completely new kanji.

find you a good dictionary app--I can't find the one I use on the app store but I can search in kana/kanji or romaji or English, any conjugation of a verb or adjective, and find what I'm looking for. Also has a kanji lookup tool with radicals.

Google translate--yeah, for real. I use this one when I want to scan a large section of text for something specific. Or when I'm writing a long sentence that I want to doublecheck. Also has a kanji lookup tool you can handwrite in, and of course don't forget the camera translation tool.

honyakustar (website)--a website with a lot of sentences in both Japanese and English. I use it All The Time to figure out how a word is actually used in practice--what particles it uses, if it's formal or informal, if it's stative or dynamic, collocations, etc.

Hellotalk (app)--it's super well known, just google it. A social app for chatting with native speakers of your target language.

Common Japanese Collocations by Kakuko Shoji (book)--collocations are words that "go" together naturally. We say "take" a bath, Japanese says "enter" a bath (お風呂に入る). This book is a good reference for looking up these collocations.

The Basics of Japanese Grammar: Verbs (book)--I downloaded this on my nook in high school for like 2 dollars and 50 cents give or take and it pleased my rule-oriented brain greatly. just has like all the verb conjugations with short explanations and example sentences and stuff.

Thanks for your question! Feel free to ask me anything!💕