Chibi Mariko chan

Chibi Mariko Chan Manten Get Series.

Today I`m going to introduce you to one of the best resources I`ve found for learning advanced Japanese vocabulary. Chibi Mariko Chan Manten Get Series. What is it you ask and why is it good? Well let me explain.

First who is Chibi Mariko Chan? She is the star of a Manga written by Momoko Sakura and it is part autobiography part slice of life comedy drama. First published in 1986 and a TV anime started in 1990. It`s popularity makes it the fifth best-selling girls manga ever. Mariko is a 9 year old third grade student who is lazy, clumsy and often late for school. She often fights with her mother is doted on by her grandfather and is usually at odds with her sister who is the exact opposite from her. (Taken from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chibi_Maruko-chan on May 3rd, 2017)

Now why is this book series such a good choice for the advanced student? The Manten Get Series is a study series designed to help students in upper elementary school and Junior high improve their skills. They are easy to read and all of the words are written in the Japanese phonic alphabet called furigana. Each book is based on theme. You have Idioms, Writing skills, Kanji, English, Proverbs, and more.

I want to introduce the Vocabulary book (Kotoba Kyoushitsu in Japanese.) It starts off with a short manga explaining a couple of difficult idioms and highlighting how interesting they can be. Then it moves into the actual words themselves. Each page of the book is organized the same way. The word is introduced along the right hand side in both kanji and hiragana. Then a definition is given which is fairly easy to read. Next it gives some examples on how to use the word. The page ends with related words or opposite words to help improve your understanding. In addition some pages have a small cultural box which gives more information. However, here`s the important part, the manga. On the left hand side is a four panel manga that in some way uses the word just taught in a real life situation. The manga makes the vocabulary word clear and succinct. In addition it can be quite funny to read.

Why do I recommend it? If you`re like me then you probably have a ton of language books at home. But how many do you actually use? In addition you may like reading Japanese manga to study but get confused at the sheer number of slangy phrases that litter a comic. I know I like to read the manga to have fun, not to study with and when I mix the two it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of the manga. This book is designed to study with and keep you entertained. That is the most important thing. Studying should be fun and informative. Without both there is no reason to really continue. The higher you get in you language learning the more you look for unconventional methods to improve your skills. In addition you may have already reached your personal goals but are trying to pass the advanced Japanese Language Proficiency test, which can be really difficult. This book and the others in the series will help you improve or just allow you to have some fun. If every book was as fun as this more people would study.

So that’s my introduction to Chibi Mariko Chan. The only thing I can say now is, try it for yourself. You may enjoy it.