renshuu - Japanese learning 4+

Renshuu is an amazing way to start learning Japanese, and continues to be helpful as you get better. It’s fun and interactive, and the developer is kind and easy to contact. You can choose exactly what you want to work on and the games help you learn new words alongside digging up old ones you haven’t thought about in a while. The question center has you write based on a prompt, and output isn’t something you see often in language learning programs. My only issue is that it doesn’t seem like you can make all the Japanese to English multiple choice questions show the kanji instead of the furigana when the lesson isn’t specifically on kanji, but that might just be a setting I’m missing and it doesn’t take away from the usefulness of this app. From learner to learner, you won’t be able to learn everything from a single source, no matter how amazing renshuu is, so if you’ve been looking for something that will teach you Japanese by itself, like I did when I was first getting started, that’s not going to happen. I highly suggest doing other things alongside renshuu, like watching videos and plays originally in Japanese without any subtitles, talking to fluent Japanese speakers, writing short stories in Japanese, and recording yourself talking about something you like in Japanese. All in all, I recommend renshuu to any beginner who wants a steady way to learn Japanese. Just don’t use this or anything else as your only resource.

First off, thank you so much for your extensive review - it is really appreciated!

Next, I have good news for you! Just about everything in renshuu can be adjusted, and kanji is no exception. renshuu's "default mode" is to show you furigana for kanji you haven't studied in renshuu, so you are not hit with kanji you don't yet know.

If you want to change that, though, you can! Pop open the menu, tap the settings icon, then go to the Vocabulary category. You should see a "What do you with kanji you don't know" setting - change that so it is the far right "kanji only" option. This will ignore your kanji level, and show them to you regardless.

Should this not be a fit for what you're looking for, please reach out to me so I can consider updating the setting! I'm always here at michael@renshuu.org or the ? button at the top of the app.

I am SHOCKED at how well rounded and IN DEPTH this app is!!! I used to have to use seperate resources for: kanji, mnemonics, pitch accent, grammar, vocabulary, sentence mining, flash cards, writing practice, Dictionary, Native Pronunciation, sentence closing, games (for learning) AND Genki Textbook Exercises! But RENSHUU HAS IT ALL!!!! and MORE!! (Not to mention a cute UI which is just icing on the cake!) They also offer learning schedules that are tailored to the textbook you’re in!! This is really great for self study, as I sometimes get bored with studying the Genki Textbooks alone. I can even select their Tobira Textbook (intermediate) learning schedule for after I finish Genki (beginner)!! Like this is an app that can grow with you!! Unlike other apps, that feel like I’m getting an IV drip of Japanese, I can change the settings for a much more immersive and in-depth study. (Changing my study from IV drip, to a more adventurous, white water rafting/white rapids) As a person with ADHD, I’ll be surprised if I get bored with this app because they have so much to offer!! (There’s even an lively and interactive community through the forums!) A million/5 stars! Highly recommend for anyone who wants to become fluent and who also enjoys in depth studies!!! WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS APP/WEBSITE?!♥ I wish I had found it sooner!!!

Thank you so much - while I might be biased, I really feel that renshuu works great for people as long as they are with it long enough to adjust things to fit them best :)

We've got tons more planned, so I hope you look forward to what is coming up soon!

And of course, I am always here should you need anything at all. You can drop me a line at michael@renshuu.org, or through the ? button at the top of the app.

I am a beginner at self studying Japanese and I find renshuu to be a really well done and robust study tool. While alone they can’t take the place of more well-rounded language study, I like having game-type apps as learning aids, especially since I have an inconsistent schedule where I just can’t really sit at a desk every night to study, so fitting a review in on my lunch break or at the gym is a great option to have. It has a ton of different features like and customization options that I’m a little amazed that it’s free with no ads. I love the community games and questions that help me challenge myself to recall vocabulary and construct my own ideas and sentences. I don’t have the pro subscription so I can’t speak to whether that is worth the cost but at 6.99 a month it is half the price of Lingodeer and the same as Super Duolingo. I think Duolingo is a great app but its Japanese course is just not that comprehensive yet and it’s not nearly as customizable with pacing, study sets, etc. I’m not sure if this is a feature already that I just haven’t discovered and utilized yet or if it’s a possibility for a future update but I think having a Japanese diary/log on your profile could be a fun feature to have.

Thank you so much for your kind words! We don't employ any dark patterns to try to trick you into staying hooked into renshuu - all we want to do is to let you study how you want, as much or as little as you want, and without any pressure to keep up streaks, not lose hearts, or whatever.

I think the diary would be an awesome addition in the future! We are being careful with our social features because we aren't trying to make it into a social hub, but we do believe that using the language is the best way to master it, so I'll definitely consider it.

Should you have any other ideas, I'd be happy to hear them! I'm always here at michael@renshuu.org, or the ? button at the top of the app.