JLPT N2 grammar through Manga

Lately, for fun I’ve been continuing my read of a Japanese manga called 聖☆おにいさん (“Saintly Young Men”) and in particular issue number 4. In my opinion issue 4 is by far the funniest. I was laughing on the bus (here in Seattle, not Japan) during the entire story where they went shopping at a discount hyaku-en store, and later when they went to a movie theater. If you are at least N4 JLPT certified, and moving toward N3, it’s worth picking up, especially if you like religious humor.

What struck me though was how some of the grammar for the JLPT N2 was in the manga. I just never noticed before because I wasn’t familiar with advanced grammar like that, and I just read past it. Lately, though, because I am struggling to get familiar with N2 grammar I suddenly noticed phrases that I hadn’t understood previously. Studying in a textbook is useful to a degree,¹ but you really won’t understand it until you see how Japanese people use it in real life and entertainment. It’s quite a bit more educational.

Other places too, like watching TV Japan with my wife and daughter, I suddenly started noticed other examples of N2 grammar and vocabulary.² For me, I began to realize that the JLPT N2, while difficult for foreigners, is still focused on fundamental Japanese. I made the mistake in the past of assuming it was not very useful but in fact my 4 year old daughter knows a few vocabulary words in there, like color words for example.

In short, studying for the JLPT N2 has been an eye-opening experience and has taught me the dangers of becoming complacent in one’s language skills.

¹ For what it’s worth, I do find this particular textbook to be pretty comprehensive for the N2, but I think you need to balance study with real-life exposure to the language. Textbooks can only tell you so much. Language is dynamic by nature.

² I am embarrassed sometimes when I see JLPT N2 vocabulary in my daughter’s books and educational materials. Japanese children and foreign adults learn differently, I guess.

Eco World Content From Across The Internet. Featured on EcoPressed Breaking the Taboo on "Toilet to Tap"