Mina san (everyone)! It is my great honour to announce the first ever Japanese Language Learners tournament! We will vote and decide as a group on what is our official favourite anime!! The rules are simple: Each day 2 anime (favourites of our members) will go head to head We will all vote on which of the two we prefer One will survive and progress in the tournament Feel free to discuss and defend your favs Be respectful of everyone's tastes and feelings! Which anime will be our favourite!?! Post your predictions below! Below is an image of the tournament brackets. It is a bit hard to see but I'll announce the contenders each day. I know I left out some great options. Perhaps they can make it in next time. Feel free to let me know which great anime was a big mistake to leave out! 😅 Thank you to our members for sharing some of their favourite anime and here is the list of contenders and one of the contributors who loves it! Jujutsu Kaisen - @Cicely Love That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime @Cicely Love Gundam - @Carl Jake Fernadno Kimetsu no Yabai/Demon Slayer @Diyaa Ess Sakamoto Days @Phil C Death Note - @Karin Ware My Hero Academia - @Karin Ware Blue Exorcist - @Brittney Cox Dragon Ball - @Irdzra Khairuddin Full Metal Alchemist - @Meyada M.m Assassination Classroom - @Claire Huang Sailor Moon - @Dani Rosenblad James Spy Family - @Harry Lewis Cowboy Bebop - @J. Alexander Bennett Dandadan - @Harry Lewis Ashita no Joe - @J. Alexander Bennett

One thing every strong Japanese speaker has in common is regular speaking practice. So let’s make that opportunity for us and make it simple, supportive and consistent. Introducing: Paired Speaking Practice! 🔹 How it works Each week I’ll post: - A conversation topic - A short practice dialogue - Audio to model natural pronunciation 🔹 What you do 1. Reply to the weekly post to let me know you’re in 2. I’ll create random pairings for the week 3. Contact your practice partner and organise a 5–10 minute speaking session 4. When you’re done, report back in the thread ✅ That’s it. 🔹 Why this matters If you commit to this weekly: - Your confidence will grow - Your listening and response speed will improve - By the end of the year, those 5–10 minute chats can naturally become 30 to 40 minute conversations (or more!!) No pressure to be perfect. The goal is showing up and speaking. 👉 Comment below if you’d like to join the Paired Speaking Practice! I’ll get the first topic ready once we have our initial group.