Audio Book Suggestions? (Japanese)

I’m wondering if y’all happen to know any good mid level audio books? I recently got audible and it has loads of Kadokawa light novels, but most of them seem a bit too difficult for me.

Have y’all tried listening to audio books? Maybe listen to audio book and read along? let me know.

anyway, while a bit of difficulty is okay, it’s easy to get overwhelmed if it’s far beyond my level. my vocab level is end of n4 and my grammar is mid n4, if my bunpro/renshuu accounts have anything to say about it. I’m able to understand basic anime like kimetu no yaiba or dragon ball, but nothing like death note, if that gives any level to compare to.

2 Likes

I’d suggest either reading along with a book or listening to the audiobook version of a book which you have read and found to be relatively easy to understand. If you are around N4 level then this may be a slightly big ask though. Perhaps find the novelisation of a movie (or a book which has been turned into a movie) and watch the movie a couple of times, read through the book and then listen to the audiobook? I personally struggle with audiobooks pretty much more than any other type of media as they are very low context, can be faster than my comprehension allows for, full of literary words and phrases which I’m not used to hearing spoken, etc.

In terms of actual books, コンビニ人間 is short and easy (relatively speaking here) and I could follow the audiobook without major issues. Everything else I have tried I have given up on so far - something for the future for me, I think.

4 Likes

Thanks for the book suggestion!

So as far as me being n4, it’s more that’s the level I’m comfortable saying i am. I haven’t really taken any tests (mostly because I’m terrible at the “fill in the blank word from these 4” questions, to where even in English i fail them) so i haven’t tested myself in any real situation.
As mentioned, i can comfortably watch and understand more simple anime, and my day to day life is adequate.

If you have any other suggestions as well, I’ll gladly hear them!

4 Likes

Any chance to share the names of anime you can watch? I’m also around n4 but finding some material for practice outside grammar books and bunpro is quite difficult.

in terms of anime, i live in japan so i often just turn on the tv and watch whatever filler slice of life is on.
But i have been watching an anime called frieren with my gf, it uses pretty easy language, and i even recently bought the manga. I’d say give that a go.
Other anime i have watched include mob psycho 100 (Though the philosophical parts are way too hard for me to understand) and dragon ball.
Dragon ball is nice because there are a lot of sources online to help break it down for you.

1 Like