Welcome to Electric Spirit, the web's only sci-fi-comedy Japanese intructional manga series!
Are you new to Electric Spirit? Read through this short page for brief instructions on how to use it. Or, if you've been here before, jump straight to the manga (Chapter 1, Chapter 2).
You can read this comic straight through as you would any ordinary comic, but it also has tons of special features to help
you learn Japanese--so you can finally enjoy your favorite manga and anime in the language they were created in!
The special language-teaching features may be a little confusing at first, but "shinpai shinaide" (don't worry).
I've prepared a quick a run-down on how to read the manga and use its features. Read on!
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Beginners are provided with a lot of direct support. Every chapter is geared toward certain beginning goals. These
goals appear at the bottom of the manga pages and provide a "syllabus" for study. Often, words and concepts that
you're not ready to deal with yet will appear in the comic--don't worry! Just read through the story in English,
familiarize yourself with the Japanese slowly, and pay extra attention to the points raised in the messages that "pop up"
when you move your cursor over the text in the panels. Memorize the kana writing systems as soon as you can,
too--these are vital to really digging into the Japanese, and are pretty easy to learn.
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For Advanced Readers, the process will be fairly self-explanatory and straight-forward; read the manga in either
English or Japanese first, then check your translations by moving your mouse over the text in the comic. Make note of
the new kanji and vocabulary as they appear, using the story context and reading aid notes for support. Important new
expressions and grammar patterns will be explained as they appear, with highlights for both beginners and advanced
readers (although focusing on beginning students).
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Every page of Electric Spirit looks like this:
Regarding reading order, every page of this comic is set up to be read from left to right, in regular English form. Where you see Japanese text, though, those individual portions should usually be read from right to left, and from top to bottom, as is typical in Japanese.
One more important note: when you have a question, don't get discouraged. Remember, you're already on the internet. In
time, links will be provided to some of the best Japanese-learning resources on the web. For now, search out resources
online to support you, like dictionaries and grammar guides. Most importantly, link up with other people interested in
or studying Japanese. You can use the BorderWalker Message Board as a forum for discussion on
Japanese and Electric Spirit, or look for other similar chat rooms and bulletin boards on the web.
Let's Go! Chapter One!
Goals: Become familiar with and comfortable around Japanese. Learn the sounds and pronunciation of Japanese. Study the Japanese Kana writing systems. Learn some basic, everyday expressions, greetings, and introductions.
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The following materials are used in the creation of Electric Spirit:
- A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters, by Kenneth G. Henshall. Published by the Charles E. Tuttle Company, Tokyo, 1996.
- "OverLib" JavaScript code, written by Erik Bosrup, http://www.bosrup.com/web/overlib/
- Yookoso! An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese, by Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku. Published by McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
- Kenkyusha's New College Japanese-English Dictionary, 4th Edition. Published by Kenkyusha, 1995.
- Kodansha's Pocket Kanji Guide. Published by Kodansha International Ltd., 1994
- "Jim's Kanji," True Type Font, http://www.west.net/~kurrasch/kanji.htm
- "Hiragana" and "Katakana" freeware True Type Fonts, located through http://www.pspinc.com/lsg/kkit/index.htm
- "Comic Book Commando," True Type Font. Created by Iconian Fonts, http://members.nbci.com/iconianfonts
