Firstly, I'm glad the dialogues feel like conversations I would actually have. That makes it so much easier to relate to and remember.

Secondly, the explanations about appropriate politeness level are really helpful and put the different ways of saying things in context. I also like that the books tell you if a word or phrase is very common.

Last but definitely not least, I am impressed by the quality of these books. This isn't the first bundle by Clay & Yumi Boutwell that I've purchased and I will certainly buy more in the future. The content is consistently great. Even the files are well thought out with three different formats included for each book.

What can I say? I am obsessed with Hello Kitty and these items have found a happy home :-)!!!

I've been searching for beginner-intermediate Japanese books and graciously came across this bundle (thanks fb). It offers more than just a simple read with crackdown explanation sentence-by-sentence which is extremely helpful. I began to notice myself picking up the pace and the ability to understand without reading the explanation.

TL;DR : Worth it for beginners. Take advantage of the price before it goes off!

I wish there are more books like these to read, and I will purchase other bundles in the future. ありがとうございます。

A must read to pick up on the correct way to pronounce and write hiragana with tips for easy memory work and follow up. Greatly recommended!

The vocabulary package is worth the price of entry alone. The pronunciation is so precise, and clear.

The best deal to start, very well explained and detailed, with examples and explanations to follow up on. Greatly recommended!

Product hit the lvl of expectations! Easy to use, anytime anywhere cos the digital content - it's easy to carry with.
Japanese lvl is correct, it is as advertised - and seen in samples.
I have a very limited time a day to improve my language skills, and this product makes it easy and fun, even relaxing.
Thanks for the fb ad. 😁

Very nice stories. Awesome audio. Very well presented. Thank you for the great work you done. I will buy more books soon.

It is really unique way to learn kana and Kanji and grammar. I really like the idea and happy with the purchases.

If you are a beginner or intermediate, this is a good start pack for you!

If you just started learning Japanese, I strongly recommend to buy the Japanese Reader Collection first. The stories are longer and Kana are mostly used for inflections (and furigana). So in short terms, the level is much higher. But it's doable because of the good explanations. 💮

I bought this collection approximately 2 months after I started learning Japanese. My knowledge was very low, I barely had learned Hiragana by then and my primary goal was to train my brain's "optical character recognition algorithm". After I borrowed the first volume via Kindle Unlimited, I spontanously decided to buy the complete bundle and I did not regret this purchase.

Most e-books have 2 or 3 stories (volume 7 only has one, but also this is not a typical Japanese folk tale, The Little Match Girl is actually by H. C. Andersen). You'll find each story

a) in Japanese with running gloss, that means every sentence is explained in detail with all vocabulary,
b) in natural Japanese with Kanji and furigana,
c) as e rough English translation.

Most e-books also have an additional Kanji section and a separate list of all used vocabulary too.

The stories are of different levels of difficulty. Most are well suited for intermediate learners (i.e. level A2 in the CEFR or 1/1+ in ACTFL. For beginners, IMO the second volume is the best because it has also the Japanese text in Hiragana with spaces and an additional grammar section.

I think, 16 $ are totally fair for this bundle, especially considering that you'll get lifelong updates. When I bought the bundle there were only 8 books, the 9th has been added later for free.

由美さんは、クレーさんは、日本語のリーダーコレクションでありがとうござ

I find the stories great and easy to follow. When at home I prefer a book so I have purchased The first four books. I listen to the audio at work. I will but the other books at a later time. I highly recommend these in either digital download or paperback!

I purchased this out of interest as I am wanting to get back to studying Japanese. I have only had a quick look through one of the stories, but I'm really enjoying it so far and my vocab has increased already. Waiting for the kids to go for their nap so I can sit down with a hot coffee and read and learn :) Thank you :)

I bought this as an extra resource for my students. Having a solid story already laid out for them will help them study.

I have just started with the contents of this serie, but I think it is really helpful for beginners like me.

..but from the overall glance the stories / lessons have a very nice structure!

Very good tool for preparation for the JPLT. Thanks.

The bundle is very helpful for a novice like me. I love it!

5 stars: the lessons are just right for my level and the ezplanations are clear and easy to follow. Im very happy with my purchase!

Easy to read and enjoyable ^^

Subscribing to the Makoto magazine happened to be one of the absolute best steps in my Japanese studies. The running gloss and grammar comments in the Readers, that are part of the Makoto magazine contents, give you an opportunity to understand and learn a lot about the Japanese language and grammar. To study the language through coherent texts in the Makoto Readers is an excellent supplement to the otherwise necessary vocabulary and sentence drilling. But what I appreciate most is the highly educational and very interesting contents of the magazine. It gives you insights into the language, the culture and the history of Japan. Really, “The Fun Japanese Not Found in Textbooks”, as the cover of the magazine states. I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you for an incredibly interesting reading!
Olga

Only had a small look at it so far but I can tell its going to be so helpful learning grammer and increasing vocabulary (I'm in my first year of uni doing an extended major in Japanese language). The fact that it will be added to over time and I will have access to the things added is a huge bonus. Definitely worth the money!

Interesting, fun and helpful - feels refreshing and not like learning. Nice as always.

Thanks a lot

I already owned the vocabulary book and kanji in paperback but when I saw it bundled with a new grammar book, I had to buy it the digital editions are layed out a little differently to make it much easier to study on your phone.

I think these products are great and having this on my phone I can absorb so much more.

I will continue to purchase items from this site.

Clay is very interactive with his customers and if you a question I'm sure he will reply.

I am pleased with my purchase because the resources are relevant to my learning and stimulating to use.

Bought it today and I love it, it's good practice and I always love to read japanese stories.
One tiny thing they like, I think, would be a version of each stories with no help whatsoever (no furigana), it would make for a more valuable practice ressource for more advanced levels

Next to Hello Kitty, What's Michael is my favorite cat! His manga is included in Mangajin, so it's great to be able to get a few issues and reminisce. Mangajin was published while I was living in Japan and these issues bring back a lot of good memories. I hope to pick up a few more in the future as my budget allows and I thank you very much for adding them to your store!

Hello Kitty is one of the most beloved characters in Japan. They even had a special Hello Kitty bullet train. I love these Hello Kitty memo pads because of the matching pen and stencil on the back. My very adult daughter was first in line to get one! Thank you so much for making them available!

Great set of books for beginning Japanese learners. Having running gloss and audio files of the stories in normal and slow speed are awesome. Looking forward to more books to be released. And you can't beat the price which includes future releases. Thank you Clay and Yumi for supporting us Japanese language learners!

Looks like a fun way to start learning Kanji. I'm looking forward to trying this out.

Good enough learning tool

A beautiful book with Japanese poetry - haiku, not to mention the thorough explanation of both vocabulary and cultural context. Recommended for anyone interested in Japanese language/culture.

Great value