Japanese Resource Review #28: Japanese From Zero 1!! 

Wow. I’ve seen a lot of reviews for book 1 but this was hands down the best Chad. You are very engaging and I learned some things about my own book watching. We are in the middle of a huge re-design. When it’s done in about a million years maybe someone will send you a copy so you can give another untainted review. Either way thank you so much for doing this review!

If you are self-studying, then JFZ is indeed the best choice. The books don't overwhelm you with too much information at a time and the RU-vid videos on all of the lessons in the books are invaluable.

Even though I don't think a single perfect textbook exists, when I started Genki I was completely overwhelmed. Then I started JFZ. The detail was great for me and introduced concepts in a way I could understand. Now after JFZ, I'm going through Genki again and feel more comfortable! George's videos are incredibly helpful as well! Thanks for the review :D

The Genki vs JFZ books really come down to how well you can retain info. Genki is great if you can handle a lot of information being thrown at you, and you can retain it well. If however you don't retain a lot, and struggle with reading especially then JFZ is the way to go. Personally I think the progressive system in JFZ is a life saver and helps a ton with reading. Also, Genki is designed to study in a classroom setting with other people, which can cause some difficulities if you are studying on your own. JFZ is more self studier friendly. It's odd that JFZ is the one with the youtube series, when Genki probably needs it more.

George would be proud

I absolutely love this JfZ textbooks. I have the complete sett of all the books. I’m dyslexic so having a textbook that doesn’t feel so overwhelming is everything.

My absolute favorite Japanese book! It's just so easy to follow and everything really stuck in my brain for the long term.

Sorry this was late, guys! RU-vid decided it had an issue and held it for review o.0 Maybe you can see what they caught because this very PG textbook review certainly has me baffled as to why XD Anyways, thank you so much to Matthew and Fred for sending me these to review! I'll be reviewing books 3, 5 and the kanji book in following weeks! But if you want to see me review something else, you can add it to the amazon wishlist in my description and it'll be ready for anyone to sponsor a vid with it if they want (including myself haha)

Thank you for the review! It helped me weed out which books to buy. Looking forward to your books on Amazon.

Great review Chad!! I use this textbook and I enjoy it. I just could't get my head around Ganki. Plus the fact George has his RU-vid channel adds extra value to the books and really goes through each topic with such detail, it's kinda like being in class! Keep up the great work looking forward to seeing what you think of the other books specially the Kanji one.

Nice review. The JFZ books are the reason I didn't give up with Japanese. George is almost always able to find the right explanation that clicks, for me, after I'm left scratching my head with other resources and even a bit bored at their lack of personality, as you say. He and his co-authors are easily some of the best out there for Japanese learning and keeping it fun. I like that the books don't rush you through hundreds of grammar points off the bat, and everything was presented at the right pace, again, for me, letting you absorb the contents properly. When you hit book 5 though, you'll see the amount being asked of you with each lesson quickly increase. I'm glad you were sent multiple books, because that's really where their strength begins to show. Building on your knowledge from the previous one. So, looking forward to your reviews on those!

I’m going to be honest, by the cover I thought they were trash

I took college classes with Genki I and II, it was too fast for me, and my professors were like jumping from one topic to another. I was able to retain a lot of vocabulary tho, because of quizzes, but I was too confused all the time, to the point I started hating Japanese, and when I graduated, I just wanted to forget everything. Few years later I decided to return to Japanese, and study on my own. Got the JFZ books, I remember most of the things, it starts slow, but I feel comfortable with the books, and I am learning new stuff. Thank you for the review.

Yes please do reviews of all the books in the series!

For everyone who is thinking about starting learning Japanese I can wholeheartedly recommend the JFP Series! I finished Book 5 literally today and the books + Georges videos are a huge motivator in order to keep going! Especially when you study alone at home like I do and dont have any friends or generally people who are interested in Japanese, having this videos and other people to talk to in the comments, live chat when he streams or the forums sucks you in! I am actually sad that there is no JFZ 6 or 500 because my next Textbook (I chose Tobira) will probably much more isolated, no hanging out with George after every lesson ._. The first book is actually available online for free if you go to his webside! Though I would recommend the physical books in order to use the workbook!

Got the books and I’m going to start. This video was a massive influence in my decision and I am excited to have a slower paced, deep dive text book. I am stating from zero. I’ll have to come back in a few months and add my thoughts. Love the channel and the content your putting out! :)

Thanks for the video! I've heard good things about but I figured I should see a video to see what other people thought about it. Definitely getting on this. I've got practice with hearing Japanese and understanding words I hear, but I need practice with using it. This will help!

Oh my!!! I've been waiting for so long for a review on JFZ!! Thank you 😀😀

my favourite part about JFZ is because of the "speaking naturally" part and also the part on 13:50 where it shows you how to write ふ in an easy way, wish you discussed those 2 parts.

for those who are confuse in my opinion its called "Japanese from Zero" because the JFZ series is like an elementary-ish level Japanese textbook while Genki series are for high school to college level learners. but JFZ itself uses a progressive method so from JFZ 1 to 5 its like going from elementary to college level. but yeah i only tried JFZ 1.

i bought genki 1 and studied the first chapter and was getting it but not retaining it ALL it was fast and complicated .. when i started JFZ i already knew kana and very few about 20 kanji. JFZ explained the grammar well they introduce vocabulary at a good pace while also incorporating the vocabulary in each lesson. (this book also teaches you hiragana if you don’t know it already). I love this book i’m still working in it and plan to keep working in it. i also do plan on going back to genki and reviewing rather than just learning from 1 book

Japanese from zero was my first Japanese textbook. Its probably my favourite method of learning the kana and kanji because its integrated into the chapter and its so much better for me to do the kanji and then immediately see it in use and use it myself. Genki was my second set of textbooks and it threw me off so much that the kanji and the lessons are in different sections

Great review. I do feel like JPZ books should be review as the whole series not just 1 book tbh. Because it will take you 5 books to get the contents of genki 1 and a bit of 2 in terms of grammar. But to me the biggest JPZ seller is George’s videos for each lesson of the first 3 books . Is like you get a free teacher with the books lol

I’m sorry I’m so late!! But it seems like a great series overall and his RU-vid channel offers great supplemental practice and understanding.

I used Genki in college and bought all the JFZ books (just bought them all, I've been trudging through book one, not the books fault, I have a 1.5 year old son) and can say, Genki is great for a college course where you're forced to memorize and be tested and cram knowledge and have a teacher right there with you to answer questions and break it down. JFZ is perfect for at home, pick it up, do a quick lesson, watch George's videos (which are AMAZING by the way, he gives lots of fun stories and feels like a college lesson without the boring parts) and I'm super excited to go through all of the books!

This video was very helpful! thanks! 👍

I love this book and I am using it right now

I'm on Book 2. These are amazing books!

Underrated channel!

I saw George’s RU-vid before even buying this book and really liked the pace when starting out so bought the book off the back of that. My only criticism was the choice of vocabulary words (does a beginner need to learn ‘pillow’ etc?), in fact I probably found Chad’s channel looking to progress from JFZ. Genki is great but has less English explanation, has a separate workbook, and no official RU-vid videos (Tokini Andy is great though). A fairer comparison would be JFZ 1-5 vs. Genki 1 with workbook as I guess that’s closer in terms of pricing for a beginner.

I’m gonna get the complete set thanks!!

My left ear really enjoyed this video.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re trying to study alone

Genki says in the inside flap that it was made for college students or adults trying to learn on their own. Might be a reason why its goes faster. JFZ seems more for the general public.

Sold. 👍🏼

Love the vid! I don't normally try to use books (idk I just don't like them) but I might try out this one. On another note, in future videos could you make sure the sound isn't only in one ear. It's fine at first, but it distracts from the video after a while.

Very interesting Video. Thank you!

Magnificent video! Many thanks to the author of the channel for the recommendations! The problem with many people is that they want to take a "magic pill" or get "secret knowledge" and immediately have skills and abilities. However, the truth of life is that knowledge, skills, and abilities do not come by themselves. You can't learn a foreign language without doing anything, without wasting your time and effort, just like you can't learn to ride a bike lying on a comfy couch, listening to lectures and watching videos about "modern methods of learning" on a bike. To really learn something, you have to really practice every day. You're going to fall down while you're learning, and you're going to get bumps - that's normal! The ups and downs of learning are an integral part of our lives. Motivation from success and depression from failure will always be your study companions. However, every student has problems in his or her studies that he or she lacks the knowledge to solve. It can be: poor memorization of words; no progress in language learning; the student can speak, but does not understand speech by ear; misunderstanding of grammar; incorrect pronunciation, etc. Agree that a problem you don't know how to solve is very demotivating. In order to find the answer to our question we have to spend a lot of time to read videos, articles and books by polyglots. In today's world, we have to solve problems as quickly as possible. I don't have time to study and analyze a huge amount of information. My goal is to master the basic knowledge of a foreign language as quickly as possible and already start earning money effectively in the international arena. I settled on the practical guide by Yuriy Ivantsiv " Polyglot's Notes: practical tips for learning foreign language". This book is always in my bag. If I have a problem while learning a language, I quickly find the answer in this book. There are many different techniques and tips for learning a foreign language in Polyglot Notes. I have made my own individual schedule and plan for language learning. Now I know what I am going to study, how I am going to study, when I am going to study and what results I am going to achieve. No problem could stop me! With an effective language learning plan my professional skills are more and more in demand internationally every day. Friends, don't stop there! Everyone has talents that millions of people around the world need! Learn the language and make your ideas and dreams come true! Thanks to the author of the channel for the informative and useful video! Your videos motivate me.

Just added this to the cart on Amazon

This was my first introduction to japanese. I got hooked! But the only thing that pissed me off was the slow learning of Hiragana. Instead He used Romanji throughout the book.

I just finished course 1 online (which is free). It was great, and I'm moving on to course 2 which which is $9 USD per month ($13 AUD). Other material I tried such as Genki just felt like hard work, JFZ is a smooth, natural challenge.

Keep up this content Chad.

yoooo I found another hidden gem youtuber!! Btw I may be going to genkijacs when covid is over, or when the borders of Japan open up. Would you still recommend going? I'll probably going for 3 - 6 months.

well this was funner (is that even a word?) than most book reviews, and Japanese From Zero looks fun too. Kudo's to the Chad

Hi! Can someone tell me that if I had learned hiragana and katakana from japanese pod 101 which part of the book do I have to buy? From the starting or from which part and except the 6 parts do I need to refer to any other textbooks if I want to be a beginner to intermediate

You should review the 2500 kanji dictionary jlpt n5-n1. Would love to see how it compares to kodansha

OK I'LL TAKE THAT

You should do a review of wanikani

Ah! They put a chapter in on typing Japanese! That's something the other books neglect a bit, I think.

does it have sense learning Japanese, which I am fascinated with, knowing I will never use the language in life/never go to Japan? Just because I love the languge and culture? I am Polish and unfortunately in Poland there are very few japanese natives and only in japanese language schools which are damn expensive

Could someone please send Quartet textbook to Chad for review? I am curious to see how it compares to Tobira..

I have just come across this review. I'm really at the beginning of Japanese. At the moment I'm doing Duolingo but I have a couple of apps that help me write hiragana but I haven't reached the Katakana yet but it is slowly introducing. I know Duolingo may not be best for learning Japanese so I was looking for something more user friendly as I am self studying. I was between Genki and this book. From what I heard Genki might be too much for me for now. I prefer to learn slowly but surely than fast and not remembering anything. Slowly catchy the monkey as the British people says!

Honestly this book sounds like a better option for me, because I’m already learning German, Chinese and French. So I would rather have a book that has a slower pace so I don’t get too much at once.

my right ear: 🔇 my left ear:📢

please try making a review about the book called "Basic Japanese Grammar (March 10, 2011)" by Everett F. Bleiler

If it wasn't for them teaching the kana so slowly I would be on board with it being an ok book, but I can't imagine asking a learner to know over a hundred vocab words without knowing the kana.

Is it good for learning??

Hey, just a random question. Do you know what JLPT level these books will put you at when you complete them?

Japanese from Zero is 44€ and Genki around 88€ in my country😢

“AJATT Master Race” 😂

Every comment you say? This seems to be a tricky question so worth throwing out there: How would you recommend studying a language like Japanese to someone who works full time or is very busy? Do some resources or techniques work better when you can't do what the 'youtube polyglot' crowd suggest and just fully immerse yourself in the language for 10 hours a day? These books look like a good value middle ground for casual self study!

Love the video. Just a note, you're audio is only coming out in the left channel through most of the video, makes it really hard to listen to unfortunately

I tried 3 times to learn Japanese. Failed like a Russian soldier in Ukraine every single time. The forth time I used JFZ And it was so much easier. By far the best method for self learners.

Could I start with Japanese from zero 1,or should I go through Kana and Kanji from zero first? 🤔

Everyone so far has told me not to use Genki without a teacher. Has anyone done it solo?

良いわ～！

4:31

My dumbass really stood there looking at you gesturing with your hands for a solid two minutes until I realized I only had the right headphone in and your voice was instead playing on the left xD

JFZ was my first textboook purchase but I didn't like the mixture of kana and romaji and the fact that there were no verbs in the whole of the first textbook until the final chapter. That was three years ago, perhaps it's changed. I wanted to learn grammar, not endless lists of nouns, so it wasn't for me. I switched to Genki which I really liked.

As someone who had this book I would disagree. These books do not really teach beginner Japanese well. You are better off watching videos for free on youtube. They start off ok then it becomes much more complicated for someone starting Japanese. Not to mention my wife taught University level Japanese in the US for several years and would agree. The Genki books are pretty much the same. Too difficult for someone just starting.

Do you know korean or any other Asian languages

Next time, put your audio on stereo

Is that the legit version?

I have and like the JFZ but I wish it had a mobile app.

Tae Kim still #1

Man that audio was driving me crazy, left channel only for the main review. Really disorienting

15:31 I proudly made my automobile purchase decision on the basis that it had a cd player instead of a portable music device plug-in port. Also, what does QR stand for? ...Ah, hell, let's get it all out there: I still own a photo camera that uses FILM! Cower before my mighty obsoleteness!! Muahahahahahahaaa!!! 20:46 Uhhh, there was a pay wall? !?! I'm a hacker and I didn't even know it! ......It makes me nervous that all of the other comments here are about books and learning and important stuff, then here I come with my immature, off-topic, weaboo, Chad fanboy remarks. My apologies, everyone, for lowering the IQ bar.

It’s hard to take the book seriously as a textbook with that anime cover art [literally judging a book by its cover 😂]

I don't really like this book. The kanji one is useless and the regular books are really slow. After like a year of using these, you'll have just finished the equivalent of genki 2. 472 words when it said 800, wew.

Am I the only one who used JFZ but didn't follow up with the RU-vid stuff because George gets too much into the details of everything and it's pretty distracting 🙈

sold!