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Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

Greetings all…

I’ve been a fan of this genre since I first discovered Tokimeki Check-Inn and have been following this board for a year or so now without actually posting until now.

I have a couple of newbie questions that I hope some of the more experienced among you could answer for me if it’s not too much trouble. First where do you get your import bishoujo games from? Is there a specific dealer that is better than the rest? Second, I don’t speak or read Japanese but am very keen to learn. What steps would you reccomend to become proficient in the langauge (enough to understand Japanese language bishoujo games and as a possible vehicle to serious study of the language eventually).

Thanks for any advice…

#2
quote:
Originally posted by darkfriend:
Greetings all...

I've been a fan of this genre since I first discovered Tokimeki Check-Inn and have been following this board for a year or so now without actually posting until now.

I have a couple of newbie questions that I hope some of the more experienced among you could answer for me if it's not too much trouble. First where do you get your import bishoujo games from? Is there a specific dealer that is better than the rest? Second, I don't speak or read Japanese but am very keen to learn. What steps would you reccomend to become proficient in the langauge (enough to understand Japanese language bishoujo games and as a possible vehicle to serious study of the language eventually).

Thanks for any advice...

Most of the Anime retail web sites like Right Stuf, Anime Nation, etc. Sell Bishojo games, look for them in their adult section.

You can also buy them directly from the makers on their websites, Peach Princess, JastUSA, and G-Collections.com

#3
quote:
Originally posted by Doug:
Most of the Anime retail web sites like Right Stuf, Anime Nation, etc. Sell Bishojo games, look for them in their adult section.

You can also buy them directly from the makers on their websites, Peach Princess, JastUSA, and G-Collections.com

Doug,

I think he more means the games that haven't been translated yet. What on-line stores sell them.

I know that the Himeya site sells non-translated bishoujo games, and has a fairly stocked selection of them. I haven't bought anything from them in a while, but when I did purchase regularly from them, Himeya was a solid retailer (responsive to questions, good repor, quick turn around time, etc.)

Anyway, as for learning Japanese there is a software program for learning it, but I can't remember the actual name of it, for the life of me. I want to say the company starts with a "B" or something...

#4

Welcome!!!

#5
quote:
Originally posted by darkfriend:
Greetings all...

Second, I don't speak or read Japanese but am very keen to learn. What steps would you reccomend to become proficient in the langauge (enough to understand Japanese language bishoujo games and as a possible vehicle to serious study of the language eventually).

Thanks for any advice...


Move to Japan if you want to understand bishoujo games in the original. Honestly, you won't ever come even close to learning that kind of Japanese at home or at university. Never. I don't mean this as a jibe. There are many great (university) programs out there, yes, I recommend you enter one. But they whill only teach you bland hyoujungo and polite desu/masu Japanese that I only use 10% of any given day with anyone (if that). I mean this in all seriousness. No serious student of any language should considering learning that language outside of the country of the chosen language.

Break a leg,
Made in DNA

[This message has been edited by Made in DNA (edited 08-18-2003).]

[This message has been edited by Made in DNA (edited 08-18-2003).]

#6
quote:
Originally posted by Made in DNA:

Move to Japan if you want to understand bishoujo games in the original. ... No serious student of any language should considering learning that language outside of the country of the chosen language.

*sigh*
I know you are right.
I just wish there weren't some restrictions that make other (admittedly less efficient) approaches more realistic... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 08-18-2003).]

#7

Welcome to the board.

#8
quote:
Originally posted by Unicorn:
*sigh*
I know you are right.
I just wish there weren't some restrictions that make other (admittedly less efficient) approaches more realistic... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif[/img]


[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 08-18-2003).]

You can apply for one of the homestay programs that allow you to stay for 2 months at a time in Japan, that's a fairly inexpensive alternative.

#9

could someone please explain to me how this homestay program works? or give me link.

#10
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Thomas:
Doug,

I think he more means the games that haven't been translated yet. What on-line stores sell them.

I know that the Himeya site sells non-translated bishoujo games, and has a fairly stocked selection of them. I haven't bought anything from them in a while, but when I did purchase regularly from them, Himeya was a solid retailer (responsive to questions, good repor, quick turn around time, etc.)

Anyway, as for learning Japanese there is a software program for learning it, but I can't remember the actual name of it, for the life of me. I want to say the company starts with a "B" or something...

Sorry Mike, That's what I get for responding after getting off of a 12 hr. shift. But to answer the original question, I get my import games from Himeya.

#11

Thanks for all of the replies but I won’t be able to study in Japan anytime soon as my current PhD program will be keeping me local for the next several years. Are there any books or PC programs that can teach one to read Japanese on the level of imported Bishoujo games or is that impossible without actually studying/living in Japan?

Thanks for the Himeya reference…

#12
quote:
Originally posted by darkfriend:
Thanks for all of the replies but I won't be able to study in Japan anytime soon as my current PhD program will be keeping me local for the next several years. Are there any books or PC programs that can teach one to read Japanese on the level of imported Bishoujo games or is that impossible without actually studying/living in Japan?

Thanks for the Himeya reference...

Overall the big problem would be that the games tend to use more conversational-coloquial Japanese. All standard Japanese classes and learning materials tend to focus on polite-conversational, and proper grammer Japanese.

#13
quote:
Originally posted by Doug:
Sorry Mike, That's what I get for responding after getting off of a 12 hr. shift.

My bad. I didn't mean to make my post sound like I was scolding you, as I didn't mean it in that way. I appologize if it did.

#14
quote:
Originally posted by darkfriend:
Are there any books or PC programs that can teach one to read Japanese on the level of imported Bishoujo games or is that impossible without actually studying/living in Japan?

I don't think it's impossible, but it will take you quite longer. Studying japanese in Japan is the most efficient way, that's for sure, but you may as well take a similar approach as I did:

1.) Taking japanese classes for learning the basic of japanese grammar and a minimal vocabular
2.) Learning at least the about 2000-Standard-Kanji with a course (in my case, it was "Remembering the Kanji" from James W. Heisig)
3.) Begin playing japanese b-games and use a japanese word-processor with a good dictionary (I use NJWin. Some people would be sure surprised about the words that are included in it's dictionary. And that doesn't only go for the more... unusual Kanji-composites, but also for a lot of borrowed words that are written in katakana)

As I told before: that is hardly an efficient way of learning. In fact it is rather a stony path that I already follow for some years, but I think it works in the long run.

[This message has been edited by Unicorn (edited 08-21-2003).]

#15

Hello and welcome to the PP board .

As far as Japanese go, I think self-study is a good way to go, even if it can be stony path, jsut like Unicorn said. But if you’re alreday watching anime or playing english bishoujo-games, you should alreday have managed to create a small vocalbulary and perhaps even came to some understanding about the japanese grammar. Start learning the hiragana and katakana too. After that start learning the kanji, and when you’ve become somewhat familiar with them, start learning composites too. And also, remember that japanese is a language that it takes time to master .

#16
quote:
Originally posted by darkfriend:
Thanks for all of the replies but I won't be able to study in Japan anytime soon as my current PhD program will be keeping me local for the next several years. Are there any books or PC programs that can teach one to read Japanese on the level of imported Bishoujo games or is that impossible without actually studying/living in Japan?

Thanks for the Himeya reference...

There are a handful of texts that (purport to) teach the kind of colloquial Japanese needed to really understand these kinds of games...problem is, I'm got a few but wouldn't have the FOGGIEST idea what in blazes they mean, as my laughably abortive attempts at learning Japanese have been, well, abortive.

Read: I always intended to learn Japanese. Maybe someday I actually will [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/wink.gif[/img] (I'm sure that goes for a lot of people in this thread...)

#17
quote:
Originally posted by Spectator Beholder:
Hello and welcome to the PP board [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img].

As far as Japanese go, I think self-study is a good way to go, even if it can be stony path, jsut like Unicorn said. But if you're alreday watching anime or playing english bishoujo-games, you should alreday have managed to create a small vocalbulary and perhaps even came to some understanding about the japanese grammar. Start learning the hiragana and katakana too. After that start learning the kanji, and when you've become somewhat familiar with them, start learning composites too. And also, remember that japanese is a language that it takes time to master [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/smile.gif[/img].

My level of broken Japanese comes from anime and consists of

a) speaking like a little girl, with a simple vocabulary, who can't conjugate--because they tend to speak in the simplest sentences

and

b) knowing a few swear words.

Interesting combination, that...

#18
quote:
Originally posted by Nandemonai:
My level of broken Japanese comes from anime and consists of

a) speaking like a little girl, with a simple vocabulary, who can't conjugate--because they tend to speak in the simplest sentences

and

b) knowing a few swear words.

Interesting combination, that...

Haha that's better than me after years of watching subbed anime I only know a few simple words like Baka [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img]

#19