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reading demon slayer: chapter 64 grammar notes

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

～し – in modern japanese, this particle is used as a conjunction. in older japanese, however, it was used to mark the past tense of verbs, like how ～た is used today. this chapter ～し appears during kyoujurou’s flashback to a conversation with his mother. his mother tells him that it is unforgivable to harm others or fill one’s own pockets using strength that he was granted by the heavens. the exact line is 「天から賜りし力で人を傷つけること私腹を肥やすことは許されません」.

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 64 phrases

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

肌で感じる – to understand from experience | はだでかんじる

literally to feel with one’s skin.

(生)身を削る – to undergo great hardships, waste away from great effort and worry | (なま)みをけずる

the expression 身を削る is more common, but both mean the same thing. literally to erode one’s body.

私腹を肥やす – to fill one’s own pocket (by taking advantage of a position) | しふくをこやす

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reading demon slayer: chapter 64 adverbs

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

根こそぎ – all (destroyed, stolen, etc.), completely, entirely, thoroughly, root and branch | ねこそぎ

can also be used as a noun meaning uprooting or pulling up by the roots.

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 64 verbs

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

削る – to shave (wood, leather, etc.), sharpen (e.g. a pencil), plane, whittle, pare, scrape off, erode; to cut down (time, a budget, etc.), curtail, reduce; to delete, erase, remove, cross out, strike out | けずる

足掻く – to paw (at) the ground); to struggle (using one’s arms and legs), flounder, flail about; to struggle (to escape an adverse situation), strive, make every effort | あがく

全うする – to accomplish, fulfill, carry out | まっとうする

賜る – [kenjougo] to be given, be granted, be honored with; [sonkeigo] to give, bestow, confer, honor | たまわる

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 64 adjectives

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

足手まとい – impediment, burden, encumbrance, hindrance, drag | あしでまとい

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 64 nouns

title: 上弦の力・柱の力 (じょうげんのちから・はしらのちから) || strength of an upper moon, strength of a hashira

official english title: the strength of the hashira

助太刀 – assistance (in a fight), help, aid, backup; helper, supporter | すけだち

かすり傷 – scratch, graze, abrasion | かすりきず

責務 – duty, obligation | せきむ

奥義 – secret techniques (of an art or skill), inner mysteries, essence, quintessence, heart | おうぎ

気迫 – spirit, soul, drive, vigor | きはく

選ばれし者 – the chosen one(s), the select few | えらばれしもの

使命 – mission, errand; task, duty, obligation | しめい

みぞおち – pit of the stomach, solar plexus

usually written in kana alone. written as 急所, weak point, in this chapter. may rarely be written as 鳩尾.

貫通 – passing through (of a tunnel, bullet, etc.), going (right) through, penetrating, piercing; [archaic] being well versed (in) | かんつう [+する]

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 64 panel comparison

64 is a pretty short chapter, so i've only picked out two panels to examine this time. beats slogging through, i don't know, seven names and five panels like a certain someone did recently...

first one is of akaza yelling at kyoujurou after the latter has just sustained a uh, particularly nasty wound, let's say.

english:

Die! You're finished, Kyojuro! Give in! Say you'll become a demon!

japanese:

死ぬ…!!　死んでしまうぞ杏寿郎　鬼になれ!!　鬼になると言え!!

the most glaringly obvious difference here is that 死ぬ is not the imperative form of the verb--that would be 死ね. it makes no sense anyway for akaza to tell kyoujurou to die. he's been saying this whole time that he wants kyoujurou to become a demon and live forever! akaza is saying "You'll die...!!" which, well. you know.

"You're finished" is kind of close to the japanese, i guess. more literally it would be "You'll end up dying". "You're finished" sounds a bit threatening, whereas in japanese the phrasing makes it clearer that akaza is pleading with kyoujurou.

akaza also does not literally say "Give in!", however i do respect the translation team's choice to ignore the repetition in the original japanese. "Become a demon!! Say you'll become a demon!!" doesn't fit the image of a demon who is supposed to be cruel and bloodthirsty.

on the whole, i think this panel mischaracterizes akaza the most out of any i've seen thus far. he's meant to be pathetic and desperate here. he's terrified of the frailty of mortal beings! he says himself that it pains him to watch strong people wither away and die of old age (because he watched it happen again and again as a human, but that knowledge probably wasn't available when the translation was made). begging kyoujurou, one of the strongest humans akaza had ever met, to accept his offer and become a demon is perfectly in character for him. instead, english akaza seems to relish in snuffing out kyoujurou's fire.

i don't understand why a more literal translation failed to make it into the official english version. not only would it have been more true to akaza's character, but it would also have been more true to the original text! and it's not like a literal translation would've sounded off in this case. oh well...

last but not least for this panel comparison is a zoomed-out panel of akaza with his arm through kyoujurou's chest, worrying about sunrise.

english:

Uh-oh! It's almost dawn! I need to kill him fast!

japanese:

しまった!!　夜明けが近い!!　早く殺してこの場を去らなければ

i chose this one because the english version straight up omits the last, like, third of akaza's thoughts. i'd assume this happened because it was more desirable to keep font sizes the same than to keep every bit of information from the original text. it's not like the last part really adds much, anyway. but for those curious, akaza says "I need to kill him quickly and leave this place."

also personally i disagree with the choice to translate しまった as "Uh-oh". it just sounds so goofy to me! i'd go with "Crap" if we're keeping it pg, or "Shit" or "Dammit" if we're allowing some light swearing.

and that's that! like i said, short chapter, so not much learning fodder besides vocab and a bit of grammar. thanks for reading, and please look forward to the next posts! 読んでくれてありがとう！次の投稿を楽しみにしてください！

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 grammar notes

title: 猗窩座 (あかざ) || akaza

official english title: akaza

～あろうとも – equivalent to modern day ～あったとしても, and similar to ～としても and ～あっても. an expression meaning something along the lines of even if (x) were to happen. ～あろうとも is a bit outdated, but you might see it in formal settings (e.g. a business’ terms of service document). it is used in this chapter with 如何なる理由 and a negative verb to form the set phrase 如何なる理由(が)あろうとも～ない, which means for any reason whatsoever or no matter the reason. it comes up during kyoujurou’s conversation with akaza. kyoujurou says that no matter the reason he will not become a demon.

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 phrases

title: 猗窩座 (あかざ) || akaza

official english title: akaza

虫酸が走る – to be disgusted, be repulsed, get the creeps | むしずがはしる

can also be written with 虫唾 instead of 虫酸.

如何なる理由 – (for) any reason | いかなるりゆう

満たない – less than, fraction of, below | みたない

usually used with the particle に, as in ～に満たない.

距離を取る – to distance oneself (from), keep (something or someone) at a distance, maintain a distance (from) | きょりをとる

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 verbs

title: 猗窩座 (あかざ) || akaza

official english title: akaza

練り上げる – to knead well; to polish, refine | ねりあげる

老いる – to age, grow old | おいる

頷く – to nod, bow one’s head in assent, agree | うなずく

衰える – to become weak, decline, wear, abate, decay, wither, waste away | おとろえる

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reading demon slayer: chapter 63 adjectives

title: 猗窩座 (あかざ) || akaza

official english title: akaza

至高 – supreme, sublime, highest | しこう

厄介 – trouble, burden, nuisance, bother, worry; care, dependence, support, kindness, obligation, staying (with a person) | やっかい

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 nouns

title: 猗窩座 (あかざ) || akaza

official english title: akaza

鬼気 – ghastly feeling, dreadfulness | きき

手負い – wounded, injured | ておい

価値基準 – standard of value | かちきじゅん

提案 – proposal, proposition, suggestion | ていあん [+する]

闘気 – fighting spirit | とうき

羅針 – compass needle | らしん

武 – the art of war, martial arts, military arts; military force, the sword; military officer, military man; [archaic] valor, bravery | ぶ

うねり – undulation, winding, meandering; swell (of waves), ground swell, surge, billow, roller

from うねる, to wind, to meander, to snake, to undulate, to surge.

虚空 – empty space, empty sky | こくう

拳 – fist | こぶし

待機 – standing by, awaiting an opportunity, being on alert; quarantine | たいき

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 panel comparison

i have about 3 and a half hours until i need to go to bed tonight and i'm really hoping i can finish this post within that time. so let's get right to it!

the first panel (technically panels this time, since there are two of them in each image) is of kyoujurou speaking to akaza, defending the value of mortal lives.

english:

It's precisely because we age and die... ...that our lives have value... ...and nobility. Strength is not a word... ...that means much in regard to the flesh.

japanese:

老いるからこそ死ぬからこそ　堪らなく愛おしく　尊いのだ　強さというものは　肉体に対してのみ使う言葉ではない

i don't know if i'm getting better at japanese, or if the translators were having a rough time at work when these chapters came out, but i feel like i've been noticing more and more contextual mishaps/mistranslations.

to start with, i don't think nobility was the intended meaning of 尊い (とうとい) here. it also means precious, valuable, or priceless. "value is already in the translation!" i hear you cry. yeah, and it shouldn't be.

老いるからこそ -> it is because [we] grow old

死ぬからこそ -> it is because [we] die

堪らなく -> unbearably

愛おしく -> lovably

尊いだ -> [it's] valuable

"It is because we grow old, it is because we die, that [human life] is unbearably, lovably valuable." mostly in line with the official english, but not quite.

then there's the other panel. the english translation is just incorrect here.

強さというものは -> the thing called strength

肉体に対して -> in regards to the flesh

のみ -> only

使う言葉ではない -> is not a word used

"The thing called strength is not a word used only in regards to the flesh." it's not that "strength" doesn't mean much to mortals, but that there are other kinds of strength. kyoujurou is saying that physical prowess is not the peak of power akaza believes it to be. not really sure what the official translation was going for in their version, here.

next is another kyoujurou panel, this time of him telling akaza that he's not going to take the demon up on his offer.

english:

I have many reasons for not becoming a demon.

japanese:

俺は如何なる理由があろうとも鬼にならない

this panel contains an archaic grammar construction, so i can forgive the slight mistranslation. i go over it in this chapter's grammar notes but i'll give a quick summary here. basically 如何なる理由があろうとも～ない is a set phrase meaning for no reason whatsoever, or something to that effect. so what kyoujurou is actually saying here is "Under no circumstances whatsoever will I ever become a demon." i'm sure he does have many reasons, but that's not what he said.

third panel is tanjirou! the protagonist finally makes his entrance, lol.

english:

I can follow them... ...with my eyes!

japanese:

目で追えない!!

this one is just a silly typo. it should be I can't follow them, as evidenced by the ない in japanese. there's no way in hell tanjirou would be able to keep track of a hashira and an upper rank demon at this point in the story, lmao.

second-to-last panel...almost done...it's akaza ranting at kyoujurou for wanting to stay human.

english:

But you, who worked so hard to build such magnificent talent, would simply let it wither away. Such a waste! It's hard for me to accept. I can't stand it. Die for me, Kyojuro. Do it while you're young and strong!

japanese:

素晴らしき才能を持つ者が醜く衰えてゆく　俺はつらい　耐えられない　死んでくれ杏寿郎　若く強いまま

i don't think akaza is actually talking about kyoujurou in the first bubble, since he uses 者 in japanese and not お前 like he does earlier in this chapter. that means the first bubble is more of a general statement, that "Those who hold magnificent talent come to disgracefully waste away."

with the second bubble the english team has made another confusing choice, in my opinion. 「俺はつらい」 is just like, "It pains me." in english. there was no reason to cram so many words in that tiny thing! kinda funny, though.

the last bubble in this panel is fine, surprisingly. i have my own preferences for how it could've been translated, but the way it came out is good too.

to wrap this post up we have another kyoujurou panel. he's yelling at tanjirou in this one, after tanjirou tries to get up.

english:

Don't move! If your wounds open, you'll die! It's not your time yet!

japanese:

動くな!! 傷が開いたら致命傷になるぞ!! 待機命令!!

first half of this will be nitpicky, second half is less so. 「傷が開いたら致命傷になるぞ!!」 is more literally translated as "If your wounds open, they will become fatal wounds!" which is so small of a difference from the official english translation that i feel kinda bad pointing it out, but whatever. if it helps someone internalise japanese grammar then it's a good decision.

「待機命令」, on the other hand, is decidedly not "It's not your time yet!" 待機 (たいき) means standing by, awaiting an opportunity, being on alert. 命令 (めいれい) is order, command, decree, directive. 待機命令 should really be "Wait for orders!" or "Stand by!" or something along those lines. i guess the official english version is kind of similar? when i read it, though, i thought kyoujurou meant it wasn't tanjirou's time to die yet. given the context i'm sure lots of people thought the same, and that's simply not accurate to the original.

alright, that's all for this panel breakdown. i hope the kyoujurou fans enjoyed this one, seeing as he had so much to say. thanks for reading, and please look forward to the next posts!

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 63 name breakdown

woohoo, 401 posts! not gonna write out any other preamble for this post, though, because we've got a lot of names to get into. seven, to be exact (and one bonus!). we'll start with the upper rank demon who makes his debut this chapter:

猗窩座

read as あかざ. upper rank 3. coincidentally he uses 3 techniques during his fight with kyoujurou in this chapter, and kyoujurou uses 3 of his own techniques in return. we'll look at those names later in the post, don't worry.

猗 (あ) seems to be a very obscure kanji. kanjipedia lists it as a level 1 kanji for the 日本漢字能力検定, or the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (漢検/kanken for short). there are 12 levels on that test and level 1 is the hardest, with an average of about 8% of all level 1 examinees passing in the 2024-2025 exam year.

that same kanjipedia page gives a few meanings for 猗. it can be a sound of admiration, wonder, or astonishment (感嘆の声). it can also mean beautiful, graceful, or docile (うつくしい, たおやか, すなお). my favorite bilingual dictionary takoboto says 猗 carries the meaning of luxuriant growth, which probably refers to a japanese idiom that means great wealth or very wealthy person, which in itself is a reference to a story from chinese classical literature. kanjipedia has a page for that idiom, too, if you're interested in a jumping off point for learning about chinese classics.

窩 (か) is also on the level 1 kanken, but comes up in more actual words than 猗 does. they're mostly anatomical terms, but still--actual words, e.g. 腋窩 (えきか), armpit, axilla. again from kanjipedia, we get meanings like cave, cavern, hole, cavity, and hollow; but also den and nest and to hide something or hiding place.

座 (ざ) is by far the most common kanji in akaza's name. it's a level 5 on the kanken and part of the jouyou kanji list. you probably recognise it first from 座る, to sit. 座 is a noun in its own right, though, and usually means seat or place. it can also mean position or status; gathering, party, company, atmosphere (of a gathering); and stand, pedestal, platform. historically (think edo era) a 座 could've been a trade guild or a mint. 座 may also attach to the ends of certain words to denote a constellation (e.g. かに座, Cancer, lit. crab constellation) or a theater stage, cinema, or theatrical troupe. finally, 座 is a counter word for statues of deities, among other things.

these 3 kanji, in my mind, did not form a coherent image together. but then i remembered that akaza's backstory is revealed later, including his human name, 狛治 (はくじ). the 狛 in 狛治 is the same as the 狛 in 狛犬 (こまいぬ), which is the name for the lion-dog statues that stand in front of shrines. they are symbols of protection.

these facts are referenced in chapter 155 by akaza's former martial arts teacher keizou. keizou says to akaza (then hakuji) that they are similar in this regard: 「何か守るものが無いと駄目なんだよ　お社を守っている狛犬みたいなもんだ」 or "It's no good if [we] don't have something to protect. [We're] like lion-dog statues protecting a shrine."

what does this have to do with akaza's demon name? well, the 猗 in 猗窩座 uses the same version of the "dog" radical 犭as 狛, and 猗 has another "dog" at the top...just with a piece cut off (大 vs 犬). multiple sources take this to mean that the "dog" has been "castrated"--that is to say, akaza is no longer the 狛犬 he was as a human. he has nothing to protect, and keizou did say that they were no good without something to protect.

if we take 窩 as meaning hiding place and 座 as to sit, then 猗窩座 is a castrated guard dog sitting in a hiding place. the name signifies that akaza, as a demon, has lost everything he once cared about, and has chosen to abandon his principles in favor of hiding from reality. very well done name, gotouge.

let's move on to the technique names introduced in this chapter. the first is flame breathing's second form,

昇り炎天

read as のぼりえんてん. the official english version translates it as Rising Scorching Sun, which is a pretty literal translation. 昇り (のぼり) is the nominalised form of 昇る, to ascend, to rise. 炎天 (えんてん) means hot weather or blazing sun/sky. only one note from me here, which is that 昇 was likely chosen over other possible kanji (上, 登) because that kanji is usually used when referring to things in nature ascending, like smoke or the sun. it also contains the character for sun, 日!

next is akaza's first technique. it is called

術式展開　破壊殺・羅針

read as じゅつしきてんかい　はかいさつ・らしん. in english, Technique Development, Destructive Death: Compass Needle. again this is a pretty literal translation. 術式 (じゅつしき) is indeed technique, but it specifically describes a surgical technique or method. it may rarely be used for magic (呪術・じゅじゅつ) techniques or methods as well. 展開 (てんかい) is development but also expansion--the same expansion as in jujutsu kaisen's Domain Expansion (領域展開・りょういきてんかい).

破壊殺 is a made-up compound of 破壊 (はかい), destruction, and 殺 (さつ), murder. so Destructive Death isn't the most correct translation, but i think it's fine. the alliteration is nice, yknow?

羅針 (らしん) is just compass needle. fun fact: that 羅 (ら) is the same 羅 as in 碧羅の天, the second step of the hinokami kagura, which i covered in chapter 61's name breakdown.

after that we get another one of akaza's technique names.

破壊殺・空式

read as はかいさつ・くうしき. 空式 becomes Air Type in the official english. the reading of くう evokes feelings of emptiness or the void, but was most likely just chosen to match the on'yomi used with 式. akaza does punch the empty air with this technique, though. and personally i would've made it Air Style instead of Air Type, but what do i know? i'm not a professional.

kyoujurou deflects this attack from akaza with the fourth form of flame breathing,

盛炎のうねり

read as せいえんのうねり. it is Blooming Flame Undulation in english, a very weird name in my opinion. 盛炎 (せいえん) is another made-up word. the first character, 盛 (せい), carries meanings of prosperity, flourishing, vivacity, and piling up. 炎 (えん) is, of course, flame. and then うねり is undulation, winding, meandering but also swell, surge, billow. so instead of using a word like Undulation, you could have Surge of Blooming Flames, which i think sounds much better.

then kyoujurou and akaza attack one another at the same time, each with their own new technique name. akaza's is

破壊殺・乱式

read as はかいさつ・らんしき, or Destructive Death: Disorder in the official english. 乱 (らん) carries meanings of riot, war, and disorder. not much to say here except that i'd really rather the translation team keep the 式 pattern going. maybe Disorder Type (Disorder Style, if i had my way) or Chaos Type? something other than just Disorder at least.

last but not least, the technique kyoujurou uses is called

炎虎

read as えんこ. Flame Tiger in the official english, which is the literal translation. no notes.

holy shit this took me so long to type up. thanks for reading, and please look forward to the next posts! 読んでくれてありがとう！次の投稿を楽しみにしてください！

[epivanosilon]

400 posts!

like the title says, this will be my 400th post on this blog.

it's crazy to me how much of my free time i've dedicated to doing this. i've been working at it on and off for over 3 years now, and while i definitely have improved my japanese comprehension, i know there's still a long way to go to get to where i want to be.

thinking about it is...daunting, to say the least. i have a lot of doubts--will i ever be able to read something without looking up a single word or grammar point? will i ever be able to hold a conversation in japanese without seeming like an idiot? will i ever feel secure enough in my language abilities to talk to my grandma in her native language? to my mom? it's not like they're getting any younger...

but i have to push those thoughts away and focus on what's in front of me. nothing i can do about the future, right? what will be, will be. i just need to do what i can in the present.

and i have been! i keep up with my anki reviews, i read tweets and short webcomics and manga, i listen to music, i talk to myself, i do (gestures to blog) whatever you'd call this. i don't notice it enough but i'm doing a lot to further my studies, and most importantly i'm consistent.

go me!!!

that was a nice little pep talk. needed that. anyway, thanks to everyone who interacts with my posts! i have...holy shit 27 followers? i didn't think i would get any at all lmao. 27 is a pretty big class size, and i would know since i work with kids. so, to all of you filling up this classroom, i wish you luck in your studies, and i hope you wish me luck in mine!

[epivanosilon]

resources for learning Japanese

I'm just making this post because someone asked me! This is stuff I've used and liked; it's not comprehensive by any means. For every resource I enjoy, I know a bunch of Japanese learners who managed to reach a high level of proficiency without using it.

First:

The person who messaged me mentioned motivation. I'm gonna play devil's advocate for a quick sec, so bear with me. Japanese, for native speakers of English who do not know any languages similar to Japanese, is really time-consuming to learn. I am teaching Japanese to a student rn, and I just had a conference with their parents in which I straightforwardly said: In the time it takes your child to learn Japanese, they could probably have learned Spanish, French, how to sail, and a bit of carpentry instead. I'm personally learning Japanese for a lot of different reasons: I want to live in a country where I can afford health care and rent; I love Japanese literature and feel intellectually stilted without access to it; lots of my homies speak Japanese; etc. But there are real trade-offs, and I have sometimes wondered what my life would be if I'd gotten super into Dutch or computer programming or moss instead. It's worth thinking about whether the investment is worth it for you, and taking the time to write out why you're doing this.

The Resources

Grammar

A very nice guy named Tae Kim wrote a perfectly good textbook on basic Japanese grammar that he shares with folks for free (https://guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar).

Bunpro.jp: Bunpro is THE BEST!!!!! Really thorough, logical grammar explanations; they routinely clarify stuff for me that I've never fully understood before. In addition to explaining the grammar, they have tons of example sentences, most of which have audio tracks with recordings made by professional Japanese voice actors. AND you can add the grammar points you're learning to a flashcard desk and practice that way. Bunpro doesn't just improve grammar, but it really improves your speaking and writing skills as well imo; something about the way the flashcards force me to think really works on my active language skills.

GameGengo is a super cool YouTube channel where one guy explains grammar points while showing you tons of examples from real video games. https://www.youtube.com/@GameGengo

JapaneseAmmoWithMisa is another great YouTube channel where a native speaker explains a lot of stuff that I otherwise don't encounter in textbooks.

Kanji

I like WaniKani and think it's been the best thing for me in terms of knowing how to read kanji combinations that are kind of "weird," unusual, rare, etc. However, it took me a long time to realize that WaniKani really focuses on passive reading skills and not writing at all, so I do recommend practicing writing on your own.

I didn't own a kanji dictionary for years, but I've found them pretty necessary since I started focusing on my writing. Both of the above are equally good imo (the left is probably more readily available in Japan; the right is cheaper in the US). They both put the kanji in a logical sequence, from common to uncommon, and then have useful lists of frequent kanji combinations, tell you the stroke order, etc.

Listening

I really like FluentU, which shows you clips from native materials like movies, shows, commercials, interviews, etc., and then teaches you the vocab you heard, quizzes you on it, and shows you the video again so that you can see how much more you can understand. It's a little expensive to use, though (DO wait for their sales, which happen frequently), and you can definitely find a lot of free stuff to listen to online.

I love JFF Theatre, which has recently released movies from Japan, completely free to watch:

They used to only be allowed to stream movies for one month every year, and now they stream different stuff year-round, which is really cool. They usually have about 6 different movies at a time.

Textbooks

The Shin Kanzen Master textbook series, which is based on JLPT levels, is known for being pretty hard but is also v useful, especially if you're trying to pass the JLPT. The vocab textbooks are cool when you're N2 and above because they teach you tons of nuance between synonyms of words.

Misc

You can follow cool Japanese learners on Tumblr like @tokidokitokyo, @corvid-language-library, and @epivanosilon (and tons of other cool folks!!)

There's a fun monthly book club on Discord that's probably good for N2+ folks: https://www.tumblr.com/tokidokitokyo/785027373105020929/seitokais-june-english-book-club

Ruby Gagotoku on Instagram and Substack makes amazing posts on learning Japanese (she is N1+ in terms of reading), and she's really inspiring to me because she taught herself to read Japanese books while never having actually been to Japan. If you follow her, you can definitely find a lot of resources, communities online, and homies to learn with: https://www.instagram.com/rubygagotoku, https://rubygagotoku.substack.com/

Literally yesterday I found the KuLA app (くずし字学習支援アプリKuLA), which teaches you the basics of how to read kuzushiji (pre-modern Japanese script) in a cute way. I love how the little bug-sensei starts off so optimistic but then freaks out when explaining how hard it is to read pre-modern texts lol:

And remember: There's no shame in learning Spanish, French, sailing, and carpentry instead of this beast of a language that has uprooted my life multiple times and has made me go through probably 40,000 flashcards in the last decade lollllll ganbatte

[epivanosilon]

reading demon slayer: chapter 62 phrases

title: 悪夢に終わる (あくむにおわる) || to end in a nightmare

official english title: ending in a dream

手間をかける – to take pains, take time for someone, do work for someone, go to trouble for someone | てまをかける

ケチがつく – to be jinxed, suffer a stroke of bad luck, suffer a setback, have a damper put on one, have cold water thrown on one

命に別状は無い – (one’s) life is not in danger, not life-threatening | いのちにべつじょうはない

may also be written with 別条 instead of 別状.