On this blog, I wanted to create a concrete scale to use when recommending Japanese-language manga. So, on this page, I will be explaining the reasoning behind each level rating.
At first, I wanted to align with the JLPT rating scale; however, this proved to be a bit of a challenge for me. So instead, I am choosing to use the much friendlier “beginner, intermediate, and advanced” scale.
Beginner
- Manga labelled “beginner” will be manga friendly to those that are just starting out their Japanese learning journey.
- Minimal to no kanji.
- Shorter, clearer sentences.
Intermediate
- Manga labelled “intermediate” will be manga friendly to those who have been studying Japanese for at least a year.
- The majority of vocabulary used will be commonly used, “day-to-day” Japanese.
- Kanji is present, but with furigana.
- There will be a combination of “masu” form standard Japanese, casual Japanese, and some slang.
Advanced
- Manga labelled “advanced” will be manga friendly to those who are very comfortable reading in Japanese.
- The vocabulary may be niche to certain topics (magic, war, mythology, medicine, etc.)
- Kanji is present, possibly with no furigana.
- There may be keigo usage, and all other forms of written Japanese.
- There may be regional dialects.
Maddies Manga 