📚 bibliothecary's bibliophilia 📚 language log 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 🇨🇳

bibliothecary · October 1, 2023, 5:05pm

Finished this week

includes a written review
read along with audiobook
audiobook only
adult content; not currently on Natively
format not currently supported on Natively
만화경 webtoon; see this post

Manhwa

Listening

Hangugeo con AngDuck for Beginners eps 30-55
Hangugeo con AngDuck eps 1-2
KBS 무대 2 eps

Review

Finished 앵덕’s beginners podcasts, and started the regular series. I kind of wonder why I wanted to listen to the whole beginner series since it was too easy for me, but I guess I like doing things in order? I also get the feeling these podcasts may have been a lockdown project, as episodes were released regularly for a couple of years, then stopped. In the past year or so there have only been two further episodes, one of which was in the past week. Hopefully they’ll continue, as there aren’t many easy Korean podcasts which are (almost) entirely in Korean.

The regular episodes are about 15-20 minutes long and noticeably more challenging than the beginner episodes (I have to actually pay attention ). In the first episode, 앵덕 talks about (really, really) enjoying listening to Nihongo con Teppei while learning Japanese, which unsurprisingly inspired “한국어 con 앵덕”. In the second, we learn that 앵덕 is indeed short for “angry duck”, but there’s also 한자 to go with it: 櫻 (앵두 앵) - cherry, and 德 (덕 덕) - virtuous. I think the host mentioned that it’s their IRL nickname, too.

Also listened to an episode of KBS 무대 - I think I’ll try to listen to these regularly, and if there’s one I particularly enjoy I’ll relisten while reading the 대본. I kind of “save” 🎧 Podcasts & Radio Dramas [with scripts] to practise reading and listening concurrently, but I reminded myself that I don’t need to do that - since it requires a bit more attention and concentration (I inevitably end up doing intensive reading, even if I don’t mean to), it tends to be forgotten about in favour of more enjoyable content.

무대 is at a nice level for me: easy enough to casually listen to while doing other things, but just challenging enough to keep my attention (I tend to tune out of content that’s too easy or too difficult). The stories are interesting enough, even if they’re not the type of content I’d usually pick.

Being able to purchase from 오디오코믹스(AudioComics) would be great, but has the usual hurdles of accessing Korean content (I guess they don’t want my money…). I’d like to listen to podcasts that are unscripted where the hosts just chat about random stuff, but I think it would be difficult to find something that’s right in that understanding sweet spot, and I don’t have the patience to try lots of different shows Goldilocks-style on podbbang right now.

I read 인형 천국, which is the 만화 equivalent of an ice cream sundae with all the toppings - 300% of your recommended daily sugar intake and 너무너무 귀엽다!

Continuing the 남친 있어요 시리즈 (series) | L20 만화 - not quite as amazing as 피비’s other series 비의도적 연애담 시리즈 (series) | L26, but the cute, wholesome, healthy relationship makes it better than 99% of other BL in my eyes.

Also got more physical Korean books!

책벌레의 하극상 제1부 - 병사의 딸 1 | L28 - since I’m enjoying the story so far, I’d prefer reading the physical copy
Semantic Error - started the ebook, but wasn’t particularly enjoying the digital experience, so continuing with the physical copy (5-volume ebook is compiled into two physical books)
위대한 학교 | L21 - listened to the audiobook on Storytel (no ebook available), looking forward to reading and listening to pick up on the parts I missed
마녀 배달부 키키 1 | L25?? - another one with the audiobook on Storytel but no ebook, planning on reading/listening to the Japanese as well at some point, so this will be good prep
클라라의 만물상점 | L22?? - no real reason except it seemed interesting and no ebook was available

Generally it’s cheaper and more convenient to read Korean ebooks, but I don’t particularly enjoy reading digitally, so if I like a book, I’d rather have the physical copy (and of course not all books are available as ebooks).

bibliothecary · October 1, 2023, 5:15pm

October Goals

Experimenting with goal tracking!

Type	Goal	Progress
Read	5 manhwa volumes	▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱
Watch	20 TV episodes	▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱
Listen	10 앵덕 eps¹	▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱

_{1. Starting at episode 3.}

Daily Checklist

Week 2	월	화	수	목	금	토	일
만화
드라마
앵덕

Week 1: 2nd-8th Oct

Week 1	월	화	수	목	금	토	일
만화
드라마
앵덕

Days Listened

Anything audio-only: podcasts, radio dramas, etc.

eefara · October 2, 2023, 3:36pm

How did you get those progress squares set up?

bibliothecary · October 2, 2023, 3:41pm

A simple table of checkboxes:

| 월 | 화 | 수 | 목 |금 | 토 |일
| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
|||||| | [x] |
| [x] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] |
| [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] |
| [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] |
| [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] | [] |
| [] | [] | [] |

You can check off the boxes without needing to edit the post, which is handy!

ETA: Misunderstood! The progress boxes are just copy and paste. ▰▱
I just made a line of 10 to reflect percentages.

eefara · October 2, 2023, 3:47pm

Ah, gotcha! Thanks!

bungakushoujo · October 2, 2023, 4:02pm

You are a formatting pro!!

bibliothecary · October 8, 2023, 5:56pm

Finished this week

Legend

includes a written review
read along with audiobook
audiobook only
podcast
drama CD
condensed audio
re-read/watch/listen
만화경 webtoon; see this post
adult content; not currently on Natively
format not currently supported on Natively

Listening

Hangugeo con AngDuck eps 3-8
KBS 무대 1 ep

Review

Another light week on the Korean side of things. I wonder whether this is just a natural cycle, where I’ll find myself pulled more to one language than another for a period of time before the pendulum swings back the other way. It could also be that I just happen to have found a lot of Japanese content that’s entertaining and at a comfortable language level, so there’s less time for Korean (it has also crossed my mind that thinking of content by language rather than just the entertainment value may also play a part in it, but who knows). Anyway, trying not to worry about it too much and just trusting that something will spark my interest in Korean again.

Listened to some 앵덕 episodes which I need to play at 1.5x speed, otherwise they feel painfully slow (and, somewhat surprisingly, more difficult to understand). Although it’s a step up language-wise from the beginner show, the content is still a bit boring for me, since I’m already familiar with the cultural things she’s discussing.

Didn’t enjoy the 무대 ep I listened to, it was one of those over-the-top 막장s:

Woman: I’ve been working 30 hours a day for a month.
Boyfriend: Should I drive?
Woman: No, it’s fine
-driving noises-
Woman: Look at my dangerous driving!
Boyfriend: Please drive more carefully.
Woman: Don’t worry so much.
-CRASH!-
-hospital sounds-
Doctor: You’re in the hospital.
Woman: Is my boyfriend hurt, too?
Doctor: No.
Woman: That’s a relief.
Doctor: He ded.
Woman: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT’S AAAAAAAAAAALL MYYYYYYYYYY FAAAAAAAAAAAAAULT!!!

So that was the first couple of minutes… I did burst out laughing several times at how absurd it was (the BF comes back as a ghost!), but I don’t get the appeal of these kind of dramas.

I have a tendency to want to finish low-effort content, even if I’m not enjoying it, so I did end up listening to the whole thing. It also explains why I’m slogging through 악몽선생 S1 | L23 even though I’m finding it incredibly boring.

Why do I do this to myself? There’s a whole bunch of amazing Korean books and shows I could be enjoying, but my brain is like “you must eat these overcooked veggies before you can have dessert”.

bungakushoujo · October 8, 2023, 6:50pm

I can really relate to this too — I guess it’s just the way it goes when you’re learning multiple languages. When I get stuck like that in either Japanese or Korean, I ask myself what it is I’m enjoying so much in one language at the moment and try to seek out equivalent media to help me get back into it. It can be a struggle though!

bibliothecary · October 31, 2023, 4:17pm

October Review

A quiet month for Korean - there were a couple of weeks I didn’t do anything in the language. I’m working on trying to find a nice balance between languages, as it still seems to be an either/or situation.

I’ve finished the moomin picture books, which I guess means I’ll have to take another shot at 토베 얀손 무민 연작소설 (series) | L30?? which has lots of flowery language (but also has audiobooks available, which is great).

Speaking of audiobooks, I’m trying to make the most of my Storytel subscription - I read a few children’s books along with the audio this month, I’ve started 작은 공주 세라 | L20?? and picked 해리 포터와 마법사의 돌 | L30?? back up again.

I think rather than the goals being a certain number of books/TV episodes (didn’t do well with my goals for October ), I’ll focus on finishing specific items.

Finished

Legend

includes a written review
read along with audiobook
audiobook only
podcast
drama CD
condensed audio
re-read/watch/listen
만화경 webtoon; see this post
adult content; not currently on Natively
format not currently supported on Natively

Children’s Book

Manhwa

TV series

악몽선생 S1 | L23

Listening

Hangugeo con AngDuck eps 3-8
KBS 무대 3 eps

Stats

11 books (+1 non-Natively)
1 TV season
11 ratings
7 reviews
324 gradings
126 books contributed

658 pages read (+200 non-Natively)
3.5 hours watched
4.5 hours listened

요약

download

.

eefara · October 31, 2023, 6:18pm

Dang, 21,000+ grades. You’re a machine, thecary.

bibliothecary · November 1, 2023, 12:18pm

November Goals

Type	Title	Completed
book	작은 공주 세라
book	해리 포터와 마법사의 돌
book	Korean Stories for Language Learners
TV series	풍덕빌라 304호의 사정
TV series	미라큘러스 레이디버그 S1

Finished

Legend

includes a written review
read along with audiobook
audiobook only
podcast
drama CD
condensed audio
re-read/watch/listen
만화경 webtoon; see this post
adult content; not currently on Natively
format not currently supported on Natively

Children’s

Manhwa

TV series

eefara · July 17, 2023, 5:06pm

Phew, good luck juggling both languages bibliothecary! I’ve been reading your Korean log since you started it, and you’ve been putting in so much good work there already. I’m pretty curious about the memoirs and interviews you mentioned; could you tell me a little more about them?

bibliothecary · July 17, 2023, 6:13pm

Thank you! I’m hoping I can read in both languages each day, even if it’s just a manga chapter or something. Language learning is a hobby for me, so there’s no pressure thankfully.

I’d love to!

As you may know, 萩尾望都 played a big role in pushing the boundaries of shoujo manga with the 24年組.

This book seems mostly to focus on her time with the group in the early 70s; This one is a compilation of her lectures on shoujo manga given at various universities; this one has several mangaka talking about her work and the impact it had on them; and in the Talk Collection, she documents her conversations with other notable mangaka over 40(!!) years.

70s

マンガのあなた SFのわたし萩尾望都・対談集 1970年代編 | L30??
手塚治虫「ＳＦマンガについて語ろう」
水野英子「私たちって変わり者かしら」
石ノ森章太郎「ＳＦの話は延々尽きない」
美内すずえ「親愛なるモー様へ」
寺山修司「月で修学旅行の案内係」
小松左京「絵の理想型とは？」
手塚治虫＋松本零士「マンガ、ＳＦ、アニメーション」
羽海野チカ「全部、萩尾作品から学びました」

80s

コトバのあなたマンガのわたし萩尾望都・対談集代編 | L30??
吉本隆明「自己表現としての少女マンガ」
野田秀樹 Part.1 「オフレコにしてくれます？」, Part.2 「夢は舞台を駆けめぐる」
光瀬龍「百億の昼と千億の夜」
種村季弘「吸血鬼幻想」
小笠原豊樹＋川又千秋「レイ・ブラッドベリの魅力」
伊藤理佐「おんなの扉」

90s

物語るあなた絵描くわたし萩尾望都対談集 1990年代編 | L30??
中島らも「恐怖の快感」
夢枕獏「小説をマンガで描く愉しみ、マンガ化してもらう悦び」
森博嗣「創作のきっかけは萩尾作品」
氷室冴子「空想からの発想」
ささやななえ「マンガ今昔物語」
巖谷國士「マンガ独特の体験」
東村アキコ「私の人生を変えた萩尾作品」

00s

愛するあなた恋するわたし: 萩尾望都対談集 2000年代編 | L30??
吾妻ひでお「SF妄想世界の旅」
よしながふみ「やおいと純愛」
恩田陸「萩尾作品は私の原点」
庵野秀明+佐藤嗣麻子「エヴァンゲリオンのその後」
大和和紀「少女マンガの黄金時代」
清水玲子「マンガ的美少年」
ヤマザキマリ「始まりは萩尾マンガだった」

I’ve got all of these sitting on a bookshelf just waiting for my Japanese language skills to improve so I can read them.

eefara · July 17, 2023, 6:18pm

Daaaang. That is so cool! I hadn’t even heard of 24年組 before; definitely going to have to look that up! Thank you for all the info!

bibliothecary · July 31, 2023, 10:06am

I’ve mostly been reading manga lately, but I’m going to try to get through some more Tadoku graded readers. I’ve read 92/109 of Tadoku - Free (series) | L0-19??, so I want to finish the series, and I’ve got 5 volumes of Taishukan Japanese Readers (series) | L7-22 and Tadoku - Japanese Graded Readers (series) | L5-22 sitting on my bookshelf.

If one of my picks for the ライトノベル読書会 📚 Light Novel Book Club | Reading 本好き | Next 後宮の烏 wins, I’ll join that (though it will be a stretch considering my current level); if not, I’ll to start a book+audiobook (possibly Magic Tree House Book Club? 🏡). I want to build my Japanese reading habit and improve so I can start reading all my BL LNs (new book club idea!)

eefara · July 31, 2023, 11:57am

Don’t tempt me.

Naphthalene · July 31, 2023, 1:04pm

Never fear. I shall join the club instead to save @eefara from temptation. It is a hard sacrifice, but a noble cause

Biblio · July 31, 2023, 1:14pm

I am saved from temptation, because I own very few BL books. however, webnovels exist.

bibliothecary · August 5, 2023, 10:08pm

I managed to read Japanese every day this week!

Here’s what I finished:

I picked up 絵本おじさまと猫ふくまるとしあわせの宇宙船書籍 | L17 because I was hoping it would be a heartwarming story about ふくまる and パパ (just look at that adorable chibi おじさま on the cover); instead, it was a story about ふくまる meeting a couple of 宇宙猫…

Anyway, I’ve started https://learnnatively.com/book/599111c352/ (already read it in English) and I am ready to feel some feelings.

It doesn’t look like one of my picks is gonna win the ライトノベル読書会 📚 Light Novel Book Club | Reading 本好き | Next 後宮の烏 (what a tense battle ) so I guess I’m gonna be reading Magic Treehouse along with the audiobook. _{I’ll wait till the poll’s officially over just in case}

bibliothecary · September 1, 2023, 12:18pm

So August wasn’t a great month for my Japanese…

I haven’t really focused on a single book, instead dipping into a chapters here and there of various manga and children’s books, along with stories from https://yomujp.com, http://hukumusume.com/, and https://www.satorireader.com/.

I’m happy I read some Japanese most days, even if they were short sessions. I’m gonna try to remember to mark off my days read calendar, because I haven’t been doing that recently.

I’m thinking of starting early on next week’s reading for 🇰🇷 🇯🇵 Home Thread for 本好きの下剋上 / 책벌레의 하극상 📚 🪱. It’s my first book club and I’m attempting to read both the Japanese and Korean versions, so I want to give myself a bit of a headstart, just to be safe.

ebook + physical book + audiobook
ebook

My plan is:

read the chapters (ebook) straight through, no lookups
read the chapters (physical + audiobook) straight through, no lookups
intensive reading of and side by side (ebooks)
(maybe) relistening to audiobook

Since I foresee this being a challenge, I’m not gonna aim for any more than this. If I can keep up with the book club pace, I’ll be happy!

Current stats

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