EL本棚紹介(76) Demon Slayer Volume 1, by Koyoharu Gotouge

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This is a book that needs no introduction. If you like Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) in Japanese, you will like it in English. If you don’t like it in Japanese, then you won’t like it in English.

This is a good example of what I mean when I write that “it’s easier to learn what you already know.” If you have already read Demon Slayer in Japanese or watched the anime, then you will know what to expect when reading in English. This lowers the “cognitive load” (how much work your brain needs to do) when reading, because you will already know the characters’ names, you will understand about the world (full of demons and demon slayers), and you might even remember what will happen in the story. As a result, you will be able to guess the meaning of words you don’t know more easily, and you can probably even skip difficult sections without getting confused about the story. I suggest trying to “learn what you already know” by reading some manga or even something in your major (like science or history) that you know well in Japanese. It is a good way to improve your reading skills.

My two cents: I have only read the first volume, so I am curious how the story develops. That said, I don’t really care for the art style…