Kanji LS Touch App Reviews

This app might be an invaluable tool for those learning to read and write Japanese. Infact, Im quite impressed by this app as there are few alternatives available for ipad that will go through all the grades with this type of testing method. That said, the handwritten kanji that users are supposed to mimic by tracing and comparing is TERRIBLE. Such penmanship would be embarassing, so WARNING: just make sure you look at better examples of handwritten kanji to copy if you want to use your Japanese skill for business or school!!! In school you may have points deducted for incorrect stroke endings/flairs at higher levels.

Ive been using this app for the last 5 months and it has been essential in getting me from half-knowing about a 100 characters up to 400 now. There are lots of kanji apps out there but this one really pounds the correct stroke order into you and shows you when youve written poorly or incorrectly. I review vocab in other apps but this one is key for practicing writing. The only addition Id like would be to compile lists of compounds based on the characters I know. That way, on the iPad screen, one could practice writing out whole word compounds, as some characters arent very useful by themselves. Keep it up guys, and thanks!

Ive had this app for about a year, and wow, its extremely helpful and convenient. I know about 420 kanji now thanks to this app, something that wouldve been impossible without it (as Im not very motivated). It has always served me unfailingly. Definitely recommend.

But the interface is kinda lacking. (ie. the black background)

Wow, what a fantastic app. Way cheaper than a textbook and much more useful.

This software is outstanding and sets the standard for which all other future Japanese and Kanji related software should follow. Well done to the developer!

Very nice!! and useful for gaijin

Exactly what I have been waiting for. Well worth the ¥1,400. Would also love it if I could write a character and have the app show me possible kanji (future development?)

Great app to practice writing kanji! Would like to see added: have both meaning (English) and reading (kun/on) > kanji in test mode to help discriminate between kanji similar in meaning.

Why only 3 stars on the ratings? This is THE best app out there that lets you practice writing kanji. Good job makers! Creators, I know you guys can do so much more on this app so keep it up. Cant wait for the next update!

...there are many instances of difficult or obscure vocabulary such as 輪番 and 底力. I can understand that the creators of this application included these words to recycle kanji already encountered, but I would like to see them replaced by more immediately useful and motivating lexis.

I use this application almost every day. Its a fairly simple program but it really does help me practice my kanji writing skills, and the stroke orders are (as far as Ive seen!) always correct. It can be used on both an iPad and iPhone / iPod touch and is an excellent study resource. Worth the asking price in my opinion. Why isnt it perfect? Here are some things that I think could be / I would love to see improved: - the UI and menu navigation can sometimes be a little awkward. For instance, if I tap on a word to get a more detailed explanation, I almost always tap the button that I would expect would take me back to the practice screen, but in actuality its the main menu button. iPhone / iPad apps usually follow a very similar navigation path, so I often find myself back at the main menu when I simply wanted to check up a kanjis meaning before going back to my practice. - Saving my own lists of kanji is fiddly. You go into the browser, search for a kanji by typing in the word (fine until now). After this, you have to go to a separate screen (settings> kanji set) and find marked kanji. From here you can name the group. I do this nearly every day as I have kanji classes and a test of different kanji every weekday morning. The problem is that, even when I save a group of marked kanji under, for example Fridays kanji, then repeat the process on Monday for a new set, despite saving my group under a new name, Mondays kanji includes the previous marked set. Making groups and folders of kanji to study could be made simpler for people like me who want to study specific sets of kanji from one day to the next. - when using the app on an iPad, we can choose to have the writing practice area in the bottom left corner or using the majority of the screen. When you choose the latter, however, the small box displaying the kanjis reading disappears, even though there is space for it at the top. Its not a problem to switch between full-screen and bottom-left modes on-the-fly, but itd be great of I could keep that lovely big writing area and still be able to check the kanji reading as I practice. - although the emphasis of this app is on kanji writing, I would really, really, really love to be able to study kanji in the forms they appear in real life. Its rare that a kanji appears on its own, so Id like to be able to study vocabulary in its kanji form, i.e. words consisting of two or three kanji. This would make memorisation far easier as, in its current form, the app presents kanji in the order they exist on the database. test modes include writing or selecting the correct reading of kanji, which is great, but it would be great if I could study kanji as they naturally occur e.g. 嫌疑 (kengi - doubt) is a common word and paring of two kanji, but if I tell the program I want to study both kanji, the two characters will never be presented to me together, or even one after the other, making learning the vocab and recognising naturally-occurring pairs harder than it need be. For all these improvement suggestions, I am still about fan of the application and have recommended it to several of my classmates. This app is by far the best of its kind at the moment, and I hope to see it continually supported in the future. Thanks!

Nice app, i use it in combination with vocabulary and another great app to study the kanji compounds origin. When will come autorecognition if the input was correct and quality, like kakitori in nintendo ds? Keep up the good work

Best app ever to study kanji. You can personalize the kanji set and push the level of expertise of the test as far as you need. A pro app for those who study Japanese, a real "must have".

I am so happy someone finally used the touch screens potential in a kanji learning app for English (and other language) speakers. However, there are some things missing that really hold the app back. The following features are currently missing as of March 5th 2009: -1- Searchable database. I want to be able to type in the reading or the actual kanji and bring up a specific kanji for practice. -2- Custom lists. I want to be able to study only the specific kanji that are going to be on my next quiz usually. -3- Examples and compounds. Without these the program fails in matters of teaching reading comprehension and introducing new (unfamiliar) kanji. As much as I like this app it is only fun for a while and then I have to go back to programs such as Lima Skys "Kanji" which have the above features as I dont have time to study anything less specific than my own course content. Summary: Considering the price and competition, this program does not currently accomplish as much as it should, but its innovation, ease of interface, and unique drawing test method entitle it to no less than four stars. Thank you for making this app. I will modify my review and rating as updates become available.

So far its good, but Id like to see the full jouyou kanji set and it should have the ability to input our own meanings for the kanji (for those of us studying via Heisig). Also, Id like to see a kind of daily spaced repitition system built into it, like Kanjiflip, so we can write the ones we had the most trouble with daily and improve. Please add this stuff to make the app perfect.

The newest update added two very important features that had been on my wish list: * a SRS feature for optimal efficiency in retaining kanji (the latest update includes Leitner system boxes, so that reviews of known kanji are scheduled so you spend the most time studying the things you are having difficulty, rather than repeating stuff you already know.) * ability to easily customize decks, for example a button that says add to practice list Given the improvements, this app goes from 3 to 4 stars in my book. The Leitner system is great! Here is my earlier review: ********************************* If you want to practice fingerpainting kanji by rote, this app will allow you to do that. The practice mode does a decent job of showing stroke order and you just follow along with your fingertips. Test mode allows you to compare the kanji you drew with their version, and that is fairly useful. The multiple choice test mode is unremarkable in any way. If you exit the app and re-open it does not remember where you were in the deck. VERY FRUSTRATING if you were somewhere midway through the 700+ jlpt2 kanji. Even if you remembered which # you were at, there is no feature to be able to go to that card. Wish list for this app: * ability to pick up where you left off after exiting and reopening the app * an outline of the drawing area, so you actually know how much space you have to draw the kanji in * ability to navigate to a certain kanji by kana or english meaning * a couple of jyukugyo (compounds) with below each kanji. Bottom line, this app is very basic, especially considering the price, but it does let you practice drawing your kanji over and over, and for that reason, I do use it. It has a lot of room for improvement. I would consider adding more stars if more features were added.

This app features some great Kanji learning tools, including (the ultimate in my opinion) testing your ability to WRITE, and not just read, the Kanji you have learned. Another fantastic thing is that the author is still working on the app, and he already has some really great ideas on where it should be going (check out the website for the app to see what he has up his sleeve). One thing that I would like to see would be the aforementioned Kanji writing tests with, instead of English definitions, Japanese words (or just On and Kun readings) provided in kana. Language learning is best when you can start to move away from the need to translate, and that minor change would make that easier.

This is the first review I have taken time to write. I have always been looking for an app to practice writing Kanji and this is better than I thought it could be on the Ipod touch. Very good.

This program is really useful for practicing/learning kanji. I find it so much more effective to actually write the kanji than just to look at flashcards. I understand there is a new version in the works; Id like to be able to save my custom test lists--I believe that will be in the new version.