Reading Companions

A Reading Companion is a grammar and vocabulary map for reading a specific work in Japanese. Each companion covers one volume of a manga, novel, or other text. It lists the words and grammar patterns you need to read each chapter freely, organized by first appearance.

Open the companion alongside the source material. Before reading a chapter, scan its vocabulary table and grammar list. Then read the chapter. When something is unclear, check the companion. The structural glosses show how selected lines break down. Cross-references point to the Michi stage and chapter where each grammar pattern is taught in full.

Reading Companions are not translations. They do not summarize the plot. They do not teach grammar from scratch. They assume you are working through Michi (or have equivalent knowledge) and want to apply that knowledge to real material. The companion tells you what to recognize. The textbook tells you how it works.