I tried learning Japanese kanji in WamojiSword and failed
The pen is just as mighty as the sword
You can say what you want about gamified learning apps, but at the end of the day, they're still that - learning apps. Even Duolingo's oppressive owl - the most notorious pressure-pusher in the entire academic world - tries to give you some form of gamified incentive for learning new languages, whether that's in the form of streaks (like daily login bonuses in gachas) or in treasure chests you can unlock for gems.
I myself have been slaving away under the Duolingo owl's tutelage, trying to learn Japanese for a few weeks now, and honestly, I've never felt like the gamified stuff has been all that effective in helping me learn. Which is why an actual game that's an actual game will always be better than an educational tool masquerading as one.
But before I use the word "game" in even more sentences (as it's pretty much an editorial taboo over here at PG Towers), let me talk about my mixed-bag experience with WamojiSword, and why it's been stuck in my head for a few days now ever since I gave it a go last week.
Essentially, it's a Survivors-like where you fend off endless waves of enemies for a certain amount of time on each level. Clearing through a stage rewards you with stuff, which, given the Japanese theme littered all throughout here, are items of interest that'll teach you about Japanese culture.
But perhaps the most intriguing thing about WamojiSword - at least, to me - is that it promises to imbue your own name with the power of the gods so that you may strike down demons threatening the peace in your town. You're supposed to input your name, and it'll generate a powerful sword for you, with different attributes that'll give you an edge in combat.
These attributes come in the form of kanji, and with the pronunciation and meaning clearly stated in your inventory, you're meant to learn about this writing system as you go along.
The thing is, it's only ever seen in your inventory, and it doesn't use it in a sample sentence, nor does it have any practical application. You can't even hear it being pronounced properly, so you'll have no idea how you're supposed to say the word. Plus, your supposedly "unique" (yet another editorial taboo here) name isn't so unique after all, as you can simply input another random name and it'll generate another sword for you with a random attribute, just like a gacha pull.
It also doesn't even help with word association or mnemonics, because the kanji for Employ, for example, gives you a Shield while the kanji for One has a Heal attribute. The kanji for the word that means Section, meanwhile, is an Attack card…which seems a tad random to me.
I don't know. I suppose I wasn't sure what I was expecting here. It's definitely not a place where I can learn kanji, but I do very much appreciate the collectibles that teach you about Japanese culture (like onigiri rice balls and the dreaded natto). I guess the point is simply to enjoy it as a game rather than a learning tool - and as a Survivors-like, it really is enjoyable.
Manage your expectations, is what I'm trying to say, I suppose. Play it and maybe learn from it, but don't expect things to go the other way around.
That said, it doesn't mean it's not worth giving a go. I love the theming here, and there actually is a narrative if that's your thing. Besides, how many Survivors-likes do you know have actually gone through all the effort of trying to immerse you into the culture that the atmosphere is based on?
In any case, I'm still playing, and it's still a lot of fun. I don't expect to be a master at kanji any time soon, but I do feel like I'll be a master yokai-hunter by the time this is all over - and that's infinitely more awesome, isn't it?
