Real Kana App Reviews

Ive been using this to study hiragana for my Japanese course for weeks, and will continue using it when we move to katakana next week. Really great practice tool!

Simple to the point and very effective. Set aside 10min every day for this app and you know them all in no time.

For those who, like me, check the reviews before buying apps, Please read this! Within the first 5 minutes, I had already learned 5 new kana. Thats awesome! At least to me it is! And the thing I love about this above all is that it teaches pure sounds (like か), impure sounds (like が), and compounds (like ぎゃ), when I couldnt find any other apps that do. So, in conclusion, BUY IT!

Nuff said. Im going to pass my Japanese class now.

I started using the website because it was recommended in a really helpful Tofugu hirigana guide. Its been really useful and effective because Im always on the go. The app version is so sleek, minimal, and easy to use! I give this a big thumbs up!

Post-update, this app just crashes before opening on my iOS7 iPhone 4.

I have been using this app for a while and nothing works better than this for studying your various kana. I was so excited that it is now redesigned! Before, the app was fuzzy and not up to date with the interface/design/keyboard. Now it works even better, has more features and is appealing to the eye. Reccomed to anyone studying Japanese!

As it is, this app is pretty spectacular. It’s simple, it fits the bill for quick review of the kana, and it does everything it’s supposed to do. I have one qualm with the UI. Getting to the settings isn’t exactly intuitive. I love how it’s done, but a single page tutorial explaining how to access settings for first time users would go a long way. As a feature request, I think using spaced repetition (see wikipedia Spaced_repetition) would take this to the next level, and then voice recognition would be incredible. That would help with those of us who know the kana and want to speak as much as possible (I say them out loud when I read them). But, keep in mind, this is a lot to ask for. The developer(s) did a really great job! (The missing 5th start is just for the lack of obvious way to adjust the settings.)

Help tabs are completely blank in ios7

Not recommended for iOS 7, no help icon or instructions also just keeps scrolling the same 5 hiragana, I wasted 3 dollars.

This is a wonderful app for those just starting out learning the characters. After using 6-7 other methods, and almost 2 months of trying nothing worked. I finally came across this app & writhing 1 week was able to memorize both hiragana & katakana characters. A month & 1/2 later Im well on my way with the doubles and extended sets. A few problems I did find though are, when use on my iPad some of the features dont work and the image could be bigger with using a larger screen. Lastly when I. Practice I tend to pronounce the character, it would be great if after u type the pronunciation out it says it out loud to reinforce that Im saying it right. If I wasnt for those 2 issues it would be the greatest...

I just threw away $2.99, terrible app. The hiragana just scrolls, no sound, small print.

Much better apps out there for Kana, and theyre probably free. After about 30 seconds of using this app I knew it was kind of worthless. Unfortunately there was a way to get my money back. But since its the cost of cappuccino Im not gonna sweat it.

Version 1 was cleaner and faster for practice. In this version if you want to verify your answer it marks you wrong and the next slide should be the answer instead of having to double tap. Also if using typing it doesnt clear your type if you are wrong like the previous version. You have to backspace before trying again which slows you down if you are working on recognition speed or romaji typing. The backgrounds are distracting as well. I wish there was a legacy mode so we could get the version 1 interface back. This version 2 is change for change sake and ended up with a step backward. I will be looking for another app.

This is a fantastic app for the purpose that it was created for which is to help people who already know or are learning hiragana or katakana to practice. It is NOT a tool to begin learning the language with. The app allows you to choose which groups of hiragana to add so if youve learned half, you can study just that half. Plus it uses a bunch of different fonts so that you can get used to seeing what the symbols sometimes appear as. Basically, think of this as flash cards for hiragana. If you dont wanna cough up $2, theres a free version online.

Ive been using this app for years. Its great for drilling you on your hiragana and katakana when youre on the train, or during commercial breaks on TV. Easy to use, simple UI

It had been a while since I had used my Japanese and this application was a great and fun way to get me back up to speed.

Most Kana apps arent very good. This one allows you to select kana, then test yourself in different ways. For example, you can pick different fonts, different sets of kana, different modes of testing, etc. Most other apps Ive tried have offered only very limited quiz sets, but this one allows you a lot of flexibility that really helps you improve your understanding of hiragana and katakana.

Started learning on the RealKana website a few weeks back and was psyched to see there’s an app. It’s excellent – just the right amount of what you need, no more, no less. Very happy to start spending plenty of time w/ this app, and later on, the Real Kanji app. My only gripe is that it doesn’t support landscape orientation on the iPad; for those of us who want to practice while eating our cereal in the morning, being able to use the app in landscape w/ an iPad + smart cover/stand would be indespensable.

Minimalist app thats really useful if you are just starting out with Japanese. Helped me to memorize hiragana. Three modes so you can also study quickly w/o having to type to advance.