During my last visit to my family in Germany, I decided to buy myself a small souvenir that would also be practical. While walking around a large bookshop in one of the cities, I came across a shelf full of manga in German, which immediately caught my attention, as I have loved Japan, anime and manga for a long time. From among the many titles, I chose something that brought back memories – Naruto Massiv 01, a special compilation edition containing the first few volumes of the story. It is a thick and solid volume, the cover of which alone brought a smile to my face. I know that for most people, buying manga in German is a rather strange idea, but for me it made perfect sense. I have already watched Naruto in its entirety and know the plot and characters, so at the moment I am not interested in reading the story itself, but in learning the language. Because I know what happens in the next scenes, I can focus on the dialogues and compare them with what I remember from the anime. It really works, because German is not my native language and every opportunity to come into natural contact with it is invaluable.

First of all, I would like to apologise for the long break in blogging. Life sometimes makes it difficult to find time to write, and I didn't want to post just any content for the sake of posting something. I prefer to come back when I have something interesting to say – and this manga has become a great excuse to share a piece of my passion again. Reading a comic in a foreign language is a completely different experience than sitting over a textbook. In language learning books, we have dry examples, tables and grammar rules, but here I get a living language full of emotions, exclamations and expressions. When Naruto shouts that he will never give up, in the German version it sounds like ‘Niemals aufgeben!’ and remembering this phrase is much easier because it is accompanied by emotion and a scene that I know well. Sometimes I have to reach for a dictionary because there are phrases I don't understand, but that's what makes learning progress. Every new word I manage to pick up from the context gives me a little satisfaction, a bit like passing another level in a game.

So this manga is more of a learning tool and a unique souvenir than just a book. When I look at it on the shelf, I am immediately reminded of the time I spent in Germany – family conversations, outings together, and the moment when I saw familiar characters on the cover. This is not just a book, but something that combines my passions, memories and goals. Of course, I could learn the language in the traditional way, but manga gives me extra motivation because it makes learning enjoyable. What's more, I know that I'm reading something I really like, so I don't treat it as a chore, but as a hobby. I was also surprised by how different the translations can be. Sometimes the dialogues I know from the anime sound more literal in the German version, and other times more colloquial. It's a great opportunity to notice the differences between languages and understand that translation is not just about transferring words, but also emotions and style. I feel like I'm rediscoering Naruto through the lens of a different culture, and that motivates me to not stop at just one volume.

I think I'll buy other manga in German in the future, maybe something lighter, with more humour, to learn vocabulary from everyday situations. But I already know that Naruto Massiv 01 will always be special to me. It proves that you can combine passion with learning and that even a small purchase in a bookshop while visiting family can be the beginning of something bigger. Maybe in time I will be able to read manga in German without a dictionary, and then it will be time for the originals in Japanese.