Douitashimashite, Frosty-chan!
Learning Japanese isn't easy, for sure. I began studying in 1993 (whoa! 10 years already!!). But like any endeavor in life, if you're motivated and have a sincere passion for something, anything is possible!
I had studied Japanese for only a year at university (as my major) before heading off to Japan, but I had busted enough butt so that not only could I function satisfactorily in the language once I got here, I actually had a heck of a lot of fun! Then my time at university here in Japan took it all to the point of no return.
These days I don't do much "studying" at all. I pick up new words and phrases, learn idioms, and discover the all-important cultural context of the language by reading books, newspapers, and magazines, watching TV, using the language all day at work, and of course learning from all my great friends here in Japan (like Norio! He is a
GREAT sensei! For Japanese, modeling, and life!). A very major influence, of course, is the future Mrs. Hulk!
So everyone here at FSM should start studying Japanese, in order to read all the articles I plan to publish in
Armour Modelling and other Japanese publications!
Heck, you already need it to read Norio's monthly column in AM!
Good luck, Frosty-chan!