The shared rules
- Start knowing the 500 most frequent words in the Default VN frequency list.
- Learn a new word after five sightings, with at least five pages between counted sightings.
- Exclude grammar, punctuation, and proper names; retain the other lexical categories.
- Allow twenty frequent local words at every measurement point.
- Respect chronological requirements for sequels and fandiscs.
- Stop once at least 80% of the top 10,000 Default VN words have graduated.
“Opens” is coverage when that work begins. “30% in” is coverage of its unread remainder after the first 30%. One page is 600 Japanese characters.
Route 1: the smoothest climb
This route always takes the highest-comprehension eligible next step over our entire VN corpus. It does not care much about reputation. It spreads the climb over twelve smaller steps.
| # | Work | Opens | 30% in | Pages | Pages so far | Top 10K known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanatsuiro Drops | 76.4% | 86.5% | 913 | 913 | 17.5% |
| 2 | Ley Line 1 | 87.0% | 91.4% | 663 | 1,576 | 25.8% |
| 3 | Ley Line 2 | 91.9% | 93.6% | 845 | 2,421 | 34.1% |
| 4 | Ley Line 3 | 94.2% | 95.2% | 757 | 3,178 | 40.7% |
| 5 | Narisokonai Snow White | 93.2% | 93.7% | 343 | 3,521 | 44.1% |
| 6 | Cafe Sourire | 93.4% | 94.4% | 1,272 | 4,793 | 54.0% |
| 7 | Tsukikage no Simulacre | 94.4% | 95.2% | 559 | 5,352 | 58.9% |
| 8 | Oniikiss | 94.9% | 95.8% | 1,820 | 7,172 | 67.6% |
| 9 | Oniikiss FD | 97.2% | 97.5% | 797 | 7,969 | 69.7% |
| 10 | Mamiya-kunchi no Itsutsugo Jijou | 96.4% | 97.2% | 1,879 | 9,848 | 75.9% |
| 11 | Tarareba | 96.8% | 97.6% | 915 | 10,763 | 78.6% |
| 12 | Trinoline | 97.1% | 97.7% | 1,033 | 11,796 | 81.7% |
Route 2: the Kanon-first middle ground
Kanon is forced as the opening because it is the kind of first major commitment somebody might actually choose. The later candidates are restricted to a cleaner, well-regarded roster.
| # | Work | Opens | 30% in | Pages | Pages so far | Top 10K known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanon | 67.6% | 82.1% | 1,064 | 1,064 | 24.5% |
| 2 | WHITE ALBUM | 88.5% | 91.2% | 912 | 1,976 | 34.2% |
| 3 | CLANNAD | 90.9% | 93.4% | 3,363 | 5,339 | 56.9% |
| 4 | Little Busters! EX | 93.6% | 95.2% | 3,503 | 8,842 | 73.1% |
| 5 | WHITE ALBUM 2 | 95.6% | 96.6% | 4,085 | 12,927 | 84.2% |
Route 3: the major-title deep end
This route restricts itself to major long-form titles. It concentrates the pain in one difficult opening, then receives enough recurring vocabulary from that giant work to begin the next one much higher.
| # | Work | Opens | 30% in | Pages | Pages so far | Top 10K known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CLANNAD | 71.4% | 87.0% | 3,363 | 3,363 | 43.2% |
| 2 | Little Busters! EX | 91.5% | 93.9% | 3,503 | 6,866 | 65.6% |
| 3 | Fate/stay night | 91.3% | 95.9% | 3,995 | 10,861 | 83.4% |
The shortest route is not automatically the best route
The deep-end route reaches the target in fewer pages than the two gentler routes. That does not mean a beginner should start with CLANNAD because an optimizer said so. Its price is an extremely difficult opening. The smooth route pays for more transitions in exchange for a less severe first wall.
The routes mainly differ in whether they accept one very difficult opening to stay with more highly regarded VNs, or use more works, some of them less highly regarded, to make each transition easier. That is why the app lets you restrict the candidate pool and choose the objective instead of declaring one universal sequence correct.
Important: these are computed examples from a synthetic top-500 starting vocabulary. They demonstrate what sequence planning can do. They are not personal recommendations for every beginner. Use the gallery with your actual vocabulary and remove anything you do not want to read from the candidate pool.
Build a route toward your own target.
Choose the works you would actually consider, set the learning and spacing rules, then let the planner evaluate how every step changes the next one.