Remembering the Kanji

Pros

• I think it’s a great supplementary resource and has helped me with recognition/recollection of new vocabulary.
• I did RTK as a last ditch effort. The mnemonic stories helped me learn and remember kanji, and after working through it only partway something clicked. I stopped struggling to recognize kanji shapes.
• I didn't need RTK for very long, but I did need it. It was the catalyst that eventually allowed Kanji to click, and then I stopped needing it.
• A lot of the way you process Kanji rang true for me, I kind of got a foundation with RTK so some Kanji I would know in any context but others are like you say, 100% dependent upon context for me to recall.
• There's nothing wrong with RTK. Just pick any method and stick with it, and you're fine.

Cons

• RTK is not about learning words. It's about learning to recognize and, more importantly, to **recall** kanji **shapes** based on stories. ... These stories don't need to necessarily be relevant to the etymology of the symbol or even its...
• 吾 is basically never used in modern Japanese. One of the many flaws of RTK.
• It was the best book about learning Kanji for decades and the system will still help you if you use it, but there are so many more modern tools to use that are more effective for the vast majority of people.
• I tried doing RTK... and I just completely burned out on it. No matter what, it just didn't work for me at all. I just couldn't keep up my reviews.
• Parent context: Do you ever regret not finishing the full RTK? I'm at about 850 right now, and I half enjoy it and half already ready for it to be over. Reply: I have the same issue where I cannot for the life of me remember a kanji unle...