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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
If you're a fan of his channel this is the perfect book, it really is like reading one of his videos
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
As a long time viewer of Chris’ channel, this felt like a lovely journey back through those videos I’d avidly watch through university.
Honest and funny. Will never tire of hearing the legendary story of Natsuki.
Honest and funny. Will never tire of hearing the legendary story of Natsuki.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
Didn’t follow the YouTube channel but still enjoyed the book. Chris is an amazing storyteller and I laughed out loud countless times while reading this book.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Well hey, that was a breeze of a book, really got invested in it for the last few days! It really does help that I've been watching the channel since 2018; my friend Sam showed me Chris' very first video from his tiny Sakata apartment. The dry, snarky British humor is what has always set him apart and that's why I've kept watching Abroad in Japan for the last five years because you could tell he wasn't putting on a false, cheerful persona for the camera.
The best part of the book is the first 60%, detailing his time teaching English in rural Japan and reaching the highs and lows of that experience. He had a ton of insightful societal revelations, talking about the various cultural pressures Japanese students face and how socializing in Japan is vastly different from the West.
My only critique is that the latter half of the book picks up speed and rushes through his move to Sendai and the rise of his YouTube channel. Which is all fine and good, but having watched all of his videos, mostly felt like rehashes of things I already had seen. I think summarizing a YouTube career in a book is tricky because you're lacking the visual element, whereas with his earlier stories of Japan, he was talking about people and adventures that hadn't been as touched upon on his channel, so it was more intimate in that way. Regardless, an excellent first book for Chris and I'd definitely be curious if he writes another book down the line!
The best part of the book is the first 60%, detailing his time teaching English in rural Japan and reaching the highs and lows of that experience. He had a ton of insightful societal revelations, talking about the various cultural pressures Japanese students face and how socializing in Japan is vastly different from the West.
My only critique is that the latter half of the book picks up speed and rushes through his move to Sendai and the rise of his YouTube channel. Which is all fine and good, but having watched all of his videos, mostly felt like rehashes of things I already had seen. I think summarizing a YouTube career in a book is tricky because you're lacking the visual element, whereas with his earlier stories of Japan, he was talking about people and adventures that hadn't been as touched upon on his channel, so it was more intimate in that way. Regardless, an excellent first book for Chris and I'd definitely be curious if he writes another book down the line!