Show HN: I built the literal Duolingo Killer

The maker calls it a literal Duolingo killer: learn Japanese by bingeing short, addictive anime clips, “backed by research.” The community heard “anime” and immediately split into teams. One camp is all-in on turning couch time into kanji time; the other is clutching their phrasebooks. Top worry? datenyan fears anime teaches a cartoonish version of Japanese, not how people actually chat in real life. If this is supposed to rival Duolingo, the vibes are: cool idea, but show us the receipts. That “4.8 star global App Store rating” claim drew a laser-pointer question from thecopy: “Which app store?”

Then came the trust tests. mcny wants a non‑Google signup, hinting at privacy and lock-in concerns. orphea asks if AI was used and how—because transparency is the new grammar rule. And e12e throws the legal gauntlet: is this just ripped audio and subtitles, and does fair use even apply? Cue memes: commenters joked about the green Duolingo owl going Super Saiyan and an anime waifu teacher squaring off in a classroom smackdown, while skeptics warned that yelling “NANI?!” won’t help you order ramen. The mood: high hype, higher scrutiny. People want clear licensing, a Google-free door, and proof it teaches real-world Japanese, not just catchphrases.