Thanks for sharing, I always enjoy reading other’s experiences, though I make it a point of not comparing my progress to theirs. Everyone is on their own path and it may take more or less time to get where you want to be. I learned this the hard way while acquiring Spanish over the past 2 years, after hitting 1500 hours and still not being able to confidently speak or watch native content like the Dream Spanish roadmap suggests I should be able to do. Now with more than 4200 hours of Spanish, I finally feel how I was expecting to feel at 1500. With the Japanese, I’m trying not to bring any expectations or comparisons. Zero pressure to perform or complete milestones, just enjoy the time I spend watching videos, that’s it.
I’m curious, have you tried watching any content dubbed in Japanese, maybe movies or shows you’re already familiar with in your native language? I found this immensely helpful while learning Spanish and still working my way up to native content. I can’t wait to rewatch Avatar: The Last Airbender again in Japanese.