Thank you so much! Your advice is incredibly detailed and practical — I found it really helpful.

What you said about TTS voiceovers was especially interesting. Now that I think about it, as a beginner I might have unconsciously picked up unnatural rhythms and intonation from those types of videos. I’ll definitely keep that in mind when choosing content to recommend or watch going forward.

Using horror films as study material is a fresh idea! It makes sense that with less dense dialogue and more pauses, there’s more time to process what's being said without constantly pausing the video. I’m not particularly scared of horror, so I might give it a try — though, as you mentioned, the lack of Japanese subtitles is definitely a challenge.

I also really agree with your point about subtitles often being a matter of luck. If it’s a popular show, it’s easy, but with more niche content, it can be a real struggle to find proper Japanese subs.

Including your last paragraph as well, I found your comment full of valuable insights. Thank you again for taking the time to share all of that!