# Dr. Moku's Katakana Mnemonics — user reviews > 90 indexed App Store user reviews of Dr. Moku's Katakana Mnemonics by Byrne Bob, rated 3.60/5 from 24 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dr-mokus-katakana-mnemonics/id452226776/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dr-mokus-katakana-mnemonics/id452226776.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 12 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 5 ## Newest reviews (16 of 90) ### 3/5 — Can’t learn words and phrases *2022-04-16* This app is very helpful when leaning hiragana and katakana, but when I go to learn phrases and words the app simply closes down, I’ve tried this in the hiragana and katakana course but they both do the same thing, I hope this can be fixed. ### 3/5 — It is a great app, but *2020-09-23* Don’t get me wrong. The connect is wonderful. It truly helps you to learn Japanese. However, the apps requires a lot maintenance. Simple things like screen rotation and multitasking are not really implemented (just to mention a few). I agree that taken this into account the app is expensive. But I feel like you are paying more for the concept behind it than the app development. ### 4/5 — Great Beginners App *2019-10-07* I love the app but my suggestion is please add the option of viewing the missed characters after the quiz. ### 3/5 — Please allow proper disabling of sound! *2019-02-04* The current mute audio option doesn’t work properly. When the audio is supposed to ply the app will pause background audio (youtube, music, etc). This is because the audio is taking over the sound output even though no audio is actually being output. Please developers, I know the app is old but it makes it useless for me since I can’t use it while listening to something. ### 2/5 — Not worth the money. *2018-04-21* While this app is a helpful and useful tool for learning the Japanese kana, it is not worth the money in comparison to other teaching resources. It would be more useful if you could pick and choose the specific kana that you need to review, rather than having to start from the very bottom every time. This app is just OK. ### 3/5 — Expensive *2017-11-26* It's a great app, but it shouldn't be $3.99. I feel like it should be like $0.99 or $1.99. :/ ### 2/5 — The Hiragana app works pretty well *2017-07-28, version 2.1* But the Katana app is horrible in my opinion. Instwad of using nouns to memorize words, it has you use names. For example, "su" is drawn as a nurse named Sue. The katakana for "su" is very similar to "nu", and by using the word nurse, it could get confusing. The only way to remember is by remembering the arbitrary name "Sue" by looking at the symbol. ### 5/5 — Great App for Beginners! *2017-01-16, version 1.8* Quickly learn カタカナ (katakana)! Works great as flash cards using the quiz options after you've gone through each character. ### 5/5 — Yes! *2016-04-24* I would definitely suggest someone's who's trying to learns Japanese to get this, I learn katakana and hiragana so quickly from these apps 👍🏻 totally worth the money spent ### 5/5 — Pretty effective! *2015-12-21* I wa a little bit worried how I would keep the katakana straight in my head since a lot are very similar. I found the stories Dr. Moku used for the similar characters actually worked. I did a once over on all the katakana then did a quiz just to see how much I remembered. I scored 9/10 first time around. I am really enjoying these apps as they are helping me learn pretty quickly. I recommend them to anyone learning Japanese as this stuff will help you build a strong foundation. I like how it also shows you the stroke order. I just wish there was an option on here to practice writing them too. Also, the apps include additional vocabulary which I like to listen to. ### 5/5 — Perfect! *2015-11-29* I learnt both Hiragana and Katakana really quickly and easily with Dr Moku. Any chance of creating a Kanji app? ### 2/5 — Dr. Moku's Hiragana App is Better *2015-11-25* Some katakana look extremely alike. Dr. Moku's Katakana app uses "stories" in an attempt to get you to remember which is which, and it fails horribly. The stories are ridiculous and the pictures used are unattractive. A weakness of the Hiragana app is that its mnemonic pictures covered up the actual Japanese character, and it's WORSE in the Katakana app. Some of the characters are extremely hard to see. Do not buy Dr. Moku's Katakana. The Hiragana app might actually help, some of the mnemonics from that are still in my mind. The app that helped me the most is StickyStudy. ### 5/5 — Thanks *2015-10-22, version 1.7* It works. Some of the sounds could use some improvement but overall great ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2015-09-18* About two years ago, I tried to learn Japanese on a site that used the philosophy of "working hard". I gave up after about a week, fifteen characters in. However. This app doesn't use the same idea of brute memorization. This app lets you work smarter, not harder. I had all 46 characters down within a few days, a little while flipping through the app each day. The mnemonics are brilliant and stick with you. This app, along with it's hiragana counterpart, are the best on the store for the characters. For the words? Not so much. I recommend another app for them; however, this app is what got me rolling. I back Dr. Moku 100%; keep it up, dude. Can't wait for the kanji app! ### 5/5 — Review: Dr Moku's Katakana *2015-09-12* This app is absolute genius. I'd already learnt hiragana really quickly using Dr Moku's Hiragana, and the katakana version didn't disappoint. It uses really memorable and clever mnemonics that will stay with you whenever you read katakana. Can't recommend it enough. ### 5/5 — Holy smokes, it works! *2015-04-20* I didn't think it would work but I thought it was worth a try for 5 bucks. 1 hour later and I got a perfect score on the biggest quiz. Still going to practice to get it in my head better. It took me a whole week to learn hiragana without Dr. Moku. I wish I had gotten the app for hiragana too lol. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Awful *2026-03-15* Terrible mnemonics, not memorable. I miss the White Rabbit Press cards I bought for my kids in 2011! ### 1/5 — Abandonware *2026-01-31* Auto play doesn’t work. ### 1/5 — I can’t use it *2022-04-13* I bought the bundle and I can only use one the other two apps won’t even open ### 1/5 — Charts broken. Contain now Hiragana instead Katakana *2020-06-25* After update to V3.0 the ‘audio chart’ and ‘quick reference’ have now hiragana characters in it instead of katakana. Please change back as it defeats the purpose of this app!! Thank you:) ### 1/5 — not as good *2015-03-10, version 1.7* I bought this one after having great success with the Hiragana version. I found this program clumsy and disappointing unlike the Hiragana version which was well worth the money. I regret spending a dime on this, let alone $5 ### 1/5 — Good app *2013-12-03, version 1.5* Good app but crashes everytime you take the quiz, would advise you not buy until you see it's been fixed. Then I would highly recommend. ### 1/5 — Paid Version *2013-07-12, version 1.4* Need to fix issues! ### 1/5 — Quiz functionality broken *2013-07-10, version 1.4* Quizzes have two options out of four the same and randomly decides which is correct. Good product if fixed. ### 1/5 — Bad update *2013-07-04* Doesn't anybody test these updates before they put them out for general consumption?! The quiz portion of the app is completely non-functional. It shows two correct answers, but depending on the one you choose, it'll say you're wrong. It will also show you a character, i.e. "ho," but when you select "ho" as your answer, it tells you the correct answer was "mi" or some other thing. I've tried to contact the developer through their site; they don't have a support area to report bugs with their products. Their site's primary focus is pushing the products they sell. They have one tiny contact link to email them suggestions for new products, etc. I used that to report this problem the same day this update came out. I received no response. I hate giving a bad review to an app that I like, but this one stands until the developer becomes more responsive & fixes the problem. ### 1/5 — Last update broke it for me. *2013-07-03, version 1.4* UPDATE: App Support is horrible. No reply at all from maker. Don't waste your money on this app! They broke a great program and won't acknowledge the people who purchased the app. Last update broke the app for me. Some answers are wrong etc... Please fix. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Works great for me! *2024-08-14* Everyone is different and learns in their own way. For me, I have found this app works well to study and remember all of the characters. ### 5/5 — Very good! A fun way of learning through games. *2020-07-01* I totally recommend getting the bundle! It has surely helped me with my Japanese reading skills! ### 5/5 — 5/5 *2020-04-11, version 2.2* Very simple and very effective! Hands down quickest way to learn Kana ### 5/5 — Great system *2020-02-11, version 2.2* Struggling to get started with Japanese, but the mnemonic system has been a revelation. Three weeks in and I’m fluent in reading and listening hiragana and katakana and moving on. ### 5/5 — Realmente funciona! *2019-01-10* Muito bom ### 5/5 — Amazing *2018-10-15* Amazing app! I honestly learned Hiragana and katakana within an hour each. (One hour for Hiragana. Another hour for katakana). It was truly helpful and fun to learn. They even have a small update that lets you play cross word puzzles so you can also practice your Japanese and some vocabulary (there isn’t much vocabulary but it does get you started on learning). ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2018-07-06* This is the first review i have wrote ever!!! I purchased this app earlier today and am allready on my way to becoming proficient in Katakana. I had purchased the Hiragana App on my previous phone which makes it seem so easy. I highly recommend this app for anyone moving from Hirigana. Dr Moku is the besttttt☺️ ### 5/5 — Chinese ver! *2018-02-25* PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE A CHINESE VERSION! 😭 ### 5/5 — Awesome! *2018-01-05* Both this app and the hiragana app are amazing. Super easy to learn just by going through a few times whenever you’re waiting around. Absolutely worth the price. ### 5/5 — Japan *2017-08-27* Very exciting and new way to learn. Love it!!! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-23.*