Previously, when you added a flashcard for a word / kanji / grammar point / example to a set, a new card would be created, with new study data. Over time, this could lead to many copies of a card - in some cases 15+ for some of our most active users - each at a different stage. This was not efficient in various ways - for example, it could interfere with review cycles, or mean that you were doing more reviews than you needed to. Any notes you added to the back of cards were only visible on the card you added them to, not the copies.

We've now updated the system such that whenever you add a flashcard for an item to a set, you actually create a reference to an existing card if there is one - and the study data is shared. So if the card is ready for review, it will appear in the 'review' count for both sets. If it is unlearned, it will appear in the 'learn' count for both sets.

Another benefit of this change is that you no longer need to worry about managing duplicate cards yourself - duplicates within a set are automatically prevented, and duplicates between sets are not actually duplicates, just references to the same card. Any notes you added to your cards have been consolidated and will be visible whichever set you see the card in. (Note that cards created for Beginner Lessons often use the notes field to display different inflections of a word - those have now been consolidated as well.) You can use the new 'shared cards' function for any flashcard set to see and manage cards which are also used in other sets.

This improvement is part of several major updates to the flashcard system that are currently in progress - we are working on a new improved UI, and several great new features.

As this tumultuous year comes to an end, let's look forward to a fresh start and new challenges in 2021. How could better Japanese enrich your life next year?

Kanshudo can help you realize your Japanese dreams! Kanshudo is the fastest and most enjoyable way to learn written Japanese. Master kanji, hiragana and katakana, along with Japanese grammar and vocabulary. Kanshudo is effective, fast and fun.

Act now to set yourself up for success in 2021: Kanshudo's holiday sale gives you 50% off Pro membership for an entire year! Only $30 - less than 10 cents per day - brings you full access to our AI tutor and personalized study sessions, the most comprehensive Japanese dictionaries online, unlimited flashcards, a wealth of learning games and exercises, and many more great features. Include access to in-depth kanji essays from our partner Joy o' Kanji, also for 50% off!

We've made it even easier to work with favorites:

Add (and remove) favorites in the same way, but now whenever you create a new favorite, it is immediately available in the flashcard set you choose.

You can change your storage location quickly and easily whenever you want. This provides a really useful way to switch between study sets, and makes it much easier to manage your flashcards. For example, you could designate one flashcard set for the novel you're reading, and another for your current lesson. When you change your flashcard storage location, the items in the set you choose will have a icon in search results, so you can easily identify what you already have in there.

To change your favorites storage location, use the link in your account page, or the link from your favorites home in the main menu. Here is a direct link.

Boost is a fantastic learning aid as well as testing tool. It combines multiple learning modes using a wide variety of different games and exercises, and integrates your knowledge of kanji, words, and grammar. Boost is Kanshudo's most powerful tool for building and testing your knowledge of Japanese.

Boost is also incredibly flexible. You can take a Boost to help you learn almost anything in the Kanshudo system - individual kanji, words, grammar points, even example sentences. You can use Boost to test yourself on all content with a specific usefulness, and lesson content in our upcoming Series 2 Intermediate Lessons. You can also use Boost as a way to learn or test yourself on your own flashcard sets!

Most Boost types can be generated from the Boost home page, which is accessible from the main STUDY menu. You can also generate Boosts anywhere in the system wherever you see the icon. You will also start to see Boosts appear as study tasks on your Dashboard.

Try a Kanshudo Boost today and supercharge your Japanese studies!

We've also added several new in-depth kanji essays from our partner Joy o' Kanji, including Joy o' Kanji essay on 梅, Joy o' Kanji essay on 凡, Joy o' Kanji essay on 勘 and Joy o' Kanji essay on 怨. There are now 392 essays available, each one providing unparalleled depth and background on a single Joyo kanji.

The interface for viewing your Kanji Challenge status has got a whole new look, with key features closer at hand, and we've also updated the study sets themselves to improve the sequencing.

We are very close to formally launching Kanshudo Boost, our most ambitious learning tool yet. Boost combines games and exercises of varying degrees of difficulty to test and train you on almost any material in Kanshudo, including kanji, words, grammar, and example sentences. You'll start to see Boosts appearing in your study recommendations soon, and we're starting to add links around the site. The beta is now public, and you can try it out here. Please let us know what you think!

One of our biggest projects currently is a major overhaul of the Intermediate Lessons, with new content, more games and exercises, and a completely new user interface. We're excited to announce that the new lessons are now in beta, so if you are working through the current Intermediate Lessons or just completing the Beginner Lessons, let us know if you would like to join the beta program.