Watching a full season, building a costume, saving for a convention and learning Japanese all go better with a plan. Here's a practical guide to each, with the printables we make for them.
How to track a seasonal watchlist
A new anime season starts four times a year: winter (January), spring (April), summer (July) and fall (October). Most series air one episode a week for about 12 weeks.
- Before the season starts, list every show you're curious about with its air day and where it streams.
- Watch the first 2-3 episodes of each, then decide: keep, drop or save for later. Dropping is fine.
- Keep one row per show with the latest episode watched, so a missed week is easy to catch up.
- Keep a "plan to watch" list for finished series, and pick from it when the season is quiet.
- At the end of the season, rate what you finished. It makes next season's picks easier.
Printable: Anime Watch Tracker ($4, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Spreadsheet with a season planner and a plan-to-watch picker.
Printable: Manga Tracker ($3, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Track volumes owned, read and wanted for each series.
Cosplay budget tips
- Set a total budget first, then split it: fabric, wig, props, shoes, makeup, and 10-15% for mistakes.
- List every piece of the costume and mark each one buy, thrift, modify or make.
- Check thrift stores and your closet before buying new. Shoes and base garments are easy to modify.
- Buy materials in small amounts first and test them before buying a full batch.
- Track every receipt as you go. Small craft-store trips add up fast.
- Leave enough time before the event. Rush shipping eats budgets.
- Check the event's prop and weapon rules before you build, so you don't make something that isn't allowed.
Printable: Cosplay Build Planner ($6, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. PDF planner plus a budget spreadsheet: piece list, materials, costs and a build timeline.
Convention packing checklist
- Badge or ticket confirmation and photo ID
- Phone, charger and a power bank
- Cash and cards, with a spending limit written down
- Water bottle and snacks
- Comfortable shoes (and a spare pair of socks)
- A tote or backpack, plus a folder or tube to keep prints flat
- Medication, bandages, hand sanitizer and deodorant
- A cosplay repair kit: safety pins, glue, tape, needle and thread
- Your schedule: panels, signings and a meet-up spot for your group
Set a merch budget before you arrive, and decide in advance which one or two items you really want.
Printable: Convention Planner ($5, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. PDF and spreadsheet: budget, schedule, packing list and a wish list for the dealer hall.
Printable: Figure & Merch Tracker ($3, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Log figures and merch you own, preorders and how much you spent.
A kana study plan
Hiragana and katakana are the two Japanese syllabaries, with 46 basic characters each. Learn them before kanji.
- Weeks 1-2: hiragana, about 5 new characters a day. Write each one, say it out loud, and review the earlier ones.
- Weeks 3-4: hiragana with dakuten (が, ぱ) and combinations (きゃ). Read simple words.
- Weeks 5-8: katakana the same way. Practice with loanwords you already know.
- Weeks 9-12: mixed review. Read short sentences and write from memory.
Ten to fifteen minutes every day beats one long session a week. Learn the correct stroke order early: it makes your writing neater and easier to read.
Printable: Kana Workbook ($5, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Hiragana and katakana practice pages with stroke order, plus a 12-week study log.
Once you know kana, start vocabulary: the JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, and its word list is a common next step. Review 10-20 cards a day and bring back the ones you miss.
Printable: JLPT N5 Flashcards ($5, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. 674 printable cut-out vocabulary cards with reading and meaning.
For fan artists and creators
If you draw comics, sell at artist alley, take commissions or stream, a little tracking keeps it fun instead of stressful.
- Comics: thumbnail the whole page small first, then draw panels. Ready-made panel borders save time.
- Artist alley: count stock before and after each day, record cash and card sales, and subtract table fees and printing to see your real profit per con.
- Commissions: write down every client, quote, deposit and due date in one queue, and don't take more than you can finish on time.
- Streaming: pick fixed live days you can keep, plan each stream's topic, and set one small goal a week.
Earnings from sales and commissions may be taxable; the free side hustle tax calculator gives a rough estimate.
Printable: Manga Panel Templates ($4, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. 60 blank comic pages with 20 layouts and speech bubbles, Letter and A4.
Printable: Artist Alley Sales Tracker ($5, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Spreadsheet for stock, booth sales and profit per con.
Printable: Art Commission Tracker ($4, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Spreadsheet for your client queue, payments, deadlines and status.
Printable: Stream Planner ($5, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. Printable schedule, content ideas, growth and goal tracker.
Want it all together?
Printable: Fan Bundle ($9, made with AI assistance): buy on Payhip or buy on Etsy. The watch tracker, manga tracker and figure & merch tracker together for less.
More: the hobby journals and logs guide, the 2027 reading challenge and the free savings goal calculator for convention savings.
LB3 Trackers makes its printables and spreadsheets with AI assistance and checks them before listing. These are fan-made planning tools, not affiliated with any studio, publisher or convention, and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Japan Foundation, JEES or the JLPT. Flashcard vocabulary is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0 (credits inside the files). Free downloads are $0 on Payhip, which asks for an email at checkout. Prices shown are current at the time of writing.