KanaSensei started as a weekend build and slowly turned into something much bigger.

I wanted to build a Japanese learning app that felt more like an experience than a collection of lessons. KanaSensei currently focuses on Hiragana, with the learning experience built around structured lessons, progress, interactive exercises, and a lot of visual feedback.

The app includes animated lesson cards, interactive 3D elements, stroke-order animations, pronunciation practice, and real-time Kana writing validation. Users can learn how each character is written, listen to its pronunciation, and actually practice writing it instead of just memorizing what it looks like.

I also built a content management system alongside the app, connected to Firestore, so chapters, lessons, and Kana content can be managed without having to ship a new app version every time the learning content changes.

The whole project is built with Kotlin Multiplatform, with shared business logic and data layers while keeping the mobile experience polished and platform-aware. Authentication, content syncing, progress tracking, local settings, and the learning flow are all part of the project.

And yes, the stroke validation system probably took more time than I originally expected. Turns out teaching a phone whether someone's handwritten Japanese character is correct is slightly harder than drawing a character on screen. 😭