I’m looking for a cheaper alternative to genki, and I’ve come across the Contemporary Japanese series, which looks very promising. It has [volume 1 textbook](https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Japanese-Textbook-Introductory-Language/dp/0804847134/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3TP5F3JWMP6R3&keywords=Contemporary+Japanese&qid=1660204903&sprefix=contemporary+japanese%2Caps%2C1237&sr=8-2)+[workbook](https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Japanese-Textbook-Introductory-Language/dp/0804847134/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3TP5F3JWMP6R3&keywords=Contemporary+Japanese&qid=1660204903&sprefix=contemporary+japanese%2Caps%2C1237&sr=8-2) and [volume 2 textbook](https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Japanese-Textbook-Introductory-Language-ebook/dp/B088FXFW41/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3TP5F3JWMP6R3&keywords=Contemporary+Japanese&qid=1660204903&sprefix=contemporary+japanese%2Caps%2C1237&sr=8-4)+[workbook](https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Japanese-Workbook-Practice-Listening/dp/0804849560/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1RFJ5SCNLL1NO&keywords=Contemporary+Japanese+workbook+volume+2&qid=1660205051&sprefix=contemporary+japanese+workbook+volume+%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1).
In the past I’ve tried to learn from Japanese From Zero, but I couldn’t even finish the first book because of how aggressively slow it was. (For comparison: You need to finish JFZ 1+2 just to learn hiragana and katakana, while Contemporary Japanese 1 teaches you the kana+160 kanji.)
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Do you NEED the book? If you go on YouTube there are people that basically explain the chapters to you, I’m talking about genki. Japanese pod 101 on YouTube for hiragana and katakana.
Japanese from Zero is exactly that, from Zero. He teaches you the kana gradually so it’s not dropped on you at once. Which to an absolute beginner might be a godsend.
Sorry I don’t know anything about Contemporary Japanese. If you want free use Tae Kim, or YouTubers going through books.