YES!!!
Ok, so watching Subbed Anime for the first time in about 3-5 months.
and I can understand some of what's going on without the subs :D
The only time the subs are helping me is when it's something I've not heard before.
Also I've noticed my ability to catch onto what a word is seems to be getting better as well :D
I've been teaching myself how to read by using something I know I will understand and hopefully be able to get to work as well as it has so far or better.
I've been using Pokemon.
Not the Anime. I've figured out that Anime with subs won't help at all with what I want.
I've been using the games.
There's no way to escape the fact that I will be completely lost in a video game. The only option I have to find my way around is read and learn how to read what words are what. (like for instance trying to defeat the eleet 4 with using only tail whip? The game is made to not be able to work like that.)
So yeah, I'm using Leaf Green and Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team both in Japanese to help me with my reading.
Leaf Green doesn't really help that much because I can beat Kanto in my sleep. Mystery Dungeon on the other hand, If I can't read I can't complete missions, if I can't complete missions I can't get farther in the game, if I can't get farther in the game I can't eventually beat it, if I can't beat it why play the game at all? It's all a cycle that starts with me being able to read.
I know, forcing yourself to have to learn might not be the best way to do things, but that's kind of how I learned English :D
(Baby's can't get anywhere without learning how to speak)
Also with Mystery Dungeon, I knew that Caterpie missed his mom and the Charmander thought my name was funny/weird. True I have played the English version of the game, but I was able to figure those things out from reading (even though from memory of playing in the pat would have worked too) but, I don't know...
It's a great feeling realizing that I'm able to read/write/speak/translate better than I ever have in the past :D