If I could do it all again, I'd use Anki right from the beginning. Once you do SRS, you won't go back to reviewing things linearly. Other apps like Duolingo, Me

If I could do it all again, I'd use Anki right from the beginning. Once you do SRS, you won't go back to reviewing things linearly. Other apps like Duolingo, Memrise, etc are just neutered versions of this algorithm that make their money wasting your time. I'd probably work through the Genki textbook series until it introduces kana. Then download an Anki deck for those and memorize them. Then keep working through Genki alongside a basic (N5 level) vocab deck. If you want to read something other than a textbook, White Rabbit Press has a great series of graded readers. Those are specifically targeted at adult learners of Japanese—way saner than reading actual Japanese kids' books. After getting a solid grammar/vocab foundation through that combo, I'd recommend working through Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji." It's a controversial allocation of resources, but probably the single most useful "hack" I used when studying Japanese. Completing that (and grinding more advanced vocab decks) will leave you in a good place to read normal media and learn naturally. I suggest cramming the Shin Kanzen Master series for all grammar/exercises after that (N3-N1).