Minna no Nihongo is dry and repetitive, but it works. The patterns drilled into your head by this book will serve you all the way to N1. Trust the process, and don't skip the workbook!
By Lesson 25, you are comfortably reading short paragraphs with ~100 N5 kanji (人, 見, 食, 行). They don't baby you with furigana on every single character, which forces you to actually learn the kanji. n5 minna no nihongo
Bottom Line: If you finish all 25 lessons of Minna no Nihongo I and the corresponding workbook, you will not just pass N5 – you will crush it. But the journey will be dry, confusing, and expensive. Bring patience and a highlighter. Minna no Nihongo is dry and repetitive, but it works
Takashi wa konbini ni ikimashita. Yumi-san ni aimashita. Takashi wa Yumi-san ni o-cha o kaimashita. By Lesson 25, you are comfortably reading short