I tend to think of "Us" as a - well. I know it works instantly for some people who don't get vids very often. But I also know it's hard to read for a lot of people, for a variety of reasons. I put it in the category of "not necessarily good for beginners," even though certain kinds of beginners seem to respond disproportionately strongly to it.

In your case, Elizabeth, I would not pick it as a good one for you even though you have the right mindset (I think), because you don't have the visual, um, compendium? that it seems to require. I only have it because of years of watching tons and tons of vids; I think it really helps to have either that or years of watching lots of fannish media. Even if you have the media fandom background, if you don't have the visual experience, too, I think it's much harder.

Just my guess, though.