Yeah, hellbent. I need to hear the language, which is why after a few months of studying on my own, I signed up for some classes.
Brokenimage, there are no shortcuts. A webpage is going to give you basics, but pretty soon you'll hit a wall and get frustrated (at least, that was my experience). The Pimsleur audio courses are pretty good, and they only take a half an hour a day. But even so, nothing replaces the classroom experience and having a teacher to explain the things you still won't understand.
[sarcasm] I hope the newbie that whined earlier really does attempt to learn Japanese. It will only take a few years, and then s/he/it can watch raws without having to wait for those inconsiderate fan subbers. You know, those jerks who provide subs for us, despite not getting anything out of it except whining and hystericals demands for updates and releases. [/sarcasm]