>>16006047
>perfectly good point of discussion sidetracked by some nonsense babby-first's existential crisis
Anyways, to anwer your question: it's not completely pointless but it is definitely highly recommended to know at least some basic Japanese.
>What kind of level of understanding of Japanese should I have to play this?
It's not particularly difficult but you need to know the basics. If you can read some shoujo/shounen manga (albeit slowly), then you're probably ready for ぼくのなつやすみ.