Learn Japanese with Bakemonogatari

Anime by Japanese level › N1

How hard is the Japanese in Bakemonogatari?

Ikkimi rates Bakemonogatari at N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: wordplay, very fast. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 183 are easier and none is harder.

Levels follow the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). They are Ikkimi’s estimate of how hard a show’s Japanese is to follow, from how fast people talk, how many unusual words there are and how clear the voices are. They are not official JLPT ratings.

Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry, which may cover only the first season.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, 化物語, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Bakemonogatari

Ikkimi lists Bakemonogatari on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Ikkimi does not stream anything: you watch on your own account, in Chrome on a computer, and Ikkimi adds a Japanese line you can click on top of the player.

On Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles. On a Crunchyroll episode, Ikkimi looks for a matching Japanese subtitle file in Jimaku’s public catalogue, loads it and lines it up with the episode by itself. If Jimaku has no file for an episode, you can search by hand in the Ikkimi popup or load a subtitle file from your computer.

1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

   Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

2. Play an episode

   Open Bakemonogatari on Crunchyroll. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.

3. Click the words you keep hearing

   The video pauses and the word opens: kana, romaji, meaning, JLPT level and a recording by a native speaker where one exists (never a computer voice; otherwise the line from the show plays again). At this level, turn on the English line under the Japanese at first, and keep only the words that come back.

4. Review them later

   Kept words come back as flashcards on the Ikkimi website, with the scene and the line they came from, just before you would forget them.

Easier and harder shows

Bakemonogatari is at the top of Ikkimi’s levels. Shows within a level of Bakemonogatari, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N2 to N1Neon Genesis Evangelion新世紀エヴァンゲリオンmilitary, science and psychology wordsNetflix
• N2Kaguya-sama: Love Is Warかぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～a fast narrator, formal and scheming speechCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Bungo Stray Dogs文豪ストレイドッグスformal speech, writers’ names and book titlesCrunchyroll

Also N1

• N1The Tatami Galaxy四畳半神話大系bookish narration at very high speedCrunchyroll
• N1DEATH NOTElong reasoning, formal wordsNetflixCrunchyroll
• N1Mononokeモノノ怪theatrical period speechCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N1 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Bakemonogatari good for learning Japanese?

No, keep it for later. Ikkimi rates it N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: wordplay, very fast. It is among the hardest shows Ikkimi rates, hard even for advanced learners.

What Japanese level is Bakemonogatari?

N1, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 183 are easier and none is harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Bakemonogatari with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Bakemonogatari on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. Crunchyroll rarely has Japanese subtitles, so Ikkimi looks for a matching file in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up with the episode.

What does the title 化物語 mean, word by word?

化物 (bakemono) means “goblin; apparition; monster”.

How many episodes does Bakemonogatari have?

AniList’s entry lists 15 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2009. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Bakemonogatari?

Shows a little easier than Bakemonogatari, with genres in common: Neon Genesis Evangelion (N2 to N1), Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (N2) and Bungo Stray Dogs (N2).

Sources: show details from AniList; meanings from JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0); readings and word splits from kuromoji.js with IPADIC; JLPT word levels from Jonathan Waller’s unofficial lists. See Credits. Spotted a mistake? Tell us at hello@ikkimi.app.