Learn Japanese with Black Butler

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Black Butler?

Ikkimi rates Black Butler at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: very polite butler speech. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 are 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, 黒執事, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Black Butler

Ikkimi lists Black Butler on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 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.

On Netflix

On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player, where your country’s Netflix has them for this title, and Ikkimi makes the line clickable. If there are none, open the Ikkimi popup, choose Find Japanese subtitles, and search Jimaku’s catalogue or load a 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 Black Butler on Crunchyroll or Netflix. 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

Shows within a level of Black Butler, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N3NarutoNARUTO -ナルト-clear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3The Seven Deadly Sins七つの大罪fantasy titles, clear voicesNetflix
• N3Soul Eaterソウルイーターschool talk, weapon and soul wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

Also N2

• N2Bungo Stray Dogs文豪ストレイドッグスformal speech, writers’ names and book titlesCrunchyroll
• N2Attack on Titan進撃の巨人military words, fastCrunchyroll
• N2Demon Slayer鬼滅の刃old-fashioned speech, a lot of shoutingCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N2 to N1Fate/Zeroformal, archaic speeches about idealsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll
• N1Mononokeモノノ怪theatrical period speechCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N2 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Black Butler good for learning Japanese?

Not for beginners. Ikkimi rates it N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: very polite butler speech. It suits learners who already follow easier shows. Expect to click a lot of words at first.

What Japanese level is Black Butler?

N2, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Black Butler with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Black Butler on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 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. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

What does the title 黒執事 mean, word by word?

黒 (kuro) means “black”; 執事 (shitsuji) means “steward; butler”.

How many episodes does Black Butler have?

AniList’s entry lists 24 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2008. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Black Butler?

Shows a little easier than Black Butler, with genres in common: Naruto (N3), The Seven Deadly Sins (N3) and Soul Eater (N3).

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.