Learn Japanese with BLEACH

Anime by Japanese level › N3 to N2

How hard is the Japanese in BLEACH?

Ikkimi rates BLEACH at N3 to N2 (faster talk with more unusual words). What sets its level: sword and spirit terms, some old-fashioned speech. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 112 are easier and 53 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.

How to learn Japanese with BLEACH

Ikkimi lists BLEACH on 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 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 BLEACH on 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.

With 366 episodes on AniList’s entry, the same words get many chances to come back.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of BLEACH, 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 N3 to N2

• N3 to N2HUNTER×HUNTERlong explanations of invented rulesCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3 to N2Tokyo Ghoul東京喰種トーキョーグールdark inner monologue, invented termsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3 to N2Chainsaw Manチェンソーマンrough casual speech, short linesCrunchyroll

Harder

• N2Demon Slayer鬼滅の刃old-fashioned speech, a lot of shoutingCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2JoJo’s Bizarre Adventureジョジョの奇妙な冒険dramatic phrasing, long explanations in the middle of a fightCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Hell’s Paradise地獄楽period speech, ninja and execution wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N3 to N2 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is BLEACH good for learning Japanese?

Not as a first show. Ikkimi rates it N3 to N2 (faster talk with more unusual words). What sets its level: sword and spirit terms, some old-fashioned speech. It is harder than most beginner shows. Watch it for fun from the start if you like, but learn your first words from an easier one.

What Japanese level is BLEACH?

N3 to N2, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 112 are easier and 53 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch BLEACH with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists BLEACH on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

How many episodes does BLEACH have?

AniList’s entry lists 366 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2004. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before BLEACH?

Shows a little easier than BLEACH, 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.