Learn Japanese with Cardcaptor Sakura

Anime by Japanese level › N4 to N3

How hard is the Japanese in Cardcaptor Sakura?

Ikkimi rates Cardcaptor Sakura at N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: a polite ten-year-old lead, clear voices. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 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, カードキャプターさくら, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Cardcaptor Sakura

Ikkimi lists Cardcaptor Sakura 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 Cardcaptor Sakura 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). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.

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

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Cardcaptor Sakura, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N4Kiki’s Delivery Service魔女の宅急便a film, 1 h 43Netflix
• N4Pokémonポケットモンスターmade for children, simple adventure talkNetflix
• N4Kemono Friendsけものフレンズsimple cheerful speech, animal factsCrunchyroll

Also N4 to N3

• N4 to N3Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You君に届けschool romance, a polite leadNetflixCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Fruits Basketフルーツバスケットa polite lead, family talkCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3The Cat Returns猫の恩返しa film, school and fairy-tale talkNetflix

Harder

• N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3NarutoNARUTO -ナルト-clear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3Toradora!とらドラ！school romance, quick argumentsCrunchyrollNetflix

See every N4 to N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Cardcaptor Sakura good for learning Japanese?

Yes, as an early show. Ikkimi rates it N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: a polite ten-year-old lead, clear voices. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

What Japanese level is Cardcaptor Sakura?

N4 to N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Cardcaptor Sakura with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Cardcaptor Sakura 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 カードキャプターさくら mean, word by word?

カード (kaado) means “card (information, filing, etc.)”.

How many episodes does Cardcaptor Sakura have?

AniList’s entry lists 70 episodes of about 25 minutes, first aired in 1998. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Cardcaptor Sakura?

Shows a little easier than Cardcaptor Sakura, with genres in common: Kiki’s Delivery Service (N4), Pokémon (N4) and Kemono Friends (N4).

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.