Ikkimi

Learn Japanese with Case Closed

How hard its Japanese is, real words from it with kana and romaji, where to watch it, and what to watch before and after.

Last updated 30 October 2026

Anime by Japanese level › N3 to N2

The short answer: Ikkimi rates Case Closed N3 to N2 for learning Japanese: crime and police words, long explanations. Good for a beginner? Not as a first show. 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.

Ikkimi lists Case Closed on Crunchyroll and Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Crunchyroll, Ikkimi finds a Japanese subtitle file for the episode in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up for you. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles and every word becomes clickable.

The Ikkimi web app and Chrome extension come on one plan. The iPhone app is coming soon.

How hard is the Japanese in Case Closed?

Ikkimi rates Case Closed at N3 to N2 (faster talk with more unusual words). What sets its level: crime and police words, long explanations. 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.

FactCase Closed
Ikkimi’s levelN3 to N2 (faster talk with more unusual words)
Whycrime and police words, long explanations
Japanese title名探偵コナン
FormatTV series
EpisodesStill airing, about 25 minutes each
First aired1996
GenresAdventure, Comedy, Mystery, Psychological
Where to watchCrunchyroll, Netflix

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, 名探偵コナン, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

WordKana and romajiMeaning
名探偵 めいたんてい meitanteigreat detective

How to learn Japanese with Case Closed

Ikkimi lists Case Closed 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 Case Closed 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 Case Closed, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

  • N3My Hero Academiaschool talk, hero words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N3Narutoclear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix

Also N3 to N2

Harder

  • N2Mushishiquiet, old-fashioned and nature wordsCrunchyroll
  • N2Kaguya-sama: Love Is Wara fast narrator, formal and scheming speechCrunchyrollNetflix
  • N2Dr.STONEscience words, shoutingCrunchyroll

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 Case Closed 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: crime and police words, long explanations. 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 Case Closed?

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 Case Closed with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Case Closed 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 名探偵コナン mean, word by word?

名探偵 (meitantei) means “great detective”.

What should I watch before Case Closed?

Shows a little easier than Case Closed, with genres in common: My Hero Academia (N3), ONE PIECE (N3) and Naruto (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.

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