Learn Japanese with DEATH NOTE

Anime by Japanese level › N1

How hard is the Japanese in DEATH NOTE?

Ikkimi rates DEATH NOTE at N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: long reasoning, formal words. 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.

How to learn Japanese with DEATH NOTE

Ikkimi lists DEATH NOTE on Netflix and 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.

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 DEATH NOTE on Netflix or 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

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

Easier

• N2Mushishi蟲師quiet, old-fashioned and nature wordsCrunchyroll
• N2ODDTAXIオッドタクシーnatural adult conversation, comedy-duo banterCrunchyroll
• N2PLUTOpolice and robot words, serious speechNetflix

Also N1

• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll
• N1Mononokeモノノ怪theatrical period speechCrunchyrollNetflix
• N1Psycho-PassPSYCHO-PASS サイコパスpolice and law wordsCrunchyroll

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

Questions

Is DEATH NOTE good for learning Japanese?

No, keep it for later. Ikkimi rates it N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: long reasoning, formal words. It is among the hardest shows Ikkimi rates, hard even for advanced learners.

What Japanese level is DEATH NOTE?

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 DEATH NOTE with Japanese subtitles?

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

How many episodes does DEATH NOTE have?

AniList’s entry lists 37 episodes of about 23 minutes, first aired in 2006. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before DEATH NOTE?

Shows a little easier than DEATH NOTE, with genres in common: Mushishi (N2), ODDTAXI (N2) and PLUTO (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.