Learn Japanese with Dragon Ball

Anime by Japanese level › N4 to N3

How hard is the Japanese in Dragon Ball?

Ikkimi rates Dragon Ball at N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: simple adventure talk, shouting. 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, ドラゴンボール, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Dragon Ball

Ikkimi lists Dragon Ball on 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.

1. Add Ikkimi to Chrome

   Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.

2. Play an episode

   Open Dragon Ball on 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). 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 153 episodes on AniList’s entry, the same words get many chances to come back.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Dragon Ball, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• 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
• N5 to N4My Neighbor Totoroとなりのトトロa film, 1 h 26, children talkingNetflix

Also N4 to N3

• N4 to N3Digimon Adventureデジモンアドベンチャーchildren talking, monster names that repeatCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Spirited Away千と千尋の神隠しa film, some old-fashioned speechNetflix
• N4 to N3The Cat Returns猫の恩返しa film, school and fairy-tale talkNetflix

Harder

• 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

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 Dragon Ball good for learning Japanese?

Yes, as an early show. Ikkimi rates it N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: simple adventure talk, shouting. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

What Japanese level is Dragon Ball?

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 Dragon Ball with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Dragon Ball on 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.

What does the title ドラゴンボール mean, word by word?

ドラゴン (doragon) means “dragon (as depicted in Western myths)”; ボール (booru) means “ball”.

How many episodes does Dragon Ball have?

AniList’s entry lists 153 episodes of about 25 minutes, first aired in 1986. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Dragon Ball?

Shows a little easier than Dragon Ball, with genres in common: Pokémon (N4), Kemono Friends (N4) and My Neighbor Totoro (N5 to 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.