Learn Japanese with Fruits Basket

Anime by Japanese level › N4 to N3

How hard is the Japanese in Fruits Basket?

Ikkimi rates Fruits Basket at N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: a polite lead, family talk. 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, フルーツバスケット, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Fruits Basket

Ikkimi lists Fruits Basket 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 Fruits Basket 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.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Fruits Basket, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N5 to N4Teasing Master Takagi-sanからかい上手の高木さんtwo speakers, short linesNetflixCrunchyroll
• N4K-On!けいおん!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix
• N4Kiki’s Delivery Service魔女の宅急便a film, 1 h 43Netflix

Also N4 to N3

• N4 to N3Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You君に届けschool romance, a polite leadNetflixCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Horimiyaホリミヤcasual school talk, short scenesCrunchyrollNetflix
• N4 to N3Komi Can’t Communicate古見さんは、コミュ症です。short lines, written notes on screenNetflix

Harder

• N3Mob Psycho 100モブサイコ100casual speech, one fast talkerCrunchyroll
• N3Toradora!とらドラ！school romance, quick argumentsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Dayあの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。friends talking, everyday words, strong feelingsCrunchyrollNetflix

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 Fruits Basket good for learning Japanese?

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

What Japanese level is Fruits Basket?

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 Fruits Basket with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Fruits Basket 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 フルーツバスケット mean, word by word?

フルーツ (furuutsu) means “fruit”; バスケット (basuketto) means “basket”.

How many episodes does Fruits Basket have?

AniList’s entry lists 26 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2001. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Fruits Basket?

Shows a little easier than Fruits Basket, with genres in common: Teasing Master Takagi-san (N5 to N4), K-On! (N4) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (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.