Learn Japanese with Gintama

Anime by Japanese level › N2 to N1

How hard is the Japanese in Gintama?

Ikkimi rates Gintama at N2 to N1 (hard Japanese for advanced learners). What sets its level: fast parody, wordplay, period speech. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 177 are easier and 9 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, 銀魂, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Gintama

Ikkimi lists Gintama 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 Gintama 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). 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.

With 201 episodes on AniList’s entry, the same words get many chances to come back.

Easier and harder shows

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

Easier

• N3 to N2Dandadanダンダダンvery fast banter, slangCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Dr.STONEscience words, shoutingCrunchyroll
• N2Cowboy Bebopカウボーイビバップcool slang, crime and space wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

Also N2 to N1

• N2 to N1Code Geassコードギアス 反逆のルルーシュformal speeches, politics and military wordsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2 to N1Neon Genesis Evangelion新世紀エヴァンゲリオンmilitary, science and psychology wordsNetflix
• N2 to N1STEINS;GATEnet slang, science talk, fastCrunchyroll

Harder

• N1Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These銀河英雄伝説 Die Neue Theseformal political and military speechesCrunchyroll
• N1Psycho-PassPSYCHO-PASS サイコパスpolice and law wordsCrunchyroll
• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll

See every N2 to N1 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Gintama good for learning Japanese?

No, keep it for later. Ikkimi rates it N2 to N1 (hard Japanese for advanced learners). What sets its level: fast parody, wordplay, period speech. It is among the hardest shows Ikkimi rates, hard even for advanced learners.

What Japanese level is Gintama?

N2 to N1, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 177 are easier and 9 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Gintama with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Gintama 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 銀魂 mean, word by word?

銀 (gin) means “silver (Ag)”.

How many episodes does Gintama have?

AniList’s entry lists 201 episodes of about 25 minutes, first aired in 2006. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Gintama?

Shows a little easier than Gintama, with genres in common: Dandadan (N3 to N2), Dr.STONE (N2) and Cowboy Bebop (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.