Learn Japanese with Gurren Lagann

Anime by Japanese level › N3

How hard is the Japanese in Gurren Lagann?

Ikkimi rates Gurren Lagann at N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: rough speech, shouted slogans. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 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, 天元突破グレンラガン, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Gurren Lagann

Ikkimi lists Gurren Lagann 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 Gurren Lagann 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). 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 Gurren Lagann, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N4 to N3Digimon Adventureデジモンアドベンチャーchildren talking, monster names that repeatCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You君に届けschool romance, a polite leadNetflixCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Dragon Ballドラゴンボールsimple adventure talk, shoutingCrunchyroll

Also N3

• N3Summer Warsサマーウォーズa film, a big family all talking at onceCrunchyroll
• N3One-Punch Manワンパンマンdeadpan casual speech, hero titlesCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N3 to N2Dandadanダンダダンvery fast banter, slangCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3 to N2Porco Rosso紅の豚a film, adult banter, flying wordsNetflix
• N286 EIGHTY-SIX86―エイティシックス―military radio talk, formal reportsCrunchyroll

See every N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Gurren Lagann good for learning Japanese?

With some help. Ikkimi rates it N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: rough speech, shouted slogans. It sits in the middle of Ikkimi’s levels. A beginner can follow it with kana and romaji on every word, but it is easier after one or two simpler shows.

What Japanese level is Gurren Lagann?

N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Gurren Lagann with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Gurren Lagann 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 天元突破グレンラガン mean, word by word?

突破 (toppa) means “breaking through; breakthrough; penetration”.

How many episodes does Gurren Lagann have?

AniList’s entry lists 27 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2007. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Gurren Lagann?

Shows a little easier than Gurren Lagann, with genres in common: Digimon Adventure (N4 to N3), Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You (N4 to N3) and Dragon Ball (N4 to 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.