Learn Japanese with Hyouka

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Hyouka?

Ikkimi rates Hyouka at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: bookish vocabulary, careful reasoning. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 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, 氷菓, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Hyouka

Ikkimi lists Hyouka 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 Hyouka 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.

Easier and harder shows

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

Easier

• N3 to N2BEASTARSschool talk, long inner monologueNetflix
• N3 to N2Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ないquick banter, some science wordsCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Chihayafuruちはやふるclub talk, classical poems read aloudCrunchyroll

Also N2

• N2Kaguya-sama: Love Is Warかぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～a fast narrator, formal and scheming speechCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFUやはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。wordy, cynical monologuesCrunchyroll
• N2The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱fast, wordy narrationCrunchyroll

Harder

• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll
• N1The Tatami Galaxy四畳半神話大系bookish narration at very high speedCrunchyroll
• N2 to N1Neon Genesis Evangelion新世紀エヴァンゲリオンmilitary, science and psychology wordsNetflix

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

Questions

Is Hyouka good for learning Japanese?

Not for beginners. Ikkimi rates it N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: bookish vocabulary, careful reasoning. It suits learners who already follow easier shows. Expect to click a lot of words at first.

What Japanese level is Hyouka?

N2, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Hyouka with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Hyouka 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 氷菓 mean, word by word?

氷菓 (hyouka) means “frozen dessert (e.g. ice cream, sorbet, ice pop)”.

How many episodes does Hyouka have?

AniList’s entry lists 22 episodes of about 26 minutes, first aired in 2012. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Hyouka?

Shows a little easier than Hyouka, with genres in common: BEASTARS (N3 to N2), Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (N3 to N2) and Chihayafuru (N3 to 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.