Learn Japanese with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Kaguya-sama?

Ikkimi rates Kaguya-sama at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: a fast narrator, formal and scheming speech. 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, かぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～, is a first lesson in itself. Its 5 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Kaguya-sama

Ikkimi lists Kaguya-sama 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 Kaguya-sama 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). 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 Kaguya-sama, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• 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 N2BEASTARSschool talk, long inner monologueNetflix
• N3Mob Psycho 100モブサイコ100casual speech, one fast talkerCrunchyroll

Also N2

• 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
• N2Hyouka氷菓bookish vocabulary, careful reasoningCrunchyroll
• 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 N1The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.斉木楠雄のΨ難narration at very high speedNetflix

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

Questions

Is Kaguya-sama good for learning Japanese?

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

What Japanese level is Kaguya-sama?

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 Kaguya-sama with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Kaguya-sama 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 かぐや様は告らせたい～天才たちの恋愛頭脳戦～ mean, word by word?

様 (sama) means “Mr; Mrs; Miss”; 告る (kokuru) means “to confess one's love; to profess one's feelings”; 天才 (tensai) means “genius; prodigy; natural gift”; 恋愛 (ren'ai) means “love; romance; tender passion”; 頭脳戦 (zunousen) means “battle of the brains; battle of wits; psychological battle”. Words the title writes in another form are shown here as a dictionary lists them.

How many episodes does Kaguya-sama have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2019. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Kaguya-sama?

Shows a little easier than Kaguya-sama, with genres in common: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (N3 to N2), BEASTARS (N3 to N2) and Mob Psycho 100 (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.