Learn Japanese with Kemono Friends

Anime by Japanese level › N4

How hard is the Japanese in Kemono Friends?

Ikkimi rates Kemono Friends at N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: simple cheerful speech, animal facts. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 7 are easier and 176 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, けものフレンズ, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Kemono Friends

Ikkimi lists Kemono Friends 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 Kemono Friends 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 Kemono Friends, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N5 to N4My Neighbor Totoroとなりのトトロa film, 1 h 26, children talkingNetflix
• N5 to N4Ponyo崖の上のポニョa film, small children talkingNetflix
• N5 to N4Teasing Master Takagi-sanからかい上手の高木さんtwo speakers, short linesNetflixCrunchyroll

Also N4

• N4Pokémonポケットモンスターmade for children, simple adventure talkNetflix
• N4Kiki’s Delivery Service魔女の宅急便a film, 1 h 43Netflix
• N4K-On!けいおん!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix

Harder

• N4 to N3Dragon Ballドラゴンボールsimple adventure talk, shoutingCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3The Cat Returns猫の恩返しa film, school and fairy-tale talkNetflix
• N4 to N3Digimon Adventureデジモンアドベンチャーchildren talking, monster names that repeatCrunchyroll

See every N4 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Kemono Friends good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: simple cheerful speech, animal facts. It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

What Japanese level is Kemono Friends?

N4, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 7 are easier and 176 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Kemono Friends with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Kemono Friends 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 けものフレンズ mean, word by word?

けもの (kemono) means “beast; brute; animal”; フレンズ (furenzu) means “friends”.

How many episodes does Kemono Friends have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2017. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch after Kemono Friends?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: Dragon Ball (N4 to N3), The Cat Returns (N4 to N3) and Digimon Adventure (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.