# Learn Japanese with Kemono Friends

> How hard its Japanese is, real words from it with kana and romaji, where to watch it, and what to watch before and after.

[Anime by Japanese level](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/) › [N4](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4)

**The short answer:** Ikkimi rates **Kemono Friends** N4 for learning Japanese: simple cheerful speech, animal facts. **Good for a beginner? Yes.** It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

Ikkimi lists Kemono Friends on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. On Crunchyroll, Ikkimi finds a Japanese subtitle file for the episode in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up for you.

The Ikkimi web app and Chrome extension come on one plan. The iPhone app is coming soon.

## 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.

| Fact | Kemono Friends |
| --- | --- |
| Ikkimi’s level | N4 (simple everyday talk) |
| Why | simple cheerful speech, animal facts |
| Japanese title | けものフレンズ |
| Format | TV series |
| Episodes | 12, about 24 minutes each |
| First aired | 2017 |
| Genres | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy |
| Where to watch | [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/search?q=Kemono%20Friends) |

Format, episodes, year and genres are from [AniList’s entry](https://anilist.co/anime/87496), 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:

| Word | Kana and romaji | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| けもの N1 | けもの kemono | beast; brute; animal |
| フレンズ | ふれんず furenzu | friends |

## 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](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/ikkimi-%E2%80%94-learn-japanese/kknpmodmojiodjhbgapdgpabdehpnfcb) 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

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[My Neighbor Totoro](https://ikkimi.app/anime/my-neighbor-totoro/)** となりのトトロ | N5 to N4 | a film, 1 h 26, children talking | Netflix |
| **[Ponyo](https://ikkimi.app/anime/ponyo/)** 崖の上のポニョ | N5 to N4 | a film, small children talking | Netflix |
| **[Teasing Master Takagi-san](https://ikkimi.app/anime/teasing-master-takagi-san/)** からかい上手の高木さん | N5 to N4 | two speakers, short lines | Netflix, Crunchyroll |

### Also N4

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Pokémon](https://ikkimi.app/anime/pokemon/)** ポケットモンスター | N4 | made for children, simple adventure talk | Netflix |
| **[Kiki’s Delivery Service](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kikis-delivery-service/)** 魔女の宅急便 | N4 | a film, 1 h 43 | Netflix |
| **[K-On!](https://ikkimi.app/anime/k-on/)** けいおん! | N4 | school club chatter, everyday words | Netflix |

### Harder

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Dragon Ball](https://ikkimi.app/anime/dragon-ball/)** ドラゴンボール | N4 to N3 | simple adventure talk, shouting | Crunchyroll |
| **[The Cat Returns](https://ikkimi.app/anime/the-cat-returns/)** 猫の恩返し | N4 to N3 | a film, school and fairy-tale talk | Netflix |
| **[Digimon Adventure](https://ikkimi.app/anime/digimon-adventure/)** デジモンアドベンチャー | N4 to N3 | children talking, monster names that repeat | Crunchyroll |

See [every N4 anime](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4) or all 192 [anime by Japanese level](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/), and read [how to learn Japanese by watching anime](https://ikkimi.app/learn-japanese-with-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](https://anilist.co); 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](https://ikkimi.app/credits/). Spotted a mistake? Tell us at [hello@ikkimi.app](mailto:hello@ikkimi.app).

Tonight’s episode is a lesson.

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Source: https://ikkimi.app/anime/kemono-friends/ · Updated 2026-10-30 · Contact: hello@ikkimi.app · More: https://ikkimi.app/llms.txt