Learn Japanese with Kiki’s Delivery Service

Anime by Japanese level › N4

How hard is the Japanese in Kiki’s Delivery Service?

Ikkimi rates Kiki’s Delivery Service at N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: a film, 1 h 43. 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.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, 魔女の宅急便, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Kiki’s Delivery Service

Ikkimi lists Kiki’s Delivery Service on 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 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 the film

   Open Kiki’s Delivery Service on 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.

The film runs about 1 h 45, so you can split it over a few evenings and rewatch the scenes you liked.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Kiki’s Delivery Service, 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 N4Pokémon Conciergeポケモンコンシェルジュshort episodes, polite talk at workNetflix

Also N4

• N4Pokémonポケットモンスターmade for children, simple adventure talkNetflix
• N4Kemono Friendsけものフレンズsimple cheerful speech, animal factsCrunchyroll
• N4K-On!けいおん!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix

Harder

• N4 to N3Spirited Away千と千尋の神隠しa film, some old-fashioned speechNetflix
• N4 to N3Whisper of the Heart耳をすませばa film, family and school talkNetflix
• N4 to N3The Secret World of Arrietty借りぐらしのアリエッティa film, quiet family talkNetflix

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

Questions

Is Kiki’s Delivery Service good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: a film, 1 h 43. It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

What Japanese level is Kiki’s Delivery Service?

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 Kiki’s Delivery Service with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Kiki’s Delivery Service on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

What does the title 魔女の宅急便 mean, word by word?

魔女 (majo) means “witch”; 宅急便 (takkyuubin) means “TA-Q-BIN (express home delivery service provided by Yamato Transport)”.

How long is Kiki’s Delivery Service?

AniList lists Kiki’s Delivery Service as a film of about 1 h 45, released in 1989.

What should I watch after Kiki’s Delivery Service?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: Spirited Away (N4 to N3), Whisper of the Heart (N4 to N3) and The Secret World of Arrietty (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.