# Learn Japanese with Kiki’s Delivery Service

> 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 **Kiki’s Delivery Service** N4 for learning Japanese: a film, 1 h 43. **Good for a beginner? Yes.** It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

Ikkimi lists Kiki’s Delivery Service on Netflix. What each service carries varies by country. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles and every word becomes clickable.

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

## 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.

| Fact | Kiki’s Delivery Service |
| --- | --- |
| Ikkimi’s level | N4 (simple everyday talk) |
| Why | a film, 1 h 43 |
| Japanese title | 魔女の宅急便 |
| Format | Film |
| Running time | 1 h 45 |
| Released | 1989 |
| Genres | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Slice of Life |
| Where to watch | [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/search?q=Kiki%E2%80%99s%20Delivery%20Service) |

Format, episodes, year and genres are from [AniList’s entry](https://anilist.co/anime/512).

## 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:

| Word | Kana and romaji | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 魔女 | まじょ majo | witch |
| 宅急便 | たっきゅうびん takkyuubin | TA-Q-BIN (express home delivery service provided by Yamato Transport) |

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

| 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 |
| **[Pokémon Concierge](https://ikkimi.app/anime/pokemon-concierge/)** ポケモンコンシェルジュ | N5 to N4 | short episodes, polite talk at work | Netflix |

### 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 |
| **[Kemono Friends](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kemono-friends/)** けものフレンズ | N4 | simple cheerful speech, animal facts | Crunchyroll |
| **[K-On!](https://ikkimi.app/anime/k-on/)** けいおん! | N4 | school club chatter, everyday words | Netflix |

### Harder

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Spirited Away](https://ikkimi.app/anime/spirited-away/)** 千と千尋の神隠し | N4 to N3 | a film, some old-fashioned speech | Netflix |
| **[Whisper of the Heart](https://ikkimi.app/anime/whisper-of-the-heart/)** 耳をすませば | N4 to N3 | a film, family and school talk | Netflix |
| **[The Secret World of Arrietty](https://ikkimi.app/anime/the-secret-world-of-arrietty/)** 借りぐらしのアリエッティ | N4 to N3 | a film, quiet family talk | Netflix |

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 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](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/kikis-delivery-service/ · Updated 2026-10-30 · Contact: hello@ikkimi.app · More: https://ikkimi.app/llms.txt