Learn Japanese with KonoSuba

Anime by Japanese level › N3

How hard is the Japanese in KonoSuba?

Ikkimi rates KonoSuba at N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: quick comedy, fantasy game words. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 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, この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！, is a first lesson in itself. Its 3 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with KonoSuba

Ikkimi lists KonoSuba 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 KonoSuba 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 KonoSuba, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• 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

Also N3

• N3The Seven Deadly Sins七つの大罪fantasy titles, clear voicesNetflix
• N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3NarutoNARUTO -ナルト-clear voices, ninja words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N2No Game No Lifeノーゲーム・ノーライフfast wordplay, game logicCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation無職転生 ～異世界行ったら本気だす～long narration, fantasy wordsCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Delicious in Dungeonダンジョン飯cooking and monster words, long explanationsNetflix

See every N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is KonoSuba good for learning Japanese?

With some help. Ikkimi rates it N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: quick comedy, fantasy game words. It sits in the middle of Ikkimi’s levels. A beginner can follow it with kana and romaji on every word, but it is easier after one or two simpler shows.

What Japanese level is KonoSuba?

N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch KonoSuba with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists KonoSuba 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 この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ mean, word by word?

素晴らしい (subarashii) means “wonderful; splendid; magnificent”; 世界 (sekai) means “the world; society; the universe”; 祝福 (shukufuku) means “celebration (of a joyous occasion); blessing; giving one's blessing”.

How many episodes does KonoSuba have?

AniList’s entry lists 10 episodes of about 23 minutes, first aired in 2016. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before KonoSuba?

Shows a little easier than KonoSuba, 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.