Learn Japanese with Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Gundam: The Witch from Mercury?

Ikkimi rates Gundam: The Witch from Mercury at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: school talk mixed with company and military words. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 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, 機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女, is a first lesson in itself. Its 4 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Gundam: The Witch from Mercury

Ikkimi lists Gundam: The Witch from Mercury 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 Gundam: The Witch from Mercury 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). At this level, turn on the English line under the Japanese at first, and keep only the words that come back.

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 Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N3Gurren Lagann天元突破グレンラガンrough speech, shouted slogansCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3 to N2Fire Force炎炎ノ消防隊firefighting and religious wordsCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Dandadanダンダダンvery fast banter, slangCrunchyrollNetflix

Also N2

• N286 EIGHTY-SIX86―エイティシックス―military radio talk, formal reportsCrunchyroll
• N2PLUTOpolice and robot words, serious speechNetflix
• N2Cowboy Bebopカウボーイビバップcool slang, crime and space wordsCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N2 to N1Code Geassコードギアス 反逆のルルーシュformal speeches, politics and military wordsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2 to N1Neon Genesis Evangelion新世紀エヴァンゲリオンmilitary, science and psychology wordsNetflix
• N2 to N1Gintama銀魂fast parody, wordplay, period speechCrunchyroll

See every N2 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Gundam: The Witch from Mercury good for learning Japanese?

Not for beginners. Ikkimi rates it N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: school talk mixed with company and military words. It suits learners who already follow easier shows. Expect to click a lot of words at first.

What Japanese level is Gundam: The Witch from Mercury?

N2, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 139 are easier and 15 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Gundam: The Witch from Mercury with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Gundam: The Witch from Mercury 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 機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女 mean, word by word?

機動 (kidou) means “maneuver (usu. of military force); manoeuvre”; 戦士 (senshi) means “soldier; combatant; warrior”; 水星 (suisei) means “Mercury (planet)”; 魔女 (majo) means “witch”.

How many episodes does Gundam: The Witch from Mercury have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2022. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Gundam: The Witch from Mercury?

Shows a little easier than Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, with genres in common: Gurren Lagann (N3), Fire Force (N3 to N2) and Dandadan (N3 to N2).

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.