Learn Japanese with Ping Pong the Animation

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Ping Pong the Animation?

Ikkimi rates Ping Pong the Animation at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: table tennis words, clipped slangy speech. 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, ピンポン THE ANIMATION, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Ping Pong the Animation

Ikkimi lists Ping Pong the Animation 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 Ping Pong the Animation 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 Ping Pong the Animation, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N3 to N2Tokyo Ghoul東京喰種トーキョーグールdark inner monologue, invented termsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3 to N2Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活fast emotional monologues, fantasy wordsCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ないquick banter, some science wordsCrunchyroll

Also N2

• N2Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersサイバーパンク エッジランナーズstreet slang, technology wordsNetflix
• N2ODDTAXIオッドタクシーnatural adult conversation, comedy-duo banterCrunchyroll
• N2PLUTOpolice and robot words, serious speechNetflix

Harder

• N2 to N1STEINS;GATEnet slang, science talk, fastCrunchyroll
• N2 to N1Neon Genesis Evangelion新世紀エヴァンゲリオンmilitary, science and psychology wordsNetflix
• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll

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

Questions

Is Ping Pong the Animation good for learning Japanese?

Not for beginners. Ikkimi rates it N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: table tennis words, clipped slangy speech. It suits learners who already follow easier shows. Expect to click a lot of words at first.

What Japanese level is Ping Pong the Animation?

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 Ping Pong the Animation with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Ping Pong the Animation 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 ピンポン THE ANIMATION mean, word by word?

ピンポン (pinpon) means “ping-pong; table tennis”.

How many episodes does Ping Pong the Animation have?

AniList’s entry lists 11 episodes of about 23 minutes, first aired in 2014. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Ping Pong the Animation?

Shows a little easier than Ping Pong the Animation, with genres in common: Tokyo Ghoul (N3 to N2), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (N3 to N2) and Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai (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.