# Learn Japanese with Pokémon

> 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 **Pokémon** N4 for learning Japanese: made for children, simple adventure talk. **Good for a beginner? Yes.** It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

Ikkimi lists Pokémon 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 Pokémon?

Ikkimi rates Pokémon at **N4** (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: made for children, simple adventure talk. 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 | Pokémon |
| --- | --- |
| Ikkimi’s level | N4 (simple everyday talk) |
| Why | made for children, simple adventure talk |
| Japanese title | ポケットモンスター |
| Format | TV series |
| Episodes | 276, about 24 minutes each |
| First aired | 1997 |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy |
| Where to watch | [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/search?q=Pok%C3%A9mon) |

Format, episodes, year and genres are from [AniList’s entry](https://anilist.co/anime/527), which may cover only the first season.

## The words in the title

The Japanese title, ポケットモンスター, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

| Word | Kana and romaji | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ポケット N5 | ぽけっと poketto | pocket |
| モンスター | もんすたー monsutaa | monster; monstrosity |

## How to learn Japanese with Pokémon

Ikkimi lists Pokémon 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 an episode: Open Pokémon 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.

With 276 episodes on AniList’s entry, the same words get many chances to come back.

## Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Pokémon, 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 |
| **[Teasing Master Takagi-san](https://ikkimi.app/anime/teasing-master-takagi-san/)** からかい上手の高木さん | N5 to N4 | two speakers, short lines | Netflix, Crunchyroll |

### Also N4

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Kemono Friends](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kemono-friends/)** けものフレンズ | N4 | simple cheerful speech, animal facts | Crunchyroll |
| **[Kiki’s Delivery Service](https://ikkimi.app/anime/kikis-delivery-service/)** 魔女の宅急便 | N4 | a film, 1 h 43 | Netflix |
| **[Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure](https://ikkimi.app/anime/soaring-sky-pretty-cure/)** ひろがるスカイ！プリキュア | N4 | made for children, clear voices, catchphrases that repeat | Crunchyroll |

### Harder

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Dragon Ball](https://ikkimi.app/anime/dragon-ball/)** ドラゴンボール | N4 to N3 | simple adventure talk, shouting | Crunchyroll |
| **[Digimon Adventure](https://ikkimi.app/anime/digimon-adventure/)** デジモンアドベンチャー | N4 to N3 | children talking, monster names that repeat | Crunchyroll |
| **[ONE PIECE](https://ikkimi.app/anime/one-piece/)** | N3 | loud and clear, pirate words that repeat | Crunchyroll, 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 Pokémon good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N4 (simple everyday talk). What sets its level: made for children, simple adventure talk. It is one of the easier shows, good for your first weeks.

### What Japanese level is Pokémon?

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 Pokémon with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Pokémon 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 ポケットモンスター mean, word by word?

ポケット (poketto) means “pocket”; モンスター (monsutaa) means “monster; monstrosity”.

### How many episodes does Pokémon have?

AniList’s entry lists 276 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 1997. Later seasons may be listed separately.

### What should I watch after Pokémon?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: Dragon Ball (N4 to N3), Digimon Adventure (N4 to N3) and ONE PIECE (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/pokemon/ · Updated 2026-10-30 · Contact: hello@ikkimi.app · More: https://ikkimi.app/llms.txt