Learn Japanese with Princess Mononoke

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Princess Mononoke?

Ikkimi rates Princess Mononoke at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: a film, old-fashioned 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.

The words in the title

The Japanese title, もののけ姫, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Princess Mononoke

Ikkimi lists Princess Mononoke 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 and sign in.

2. Play the film

   Open Princess Mononoke 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). 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.

The film runs about 2 h 14, so you can split it over a few evenings and rewatch the scenes you liked.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Princess Mononoke, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• 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 N2Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind風の谷のナウシカa film, formal and old-fashioned speechNetflix
• N3ONE PIECEloud and clear, pirate words that repeatCrunchyrollNetflix

Also N2

• N2Demon Slayer鬼滅の刃old-fashioned speech, a lot of shoutingCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood鋼の錬金術師 FULLMETAL ALCHEMISTalchemy and military wordsCrunchyrollNetflix
• N2Attack on Titan進撃の巨人military words, fastCrunchyroll

Harder

• N2 to N1Fate/Zeroformal, archaic speeches about idealsCrunchyrollNetflix
• 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

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

Questions

Is Princess Mononoke good for learning Japanese?

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

What Japanese level is Princess Mononoke?

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 Princess Mononoke with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Princess Mononoke 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 もののけ姫 mean, word by word?

物の怪 (mononoke) means “evil spirit; (vengeful) ghost; specter”; 姫 (hime) means “young lady of noble birth; princess (esp. in Western contexts, tales, etc.)”. Words the title writes in another form are shown here as a dictionary lists them.

How long is Princess Mononoke?

AniList lists Princess Mononoke as a film of about 2 h 14, released in 1997.

What should I watch before Princess Mononoke?

Shows a little easier than Princess Mononoke, with genres in common: Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (N3 to N2), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (N3 to N2) and ONE PIECE (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.