Learn Japanese with Psycho-Pass
How hard its Japanese is, where to watch it, and what to watch before and after.
Last updated 30 October 2026
The short answer: Ikkimi rates Psycho-Pass N1 for learning Japanese: police and law words. Good for a beginner? No, keep it for later. It is among the hardest shows Ikkimi rates, hard even for advanced learners.
Ikkimi lists Psycho-Pass on Crunchyroll. What each service carries varies by country. On Crunchyroll, Ikkimi finds a Japanese subtitle file for the episode in Jimaku’s catalogue and lines it up for you.
The Ikkimi web app and Chrome extension come on one plan. The iPhone app is coming soon.
How hard is the Japanese in Psycho-Pass?
Ikkimi rates Psycho-Pass at N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: police and law words. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 183 are easier and none is 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 | Psycho-Pass |
|---|---|
| Ikkimi’s level | N1 (the hardest level) |
| Why | police and law words |
| Japanese title | PSYCHO-PASS サイコパス |
| Format | TV series |
| Episodes | 22, about 23 minutes each |
| First aired | 2012 |
| Genres | Action, Psychological, Sci-Fi, Thriller |
| Where to watch | Crunchyroll |
Format, episodes, year and genres are from AniList’s entry, which may cover only the first season.
How to learn Japanese with Psycho-Pass
Ikkimi lists Psycho-Pass 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.
Add Ikkimi to Chrome
Get the extension from the Chrome Web Store and sign in.
Play an episode
Open Psycho-Pass on Crunchyroll. The Japanese line appears on top of the video.
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.
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
Psycho-Pass is at the top of Ikkimi’s levels. Shows within a level of Psycho-Pass, with the most genres in common first.
Easier
N2PLUTOpolice and robot words, serious speechNetflix
N2 to N1STEINS;GATEnet slang, science talk, fastCrunchyroll
N2 to N1Code Geassコードギアス 反逆のルルーシュformal speeches, politics and military wordsCrunchyrollNetflix
Also N1
N1DEATH NOTElong reasoning, formal wordsNetflixCrunchyroll
N1Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These銀河英雄伝説 Die Neue Theseformal political and military speechesCrunchyroll
N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very fastCrunchyroll
See every N1 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.
Questions
Is Psycho-Pass good for learning Japanese?
No, keep it for later. Ikkimi rates it N1 (the hardest level). What sets its level: police and law words. It is among the hardest shows Ikkimi rates, hard even for advanced learners.
What Japanese level is Psycho-Pass?
N1, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 183 are easier and none is harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.
Where can I watch Psycho-Pass with Japanese subtitles?
Ikkimi lists Psycho-Pass 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.
How many episodes does Psycho-Pass have?
AniList’s entry lists 22 episodes of about 23 minutes, first aired in 2012. Later seasons may be listed separately.
What should I watch before Psycho-Pass?
Shows a little easier than Psycho-Pass, with genres in common: PLUTO (N2), STEINS;GATE (N2 to N1) and Code Geass (N2 to N1).
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.
Tonight’s episode is a lesson.
Get Ikkimi