Learn Japanese with Rilakkuma and Kaoru

Anime by Japanese level › N5 to N4

How hard is the Japanese in Rilakkuma and Kaoru?

Ikkimi rates Rilakkuma and Kaoru at N5 to N4 (gentle, simple talk). What sets its level: short episodes, one calm speaker, everyday life. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 1 is easier and 185 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.

How to learn Japanese with Rilakkuma and Kaoru

Ikkimi lists Rilakkuma and Kaoru 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 an episode

   Open Rilakkuma and Kaoru 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.

Episodes are about 11 minutes, short enough to watch each one twice: once to follow, once to pick words.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Rilakkuma and Kaoru, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N5Polar Bear Caféしろくまカフェslow, polite everyday talkCrunchyroll

Also N5 to N4

• N5 to N4Teasing Master Takagi-sanからかい上手の高木さんtwo speakers, short linesNetflixCrunchyroll
• N5 to N4My Neighbor Totoroとなりのトトロa film, 1 h 26, children talkingNetflix
• N5 to N4Doraemonドラえもんmade for children, short stories, clear voicesNetflix

Harder

• N4K-On!けいおん!school club chatter, everyday wordsNetflix
• N4Sweetness & Lightning甘々と稲妻a father and a small child, cooking wordsCrunchyroll
• N4Crayon Shin-chanクレヨンしんちゃんa five-year-old’s cheeky speech, family talkNetflix

See every N5 to N4 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Rilakkuma and Kaoru good for learning Japanese?

Yes. Ikkimi rates it N5 to N4 (gentle, simple talk). What sets its level: short episodes, one calm speaker, everyday life. It is one of the easiest shows Ikkimi rates, and a good first show for a complete beginner.

What Japanese level is Rilakkuma and Kaoru?

N5 to N4, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 1 is easier and 185 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Rilakkuma and Kaoru with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Rilakkuma and Kaoru 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.

How many episodes does Rilakkuma and Kaoru have?

AniList’s entry lists 13 episodes of about 11 minutes, first aired in 2019. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch after Rilakkuma and Kaoru?

Shows a little harder, with genres in common: K-On! (N4), Sweetness & Lightning (N4) and Crayon Shin-chan (N4).

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.