Learn Japanese with Rurouni Kenshin

Anime by Japanese level › N2

How hard is the Japanese in Rurouni Kenshin?

Ikkimi rates Rurouni Kenshin at N2 (fast talk on many topics). What sets its level: old-fashioned speech, sword terms. 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, るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

How to learn Japanese with Rurouni Kenshin

Ikkimi lists Rurouni Kenshin on Crunchyroll and 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 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.

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 Rurouni Kenshin on Crunchyroll or 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.

With 94 episodes on AniList’s entry, the same words get many chances to come back.

Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Rurouni Kenshin, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N3 to N2Porco Rosso紅の豚a film, adult banter, flying wordsNetflix
• 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 N2Dandadanダンダダンvery fast banter, slangCrunchyrollNetflix

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
• N2Dr.STONEscience words, shoutingCrunchyroll

Harder

• N2 to N1Gintama銀魂fast parody, wordplay, period speechCrunchyroll
• N1Bakemonogatari化物語wordplay, very 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

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

Questions

Is Rurouni Kenshin good for learning Japanese?

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

What Japanese level is Rurouni Kenshin?

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 Rurouni Kenshin with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Rurouni Kenshin on Crunchyroll and Netflix. 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. On Netflix, turn on Japanese subtitles in the player where they are offered, and Ikkimi makes every word clickable.

What does the title るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚- mean, word by word?

剣 (ken) means “sword (esp. a large, double-edged one); blade”.

How many episodes does Rurouni Kenshin have?

AniList’s entry lists 94 episodes of about 25 minutes, first aired in 1996. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Rurouni Kenshin?

Shows a little easier than Rurouni Kenshin, with genres in common: Porco Rosso (N3 to N2), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- (N3 to N2) and Dandadan (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.