# Learn Japanese with Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

> 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 to N3](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4-to-n3)

**The short answer:** Ikkimi rates **Tanaka-kun is Always Listless** N4 to N3 for learning Japanese: slow, sleepy speech, school talk. **Good for a beginner? Yes, as an early show.** It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

Ikkimi lists Tanaka-kun is Always Listless 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 Tanaka-kun is Always Listless?

Ikkimi rates Tanaka-kun is Always Listless at **N4 to N3** (everyday talk). What sets its level: slow, sleepy speech, school talk. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 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 | Tanaka-kun is Always Listless |
| --- | --- |
| Ikkimi’s level | N4 to N3 (everyday talk) |
| Why | slow, sleepy speech, school talk |
| Japanese title | 田中くんはいつもけだるげ |
| Format | TV series |
| Episodes | 12, about 25 minutes each |
| First aired | 2016 |
| Genres | Comedy, Slice of Life |
| Where to watch | [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/search?q=Tanaka-kun%20is%20Always%20Listless) |

Format, episodes, year and genres are from [AniList’s entry](https://anilist.co/anime/21495), which may cover only the first season.

## The words in the title

The Japanese title, 田中くんはいつもけだるげ, is a first lesson in itself. Its word, as a dictionary lists it:

| Word | Kana and romaji | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| いつも N5 | いつも itsumo | always; all the time; at all times |

## How to learn Japanese with Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

Ikkimi lists Tanaka-kun is Always Listless 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.

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 Tanaka-kun is Always Listless on Crunchyroll. 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.

## Easier and harder shows

Shows within a level of Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, with the most genres in common first.

### Easier

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[K-On!](https://ikkimi.app/anime/k-on/)** けいおん! | N4 | school club chatter, everyday words | Netflix |
| **[Sweetness & Lightning](https://ikkimi.app/anime/sweetness-and-lightning/)** 甘々と稲妻 | N4 | a father and a small child, cooking words | Crunchyroll |
| **[Crayon Shin-chan](https://ikkimi.app/anime/crayon-shin-chan/)** クレヨンしんちゃん | N4 | a five-year-old’s cheeky speech, family talk | Netflix |

### Also N4 to N3

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Horimiya](https://ikkimi.app/anime/horimiya/)** ホリミヤ | N4 to N3 | casual school talk, short scenes | Crunchyroll, Netflix |
| **[Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid](https://ikkimi.app/anime/miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid/)** 小林さんちのメイドラゴン | N4 to N3 | home and office talk, one very polite speaker | Crunchyroll |
| **[Komi Can’t Communicate](https://ikkimi.app/anime/komi-cant-communicate/)** 古見さんは、コミュ症です。 | N4 to N3 | short lines, written notes on screen | Netflix |

### Harder

| Show | Level | Why | Where |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[Mob Psycho 100](https://ikkimi.app/anime/mob-psycho-100/)** モブサイコ100 | N3 | casual speech, one fast talker | Crunchyroll |
| **[SPY×FAMILY](https://ikkimi.app/anime/spy-x-family/)** | N3 | fast, with spy words | Crunchyroll, Netflix |
| **[Toradora!](https://ikkimi.app/anime/toradora/)** とらドラ！ | N3 | school romance, quick arguments | Crunchyroll, Netflix |

See [every N4 to N3 anime](https://ikkimi.app/anime-by-japanese-level/#n4-to-n3) 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 Tanaka-kun is Always Listless good for learning Japanese?

Yes, as an early show. Ikkimi rates it N4 to N3 (everyday talk). What sets its level: slow, sleepy speech, school talk. It is a step up from the very easiest shows, and a good second or third show.

### What Japanese level is Tanaka-kun is Always Listless?

N4 to N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 16 are easier and 148 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

### Where can I watch Tanaka-kun is Always Listless with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Tanaka-kun is Always Listless 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.

### What does the title 田中くんはいつもけだるげ mean, word by word?

いつも (itsumo) means “always; all the time; at all times”.

### How many episodes does Tanaka-kun is Always Listless have?

AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 25 minutes, first aired in 2016. Later seasons may be listed separately.

### What should I watch before Tanaka-kun is Always Listless?

Shows a little easier than Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, with genres in common: K-On! (N4), Sweetness & Lightning (N4) and Crayon Shin-chan (N4).

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/tanaka-kun-is-always-listless/ · Updated 2026-10-30 · Contact: hello@ikkimi.app · More: https://ikkimi.app/llms.txt