Learn Japanese with Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Anime by Japanese level › N3

How hard is the Japanese in Umamusume: Pretty Derby?

Ikkimi rates Umamusume: Pretty Derby at N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: racing words, cheerful club talk. Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 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, ウマ娘 プリティーダービー, is a first lesson in itself. Its 2 words, as a dictionary lists them:

How to learn Japanese with Umamusume: Pretty Derby

Ikkimi lists Umamusume: Pretty Derby 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 and sign in.

2. Play an episode

   Open Umamusume: Pretty Derby 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 Umamusume: Pretty Derby, with the most genres in common first.

Easier

• N4 to N3Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You君に届けschool romance, a polite leadNetflixCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Tsuki ga Kirei月がきれいquiet school romance, text messages on screenCrunchyroll
• N4 to N3Whisper of the Heart耳をすませばa film, family and school talkNetflix

Also N3

• N3Your Lie in April四月は君の嘘school talk, music words, poetic monologuesCrunchyrollNetflix
• N3Sound! Euphonium響け！ユーフォニアムband club talk, music wordsCrunchyroll
• N3SLAM DUNKbasketball words, rough school speechCrunchyrollNetflix

Harder

• N3 to N2Chihayafuruちはやふるclub talk, classical poems read aloudCrunchyroll
• N3 to N2Violet Evergardenヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデンformal polite speech, letters read aloudNetflix
• N3 to N2BEASTARSschool talk, long inner monologueNetflix

See every N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.

Questions

Is Umamusume: Pretty Derby good for learning Japanese?

With some help. Ikkimi rates it N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: racing words, cheerful club talk. It sits in the middle of Ikkimi’s levels. A beginner can follow it with kana and romaji on every word, but it is easier after one or two simpler shows.

What Japanese level is Umamusume: Pretty Derby?

N3, on Ikkimi’s scale from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Of the 192 anime Ikkimi rates by hand, 44 are easier and 80 are harder. The level is Ikkimi’s estimate, not an official JLPT rating.

Where can I watch Umamusume: Pretty Derby with Japanese subtitles?

Ikkimi lists Umamusume: Pretty Derby 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 ウマ娘 プリティーダービー mean, word by word?

ウマ (uma) means “horse”; 娘 (musume) means “daughter”.

How many episodes does Umamusume: Pretty Derby have?

AniList’s entry lists 13 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2018. Later seasons may be listed separately.

What should I watch before Umamusume: Pretty Derby?

Shows a little easier than Umamusume: Pretty Derby, with genres in common: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You (N4 to N3), Tsuki ga Kirei (N4 to N3) and Whisper of the Heart (N4 to 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.