Learn Japanese with Yuri!!! on Ice
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 Yuri!!! on Ice N3 for learning Japanese: skating words, English and Russian mixed in. Good for a beginner? With some help. 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.
Ikkimi lists Yuri!!! on Ice 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.
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How hard is the Japanese in Yuri!!! on Ice?
Ikkimi rates Yuri!!! on Ice at N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: skating words, English and Russian mixed in. 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.
| Fact | Yuri!!! on Ice |
|---|---|
| Ikkimi’s level | N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed) |
| Why | skating words, English and Russian mixed in |
| Japanese title | ユーリ!!! on ICE |
| Format | TV series |
| Episodes | 12, about 24 minutes each |
| First aired | 2016 |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Sports |
| 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 Yuri!!! on Ice
Ikkimi lists Yuri!!! on Ice 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 Yuri!!! on Ice 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). Keep three to five words an episode, the ones that come up again.
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 Yuri!!! on Ice, 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 N3Cardcaptor Sakuraカードキャプターさくらa polite ten-year-old lead, clear voicesCrunchyrollNetflix
N4 to N3Fruits Basketフルーツバスケットa polite lead, family talkCrunchyroll
Also N3
N3Haikyu!!ハイキュー!!sports talk that repeats itselfCrunchyrollNetflix
N3Hajime no Ippoはじめの一歩boxing words, rough friendly speechCrunchyrollNetflix
N3SLAM DUNKbasketball words, rough school speechCrunchyrollNetflix
Harder
N3 to N2Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ないquick banter, some science wordsCrunchyroll
N3 to N2Dandadanダンダダンvery fast banter, slangCrunchyrollNetflix
N3 to N2Chihayafuruちはやふるclub talk, classical poems read aloudCrunchyroll
See every N3 anime or all 192 anime by Japanese level, and read how to learn Japanese by watching anime from zero.
Questions
Is Yuri!!! on Ice good for learning Japanese?
With some help. Ikkimi rates it N3 (everyday Japanese at full speed). What sets its level: skating words, English and Russian mixed in. 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 Yuri!!! on Ice?
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 Yuri!!! on Ice with Japanese subtitles?
Ikkimi lists Yuri!!! on Ice 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 Yuri!!! on Ice have?
AniList’s entry lists 12 episodes of about 24 minutes, first aired in 2016. Later seasons may be listed separately.
What should I watch before Yuri!!! on Ice?
Shows a little easier than Yuri!!! on Ice, with genres in common: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You (N4 to N3), Cardcaptor Sakura (N4 to N3) and Fruits Basket (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.
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