I believe in a visual language that should be as strong as the written word, if not stronger.
These words would’ve probably already told you what topic I’m going to talk on about today. Why it’s your favorite thing to do (and ours too) – Bingeing TV series!
If you have ever faced the dilemma of dividing your time between your studies and watching that latest season of your favorite show that just dropped, then read on dear reader, this article will tell you all, how to learn Japanese, while bingeing on your favorite Japanese animes.
This topic needs no fancy writing, I know I had you at beinging, if not at that, you certainly swooned at animes. But not only are we going to talk about some of the best TV shows out there, but we will also be discussing how you can use them to enhance your Japanese speaking skills.
Learn Japanese by watching Animes
Wait, are you serious? How is just sitting in front of Netflix going to help me learn Japanese fast? What if I were to tell you that for both, language learners and experts, watching movies and TV shows is one of the best ways to learn a language? Not only that, Japanese TV series, or animes, are some of the most culturally rich forms of cinema in the world.
Not only this, you can watch any genre that resonates with you, animes come in all shapes and sizes. There are single-season animes and animes that comprise of more than 65 episodes in total. This directly makes you more interested and learning Japanese doesn’t feel like a drag. The best part is that this method works just as well for advanced students as it does for beginner learners. So strap in, ladies and gentlemen, for you are about to find out the top 5 TV shows I used while learning Japanese myself. The best part? Using animes as a method to learn Japanese not only teaches you the important vocabulary and makes you familiar with the grammatical rules, but it also tells you the local slang and the local accents used in the streets of Japan.
Top 5 Animes to Watch to learn Japanese
1. Death Note
Why not start the list with the best and the most classic Japanese anime that there is? If you have never watched an anime before, Death note is the show to start with. Starting with a very simple idea that turns into an epic mouse and cat chase, Death note comprises of one of the greatest, most witty stories and one of the most memorable characters in Japanese cinematic history.
The story is so engrossing, you’ll feel to be at the edge of the seat all the time. Watching this anime with subtitles will also help you in learning a lot of new Kanji as well.
For anyone who is interested in careers of Law and enforcement, you will learn a lot of vocabulary related to police life in Japan. We would recommend this anime for intermediate to advanced learners.
2. Doraemon
What, is Doraemon an anime? Yes, believe it or not, we have all been watching animes since before we could walk. Indian broadcasts of Doraemon, Shinchan, Ninja Hattori are all Hindi dubs of original Japanese languages.
If you are a beginner-level learner and want to practice your skills in Japanese, pick up any of the above animes and start bingeing. Bonus: A guaranteed trip of Nostalgia!
Considered as a cultural phenomenon and an adaptation of the world-famous manga, the story of Doraemon revolves around an elementary school student Nobita Nobi, who faces the same problems as all kids his age: bullying, grades, and relationships.
But he has someone to his rescue, a futuristic cat robot named Doraemon, who has every gadget you could possibly think of. The language used in this anime is basic and easy to understand with a lot of common everyday used words.
3. Attack on Titan
If you stumble on this post right about now, you would have definitely heard about the raging final season of Attack on Titan. Excellent action, intriguing backstories, emotional moments, badass storylines, you name it, the show has it all!
Attack on Titan has not only recieved an overwhelming response from fans, but also has been nominated and awarded a lot of awards.
Episodes in the later seasons feature a lot of exposition and flashbacks which give you a lot of vocabulary learning material.
The best news is that the language being spoken is pretty straightforward, so anyone with some speaking experience can feel right at home with this anime. This anime features all of it, politics, warfare, friendship and so much more.
4. Full metal alchemist brotherhood
Yes, pay attention. The brotherhood is important. This adaptation of the famous manga series was made after the manga got finished. Personally, I have never quite seen an anime like this.
It has got action, intense fight scenes, super funny scenes, impeccable emotional moments and a great, great storyline that will leave you wanting for so much more.
The story revolves around two brothers Alphonse and Edward Elric, who are state alchemists who practice the art of alchemy to get their original bodies back and possibly bring their mother back from the dead. Yes, I can almost hear you going “Wow, I gotta watch this one”.
Spanning over an interesting 65 episodes with over five seasons, this show will fill you with happiness to the brim.
You will not only learn vocabulary and kanji related to different walks of life in Japan, you will also learn some of the local accents used in different Japanese regions. We recommend this anime for intermediate or advanced learners. Beginners can watch the anime but subtitles would really be necessary.
5. Sket dance
This anime follows yet the life of another three high school students who are determined to live their lives to the fullest and solve any problem that may fall upon them. The anime, which describes the energy and ups and downs of high school life, is a great way to learn vocabulary related to the magical world that is high school.
The series is also based on a popular manga of the same name, so feel free to check those out. This is a really good anime to watch and the manga will help you improve your reading skills a lot and also most of the manga includes furigana (kana characters that help students read kanji).
How to learn Japanese with Animes?
I’m sure that you’re more than just excited to start learning Japanese through your favorite visual medium.
A notable practice to keep in mind to watch the anime actively, not passively, and take notes of all the new vocabulary that you come across and also notice how different words are being pronounced.
Since most Japanese animes are based on manga, reading the story along with watching the show is a practice of its own. So what are you waiting for, add these shows to your watchlist and let the bingeing begin!
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