In a big data study of anime, I analyzed 1,432 episodes (over 3.3 million words) from 120 anime. A small number of words does most of the work: the 20 most common make up 40% of everything said, the top 50 make up half, and 210 make up 67%. This book is those 210 words, and the plan for what to do with them.
Share of everything said in the first 12 episodes of 120 anime: 1,432 episodes, over 3.3 million words.
What's inside
- Word cards for all 210, in Furoma: furigana above, romaji under each character, so you don't need kanji to start.
- Grouped the way you'll use them: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and the particles that hold every line together.
- Words for your genre: the words action, everyday, fantasy, mystery, and romance anime lean on most.
- The data behind it: the coverage curve, how far each JLPT level gets you (N5 covers 63%), and how much of anime is hiragana.
- A method you can follow: flashcards, learning a song, graded readers, and a pronunciation guide.
- The top 1,000 words, ranked, at the back.
Look inside
Who it's for
Anime fans starting from zero or close to it, and anyone who has studied a little and wants to finally follow along. It isn't a grammar textbook. It hands you the words and the data, and points you to free resources for grammar.
Try it free first
Try the Top 10 Nouns in Furoma Reader, the reader that puts kana above and romaji below every word. Or take the two-minute quiz and see how much of anime you already understand.
The series
Start with Watch Anime, Learn Japanese for the 210 words anime says most, add Top 200 Japanese Verbs in Anime for the verbs, then Top 200 Japanese Adjectives & Adverbs in Anime for the words that give every line its color. See all three.
Questions
- How many words do I need to understand anime?
- In the first 12 episodes of 120 anime, 210 words make up 67% of everything said, and the 50 most common make up half. This book teaches those 210.
- Do I need to know kanji or hiragana first?
- No. Every word is in Furoma, with kana above and romaji below, so you can start right away and pick up hiragana as you go.