Now on the App Store · From N5 beginner to advanced

Learn Japanese one episode at a time

From anime, into kanji, kana, and meaning. Kotonoki picks the words that matter in each episode and turns them into a focused lesson — with native audio, furigana, and romaji you can lean on as much as you need.

Available on iPhone, iPad & Mac with Apple Silicon

How it works

From episode to fluency

Four steps. No textbooks, no drills — just the anime you actually want to watch.

1

Pick an anime

Search any series — Frieren, Spy×Family, Demon Slayer — or browse what other learners have already added.

2

Tap an episode

Kotonoki pulls real Japanese subtitles and builds a custom lesson on the words actually said in the scene.

3

Practice with three layers

Kanji on top, furigana under it, romaji below. Native voice readings on tap. Use as many crutches as you need today, drop them as you grow.

4

Retain with SRS

Words you've met come back at the right moment — Leitner-style spaced repetition tuned to JLPT levels.

See it in action

What you'll actually use

Six screens from the app — from picking an anime to nailing the kanji with a memory story.

Kotonoki catalog screen with streak, daily phrase from anime, and shows you're learning from. Show detail with episode list — tap any episode to build a focused Japanese lesson. Flashcard for a Japanese word showing kanji, kana reading, Hepburn romaji, native audio, and Studio Ghibli illustration. Symbols tab with hiragana, katakana, and kanji grids — master every character from N5 to N1. Vocabulary tab with your personal word list, JLPT level filter, and box-dot progress per word. Kanji detail sheet with stroke order animation and an AI-generated memory story that ties strokes to meaning.
Features

Built around how you actually watch anime

Any anime, any episode

Pick from a wide catalog of Japanese series and films. Kotonoki builds a lesson the moment you tap.

Kanji + kana + romaji

Three layers on every word. Furigana for reading practice, romaji as a safety net, kanji for the long game.

JLPT-aware vocabulary

Each word is tagged N5–N1, so your lessons can focus on the level you're climbing toward.

Spaced repetition

Leitner-style boxes resurface each word at the perfect moment for long-term retention.

Native pronunciation

Tap any word or quote — Kotonoki speaks it back to you with a Japanese voice. No reading guesswork.

Phrase of the day

A new line from a Japanese show each morning, with reading, romaji, and where it would fit in real conversation.

Pricing

Try free for 7 days

Full access to everything during the trial. Cancel anytime in App Store settings — no charge if you cancel before the trial ends.

Free

$0 /forever

Try the catalog and one ready lesson per day.

  • One ready lesson per day
  • Browse the full anime catalog
  • Daily phrase & vocabulary basics
Get the app
Save 37%

Yearly

$59.99 /year

$5/mo. Best value if you're in for the long run.

  • Everything in Monthly
  • Two months free
  • Lock in the price for a year
Choose yearly

Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. Manage anytime in App Store settings.

From the same studio

Also learning English?

Reelingo is our sibling app for English learners — turn the shows and movies you already watch into focused lessons with IPA, definitions, and example sentences.