How a Korean Guest Learned Japanese from AKIRA — 5 Anime That Actually Work

Recently, a young man from Korea came to stay at our guesthouse.

He had the warmest smile — and his Japanese was surprisingly fluent 😊

Talking with him reminded me how many foreign guests have told me they learned Japanese from anime — so in this article, I'd like to share which titles they've actually been studying with.

The Korean Guest's Surprising Pick — AKIRA

He had brought his own motorcycle over from Korea by ferry and was riding all the way across Japan.

Having just graduated from university, he told me he was spending three weeks crossing Japan by motorcycle to celebrate.

When I asked why he chose Japan as his destination, his answer caught me a little off guard.

"It's the cheapest country I can reach from Korea by ferry," he said.

Other countries cost tens of thousands of yen to reach, but Japan needs no visa and a ferry ticket runs only a few thousand yen.

After deciding on Japan, he started studying Japanese — through anime.

His study period? Just three weeks. And yet his Japanese felt alive — the kind you simply can't get from textbooks alone.

When I asked which anime he studied with, the first title he named was — surprisingly — the 1988 film AKIRA ❣

A Korean man in his twenties watching a film from 1988 — I couldn't help but laugh with surprise and delight 😊

The Anime Foreign Guests Tell Me They Learned Japanese From

We welcome guests from all over the world to Watausagi, and "I learned Japanese from anime" is something I hear all the time.

The titles that come up are almost always the same few.

• One Piece

• NARUTO

• Jujutsu Kaisen

• Demon Slayer
• And AKIRA, the one our Korean guest mentioned (that was a first for me — ha!)

All are world-famous and available on Netflix or Crunchyroll in most countries.

To be honest though, these aren't exactly easy for learners.

Specialized vocabulary, made-up words, and characters with strong speech quirks make them pretty tough as study material.

But the sheer fun of watching them is probably what keeps learners coming back — and that's the real engine of language learning 😊

5 Anime I'd Actually Recommend for Learning Japanese

If a guest asked me which anime is most efficient for studying Japanese, I'd point to different titles entirely.

These are the titles recommended by major language-learning sites — reliably learner-friendly 😊

1. Polar Bear Café (Shirokuma Café)

A cozy slice-of-life anime set in a café run by a polar bear, where pandas, penguins, and other animals gather as regulars.

The dialogue moves slowly, so you'll naturally pick up café conversation and everyday expressions.

The vocabulary level is gentle — a perfect first pick for beginners ✨

2. Chibi Maruko-chan

A long-running national favorite since 1990, set in 1970s Shizuoka. The series follows 9-year-old Maruko's daily life with her family and friends at a soft, gentle pace.

You'll absorb tons of natural Japanese — the kind people actually use in family, school, and neighborhood settings 😊

Bonus: you also get a window into Japanese family life in the Showa era, so the cultural backdrop comes along for free.

3. Studio Ghibli films (like Kiki's Delivery Service)

Ghibli films are known for careful voice work, with pronunciation that's remarkably clear — a real gift for learners.

Titles like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service use simpler vocabulary — great for beginner to intermediate learners.

You'll also encounter rich emotional expressions, plus all the words tied to Japanese landscapes and daily life ❣

4. SPY×FAMILY

A spy father, an assassin mother, and a telepathic daughter — none of them knowing each other's true identity — pretending to be a normal family.

Vocabulary ranges from family and school to spy lingo — but the modern, fast-paced dialogue keeps it engaging the whole way.

It's genuinely funny, with real family warmth underneath — easy to keep watching, episode after episode 😊

5. Haikyu!!

A high-school volleyball series. Watching the characters grow as they push each other forward is genuinely gripping.

Real teenage speech, the senpai/kohai hierarchy, sports commentary in real time — "living Japanese" packed into every episode.

Especially great if you love sports — or just want to hear Japanese that textbooks won't teach you ✨

Where to Watch

Most of these are available on Netflix 😊

Availability does vary by region, so do check your local Netflix.

Studio Ghibli films stream on Netflix in many countries — though not in Japan or North America.

Switching between Japanese subtitles and subtitles in your own language really boosts your learning ✨

Final Thoughts

Our Korean guest planned to continue north to Hokkaido, then ferry back home through Kyushu.

He's actually been documenting his whole journey on his own YouTube channel called Jae Gul (재굴 Jae Gul) ✨

His channel bio is just one line: "여행 떠납니다" — "Going on a journey." True to that, you'll find lots of clips of his ride across Japan.

Everything — narration and subtitles — is in Korean, so I can't understand a word.

But his joy comes through the screen clearly, and watching makes me happy too 😊

A young man who learned a language through anime is now creating his own videos for the world — what a wonderful circle ❣

If you're curious, take a peek 👇 → Jae Gul on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@JaeGul)

Guesthouse Watausagi welcomes travelers from all over the world — many, like our Korean guest, drawn to Japan by its culture and anime. Each one brings their own story to share, and I always learn something new from them. Make Watausagi your base for exploring Tsuruoka and the Shonai region, and for unforgettable encounters along the way 😊

We also convey the charms of Yamagata, Tsuruoka and Shonai.

I post updates on Instagram Stories — follow along to stay in the loop 😊

I also share life at Watausagi and the encounters here on YouTube. A subscribe would mean a lot 💕 → Guesthouse Watausagi on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@gh_watausagi)

I'm glad you like/share 💕