Doraemon, Shin-chan, Pokémon, Dragon Ball and Naruto are well known in India. The good news is that reading their Japanese titles lets you practise katakana straight away. This post shows katakana anime titles: 8 famous names letter by letter, so you can start reading real Japanese on day one.
Prefer Hindi? यह पोस्ट हिंदी में पढ़ें.
Katakana vs hiragana
Japanese has two syllabaries that write the same sounds. Hiragana is for native Japanese words, and katakana is for foreign words, names and emphasis. That is why many anime titles are in katakana. First look at the katakana chart and the hiragana chart.
8 famous titles, letter by letter
| Japanese | Letter by letter | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ドラえもん | ド do + ラ ra + え e + も mo + ん n | Doraemon | ドラ is katakana, えもん is hiragana |
| クレヨンしんちゃん | ク ku + レ re + ヨ yo + ン n + し shi + ん n + ち chi + ゃ ya + ん n | Kureyon Shinchan | クレヨン = crayon (katakana), しんちゃん = Shin-chan |
| ポケモン | ポ po + ケ ke + モ mo + ン n | Pokemon | Short for Poketto Monsutā (Pocket Monsters) |
| ドラゴンボール | ド do + ラ ra + ゴ go + ン n + ボ bo + ー (long vowel) + ル ru | Doragon Bōru | Dragon Ball; ー lengthens the previous vowel |
| ナルト | ナ na + ル ru + ト to | Naruto | A character’s name |
| ワンピース | ワ wa + ン n + ピ pi + ー + ス su | Wan Pīsu | One Piece |
| ハイキュー | ハ ha + イ i + キ ki + ュ (small yu) + ー | Haikyū | Haikyu!! (a volleyball anime) |
| チェンソーマン | チ chi + ェ (small e) + ン n + ソ so + ー + マ ma + ン n | Chensō Man | Chainsaw Man |
Note: the long-vowel mark ー stretches the vowel in katakana, and small characters (ァ, ェ, ゃ) combine with the previous character to make a new sound (チ + ェ = che, ち + ゃ = cha).
Try it yourself
- Read ナルト letter by letter (na-ru-to).
- Write ポケモン from memory (po-ke-mo-n).
- Write your own name in katakana: foreign names are written in katakana in Japan. For example Ravi = ラヴィ (ra-vi) or ラビ (ra-bi).
- Spot everyday foreign words: コーヒー (kōhī, coffee), テレビ (terebi, TV).
An easy plan for learning katakana
- 5 characters a day: the whole chart in about 10 days.
- Write and say each character 5 times.
- During the day, try writing foreign words you see (TV, café, bus) in katakana in your head.
- Then read words: アイス (aisu, ice), カメラ (kamera, camera), ホテル (hoteru, hotel).
Frequently asked questions
How do you write Doraemon in Japanese?
ドラえもん. The ドラ is katakana and えもん is hiragana, so both scripts appear in one name.
How long does it take to learn katakana?
With 15–20 minutes a day, most learners recognise the whole chart within a few weeks. Everyone’s pace is different.
Should I learn hiragana or katakana first?
Usually hiragana first, then katakana. They have the same sounds; only the shapes differ.
Related reading
Go beyond anime: start learning Japanese
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Prefer Hindi explanations? See Japanese Foundations (Hindi) or the Premium plans.
This is an independent educational post. Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Doraemon, Pokémon and other titles and characters belong to their rights holders, and LearnLingo is not affiliated with them. Titles, words and names are mentioned only to teach language; no official images, lyrics or dialogue are used.