Dizeazedkiller said:
I dunno. I'm an anime snob, but the dub/sub debate is one that I deal with on a case by case basis. It usually depends on the quality of the dub voice acting and of the translation they used.
Because American dubs are often made in a "vacuum" - that is, the actors don't interact with one another - the interaction between characters tends to be worse than it is in subs (in Japan, all the voice actors for a scene stand in the sound studio together, which aids in acting). Also, dubs tend to lose subtleties. Examples will follow in a moment.
Dubs, on the other hand, tend to do better when the American release makes some artistic decisions - that is, dubs work better when they change the script more. As you say, Japanese jokes often don't translate well. Some dubs choose to change the jokes entirely and use jokes that a Western audience (typically American) can relate to. Those dubs often work better than their subbed counterparts because they maintain the comedy.
Now, for those examples.
I cannot watch the dub of "Revolutionary Girl Utena" because, while most of the cast is actually quite good, a few really bad voice actors (Anthy and Juri) basically destroy the show. Two of the most complex, subtle, and delicate characters are given to a pair of voice actresses who could not handle the parts. Thus, you get flat, awful performances from two key characters - and not even the stellar performances from Utena and Touga's VAs could save it.
Another example from Utena are subtleties. This is more an error of script translation. In the second season of Utena, there is a scene where Shiori asks Juri who's picture she is hiding in her locket. Juri walks away without answering and, pausing at the top of the stairs, says "It's you." Utena is standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Now, did that "it's you" mean "Shiori, you are the person in my locket" or did it mean "oh crap, it's Utena, and I hate her so much" ? In the Japanese sub, you can't tell - and that's exactly the sort of subtlety that Juri employs throughout the series.
In the dub, Juri says "Utena," at the top of the stairs. This only allows for the second possibility, and makes the scene far less interesting.
As far as jokes go, I can't think of a better example than Slayers. Watching the sub of Slayers is far less funny because half the jokes are flat or don't come off in a fashion that is funny to a Western viewer. On the other hand, the dub does a great job capturing the spirit of the jokes while changing their content.
Case in point - at one point there is a demon that looks like a giant chicken in a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch. In the sub, he speaks with a strange verbal affect - which is apparently the noise that chickens make in Japan. In the dub, he talks like Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The first is amusing only if your are familiar with the Japanese noise for "cluck" and with the Japanese habit of adding affects to the ends of their sentences. The second is funny if you've ever seen a KFC commercial.
So yeah, it is really case by case. I used to say that drama was better subbed and comedy better dubbed, but I've since encountered shows that break that pattern. I've even encountered shows that are good both dubbed and subbed. Evangelion is a good example of that one - I love the dub acting and I enjoy the sub as well. Both are great - so I can listen to either one and not feel like I'm missing out on anything.
