Some dubs are great though. Black Lagoon and Gundam Wing had great english dubs, but Gundam Seed.... had some of the worst dubs i've ever heard. So it really depends on whether or not it suits the anime and if it makes it better.
Poll: Japanese w/ Subs vs. Dub: Which is better for an anime? [W/ Digimon clips!]
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Subs with exceptions for me, there has always been an air of missing the artists intentions when you dub, because unless you are paying out for great voices and really putting the effort in, the image that the creator wanted will be faded or possibly even lost. There are times when a dub takes the theme of the show better, for instance Dragonball Z, the dub gives the characters more life on more than one occasion, the JP Voice Actor of Goku is irritating to hear speak and yell, but hearing that famous yell of the kamehameha in a SCREAM from the dub is really satisfying.
It really does depends on the anime; some have amazing dubs, while others have outright terrible dubs. If an anime does have a good dub, I will watch the dub mainly because I can then concentrate on more on watching the show and less on reading subtitles.
And besides, a good dub isn't a common thing.
Hell, even sometimes the dub is outright better. One example is Baccano!, of course, where the voices fit the setting. Another example is .hack//Quantum, where some of the lines are better. Like when Tobias goes on about the One Sin and one of the others (Mary, I think? It's been a while since I've watched it.) says something along the lines of, "Is he drunk?"
In the dub, the line is changed to, "Is he geekin' out?"
All for the better.
And besides, a good dub isn't a common thing.
Hell, even sometimes the dub is outright better. One example is Baccano!, of course, where the voices fit the setting. Another example is .hack//Quantum, where some of the lines are better. Like when Tobias goes on about the One Sin and one of the others (Mary, I think? It's been a while since I've watched it.) says something along the lines of, "Is he drunk?"
In the dub, the line is changed to, "Is he geekin' out?"
All for the better.
It can be off and on. Some shows I prefer the dub because I simply grew up with it that way (Pokemon) while others I think the dub is simply superior. It allows me to follow the show the entire time without having to read and things like the character's emotion can be easier to read. Also, some shows have characters with such high pitched voices in the original Japanese dub that I just can't stand. The first time I heard Goku in his original voice, I cringed.
When I take the sub over the dub, it's usually because the show has been dubbed for kids when it's not meant for them in the first place. This can lead to some really bad results like the original One Piece dub. It's also nice to hear the original product and compare it to how it was handled over here. So I don't have a preference overall, just case by case ones.
When I take the sub over the dub, it's usually because the show has been dubbed for kids when it's not meant for them in the first place. This can lead to some really bad results like the original One Piece dub. It's also nice to hear the original product and compare it to how it was handled over here. So I don't have a preference overall, just case by case ones.
I despise dubs period. I didn't like it when they changed Cartoon Network from original english to romanian just for the stupid kids (I learned english from that channel) and ever since then I have despised everything that was dubbed from the original source.
So I watch all my anime's exclusively in japanese with eng sub, because I find the language fascinating and it sounds very cool especially in that kind of media. There are some exceptions when the voice acting specifically is fantastic such as Cowboy Bebop where I can maybe pass an eye on, but that's about it.
So I watch all my anime's exclusively in japanese with eng sub, because I find the language fascinating and it sounds very cool especially in that kind of media. There are some exceptions when the voice acting specifically is fantastic such as Cowboy Bebop where I can maybe pass an eye on, but that's about it.
I've seen plenty of anime to know that there are some dubs that are good and some that are bad.
Bottom line, it's all subjective; I don't think the voices for the characters in the Japaneses Dub of Digimon Adventures are good, while the English Dub is more favorable to me. I also enjoy the Japanese Dub of Bleach better than the English Dub. However, I don't like either the Japanese or English Dubs of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. On another note, I absolutely adore the Spanish Dub of Dragon Ball Z (and the English Dub, of course).
Bottom line, it's all subjective; I don't think the voices for the characters in the Japaneses Dub of Digimon Adventures are good, while the English Dub is more favorable to me. I also enjoy the Japanese Dub of Bleach better than the English Dub. However, I don't like either the Japanese or English Dubs of Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. On another note, I absolutely adore the Spanish Dub of Dragon Ball Z (and the English Dub, of course).
Hard-core sub fan here. I read really fast ans U long ago reached the point where I can read the bottom of the screen naturally while still seeing the top. Also prefer most Japanese VA's.
That being said, a lot depends on your dubber/subtitler, individual VA's & general production values.
I got in to anime back at a time when you took your VHS however you could get it, and we were subjected to some truly almost unimaginably bad dubs. I remember watching the HK dub of Macross DYRL and I want to crawl in to a hole....
With the advent of DVD's I met many people who converted over to subs from putting the subtitle track on with the english audio track, and seeing the differences.
I won't say that all dubs are bad...and there have been some really cute/funny bits I loved in dubs, but for the most part I'll stick with subs. Also helps that I know just enough Japanese to catch some nuances...was a bit in Omode Poro Poro where the way that the primary character addressed two different characters gives immediate insight in to her relationship with the second one. Totally lost in the dub.
There was also actually an instance when watching a dub I was able to tell that what the character was saying was not what she had said in the original. I knew she wasn't saying "I'll tell you one thing" because it wasn't her INDEX finger she was sticking in his face.
And ponder this...in the dub version, there was something cut/changed in Kiki's Delivery Service. Kiki's *feakin'* Delivery Service!
That being said, a lot depends on your dubber/subtitler, individual VA's & general production values.
I got in to anime back at a time when you took your VHS however you could get it, and we were subjected to some truly almost unimaginably bad dubs. I remember watching the HK dub of Macross DYRL and I want to crawl in to a hole....
With the advent of DVD's I met many people who converted over to subs from putting the subtitle track on with the english audio track, and seeing the differences.
I won't say that all dubs are bad...and there have been some really cute/funny bits I loved in dubs, but for the most part I'll stick with subs. Also helps that I know just enough Japanese to catch some nuances...was a bit in Omode Poro Poro where the way that the primary character addressed two different characters gives immediate insight in to her relationship with the second one. Totally lost in the dub.
There was also actually an instance when watching a dub I was able to tell that what the character was saying was not what she had said in the original. I knew she wasn't saying "I'll tell you one thing" because it wasn't her INDEX finger she was sticking in his face.
And ponder this...in the dub version, there was something cut/changed in Kiki's Delivery Service. Kiki's *feakin'* Delivery Service!
Anime doesn't work like that though. In 99% of the cases animation is done before voice recording. The only examples I can think of were this isn't the case is with Akira and with the little girl in Grave of the Fireflies.Guitarmasterx7 said:
Unless it's dubtitles. That shit needs to go die in a fire.Legion said:
I'm still searching for a copy of Princess Mononoke were it's subbed to what the characters are actually saying, as opposed to just putting the dub script at the bottom of the screen. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that many times there'll be subtitles while nobody's saying anything. Or there'll be three rows of subtitles when someone utters just one or two words.
Are you talking about that one bit at the very end that pretty much makes Kiki's coming of age (the entire point of the movie) totally nonexistent?Little Woodsman said:
Where Jiji starts talking again.
Not that I saw the movie dubbed, but I saw a clip in a review.
Being able to both watch something and read subtitles at the same time I go for subs. Can't say I watch any anime though, so that's out of my area of expertise. English is probably better just to avoid all the Japanese reaction sounds.
Fuck do I hate them.
Also because of this: Watched the Japanese scene and it wasn't nearly as hilarious.
Fuck do I hate them.
Also because of this: Watched the Japanese scene and it wasn't nearly as hilarious.
I started watching in 1989, yest 89.
While I prefer subs, there are times when the dub is better.
Examples:
1)The Japanese voice cast is terrible or a main character has a particularly annoying voice. Even though "Super Gals" is very inaccurately translated, I prefer it over the sub.
2)Sometimes the dub is SO bad that it's the funniest damn thing ever & the comedy element goes through the roof. "Photon the Idiot Adventure" is a good example.
3)Sometimes the Japanese humor just doesn't translate into english at all. This can go either way; The english dub of "Lost Universe" absolutely murders the humor, but the english dub of "Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman" saves it.
4)Sometimes the english voice cast is just too perfect to pass on. I'd say the the dub & sub versions of the 5 "Slayers" series are equal, though not the OAVs with it's different voice cast.
5)Personal rule: If you've never seen it in Japanese & you never read the manga (your brain assigns its own english voices), then it's always okay to watch the dub....Unless it was dubbed by 4Kids DiC, MangaCorps, or Helvana...Then you know it's going to sound like crap.
While I prefer subs, there are times when the dub is better.
Examples:
1)The Japanese voice cast is terrible or a main character has a particularly annoying voice. Even though "Super Gals" is very inaccurately translated, I prefer it over the sub.
2)Sometimes the dub is SO bad that it's the funniest damn thing ever & the comedy element goes through the roof. "Photon the Idiot Adventure" is a good example.
3)Sometimes the Japanese humor just doesn't translate into english at all. This can go either way; The english dub of "Lost Universe" absolutely murders the humor, but the english dub of "Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman" saves it.
4)Sometimes the english voice cast is just too perfect to pass on. I'd say the the dub & sub versions of the 5 "Slayers" series are equal, though not the OAVs with it's different voice cast.
5)Personal rule: If you've never seen it in Japanese & you never read the manga (your brain assigns its own english voices), then it's always okay to watch the dub....Unless it was dubbed by 4Kids DiC, MangaCorps, or Helvana...Then you know it's going to sound like crap.
It depends on the anime for me but I prefer dubs as long as they don't majorly suck. Amines like Cowboy Bebop and DBZ were fantastic dubs and Bleach dub is superior to subs but marginally. I couldn't watch high school of the dead dubbed as the voices were just too far off. Those are all my opinion of course and in short, I prefer dub as long as its not a bad dub.
I am bilingual in English and Japanese.
When I watch movies in English I want to watch it with Japanese subs, not in japanese.
When I see Japanese anime, I want to see it with English subs.
By taking away the original voice, it is paraphrasing and feels wrong to me.
It is like listening to Miley Cyrus perform Smells Like Teen Spirit, and then claiming that you know Nirvana.
When I watch movies in English I want to watch it with Japanese subs, not in japanese.
When I see Japanese anime, I want to see it with English subs.
By taking away the original voice, it is paraphrasing and feels wrong to me.
It is like listening to Miley Cyrus perform Smells Like Teen Spirit, and then claiming that you know Nirvana.
I don't understand why anyone would want to watch something subbed when there is a (good and competent) dubbed version. Most Japanese voice actors sound so similar to me it really detracts from the experience. Also, I can only stand so many generic fear noises.
"oha" dramatic pause... followed by long winded pedantic explainations of what I just saw for the rest of the episode.
If I'm going to watch that at all, it'd better be in my own language.
"oha" dramatic pause... followed by long winded pedantic explainations of what I just saw for the rest of the episode.
If I'm going to watch that at all, it'd better be in my own language.
Some dubs are just painfully bad, whilst some do a better job than the original (e.g. Baka and Test), whereas I find subs are almost always at least competently done.
I prefer subs mainly because they come into existence years before the dub does, and I'm very impatient.
I prefer subs mainly because they come into existence years before the dub does, and I'm very impatient.
Personally, I vastly prefer dubs and it's not for any reasons in terms of quality or anything of that nature. When it comes to subs, trying to keep track of everything (what's going on, listening to the audio and reading the dialogue) at once has the tendency to give me migraines.
Regarding quality though, maybe it's just that I don't watch much anime but I've never really come across a series that had horrible english voice acting. My primary issue with Japanese w/ subs (although I won't refuse to watch it) aside from the migraines is primarily the female characters that sound like they just sucked in a lungful of helium.
Regarding quality though, maybe it's just that I don't watch much anime but I've never really come across a series that had horrible english voice acting. My primary issue with Japanese w/ subs (although I won't refuse to watch it) aside from the migraines is primarily the female characters that sound like they just sucked in a lungful of helium.