Subs over Dubs: Which Anime turned you into a 'Purist'?

[Foolery]

I watch both. My preference being dubs.
Honestly, if you're a hardcore sub purist, and english is your native language, chances are, you're also a bit of an anime dork.

 

[CyberSinner]

For example, Yu Yu Hakusho is a bad dub. The voice acting was okay. But what they lost was the culture. In Yu Yu Hakusho, the Japanese version at least. Everyones name is some kind of pun off the premise that only makes sense really in Japanese. Yu Yu Hakusho means Poltergeist Report. So all the characters name is some sort of spiritual pun. For example Kuwabara means to "Ward" its more like a chant to ward off evil spirits. Which is lost in the English translation and is lost in culturization of Japan to English.

This argument makes no sense. Even with subtitles, the pun still doesn't make sense if you don't speak Japanese.

For as often and as long as I have watched anime. The puns and the jokes I understand a lot. Actually now adays I am not watching subs, but RAWs.

 

[Nurb]

I prefer dubs with anime because the original voices for most characters are really irritating.

For french animation like Wakfu, I don't mind subs because the voices are easier on the ears in my opinion.

 

[sc1arr1]

I used to be okay with watching subs, but for some reason I grew away from it. I'd MUCH rather watch something dubbed and I am willing to wait patiently for that to happen. (Like with Attack on Titan.)

 

[Casual Shinji]

The problem with English voice acting is they tend to not put any emotion in their voices what so ever. Half the time they just sound like they are reading a script. I have done some voice acting for some Machinamas, good ones not bad ones. And am an online persona on Youtube, so I emote my voice. I know how to act through voice. Which a lot of anime dubbed English voice actors do not know how to do at all.

I actually find that most English voice dubbing does have a lot of emotion, the problem being that it feels very forced. Japanese voice acting is also very emotional, but it sounds more natural. Whereas English dubs try to replicate that same emotion and end up sounding cringeworthy.

This probably has to do with me being accustomed to the English language. So it instantly takes me out of the experience when I hear it being spoken in an obviously forced and constructed manner.

A good example of this is Spike in Cowboy Bebop. In the original language he sounds cool, and in the dub he tries to sounds cool.

 

[kortin]

None, because I'm not an anal, autistic idiot. I watch some anime dubbed, and some subbed. It depends on which version I prefer. Some anime just has better VAs in one version than the other. Baccano's superior version is dubbed. People who watch Baccano subbed make me want to cry.

I don't think anyone should always watch one over the other, I think that's a fucking retarded thing to do. It makes you look like an ass. It astounds me that people are ever proud to watch something subbed over dubbed or vice versa.

 

[Zetatrain]

I like both subbed and dubbed, but when given the choice I usually go dubbed over subbed.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I don't think anyone should always watch one over the other, I think that's a fucking retarded thing to do. It makes you look like an ass.

Wait, what?! How the hell does that make sense?

You just said yourself it's about what you prefer. What if someone simply prefers to watch just subs or dubs?

 

[floppylobster]

When subs are done professionally, they have a rule that there can only be a certain amount of words on the screen at one time. This eliminates most people's problem of 'too much reading' and allows the viewer to watch the action.

But when fans do subs they often over-sub. They translate every word, and it's not uncommon to see two lines on screen with a bracketed sub on for a specific Japanese term as well (I see this in One Piece fan subs). I read, I love subtitles, but even for me that's insane. The professional sub rule is there for a reason and if you're downloading stuff from the Internet just make sure you're getting the real thing and not some fan subbing which can put even sub fans off.

First thing I saw with subtitles was Akira. I had originally seen it in dub and didn't really understand the film. That was because the dubbers didn't really understand what the film was about either. Then I saw it subtitled, got most of it but was still confused by the last quarter. Then the recently redid the subtitles and the whole thing makes sense to me now. (Perhaps because I've seen it three times now but more because they finally got someone who understood the film to do the translation).

My advice would be to show her something like 'My Neighbor Totoro' or 'Princess Mononoke'. Both films have dubbing which alter the original vision of the filmmaker - which is a terrible thing and a serious crime for a dub to do. Once she sees it subtitled she should be able to recognize that the film maker's intentions always come across more clearly when subtitled (by professional subtitlers).

 

[BanicRhys]

You don't fucking know me, I like both dubs and subs.

I generally prefer the sub, but occasionally the dubbed version is amazing.

 

[Casual Shinji]

My advice would be to show her something like 'My Neighbor Totoro' or 'Princess Mononoke'. Both films have dubbing which alter the original vision of the filmmaker - which is a terrible thing and a serious crime for a dub to do. Once she sees it subtitled she should be able to recognize that the film maker's intentions always come across more clearly when subtitled (by professional subtitlers).

The annoying thing is that I still haven't been able to get the version of Princess Mononoke that isn't 'dubtitled', meaning the subtitles are just the dub's dialoge in text. And in that film it's particularly shitty, because a lot of the times there'll be subtitles when no one's talking.

 

[Tiamattt]

I've actually grew up watching foreign films with subs, so by the time I've starting watching subbed animes I was already a natural at it. Although most of my early anime experience was from dubbed Toonami, which from a sound quality standpoint ranged from ok but not great to outstanding. Unfortunately once Toonami started to die down and other networks tried their hand at animes then my ears started hurting. It was like they hired the worst possible VAs for those things, ugh. Sorry for not answering the topic though, it's been too long and I honestly can't remember. It was maaaybe RahXephon.

I would't call myself a "purist" though since I did finish a dubbed-only anime last year and would happily pick dub over subs if it's the superior(or only) option, that sadly enough just doesn't seem to happen very often. Although due to lack of time and energy the number of animes I watch these days are few and in between. ;(

On another note I also don't care about people's preferences. If you like subs only, great! Dubbed only? Also great! Both? Twice as great! Sorry but it always surprises me that people get worked up about this sort of thing, and it always comes up in topics like this one.

 

[NightHavoc]

Well I reckon it was when I was just starting to get into anime. I was watching naruto and I thought the dub was ok except for a few characters. I switched to sub for a few episodes and I haven't gone back since. Other dubs are awesome though and I'll happily stick to them, FMA Brotherhood is an example of a dub done right imo.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I didn't get into anime all that early so my first anime that I watched was Bleach after hearing my friends raving about it. I watched it subbed and ever since them I have been exclusively watching them with sub without any regards to the dubbed version.

I feel like hearing the japanese voices really adds more to the anime than hearing the wonky and most of the times awkward dialogues in english by the voice actors.

As for recommending some anime, I can't really say because I've been watching only sub but I can recommend some good ones that I think are worth it: Hellsing, Death Note, Elfen Lied, Code Geass.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

I don't remember when I watched a subtitled anime.. I Never really watch much in the way of subtitled anime.. since I think dubbed is far better since i can actually understand what the characters are saying without reading the bottom of the screen and miss the action above it. There might be some bad dubs of anime out there, particularity in the 80's/early 90's but these days, most are decent while some are amazingly well done.

 

[maxben]

]

The problem with English voice acting is they tend to not put any emotion in their voices what so ever.

Sorry, not to jump down your throat or anything, as you're entitled to your opinion, but I can't fucking stand that argument. Every dub hater makes that argument and never properly follow up on it and state it like it's just fact, and I don't get it. I've listen to a lot of dubs, and most of them sound like they're putting the same amount of effort into it as the original Japanese actors. Even that video you posted, even though it's a dumb line, still had emotion put in it. And outside that one line, the rest of that dub is perfectly fine, or at the least it's just as over the top as the original Japanese version.

I think it has to do with the mass market. Native English animations and video games get the top notch voice actors, while dubbers for niche market foreign animations and games get the short end of the stick. Similarly, in Japan since we are talking about native animations, I imagine that they get the top rate voice actors. And that is without noting that in general voice acting is thought of more in Japan and so attracts better actors. For example, the dubbers for Dragonball are far worse then the voice actors for Frozen.

As for the writing, I think the translation teams in English speaking countries aren't as good. As a lot of cultural output in the world today is in English, the translation teams don't have as much high-level mass market work. Also, there is no one dominant language that needs translation. However, the rest of the world has high level professional translation teams specifically for English as so much is in English. For example, if I were to compare the translation work on, again, Dragonball into English to the translation work on Lion King into Hebrew, I can tell that the translation work in Lion King is better. The tones, the mouth syncing, the rhythm of the language, the puns, it is all of much higher quality.

I don't have "proof" except what I feel that I've noticed. I may be completely wrong, but I think there is some logic in what I've said, no?

 

[Kaimax]

My first subbed anime was probably Gundam Seed, that was when it was still in hype, and my friends bought a bootleg VCD (Lol vcd) when we were hanging out.

So, as the OP said, Yes, I have spend all my earlier life hearing my local dubs and english dubs. But I just found that hearing the original Japanese dubs is better to my ears (first and foremost I'm not from the States) and I eventually learn to be able to understand them without subs. So, after that I've never bothered with Dubs anymore. And this is mostly because I enjoy hearing the original language more. I'm also a quick reader so that helps.

I don't have anything against dubs but I have more pet peeves with dubs than with subs.
-Local Japanese dialects =/= Foreign Accents... >_> I really can't stand it when It's clear that the locations is Japanese when they suddenly have heavy British/Australian accents, when they're just speaking in Kansai-ben. One example of this was Stratos 4's dub for Animax (and most of theid dubs).
-I keep hearing the same voice actor. Can't really help it, but it's just simply boring to hear Yuri Lowenthal, Johnny Yong Bosch or Erin Fitzgerald in most of the anime/games. Don't get me wrong, this also applies to the Japanese dubs as well, but it is usually because that person is still rising in popularity (Kana Hanazawa for example), not because the dubs don't have any other person to play the part.

My only pet-peeve with subs is Overly literal translation, and their speed on subbing them.

Call me a Sub purist, but that's the way I enjoy my anime or Japanese games. Heck, I'm at the point where I can recall "who's voicing who" by just listening to the voice of the character, and most of the time I was wrong because it was actually a new voice actor.

My only pet peeve for this discussion is the eventual mud-slinging from both groups.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

I have no real preference for one over the other, though it depends entirely on what I'm watching, and I don't watch much anime anyway. I have been watching the various bits of 'Area 88' stuff, watched the subbed OVAs and I'm about halfway through the TV series, also subbed. It'd probably actually make more sense in this one case for them all to be speaking English, seeing as most of the characters are part of a mercenary air force as part of an African nation's Foreign Legion.

I only watched it because I read on the Ace Combat wiki that Area 88 was the inspiration for the series, and thought I ought to check out the roots of the series that has stolen so many hours of my life.

 

[Crispee]

I always go for dubs. Disregarding the various arguments for and against dubs, making me stare at the bottom of the screen is just bad composition whichever way you look at it because I have to alternate between watching the visuals or reading the dialogue.

Other arguments such as the original Japanese having better voice acting may or may not be true, but it's certainly not something I can quantify because I can't divide my attention between listening to them speaking and reading what they're saying. I do agree with the stories generally being better in the original language though.

 

[kortin]

I don't think anyone should always watch one over the other, I think that's a fucking retarded thing to do. It makes you look like an ass.

Wait, what?! How the hell does that make sense?

You just said yourself it's about what you prefer. What if someone simply prefers to watch just subs or dubs?

You misread. I never said it was about what you prefer. I said that it's about which I prefer for that series. I always give both versions of an anime (if they both exist) a try before deciding which to watch. That makes them a prejudiced dumbass.