Dubbed Or Subbed

[englishwitch]

i myself personally prefer subtitiles. I like to hear the authentic Japanese language and actors, it really gives some flesh to the movie in my opinion. gives that hint of the rich culture to the movie that just can't seem to be tranferred over with translations.

Watch anything by Hayayo Miyazaki in both the english and Japanese soundtracks and you might see what i mean.

[WotanAnubis]

Subbed.

Of course, I grew up watching programs with subtitles so I may be biased. Seeing and hearing something in Dutch that so obviously isn't Dutch just feels terribly, terribly wrong.

[redsliver]

I'd rather get the subbed version, however if I've seen and liked the dub first I usually can't watch the sub.

[Guest Big Samurai]

Besides preferring anime in the original Japanese (due to years of poor dubbing), I also have a rather short attention span when it comes to rapid-fire dialogue, so I even watch normal TV with the closed captioning turned on. Having to read in addition to listening helps me focus.

[quamp]

It depends on the anime. Some of them are better dubbed than subbed and vice versa. One of them, the Super Milk-Chan Show, was a lot funnier in the American version than the Japanese version (the American version had the dialogue rewritten.)

[Guest Serenanna]

Subbed, or dubbed sometimes. FMA I honestly like the dub over the fansubs. I just watched the dubbed version of Conquerer of Shamballa at Otakon, and it made more sense the way they explained everything than in the fansubs. But then again, it was hard to hear it clearly with the 10,000+ squeeling fangirls going nuts whenever someone showed up. (Ironically, Maes, Mustang, and Armstrong got the most applauses, and the Ed/Winry moment)

[Guest arichang]

I agree for the most part with what the person above said.

Generally, Japanese seiyuu's (voice actors) do a much better job at ... well... acting... than their english counterparts. Apart from the fact that Japanese culture is deeply imbedded into the anime and oftentimes expressions and all that cannot be translated into english without making it sound weird or changing it completely... the acting in japanese... just tends to be better. Fruits Basket is a wonderful example. Watch the Japanese version and then the English version--you will see a huge difference. Especially in all the emotional, crying parts... which is very much present in the whole anime. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule... there are dubs that are nicely done... but they aren't very common.

Secondly... there are just some things that should not be translated into english. For example... Rurouni Kenshin. Seriously. Has anyone watched Samurai X? I don't remember the exact wordings... but... Hitenmitsurugi Ryu (Kenshin's sword style) gets translated into something along the lines of Secret Dragon Fist Style! ... and well... it's just...

what's the word? oh yeah.

LAME.

and please. if i hear another Believe it! coming out of Naruto's mouth i will kill something.

The thing that annoys me the most about dubs is the fact that... based on my experience... it turns people off. Potential anime fans, that is. Shaman King for example recently came out in my area in english. I finished watching that series a couple of years ago... and I loved it. it was a wonderful anime. so... when it was announced to come out in english, i got a lot of people to start watching it--those who didn't feel up to downloading or those who (yes, they do exist) did not have computers... they watched the first few episodes, dismissed it as a children's cartoon not worth watching... and I was just shocked. However, upon watching an episode... I completely understood what they meant.

... the english version made me want to throw something hard and heavy into the my TV screen. And I love my TV... so that says about that much about that.

Of course... when you compare it to fansubs... you have to take into account the quality of the subs themselves. Unless you can pick up even just a bit of japanese... you won't be able to tell whether the translation you're reading is bad or not. It's dangerous to be over-dependant on fansubs alone. After all, they are made my amateurs--not that the professionally done ones are any better. It must be taken into account that Japanese is a rather difficult language to translate...

Uhm. yeah. end of rant. ^///^;

[englishwitch]

I agree for the most part with what the person above said.

Generally, Japanese seiyuu's (voice actors) do a much better job at ... well... acting... than their english counterparts.

there are exceptions to this rule... there are dubs that are nicely done... but they aren't very common.

I do agree that generally the subbed versions are better, but some of the more professional dubs; done for Studio Ghibli movies for example, are really of a good quality. I have recently seen four Studio Ghibli movies in both English and Japanese and while I will always lean toward subtitles I found I could live with the dubbs. I think it's becasue they try and stick so closely to the origional script and don't just make up and or change dialoge when something doesn't quite come across properly because its part of Japanese or eastern culture and not western. Plus for these professional dubs they don't just hire some person with a fancy voice that wandered in off the street, they hire real actors who have proven themselves on screen or stage time and time again.

Professional dubbing i can live with.

[StoryJunkie]

right now I'm watching One Piece (subbed) and am enjoying it a lot.

I've heard the dubbed version was massacred.

[Guest Emikochan]

For me it depends on the anime

such as Naruto, that has to subbed because the english sucks, same goes for Fushigi Yuugi, E's Otherwise, Card Captor Sakura, and Elfen Lied

As for the dubbed Saiyuki for instance i cannot watch it any other way except for the english, same goes for Fruits Basket, Inuyasha, Yu yu Hakusho, and Kiddy Grade

however when it comes to dubbed everyting i watch must always be uncut (uncut UNcut UNCUT!!! OwO)

[Guest arichang]

however when it comes to dubbed everyting i watch must always be uncut (uncut UNcut UNCUT!!! OwO)

Excellent point!

Almost completely forgot that part... a lot of dubbed animes are cut. Tsk tsk.

[bookworm51485]

i myself personally prefer subtitiles. I like to hear the authentic Japanese language and actors, it really gives some flesh to the movie in my opinion. gives that hint of the rich culture to the movie that just can't seem to be tranferred over with translations.

Watch anything by Hayayo Miyazaki in both the english and Japanese soundtracks and you might see what i mean.

Subtitles most definitely. I've only heard one decent dubbing and that was for Full Metal Alchemist, but all the rest have been just horrible. I downloaded an episode of dubbed Naruto. Oh lord.....I don't know what they did, but it was not good. Not good at all.

[Guest arichang]

I downloaded an episode of dubbed Naruto. Oh lord.....I don't know what they did, but it was not good. Not good at all.

I KNOW WHAT THEY DID WRONG! I KNOW!

It's this:

"Hi everyone! My name is Naruto Uzumaki... and I'm the best ninja, BELIEVE IT! ... one day... I'm going to be Hokage, BELIEVE IT!

YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE?! I'M GAY! BELIEVE IT!

... oh dear... a bus has run me over.... BELIEVE IT!"

....... it takes all of my willpower not to erupt in a fit of homocidal-ness whenever I here the two words: "believe it!" ....

i know "dattebayo" is hard to translate... and everything.. but... but....

but...

it's just...

......wrong.

Believe It.

[Guest Emikochan]

I KNOW WHAT THEY DID WRONG! I KNOW!

It's this:

"Hi everyone! My name is Naruto Uzumaki... and I'm the best ninja, BELIEVE IT! ... one day... I'm going to be Hokage, BELIEVE IT!

YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE?! I'M GAY! BELIEVE IT!

... oh dear... a bus has run me over.... BELIEVE IT!"

lmao OMG i soooo agree with that 110% XD

[Guest Ravenbell]

I like some dubs better than the originals, but I always try to watch the subs first because I get so much more out of them. The translations often lose a lot of cultural info, especially in signifiers and honorifics. So, I'm perfectly fine with dubs if I don't care much about the show, or I'm watching it for a second time.

[NightScribe]

I just recently got the uncut Naruto and it is soooo much better subbed. I cringe listening to the dubbed version now.

[redsliver]

I watched the first episode of the Bleach dub last night, and I have to say, its much better than I expected. Karin was done the best, in fact she was done very well. The hollow that attacks the Kurosaki clinic and the little dead girl, both throw away characters, were unbelieveably better in the Japanese version, but characters who will be developed eventually were done well.

I can't say anything concrete until I see Byakuya (I have suspicions that Orihime will be butchered, but what're you going to do?), but the Bleach dub of the first episode is the exception to the rule: "dubs suck".

[Guest Zimarah]

I like some dubs better than the originals, but I always try to watch the subs first because I get so much more out of them. The translations often lose a lot of cultural info, especially in signifiers and honorifics. So, I'm perfectly fine with dubs if I don't care much about the show, or I'm watching it for a second time.

That's pretty much how I work. Some series, like Hellsing for example, work better dubbed (assuming the dub is good - which it is in this case) since it takes place in England, but I'll still watch the sub first.

I recently discovered the the Speed Grapher dub rocks.

[Guest Masatar_Torlyl]

I don't like dubs much... sometimes they're bearable, but the majority kill me like Sailor Moon's dub. Old cartoon, but when I go to relive it I notice so many things that were changed, cut out or mispresented.

Now with Naruto and newer foreign cartoons and my sensitivity to changes made, I can't stand it. So what if I don't speak Japanese fluently? I like reading subtitles.

[Guest Kinkybobb]

I like Subtitles way better than Dubbed. I will never buy a Dubbed on purpose. I hate Fansubs though. In my experience, they are never right and I get frustrated. So when I have no choice but to buy dubbed because of damn fansubs, I lose interest in the anime. So I try to steer clear of dubbed and fansubbed animes. If it costs more to buy an orginal with substitles than so be it. I like to hear the sexy orginal voices (be it japanese , cantonese, korean, or german, whatever), I would read the bottom screen, "no problem!".

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

Subbed, subbed all the way. I saw TWO MINUTES of the dubbed Bleach on Cartoon Network and very nearly cried tears of congealed blood.

I'm sorry, what part of "I'm a HUGE motherfucking Mexican" says "Give me the voice of normal sized dude?" Chad is HUGE, and in the original japanese, he has this realy fucking deep voice that makes his general aura of nihlism totally hilarious. I'm sorry, but the "Yesterday-----------------------------------------------------------------I got it." line is NOWHERE near as funny in English as it is in Japanese.

Not only that, but did anyone see the Yami No Matsui sub? The two little birds go from squeaky and vaguely annoying but humourous to a pair of Brooklyn Italians. WHAT THE FUCK?

EDIT: And about the Naruto dub, the "Good morning, Sakura-chan!" line looses it's overal cute-ness because in the Japanese, he says it in Engrishu (which is so fucking adorable!), but in the dub, since he's already speaking fluent English, it looses a lot.

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

I like subbed, but I can live with dubbed versions too. Just depends on the anime. But over all I like subbed.

[Solaris]

I love to listen to Bleach with the Japanese voices and reading the words of what they are saying. But for me to do that, I have to go to Youtube.com to see the episodes.

So I would say subtitles for me. Besides, I love listening to the voices of the Japanese people when they are doing voice overs. I think they are sexy.

Solaris

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Some of them are very sexy. Like when I was watching the subbed version of Fruits Basket, I was like "Damn, Yuki's voice is hot!" Then I found out it was a woman. And then I was like "Its still hot" and laughed my ass off at that. O.o

[HimeRose]

Only in rare occasions have dubbed voices worked out okay. Cases in point. InuYasha, Cow boy BeBop IMHO and Wolf's Rain. Aside form those animes, everything else sucks. Most noteably naruto, fruits basket, and OMG Berserk. Caska is supposed to be of colour could they not have found a suitable voice actress for her. You know like they do Storm from X-Men. And don't even get me started on Gun Grave!!