To dub or to subtitle?

Started by Lucario May 17th, 2016 11:55 PM
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  • 24 replies

Lucario

Hardly active since 2017!

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Posted December 23rd, 2017
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7.2 Years
Recently, I watched Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, a movie that, because of the dub, is almost completely different in english.

This got me thinking: Do you prefer to watch anime in Japanese with subtitles, or English dubs?
Age 31
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Argama
Seen June 14th, 2022
Posted October 9th, 2016
580 posts
10.8 Years
Do you watch Bollywood movies dubbed? Do you watch Hong Kong movies dubbed? I watch those in their original language, so of course, I watch anime too in its original language. The only times I watch a dub is when the show is pretty bad, so I watch the dub if it's bad. The same way I watch CartoonNetwork cartoons in English only, rather than watching them dubbed in French or German.
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It's situational for me, but generally, as long as it's not on this level:



I'll go dubbed unless I don't. Which I don't alot unless I do.

Reunilu

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Subs always. Dubs are painful to watch when they're devoid of the emotion that the originals have. That isn't to say that all dubs are like that, but a good number (the ones I've watched at least) seem to be that way.
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countryemo

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Depends on the anime for me. Like I can not stand Detective Conan dubbed, but I love Naruto dubbed more then subbed. Then there's stuff like Blue Excorcist I can go either way. Pokemon I can usually go either way. Yu-Gi-Oh is mostly dub for me, except for Arc-V.

DarkestMidnight

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As always, it depends on the anime. I personally prefer dubs for my favorite anime, Fairy Tail, as I'm used to the English voices and I like them better than the Japanese ones. Trust me, I tried out both, but I eventually decided that the dubbed version was better for me.

DarkestMidnight

Demon Slayer

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Posted August 19th, 2017
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Recently, I watched Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi, a movie that, because of the dub, is almost completely different in english.

This got me thinking: Do you prefer to watch anime in Japanese with subtitles, or English dubs?
This is a great thread! I have one specific question for you that's unrelated to this. How did you get that image in your signature to scroll as the page scrolls? It looks really cool and I'd like to know how you did it.

Thanks,
Midnight
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Posted July 3rd, 2017
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8.5 Years
Normally I prefer subtitles, but the dub for Princess Tutu was dramatically better than the original Japanese.
A fun game to play when dialog has changed is dubbed with subtitles. It's an old example, but Slayers dubbed with subtitles is hilarious. The idea they must have had was that somebody must be talking at all times, because seriously, you'll have no subs for minutes while the characters chatter nonstop.

Lucario

Hardly active since 2017!

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Posted December 23rd, 2017
809 posts
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This is a great thread! I have one specific question for you that's unrelated to this. How did you get that image in your signature to scroll as the page scrolls? It looks really cool and I'd like to know how you did it.

Thanks,
Midnight
It's css. The code to add to your css for your signature is:
background: url("url/to/your/image");
background-attachment: fixed;
background-repeat:no-repeat;
iirc.
If you don't know css, I'd sugest checking out this thread.

Should I be the first one to say that this thread will not end up well?

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I hope not. I'll try to stop any flame war before it starts (delete the thread if stuff goes wrong)

Melody

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Seen March 4th, 2018
Posted March 2nd, 2018
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18.6 Years
Largely I will always attest that watching any Foreign Language Show in it's Original Audio Language (OAL) with subtitles translated directly from the audio source to your Preferred/Primary Language (PPL) is largely superior to trusting any sort of Audio Dub in your PPL.

Sometimes; especially when Anime gets translated to Western Hemisphere languages like English, French or Spanish; you're getting somewhat more than just a Dub of the dialogue in your target language. These are called "Localizations" and they consist of more than just recording dialogue in the target language and performing minor video edits to ensure Lip Synchronization. These Localizations are often not required to be faithful to the Original Video Source. Commonly these edits are understandable; yet may seem censoriously excessive to the average mature, exceeding 13 years old, anime fan.

This "Apparent Censorship" does rightfully upset the more mature audiences sometimes; especially when Network Executives blindly attempt to market a much more Mature Anime; As in rated and created for an older target audience in it's country or region of origin; as a cartoon for a much younger Age Group to make money. Such Localizations with this in mind are often unfairly labeled as Bad. For the interests of the older groups; they are less interesting; and it is sometimes very upsetting to see what could have been an anime which would have received a good reception as it was in the Original Video Source with just an Audio Dub end up being a sloppily edited into a TV-Y or G rating kind of cartoon that lacks some or most of the Original Charms of the Original Video Source. At times however, "Good"* Localizations do exist; and can be a good entry point for those who merely want to get their feet wet. An example of a "Good"* localization would be Yo-Kai Watch (Localized from the anime bearing the same name). This one hasn't been marketed to an age group younger than it was originally created for; and thus there was minimal need for changes to my knowledge.

That definition being out of the way; "Bad"* Localizations are not often ones I recommend to new people to an anime fandom. If you can afford to do so; spend a little time looking for the Subtitled Original Video Source in your PPL. "Bad"* Localizations are often easy enough to spot within the first 3 episodes. If you fall into one; stop watching that version and seek out a Subtitled version with the Original Audio.

"Adaptations" are even further away from the Original Video Source; sometimes the extent of the editing chooses to skip, abbreviate, gloss over, remove, or even add Entire Plot Arcs to the show. A "Good"* example of an Adaptation is Glitter Force (adapted from Smile Precure). A couple "Bad"* examples of adaptations were the 4Kids Adaptation of One Piece, and the 4Kids Adaptation of Tokyo Mew Mew (Titiled "Mew Mew Power"). This ended up butchering the first few seasons of the "dub" and is widely regarded as "Bad"* by most anime fans.

* - This is a matter of personal interpretation; no amount of debating, replying or disagreement is solicited or will be reacted to. It is as I say it is; and I will accept no other opinion; as I'm considering it knowing full well it is classified as described. Original Video Source is still often better; even when the Localization or Adaptation is "Good".
I watch more dubbed shows than I do subbed shows. People talk about whether they're better or worse, but I don't think they can be compared objectively because they offer a completely different experience. Watching Death Note dubbed after watching it subbed was like watching a totally different show. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. There were aspects of both shows I liked more than the other version. It was an experience. Not better, not worse.

No translation from the Japanese original is a straight-up word-for-word translation, and the second a show is translated from Japanese to English or whatever else it becomes a completely different thing. Same story, sure, but a completely different tone, and words convey a completely different meaning. They're not directly comparable, so as far as I am concerned there is no "better" or "worse" just personal preference.

I don't care about the "original" experience or whatever else people want to use to argue the case for subbed shows being better. I just want to watch a damn show and enjoy it. I'm English, so I watch things in my own language if I can because I find it more relatable and immersive than reading subtitles and listening to a language I don't understand. Simple as that. If it isn't available dubbed, I'll watch it subbed; I don't mind that at all. Whatever comes to hand most quickly is what I'll go with.

All I care about is being entertained. I'd watch it in Italian or German or whatever else with subs if that was all that was available. It's just a show. What matters is enjoying it, not what form that enjoyment takes.

But anything with Yuri Lowenthal in it is automatically inferior, and anything with Crispin Freeman in it is automatically superior. If it has both in it I have a temporary meltdown each time I hear the former and reboot whenever I hear the latter.

donavannj

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On a personal level, I prefer dubs to subs because they're easier to follow and watch. I'm not missing animation because I'm busy reading the subtitles when I watch the dub.

I tend to watch more subs than dubs, though. More subs than dubs exist, and on anime streaming services, they're more readily available.
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DarkestMidnight

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Posted August 19th, 2017
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It's css. The code to add to your css for your signature is:
background: url("url/to/your/image");
background-attachment: fixed;
background-repeat:no-repeat;
iirc.
If you don't know css, I'd sugest checking out this thread
Thanks!

Life

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9.6 Years
Other than the DragonBall series and Pokemon (probably because I've grown up with it) I'll most like watch it in Japanese. The English language really butchers the emotional moments tbh.
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Sub. I've always watched subs. Every foreign show here (save for cartoons) is subbed so I grew up with them.

Heck, I'd even put English subs on an English movie just to make sure I don't miss anything they say.

I did watch Dragon Ball/Z in the English dub, but mainly because I couldn't find the subbed version. And since I started watching Dragon Ball Super Goku's squeaky Japanese voice grew onto me.

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Aisu

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Posted March 2nd, 2018
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11.5 Years
I'll concede that English-dubbed anime can butcher certain moments, but still I prefer dub over sub. It's easier to follow; I don't have to miss parts of the animation because I'm reading the subtitles or I can look away from the screen and still know what's going on.

Hedo

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Posted June 4th, 2016
75 posts
7 Years
it all depends on the level of voice acting.
For example, the dubs for Chobits, Lucky Star, and Kill Me baby, have great dubs.
So when i find myself watching those anime, I tend to watch them in dub form.

But I tend to go for sub overall.
The only reason I watched the other in dubs is because I found the dub instead of the sub.
That being said though, I am one of the people who thinks we should give as much support as possible to the dubs that manage to do a good job. If we praise the dubbers who do a good job then we send a message to them.

The message being, "Hey! Do a good job and you'll get good results!"

Though to be honest, if it's really something they have to learn, it might be pointless.
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Kurosaki

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Posted December 6th, 2016
210 posts
19.3 Years
Depends on the series. By that I mostly mean whichever has the best acting. Sometimes the Japanese version will have a really good seiyuu cast, and they'll have good emotion, but sometimes I find the English cast to have done a better job. I'm really into acting and voice acting, so if it sounds like people are reading a script and using really cliche voices (regardless of language), that's all I can focus on when I watch and then I usually switch versions. Cause I like enjoying a show, not nit-picking at the acting.
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Palamon

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As about half the people in here, it all depends on the voice cast and anime. There are some anime I absolutely refuse to watch in Japanese. Those anime include Durarara!!, Panty & Stocking and any anime that takes place in an English speaking country. I am neutral towards both sub and dub, I'll watch either version, really.

I still have yet to find an Italian dub of Gunslinger Girl, but if that existed, I'm 100% sure I'd prefer that over the Japanese version of the anime, for example.

Radix

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Most dubs are pretty trash. Switching dubs often changes the mood of the show entirely.

It's usually better to watch the OC dub, but sometimes it's so obnoxious that it's better in English. I've only preferred the English dubs for PSG and Pokemon.

Giggleswee

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7 Years
Subs always. Dubs are painful to watch when they're devoid of the emotion that the originals have. That isn't to say that all dubs are like that, but a good number (the ones I've watched at least) seem to be that way.
This pretty much sums up my opinion on dubs
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