To dub or to subtitle?

Lucario

Lucario

Hardly active since 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?
     
    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.
     
    English dubs fail to capture what makes anime great.
     
    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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    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.
     
    kerbingamer376 said:
    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?
    Click to expand...

    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
     
    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.
     
    TempestGaming said:
    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
    Click to expand...

    It's css. The code to add to your css for your signature is:
    Code: 
    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.

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

    #SubMasterRace
    #NoEarsBleed
    Click to expand...

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