Dub VS sub a real discussion!

[Scars Unseen]

I generally prefer subs, but a few dubs really standout for me. I loved the english dubs of ergo proxy, psycho pass and steins;gate.

Steins;Gate is one of the worst offenders out there for a different reason than most. The voice acting itself is fine... probably one of the better efforts out there. But the translation... well it isn't a translation. The company that brought it over did a Working Designs style localization on it where they rip out all the extant humor and references and replace them with material they feel that a western audience will be more familiar with. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff they ripped out is actually kind of important to understanding the characters, particularly Okabe. And frankly, most of the humor they replaced it with is kind of dull.

Given that half of the show is about mocking otaku culture, I can't really call an effort that deliberately erases half of the show's concept "good."

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Subs take away from the experience, distract you from what's happening on screen(especially in a rapid pace conversation) and are often so poorly written that you're losing valuable plot points. If you want to walk away from an anime episode having understood roughly 70% of what went on and miss dozens of lines, go for subs.

Say what you will about dubs being awfully preformed, at least some proof-reads the transcript first! It still may be goofy, but that's because the anime you're watching is inherently goofy, not because someone translated Japanese.

 

[ecoho]

Every time we have one of these subs always win in the end. You say "of course" the Cowboy Bebop dub is good, I think "of course" it's shit when compared to the original voices. It's all about opinion really. I think most of us prefer subs because it's a way of sticking closer to the original thing.

but what about DBZ were the dub was actually better then the original VA? while most of the time your right subs tend to be better you still get a few dubs that actually improve on what was done.

To me, dubs essentially can't be better than the original voice acting, pretty much by definition. When I choose to watch something, anime or otherwise, I generally want the "real" thing, as in the thing that the original creators actually chose to create. Ideally I'd just learn whatever language the thing is actually spoken in, but since that isn't really feasible, subtitles are generally the better option for me. That way I get the voices and tones exactly the way they were originally intended to be, plus subtitles are generally a closer interpretation of the original meanings in my experience.

I understand that other people aren't necessarily after the same things I am of course, and for them dubs might be the better option, but for me even in the case of Dragon Ball Z where the voice acting might really be better in some way in the dub, it's still the inferior option.

in theory your right but in that one case (as im not sure about others) I know the creator of the series has gone on record saying the English VA cast did a better job.

 

[thoughtwrangler]

I'll watch a good dub if the show is on while doing housework, etc. Because I don't have to look at the screen the entire time to take it in.

Otherwise, I usually prefer the sub.

 

[Kajin]

Here's a novel idea, why don't those who like dubs watch dubs and those who like subs watch subs and we all agree to stop trying to be better than one another?

I've just solved every problem in the world!

This. Why doesn't the Escapist have a like button?!

But yeah. I generally prefer subbing over dubbing, even though I find the general elitist attitude among those who prefer subs to be extremely distasteful. Dubs can be good, too, and are sometimes preferable depending on the quality of the dub itself. Dubs used to be terrible, but they've been getting a LOT better in recent years.

 

[Ishal]

It all comes down to preference.

I don't care for Japanese voice acting. I don't like the language, I don't like the voice actors, I don't like the way most anime is written. So, I don't really watch much anime anyway.

That said, first exposure to anime was Toonami, and that was dubbed. So I tend to stick with that. I don't care about preserving the original version if I think the original version is tepid garbage.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Well ok I admit the ones I'm going to list were in fact watched in dub first and not subs that I prefered the dub more-

Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Burn Up Excel
801 T.T.S. Airbats (ok fair does one of the characters had an annoying high pitched voice but the Japanese actress of her was alot worse!)
Samurai Champloo
Cowboy Bebop
Space Dandy? (I think the Japanese version is equally good but that high school musical parody episode was far superior in dub!)

 

[FPLOON]

<link=http://vocaroo.com/i/s07u22nehVXH>OT: Shit, I don't give a fuck how I watch it as long as I get to fucking watch it, glob dammit! If both please me like a well-trained hooker, then expect me to buy that shit on Blu-Ray, beech!

*ahem*

I mean, I can go either or, basically... I love me some options... (even if one may end up subjectively better than the other by default...)

<link=http://vocaroo.com/i/s07u22nehVXH>OT: Shit, I don't give a fuck how I watch it as long as I get to fucking watch it, glob dammit! If both please me like a well-trained hooker, then expect me to buy that shit on Blu-Ray, beech!

*ahem*

I mean, I can go either or, basically... I love me some options... (even if one may end up subjectively better than the other by default...)

Thanks, past me... Although, you forgot to mention that you would only watch hentai subbed unless you're watching the dub with friends... so you guys can laugh at how the hentai dub is worse than what most people would think as "bad anime dubs"...

Now, if I had to choose just one... Then, you are 2cruel4highschool and I will take my open-ended response somewhere else, thank you very much... Besides, for me, it's always a case-by-case basis and only the ones where I like both the sub and dub on a equal-like basis end up in my anime DVD/Blu-Ray collection...

Localize the shit out of everything! I don't care how as long as anyone on the globe can get a chance to experience the game... That basically how I feel about localization...

Other than that, I appreciate the option of switching between various language audios... I had fun playing Jak 2 and 3 in Spanish...

But honestly, who gives a fuck?! As long as you actually get to see it, that's all that should matter, right? I can understand having a personal preference, but don't try to force others into your personal preference or claim that your personal preference is the one, true preference... Ya feelin' me, yo?

 

[Tony2077]

i personally don't care which it is as long as it comes over here and i enjoy it

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

I've got to say I prefer subtitles. {i}Yes[/i], you don't get to focus completely on the on-screen proceedings but as the actors/actresses are delivering their lines in their native tongues the stresses and the rhythms are bang on. I reckon the best film that demonstrates this is the brilliant Das Boot. The English dub is (for the greater part) very good, but watching the film in the original German with subs (pun intended) really brings home the feeling a performer give to a role as opposed to a translator in a sound booth.

So yeah, sub(title)s all the way.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

I tend to prefer dubs. Honestly, I don't care how amazing the Japanese voice actor is; I don't speak the language so it's gibberish to me.

If the dubs are amazingly bad, then perhaps I may prefer subs, but other than that, it's dubs all the way.
Not to mention, I often put the video player on the second monitor while working in the other one, so being able to only passively watch stuff is a plus.

 

[KenAri]

Subs for everything (Except Death Note. Alessandro's voice is smoother than the velveteen walls of a young woman).

But there's no such thing as a constructive conversation on this topic, because it's entirely one of preference. Dubs are more practical because you can defer your eyes. Subs stay more closely to the writer's original text. Both are easier than learning Japanese.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

It's a case by case thing for me, and I do appreciate having the option between them!

Sometimes I'm chilling, able to focus on the show, so I go for subs.

Sometimes I'm on forums ranting, raving, and occasionally having a thoughtful conversation, or just reading the thoughts of others, so I need dubs.

Of course there's bad dubs, likewise there's bad subs, but I try to take it all in stride.

 

[Random Argument Man]

I tend to listen to english dubs. They do the trick and I'm not that picky. (Since no one here has really listened to a french dub? Pokemon is a magical journey through laughably bad in english. In French? Nails on chalk boards are better).

 

[Ahoge-dono]

There are some dubbed anime I really enjoy like Full Metal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop. But I prefer sub most of the time because I feel that the English voice actors fail to portray aspects of the character that are prevalent in Japanese tropes. (If that makes any sense.) For example I can't stand Senketsu's voice actor in the Kill la Kill dub because they went with a serious, solemn voice against Toshihiko Seki's very hotblooded portrayal. Overall though I'm very tolerant of dubs until they go overboard with localization. I'm looking at you Case Closed.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Every time we have one of these subs always win in the end. You say "of course" the Cowboy Bebop dub is good, I think "of course" it's shit when compared to the original voices. It's all about opinion really. I think most of us prefer subs because it's a way of sticking closer to the original thing.

but what about DBZ were the dub was actually better then the original VA? while most of the time your right subs tend to be better you still get a few dubs that actually improve on what was done.

What? The Japanese voice acting is leagues ahead of the American dub. Most of the voices in the dub just sound silly and strained, like, like someone making a dumb voice.

Anyway, it's clear that both the original and the American dub are both inferior to the actual best dub for DBZ, Big Green Dub.


OT: I don't even bother checking if the dub is good anymore, chances are it's crap and even if it's not crap the original is still going to be better anyway.

The only anime I've ever seen improved by a dub was Garzey's Wing. I'll just leave it as that.

 

[Captain Marvelous_v1legacy]

Well... If it's Japanese animation then I usually prefer subs. English dubs tend to get so... ugh. Dreadful. At least when I'm listening to the Japanese VAs it's almost impossible for me to spot bad voice acting. There are some exceptions, like Detective Conan and DBZ, both of which I watched dubbed English and can't watch in Japanese. At all. There's also Cowboy Bebop. I've never actually seen it, but the Hulu commercials are really getting to me and the Dub sounds pretty good.

 

[Pickles]

I generally prefer subs, but a few dubs really standout for me. I loved the english dubs of ergo proxy, psycho pass and steins;gate.

Steins;Gate is one of the worst offenders out there for a different reason than most. The voice acting itself is fine... probably one of the better efforts out there. But the translation... well it isn't a translation. The company that brought it over did a Working Designs style localization on it where they rip out all the extant humor and references and replace them with material they feel that a western audience will be more familiar with. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff they ripped out is actually kind of important to understanding the characters, particularly Okabe. And frankly, most of the humor they replaced it with is kind of dull.

Given that half of the show is about mocking otaku culture, I can't really call an effort that deliberately erases half of the show's concept "good."

Oh wow I didn't know that. I'll definitely need to watch it with subs next time around, cheers.

 

[WonkyWarmaiden]

Subs for newer anime and dubs for the ones I grew up watching on Toonami. I tried watching Yu Yu Hakusho subbed and Kurama sounded like a lady. It was super weird and jarring compared to the dub.

 

[Orga777]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Subs take away from the experience, distract you from what's happening on screen(especially in a rapid pace conversation) and are often so poorly written that you're losing valuable plot points. If you want to walk away from an anime episode having understood roughly 70% of what went on and miss dozens of lines, go for subs.

Say what you will about dubs being awfully preformed, at least some proof-reads the transcript first! It still may be goofy, but that's because the anime you're watching is inherently goofy, not because someone translated Japanese.

Really? I don't miss much of anything and I do Subs all the time. Heck, I got so proficient reading Subs that I just have to glance at them for a moment and know exactly what was said usually, AND still notice what is going on during the scene. Not really that hard to me.

Also, the dialogue can be so heavily edited to make it work for Western Audiences that the original meaning is completely lost. That is worse than listening to a bunch of under-paid and over-worked voice actors try really hard to emulate the sound of the Japanese actors to the point where it comes off as ear splitting.