Poll: Anime: Original Japanese or English Dub?

[Rorschach II]

Just watched some clips from Bleach and other animes and was wondering what you guys prefer, the original japanese or english translation.

Personally, i prefer the english dub. Especially when its done really well (Dragonball Z is an example. Vegetas original voice was off the scale for badassness).

I also find it easier to follow rather than relying on subtitles to watch it.

 

[Gigaguy64]

Really it depends on the series.
shows like Cowboy Bebop and Baccano! have amazing dubs and i personally like them better.
Other shows like Speed Grapher have bad dubs and are better in the original sound track.

Though with shows like Bleach i like some voices in the original and some voices in the Dub.

 

[Bloodstain]

Japanese with English subtitles.
The original voice actors oftentimes sound more emotional.

 

[Xpwn3ntial]

I watch whichever had more praise first (Cowboy Bebop in English, what not) and if I feel like it, I watch the other.

This usually results in watching Japanese first and then English if there is a dub.

Bottom line: I usually watch both.

Either, it depends on the series. Generally, it's harder for a dub to impress me, but if it does, I usually prefer it.

Where they're about even, I watch them both. Especially the case with the Haruhi Suzumiya anime (if only there were some way to have Crispin Freeman and Aya Hirano on the same voice track...).

That amount of greatness would cause whatever is playing it to detonate.

 

[Macgyvercas]

As long as it's anime, I really couldn't care less, just as long as I get to watch it without being interrupted by parental units asking me to do assinine chores that can wait until the end of the episode.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Either, it depends on the series. Generally, it's harder for a dub to impress me, but if it does, I usually prefer it.

Where they're about even, I watch them both. Especially the case with the Haruhi Suzumiya anime (if only there were some way to have Crispin Freeman and Aya Hirano on the same voice track...).

 

[zHellas]

I watch both, honestly.

Though sometimes it depends on what series I'm going to watch.

 

[TheDarkestDerp]

9 times outta 10 it has GOT to be subtitled for me. American voice acting tends to be pretty awful. Not just the quality of the acting itself, but other nuances as well. Many times the "actors" have little experience in the field, or just aren't very good at it. Worse yet are the many MANY ones who will admit to knowing next to nothing about the characters or story they're supposed to be bringing to life for the audience. They might as well be a laugh track for all intents and purposes...

Also, most anime lately miss out on this just from the style of writing, but from Japanese to American English there is much difference in tone and linguistics lost because it simply won't translate directly. Not to mention the cultural humor, puns, alliteration, simple verbal shifts in tone and form that cannot be replicated in dubbed format.

 

[Zorg Machine]

Japanese with subs.
Partly because of 4kids but mostly because the japanese voices are always better

 

[Mike Laserbeam]

Really it depends on the series.
shows like Cowboy Bebop and Baccano! have amazing dubs and i personally like them better.

They have better dubs compared to others, but I just can't stand Isaac and Miria's voices in the Baccano! dubs. AND THOSE VOICES ARE KEY TO THE ENTIRE SERIES!


More OT: I haven't watched a dub since I got to the end of the Naruto dubs and found that if I watched them fan subbed I would have a whole lot more to enjoy. Since then I've gone with original voices every time because I just find the English dubs, more often than not, infuriating.

 

[drbarno]

I watch both, honestly.

Though sometimes it depends on what series I'm going to watch.

This.

I would usually only go for subs if the dubs are quite bad, like the yugioh ones.

 

[Takoto]

Depends. Some anime have great English dubs, some anime have terrible Japanese voice-actors. For me, it really depends on the series.

 

[Yosato]

Depends. Some anime have great English dubs, some anime have terrible Japanese voice-actors. For me, it really depends on the series.

What he said

 

[DanielBrown]

Japanese with subs. I don't really watch anime unless my sister makes me, but it looks better when they speak with their original language.

 

[instantbenz]

My friends and I tend to watch dub but it's changed recently as some people we hang out with now have hearing impairments.

I used to enjoy the sound of Japanese voice actors, but now as I have shit to do and I'd fall asleep if I was only watching shows, I don't like strictly subs.

If you do subs just because Japanese is the "proper to watch it", then you're ... what is it? a weeboo? I tend to put that in the derogatory term category.

 

[Lord Legion]

It goes on a per anime basis, for instance mostly the original cast is the best, however there is stuff like Full Metal Alchemist where the voice just better in english.

Also Claymore is better in English...also, Raki can die.

I prefer the english Hellsing too, Crispin Freeman is awesome.

 

[Marik Bentusi]

I'm from Germany, so I'll take "English Dub" as "Dub in native language".

Japanese with English subtitles.
Why?

First of all, in my experience the translation quality usually is higher as long as you don't need something instantly the moment it's available. There's a lot of junk translations and fakes as well, but they get sorted out quickly - quick enough for me. I prefer English over German language because the English community is far bigger and thus the quality of whatever becomes the most common version is higher.
In addition, subs are faster and personally I find most of the time the original voice-acting is always the best. Since I realized this, I've imported most of my games from the UK or made sure they come with multi-language support so I could play them in their original language, English. With each translation the actual meaning and feeling of the original gets lost a little more. Subs also have the advantage of not being crammed by a timeframe by which the line must have been conveyed with the correct meaning and once you've gotten used to subs it'll become so natural to you you don't even think about the original language because it's all English in your head (or whatever dub language you prefer).
I also have a problem with people not being able to pronounce foreign names. It's especially tough with Japanese->English or Japanese->German because of the L/R sound, but English->German can be just as horrible even without the "th". You'd think the people they hire would have some training in those regards, but apparently... so yeah, my point is that's not a problem with subs either.
There are exceptions for everything of course, but usually it's this scenario for me.

The only exception from this "original = usually superior" in recent history was the Deus Ex 3 trailer for me. The English voice sounded much more forced to sound smoky and rough while the German voice tried less hard, sounded less smoky and rough, but also much more genuine and fitting.

 

[Broady Brio]

Mostly Subs.

I've watched DBZ dubbed and is great. Some others I've seen are not so good, so I tend to stick to subs.

 

[neoontime]

I like dubs better although I loved the japanese voice cast for FMA Brotherhood, especially when they said "BRADLEY".