Poll: Do you prefer voice dubs or captions?

[Ghengis John]

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was on television today and it was the dubbed version. I just couldn't swallow an American voice and off sync words. I would have enjoyed it much more if they had just captioned the movie instead of dubbing it.

So, When watching a foreign movie, assuming you are not fluent in it's language, do you prefer voice dubbing or captions?

It depends on the particular movie/show and the amount of effort put into it. I'll happily defend the potential of Dubs when it comes to shows like Cowboy Bebop, Baccano! or the Big O. And I don't think I've ever seen a bad dub of studio Ghibli's work. But I have to say the dub of Excel Saga is particularly unwatchable and I've seen so many episodes of Bleach in Japanese that no other voices will ever do. I also preferred the Japanese dub of Black Lagoon.

Sometimes though it's not a question of one being better than the other. Sometimes I view them equally like I did for Claymore, and other times I'll prefer some members of the cast in one language or another but that doesn't mean I think it's better or worse. So in short, I judge on a case by case basis.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

Definitely a dub, unless I NEED to watch a subtitled version. If the dub isn't very good, and the series is pretty short, I'll consider watching it over again with subtitles. For example, despite being passable, I guess, the K-On! didn't really work in the voice department. It wasn't terrible, just a below average. Anyway, I'm thinking about watching it subbed and possibly watching the second season subbed as well.

There really hasn't been a case where the dubbed version was so bad I couldn't watch it in English. So, overall, I prefer dubs because I'm not distracted by reading all of the time when I watch them.

Edit: Well, that's just in animation. If it's live-action, definitely subtitles. It fits WAY better. Unless it's supposed to be silly.

 

[Atticus89]

All of them.

 

[Kagim]

Depends on the show.

Much of what disney works on is awesome. I have yet to see a Miyazaki disney dub that wasn't stellar.

However it can, and is, done poorly at time. CCS and most anime on English networks are badly done due to massively cutting the crap out of the show. The English version of CCS was mutilated.

Some can be a mixed bag, Advent children was for the most part really good, with the occasion slip up. Not in translations, which were awesome, but rather whenever there was only short statements did it feel shaky.

Then there are animes were the dubbing is wonderful. Black Lagoon is quite honestly amazing. I have a hard time believing any criticism.

Lastly, sometimes, it's what you watched first. Take Last exile. The English dub is really, really good. It's just i watched it subbed first and after viewing the whole series that way the tone of voices are pretty much imprinted into my mind. So hearing it differently just seems wrong. Once again it's not done badly, it's just not what i am used to.(Klauses voice was to high and the imperial guard they befriend was to low)

What it comes down to is that sometimes i honestly think people just need to be more open minded. Take Ponyo for instances. It was realyl good, yet people still bitched about how it was horribly. Sometimes i think saying you prefer subs is supposed to be like.. a status symbol... Honestly.. If i can watch a show that is dubbed well i prefer it. It's only when the voices are terribad(Screeching, piercing) or they hack the crap out of the script do i strongly prefer subs.

 

[Kennetic]

It depends if it's an anime or a movie. Movies I want captions because the off-lip thing pisses me off (OCD maybe). Anime I want dubs because the japanese voice actors sound like shit and I miss whats going on when I have to read the bottom of the screen. However, the captioned animes usually aren't censored so I miss out on some funny lines when I watch them dubbed (IE Bleach with the term throat penis lol)

 

[Hungry Donner]

With live-action films and TV I almost always go with subs if possible - as others have said its too disconcerting when spoken dialogue doesn't line up with the characters mouths.

With animation it depends. I usually try to watch the subbed version first but if its something I watch multiple times I'll often use the dubbed version if it's any good - that way I can pay more attention to the visuals. It's been years since I've watched much in the way of foreign animation, with the exception of Studio Ghibli films. Howl's Moving Castle has a fantastic dub in my opinion - not perfect but I actually enjoy it more than the original Japanese. Nausicaa and Porco Rosso aren't bad, but the rest I don't like. They're not horrible, but they're just far from good. Take Laputa: Castle in the Sky - it would be passable if they hadn't added the silly pirate talk and all of the extra background dialogue - the final product is cluttered and awkward.

Well Ponyo's dubbing may have been horrible, but I'll admit the film itself didn't do much for me. Then again casting a Jonas brother and Hannah Montana's little sister for the protagonists is practically insulting - it's a shame Disney decided to use one of Miyazaki's films to further the careers of two of their products rather than trying to do justice to the film itself.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I prefer dubs (the well-done ones, at least), so I don't have to keep watching the screen. I don't mind the occasional sub, though.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

A really, really good dub. Barring that, regular dubbing. I'm sorry, but captions blow. I read very fast, but y'know what? When I'm taking in the dialog, I'm looking at words on the bottom of the screen, and nearly all of their impact is lost if I can't see the actor/actress's face while the lines are being delivered.

 

[Ambi]

I prefer subtitles. I like different languages and I'd rather experience the film in its authentic state. I'm a fast reader so subtitles don't really detract from other aspects.

I recently watched a film dubbed in English and it took me way too long to notice, even though the titles and credits were all in French. I was slightly disappointed that it was in English, but I just assumed it was part of the weirdness.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was on television today and it was the dubbed version. I just couldn't swallow an American voice and off sync words. I would have enjoyed it much more if they had just captioned the movie instead of dubbing it.

Good lord, I couldn't even stand it when it was dubbed in Cantonese...

OT: Subtitles all the way (even when the dub may be so much as tolerable).