Poll: The Ultimate Question: Sub or Dub?

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

definitely in the "it depends" camp..


I watch absolutely anything I can, dub or not, with subtitles on. Just always how I've been, it means I can watch something and be doing something else at the same time without having to worry about some garbled audio or if I'm listening to something else as well.


now that I've gotten that out of the way though, about 80% of my anime viewing is subbed, just because the ones that are subbed are either very good that way, or I didn't find an english dub (didn't care to either). the 20% that I do watch dubbed is because I feel it is far superior (such as DBZ, the first time I heard it in japanese I wanted to rip my ears out from how horrifying their voice actors were, dear god did they make goku and vegeta sound cringe worthy bad.)

dbz/pokemon/digimon/gundam wing I watched all in english and enjoyed the voice acting, but such as bleach/one piece/naruto/fate zero/death note/attack on titan/(some others) I watch all of those subbed, the voices do great in their original language.

 

[JaceArveduin]

I prefer dubs, mostly because I have a really hard time telling the voices apart in subs. Especially the female ones.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

It really depends. I'll watch Code Geass dubbed cause I love it, FMA Brotherhood and Cowboy Bebop too. But I'll watch something like SAO, Clannad, Madoka Magica and Books of Ys subbed cause they're just better subbed. It usually depends on which one I watch first, and I just stick with it, even if other people say the opposite form is better. Whatever came first tends to take my preference first thing

 

[Lunar Templar]

Ultimately I couldn't care less, Sub or Dub doesn't matter to me, if the anime is good I'll watch regardless, that said though, something like Black Lagoon or Full Metal Alchemist I prefer to watch in English because Japanese, in those types of settings (IE decidedly western) just doesn't work as well as English, and the opposite is true of shows clearly based in Japan, or decidedly eastern in it's over all theme.

EDIT For Great Justice!!;

On area of Anime I refuse to accept in anything other then its native tongue on is Music, specifically intro's and credit themes. DO.NOT.DUB.THESE.EVER. I absolutely LOATH when company's do this as more often then not it ruins the song.

 

[Recusant]

I'm in the "it depends" camp, and I think I can offer a few clarifiers that I haven't seen in this thread. I'm not deeply in to anime (I've seen a few series, some of each), but I do watch (and listen to) a lot of media in languages I don't know. And while either dubbing or subbing can lose out on the subtle linguistic intricacies dedicated fans can pick up on (which I suspect subbing in general can deal with better), knowledge of one culture's subtleties really only helps with that culture- you may be able to handle Japanese like a native, but that won't help much with French- and not at all with Arabic or Polish. Certain forms of communication- ultimately, certain communications- are better suited for either reading or hearing. Read through a section of 'Finnegans Wake' and listen to the same section read in an Audiobook, and you'll see what I mean.

 

[viscomica]

I would watch a dubbed anime / series / foreign movie but I am yet to find a voice actor that might even come close to the original. I don't have any problem at all to read the dialogue and watch an action scene at the same time so it's really no problem.
Hence, sub it is.

 

[Riddle78]

English dubbed. If I wanted to read,I'd pick up The Black Prism. Subtitles are a distraction from what's important: Visual cues. Someone might have a silent reaction to a line of dialogue that could be quite easily missed if you're too busy reading a caption. Besides,for the most part,dubs don't change much. Sometimes,what they do change is for the better. Want proof? Desert Punk.

 

[Julius Terrell]

I used to going the sub route, but once in a while I'll try a dub out just to see how well it's done. If it good I'll prefer the dub, but good dubs are hard to come by. Usually high profile shows or movies get good dubs. Otherwise it's a mixed bag(anime wise).

 

[pokeplayer984]

For me, I'm mostly a dub person. I will give the sub a watch, but I'll likely prefer the dub. However, there has always been some exceptions. Those being Kirby of the Stars, Sonic X and a few others.

 

[Fox12]

If its live action, it has to be subbed, period. I can't stand it when the lip movements don't match up. I also hate seeing a Japanese/Russian/German dude talking in a British accent. Even if its an American film about foreigners (war horse) then I think it needs to be in the native tongue, with actors from that region, or with that accent. It's incredibly stupid to have both the English and Germans conveniently speaking English (war horse) or having the wrong accent (enemy at the gates). That's why letters from Iwo Jima was so good. I want the actual language and accent.

However, I can go either way with animation. The lip movements rarely bother me, and as long as the performances are strong, I don't care. There are some really good voice actors out there. There's not much variety, but quality? we've got that. Wendee Lee will always be haruhi in my book. However, there are exceptions. I couldn't finish kill la kill because the humor was too fast paced and I couldn't keep up with it. I had to pause the video to read the subtitles, which ruined the humor. Alternatively, I'll sometimes listen to a sub, since there's a greater variety of voice talent.

Anime gets extra points if its in Japanese and I hear Engrish in it though. Hearing Engrish at the end of the deadly serious fate/zero series may have been one of the best anime moments of my life.

 

[Arina Love]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

A lot of people seem to think Cowboy Bebop has a good dub. Why? Spike sounds like Solid Snake (i.e. not cool at all, and what's Spike without his cool?).

 

[DarkRawen]

If it doesn't have an English dub, I just don't watch it. Having to read subtitles is too much of a pain in the ass for me.

I never understood the people that say the original Japanese is better acted or the superior version. If I can't understand the language, all the emotion and subtle inflections don't get picked up on. I might as well mute it all together.

Personally, I disagree, once you get used to it it's fairly easy to tell emotions, it's a different language, not an alien race.

On the other hand, bad voice-acting and obnoxious accents seem to be more common in dubs, and while it certainly happens in the original language as well, I find that harder to discover/care about. A lot of dubs just sort of sound... awkward and forced.

OT: Subs all the way. There are some shows that benefit from the English dub, but most are better subbed IMO. I also don't have any issues reading the subtitles, unless someone had the brilliant idea of making them yellow or something, but that's more of a taste thing. English may not be my first language, but it sort of happens automatically, to the point of me sometimes forgetting about it until someone points it out.

 

[Ishal]

Dubbed.

I don't watch much anime. It's like the whole pancakes vs waffles debate. There are certain things pancake people like that they just won't find in waffles, and visa versa. There are tropes and certain things in anime that turn me off. I... eh... don't like Japanese VA's. The Seiyu come from the Kabuki tradition of acting, which is just too OTT for me. I like consistency in tone, and well, to have a tone at all. Characters act and emote in such drastic ways that just throw a scene completely out of wack. It's having to do with extremes. They're either too serious, too happy, too sad, too angry, etc etc. Also, the Japanese language does not translate well to English. English is a language with a lot of fluff, it's difficult to learn. Japanese just doesn't have some of the conventions that English does. It's more to the point. That, combined with the repetitive nature of a lot of anime is like nails on a chalkboard for me. When something happens, a character explains what happens, then that same character (or another) repeated it for confirmation...ergh...

In One Piece my friend showed me a scene where a villain was talking about his powers.

"I finally ate the dark dark fruit, granting me the power of darkness. In other words, I've become a darkness man."

/facepalm

English voice acting is much more natural. It came from radio, which is much closer to the natural speaking voice that characters would be doing. Basically, it's a cultural thing. The more you westernize an anime, the better chance I'll have of enjoying it.

A lot of people seem to think Cowboy Bebop has a good dub. Why? Spike sounds like Solid Snake (i.e. not cool at all, and what's Spike without his cool?).

The Bebop dub is the anime that launched the genre's popularity in the West. At least that's what I hear all the time. It's consistently one of, if not THE example of good dubbing. I don't know what else to say on the matter. I've only watched one episode, didn't really care for it. So I can't speak with any authority. But I have seen art of Spike nearly everywhere, and the I think Steve Blum - and pretty much anyone else- would see a "too cool for school" type character. So he gave him a too cool for school voice. I think it fits well enough, and apparently I'm not the only one. /shrug

 

[Julius Terrell]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

Samurai X OVAs
ghost in the shell(movie)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Black lion(movie)
Doomed Megaopolis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cowboy bebop
Voltron
Kikaider
Blue sub 6
Street Fighter II V
Heroic Age
Golden Boy
Record of Lodoss War
Demon City Shinjuku (movie)
Blue Gender
Dark Side Blues (movie)
Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
Ninja Resurrection

These are series,OVAs, and Movies I just pulled from memory. I've also been watching Japanese anime WAAAAY longer than you. These shows represent the best dubs I've come across, but there are others I know I didn't think of.

Then I'm sure you've never seen any of these series,OVAs, or movies.

Edit: I cried a lot because the voice acting in Samurai X was so damn good.

I'd also say Samurai X,Ghost in the shell(and the TV series), and Neon Genesis represent the cream of the crop

 

[Arina Love]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

Samurai X OVAs
ghost in the shell(movie)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Black lion(movie)
Doomed Megaopolis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cowboy bebop
Voltron
Kikaider
Blue sub 6
Street Fighter II V
Heroic Age
Golden Boy
Record of Lodoss War
Demon City Shinjuku (movie)
Blue Gender
Dark Side Blues (movie)
Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
Ninja Resurrection

These are series,OVAs, and Movies I just pulled from memory. I've also been watching Japanese anime WAAAAY longer than you. These shows represent the best dubs I've come across, but there are others I know I didn't think of.

Then I'm sure you've never seen any of these series,OVAs, or movies.

Seen them all, my statement stands. i have never encountered a dub worth listening to. Especially Cowboy bebop, dub there made me cringe so hard i almost imploded.

 

[Julius Terrell]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

Samurai X OVAs
ghost in the shell(movie)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Black lion(movie)
Doomed Megaopolis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cowboy bebop
Voltron
Kikaider
Blue sub 6
Street Fighter II V
Heroic Age
Golden Boy
Record of Lodoss War
Demon City Shinjuku (movie)
Blue Gender
Dark Side Blues (movie)
Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
Ninja Resurrection

These are series,OVAs, and Movies I just pulled from memory. I've also been watching Japanese anime WAAAAY longer than you. These shows represent the best dubs I've come across, but there are others I know I didn't think of.

Then I'm sure you've never seen any of these series,OVAs, or movies.

Seen them all, my statement stands. i have never encountered a dub worth listening to.

Hey, I love subs just as much as the next person, but to say that there are NO good dubbing is an insult to the studios that went out of there way to make quality dubs. It's no easy task to get a dub right. At least I'm not ignorant enough to turn a blind eye to a great dub. We'll just agree to disagree.

 

[Arina Love]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

Samurai X OVAs
ghost in the shell(movie)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Black lion(movie)
Doomed Megaopolis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cowboy bebop
Voltron
Kikaider
Blue sub 6
Street Fighter II V
Heroic Age
Golden Boy
Record of Lodoss War
Demon City Shinjuku (movie)
Blue Gender
Dark Side Blues (movie)
Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
Ninja Resurrection

These are series,OVAs, and Movies I just pulled from memory. I've also been watching Japanese anime WAAAAY longer than you. These shows represent the best dubs I've come across, but there are others I know I didn't think of.

Then I'm sure you've never seen any of these series,OVAs, or movies.

Seen them all, my statement stands. i have never encountered a dub worth listening to.

Hey, I love subs just as much as the next person, but to say that there are NO good dubbing is an insult to the studios that went out of there way to make quality dubs. It's no easy task to get a dub right. At least I'm not ignorant enough to turn a blind eye to a great dub. We'll just agree to disagree.

Apparently you have no understanding on how personal opinions work. Let me spell it out for you. In all of my years of watching anime i have never personally encountered dub i liked enough to watch it over the original. It's a matter of taste, simple as that. I will not be called ignorant just because i didn't like something you did.

 

[Julius Terrell]

Only Sub, i have never encountered a dub worth listening to, and i've been watching anime for more than a decade.

Samurai X OVAs
ghost in the shell(movie)
Ghost in the Shell: SAC
Black lion(movie)
Doomed Megaopolis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Cowboy bebop
Voltron
Kikaider
Blue sub 6
Street Fighter II V
Heroic Age
Golden Boy
Record of Lodoss War
Demon City Shinjuku (movie)
Blue Gender
Dark Side Blues (movie)
Blood Reign: Curse of the Yoma
Ninja Resurrection

These are series,OVAs, and Movies I just pulled from memory. I've also been watching Japanese anime WAAAAY longer than you. These shows represent the best dubs I've come across, but there are others I know I didn't think of.

Then I'm sure you've never seen any of these series,OVAs, or movies.

Seen them all, my statement stands. i have never encountered a dub worth listening to.

Hey, I love subs just as much as the next person, but to say that there are NO good dubbing is an insult to the studios that went out of there way to make quality dubs. It's no easy task to get a dub right. At least I'm not ignorant enough to turn a blind eye to a great dub. We'll just agree to disagree.

Apparently you have no understanding on how personal opinions work. Let me spell it out for you. In all of my years of watching anime i have never personally encountered dub i liked enough to watch it over the original. It's a matter of taste, simple as that. I will not be called ignorant just because i didn't like something you did.

It's your opinion indeed. I just simply disagree.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Also, the Japanese language does not translate well to English.

Which is a strike against dubbing, rather than for it. Because the languages do not tranlsate well, trying to convey the same meaning in the same amount of time is often very difficult. This, actually, leads to the biggest problem with dubs. That the script will frequently stumble over redundant words which had to be added to match the length of the original line, despite the fact that they produce completely unnatural dialogue. A naturalistic tone (which I dispute is always better, or indeed present in English language voice acting, radio drama descended from stage drama which also relies to a degree on overacting to reach the seats at the back, this is why movie actors aren't always good voice actors) is worth nothing if the words are unnatural.

Even the best dubs fall into that, intense scenes like Spike's confrontation with Vicious in Cowboy Bebop or Balalaika confronting Gretel in Black Lagoon can be robbed of their original impact by an overwrought and unnatural script.

Japanese doesn't translate well to English so why listen in English?.

(Irony: Your user avatar is a prime offender, Ace Combat Zero has some of the least natural English dialogue ever, and is a prime example of terrible translation, because having not even heard the Japanese I know what some of the lines would be because the Japanese idioms were left intact, and it's not like my Japanese is particularly advanced)