Poll: The Ultimate Question: Sub or Dub?

[Cowabungaa]

As I watch anime pretty much only during studying I stick to dubs for practical purposes. I can't pay 100% attention to it and often only listen and sadly my Japanese isn't exactly good.

Live-action stuff I watch purely subbed, mostly thanks to lip syncing making dubbing look terrible.

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?).

Never quite got that either.

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

Hence why I only appreciate dubs that realize that and try to do their own thing. Case in point; Hetalia, Steamboy and Black Butler. Hetalia without the stupid accents is way less funny to me, and BB's over-the-top Britishness makes the juicy British accents so much more fitting than the original Japanese.

 

[Ishal]

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.

The nature of the Japanese language is what is unnatural for an English speaker like myself. The way it is spoken, combined with what is written is something I don't find appealing at all. More things seem to be coming out of their mouths, but they're not saying as much. Changing the dialogue to westernize it is one of the best things a dubbing director can do, whether it turns out well or not, well that's going to depend. But I will always prefer a dub to sub.

relies to a degree on overacting to reach the seats at the back

But not to the degree that the Seiyu do, hence my point.

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.

Their original impact is not something I appreciate. Otherwise I wouldn't be watching dubs, would I? The Seiyu, the language, the writing all combine to something I don't enjoy. I'm not after "natural" in the sense of the original. I'm after "natural" in what I feel the characters would say in my own language.

(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)

Yeah, it's not the greatest. None of the AC games are, really. But I don't find it that bad. And I'd rather listen to English VA's than Japanese ones. That aside, the AC games have other aspects that allow me to enjoy them. I could play them muted and still enjoy myself.

 

[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?).

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

If it's about finding strength in numbers, subs are more than doubling dubs at the poll. Either way I think Spike sounds cool in a wrong way. Too forced. Like Snake. The original voice is relaxed and captures the character's nonchalance way better than Blum's tough guy talk. The American version sounds like a 10 year-old's idea of a badass (cf. Action Hank).

 

[Ishal]

If it's about finding strength in numbers, subs are more than doubling dubs at the poll. Either way I think Spike sounds cool in a wrong way. Too forced. Like Snake. The original voice is relaxed and captures the character's nonchalance way better than Blum's tough guy talk. The American version sounds like a 10 year-old's idea of a badass (cf. Action Hank).

A ten year old's idea of a badass is a pretty apt description for how he's drawn.

Spoiler

It's obvious you see a nonchalance in Japanese VA's, where I see none at all. I look at this guy, from the way he stands, the way he walks, his body language, his posture when sitting, his dress, all of it screams "too cool, man." I don't see how Blum's supposed to capture that OTT nonchalance without forcing it. To sound as cool and edgy as that character is drawn, it requires forcing it.

We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[laggyteabag]

Given the choice, dub, but considering that I don't really have much of a choice at all when it comes to most anime, especially the new stuff, I have no choice to watch subbed. I don't mind subbed, not at all, but dubbed is just a lot easier for me to watch.

 

[Kaimax]

I still don't get the "I don't like to miss the action because of reading subs"
Most of you are probably streaming it or have downloaded the episode, Why don't you just rewind the damn scene..

OT:
Always Subs, heck even when I'm watching an American Film, I always turn the subs on.
Not going to bother on posting detailed reasons as this topic has been done to death.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Either, obviously I watched it in sub especially when it's brand new but when I get it on dvd (I only buy animes I liked on dvd)) I watched it on dub to hear the differences.