The "weeaboo" argument

[aashell13]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the act of watching an anime in japanese with english subtitles. If you're a pretentious ass about it then that's a problem, but that has nothing to do with the anime.

If nothing else it seems like a good way to learn the language.

 

[Sectan]

When I do watch anime I usually watch it with subtitles. Some of the dialogue is just worded so weirdly that it sounds akward and forced with an english voice actor. At least with the language barrier you can pretend they're saying something cool.

 

[probunk]

Well this seems like an interesting conversation, hopefully it doesn't-

>Likes Naruto

HAHAHA OH WOW

Fucking weaboos.

 

[similar.squirrel]

On the rare occasions that I watch anime, it's in Japanese with subtitles. Mainly because the English dubs are usually awful.

A weeaboo, to my understanding, is some unwashed virgin who wears cat ears in public and drops words like 'baka' and 'kawaii' into everyday conversation. On forums, they tend to stick bits of roleplay into factual posts
*runs away ^.^*

 

[xXGeckoXx]

Interestingly I watched subbed because dub voices are too high. English dub actors adjust their voice upwards to make it sound japanesey but that kills the point I may as well watch it in japanese and enjoy the good voice acting.

 

[Xanadu84]

No, liking anime subbed over dubbed does not make you a weeaboo. The vast majority of weeaboos watch subs, but that's correlation, not cause. Prefering subs is the hallmark of most otakus of the reasonable variety, so your fine. I was an Otaku, and I preferred subs. Now, I watch maybe one anime a year, and I STILL prefer subs.

 

[A Free Man]

snip

Can't believe this is even a question haha of course it's ok to watch shows in the language that doesn't sound like a baby cat squealing...

 

[stormcrow5]

Subs over dubs any day. Most of the dubs the voices just dont seem to fit and just sound wrong i guess, and the lack of lipsync just is a nitpick thing i have and bugs me when i can see it everywhere. Im a fast reader so subs are no problem to read and see whats going on, the voices sound better and i do not need to wait for it to be licenced for english and wait a year or 2 to watch it.

 

[Robert Ewing]

For those of you who don't know.

A weeaboo by the original definition when it first arose in the early 2000's meant that if you've ever, EVER done anything, or seen something that originated from Japan, that made you a weeaboo. If you glanced at an episode of Pokémon when you were 6, you were a weeaboo.

But the term evolved, and then became a term for Japanese, or Otaku culture noobs. People who were interested in Japanese culture and media, but were really nooby in that field.

This also split down a separate path to mean two things. Either the aforementioned Otaku noob, or anybody that tried to BE Japanese. This was merely a 'high school' phenomenon though.

ALL cosplayers are weeaboo's by default, yet Japanese people aren't weeaboo's.


I dunno, it's a clique phrase that doesn't really get tossed round anymore, it's the first time I've heard of it for years.

 

[Xanthious]

I refuse to read movies period. I can't stand constantly looking at the bottom of the screen to see what's being said. The only dubbed over content I have a problem with is live action content as it universally horrible when dubbed over. Animation on the other hand I rarely have a problem with in the few cases I watch dubbed over animation.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

And I find fansubs annoying because they're inconsistent and can't translate well enough about certain terms so people arguing for subs bring up a false point about the origianl supposedly having so much more swearing in it.

The quality varies wildly. A whole lot of them are pretty awful, and to say that they "can't translate well enough" would be being polite. There are a small number of fansub groups out there that release on a slower schedule (as opposed to the more common speedsub groups that are usually pretty crappy) that focus on quality, and some of them have actually done a good enough job that they've been hired to work on the official translations. If I'm remembering right, they got a couple of the people who were fansubbing the Haruhi Suzumiya show to do the official translation of the books, for example. So yeah, a whole lot of them are crap, and a whole lot of people don't realize that, but it's not universally true.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

TL;DR version: Do you guys think it's okay to watch anime in the original Japanese with English-or-whatever subtitles if you don't speak the language, even if it's already been dubbed into the language you speak?

Depends, is the English dub any good and is it faithful to the original? See, when an anime gets dubbed for kids the English dub often ends up like most JRPGs: detached from the original dialogue and a little silly. Characters lose personality traits and the way they act can be completely different.

When it comes to certain anime watching the original Japanese is a must. However, certain anime (Full Metal Alchemist and Berserk for example) just feel more natural in English, if only because both are set in a psuedo-European area and both have fantastic dubs. My girlfriend and I watched Berserk in the English dubs out of choice and ended up watching Sailor Moon Stars in Japanese out of necessity. If I had to go back now I'd watch the entire series of Sailor Moon in Japanese...

 

[Queen Michael]

On the subject on Naruto, I always feel the need to point out that his Japanese voice is, well, locked in a permanent screech. It's not meant to be melodious and beautiful exactly. Yeah, I usually prefer the Japanese voices too. ust sayin'.

 

[Ashannon Blackthorn]

Perfectly fine. If someone wants to call you on it for whatever retarded reason they want to use, feel free ot tell them to fuck off in no uncertain terms.

I do it because of one major thing. I do not speak Japanese so I need the subtitles to understand. However the English dubs miss a lot of inflections and stresses of language that are sometimes really important and even if the person is talking in Japanese you can pick out the tone and inflections.

 

[wammnebu]

whats a weeaboo?

 

[Scars Unseen]

My stance is that a dub is always off somehow due to the differences between English and Japanese. I don't think I have ever seen a dub that didn't either have pacing issues (awkward, unnatural pauses) or translation inaccuracies to some degree or another. Some are better than others, but I always find that I prefer the subtitles, even with the better dubs. Then again, I'm a fast reader and I do understand some Japanese, so it really isn't a big deal for me. I find myself distracted more when my wife turns on the Japanese subtitles for an English language movie.

 

[IamQ]

I mix anime subbed and dubbed, but it's usually subbed.

The english dialgue is usually so awkward that it's not even funny. Having to explain what's happening in way more detail just because otherwise the dialogue is too short, resulting in them sounding really unnatural. Making a joke that nobody will get because it's awkwardly translated from a japanese pun, the list goes on.

EDIT: Oh hey, 4000 posts!

 

[tobimaro]

I prefer subbed anime myself, as I have seen enough bad English dubs out there. Anyone remember Cardcaptors when it was on network TV?

I know that there are some good subs out there. Disney has a good track record for its dubs. But, they can recruit quality talent for their movies. Most other companies cannot compete with that kind of budget.

 

[Kizi]

Do what you want, man.
I used to watch Death Note and I preferred watching it in Japanese with English subtitles.

 

[Drakmeire]

Weeaboo refers to someone who hates their own heritage and thinks Japan is the greatest civilization on earth.
You are not a Weeaboo. Also you need better friends.