The "weeaboo" argument

[Flames66]

I have been having a lot of trouble with subtitles on DVDs recently. The reason is that parts in other languages that, in the cinema, would have subtitles, the text is missing unless you have the full subtitles on for everything. I can't stand subtitles because I end up reading a poorly written book with somebody turning the pages too fast instead of watching an engaging drama so this is a large problem.

 

[hazabaza1]

I watch it subbed as well. Mainly just for lip synching sake, and also that I don't want to accept the fact that this guy:

Spoiler

has the same voice as this guy(?):

Spoiler

IT JUST AIN'T RIGHT.

 

[Badassassin]

I really like Naruto.

See now, there's your problem.

The only anime I've ever liked is Cowboy Bebop, and I think they do pretty well with the voices in the dubbed version.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

That's pretty silly. I wouldn't watch a lot of my favourite foreign films if they were dubbed over. The original performances are kind of important.

Except that anime is a cartoon not a performance, and thus is always dubbed over, weather its Japanese, English or any other language.

XD

 

[ElPatron]

"if you don't speak Japanese and it's been dubbed into English just watch it in English"

Because people who speak English as mother tongue hate reading subtitles? Lawl.
If you were used to dubs like me, you would kill for a Original Voice version.


In a related note, I watched Ghost In The Shell in English because I had it on a MP4 player and couldn't read subtitles. Which happened to be in a "Made in Japan" MP4. Oh, the irony...

I like Otaku though, if you couldn't tell...

I hate the term Otaku because it's actually a psychological problem, but we Western people took a word and deprived it from it's original meaning for "teh lulz".

 

[Vault101]

does anyone else find it interesting how for western cartoons the voice acting is not only competent but pretty fucking good, but for animes the dubbing somehow ends up no better than ear rape?

Its certainly not for every show that this holds true, but after hearing some really annoying english voice work I don't bother giving it a shot anymore.

Ok I know practially nothing about anime..but

from my understanding even in non dubbed anime (I think?) its animated THEM recorded..so I imagine that is somthing of an obsticle when it comes to dubbing, from the little anime of TV Ive seen (cartoon network?) you can definetly tell in the way they speak..its not quite natural

anyway dont watch anime but in movies I will always go subed...hell dubbing is even more rediculous in live action films

 

[Elven Marksman]

#2: Most english dub work is very good. In the case of certain characters from Bleach, any Gundam series not called G Gundam, and basically any mecha genre in general, the english VAs are better.

Except Kannazuki no Miko, the English dub was the worst I've ever heard.

I listen to the dubs when the voice actors are good, and skip to the subbed versions when they suck, I don't think there's anything weeabooish about it

 

[JdaS]

I don't mind Anime dubbing (Fuck Naruto though) but I have a problem with Video Game Dubbing. While in Anime's you can just play it in a different language (German Pokemon - oddly hilarious) in Video games, you never really get the choice. I was so thankful Final Fantasy XII and Xenoblade had proper voice actors as opposed to the usual 'pick random off the street, record them reading lines first time round then kick them out' approach that dubbed games all seem to have (And some animes - again, fuck Naruto.)

Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner. Original voice actors were quite famous guys like Dingo Egret, the main character being voiced by Kazuhiko Inoue (voice of Kakashi in Naruto, November11 in Darker Than Black and all around super recognizable voice if you're into subs.).

Who do we get? A bunch of assholes with the thickest of California accents. Even ignoring the sub-par translation they can't even get the emphasis and punctuation of their sentences right. That's why I've been hoping for a dual audio option for that rumored ZOE HD Collection (I know it's not going to happen but a man can dream.)

OT: So yeah, subbed. I don't have a problem with dubs unless they're total hamfests like the nightmarish shit I described above, but I go with subs. Not only with anime either.

 

[DarkRyter]

I watch anime in subtitles because

a. I can't time travel.
b. There are no english dubs of Fate/Zero, Un-Go, Boku wa Tomodachi, Persona 4 the animation, or Guilty Crown.
c. b should have probably been listed before a.

In terms of the whole "dub vs sub" quality argument, I'm apparently not an accurate judge of voice acting quality. I don't really care either way. i'm just not gonna wait.

 

[deathbydeath]

I do the same thing, because the dubs are just AWFUL

they sound like crap 9 times out of 10.

actually the claymore one was pretty good, with the slight exception of raki

OP: "weeaboo", according to urban dictionary, is someone who is an elitist towards asian cultures, believing them to be the superior races, and they have a habit of being obsessed with asian culture, language, etc. watching subbed over dubbed animes because you can't tolerate the voices is perfectly reasonable. hell, i read online mangas because of censorship, and nowadays i mostly read claymore. imagine that censored.

Off-Topic post: i'm pretty sure the english voice for naruto is a fat woman, but i'm only 80% sure

 

[Nooh]

Personal opinion pre-acceptance adjustments: It's not okay to watch anime. Period.

Post-acceptance adjustments: Yes, of course you should watch it subbed instead of dubbed. The voice actors are the way they're supposed to be and their speech actually fits in with their mouth movements. Dubbed movies are awful.

 

[Syzygy23]

So, let me start this off by saying I like anime. I like anime a lot. With very few exceptions, I prefer to watch anime in the original Japanese, and because I'm not exactly fluent in the language, I watch it with English subtitles.

I have been called a weeaboo for this multiple times (as well as some of my friends), because of the argument "if you don't speak Japanese and it's been dubbed into English just watch it in English", but that doesn't fly with me very well and generally just pisses me off. As an example: I really like Naruto. I refuse to watch Naruto in English, simply because... have you ever heard Naruto's English voice? It's like taking a nail file to your eardrums. Most English dubs of anime series are just... well, so insanely horrible that I literally can't watch it. (Except Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z, which are painful in both languages.)

The comparison that I've always drawn is with opera, actually. The vast majority of operas were not written in English, though I know several people who speak nothing but English and enjoy opera (I'm one of them). A lot of these have been dubbed into English on DVDs, strange as it may be, but most people prefer to watch them in the original Italian or German or whatever language with English subtitles. Why is this okay when it's not okay to do the same thing with anime?

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?

Weeaboo is when a non-japanese person tries to act japanese without doing any research on japanese culture outside of their animes.

A tell tale sign of a weeaboo is the belief that japanese culture is superior, followed by the refusal to listen to english dubs.

While your claim is legit, it unfortunately makes you SEEM like a weeaboo at first glance.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

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?

It's perfectly fine. I think the term "weeaboo" is losing some of its effectiveness, as of late. The way I see it, a weeaboo is an obsessed Japanophile who insists on inserting elements of Japanese culture in as much of his or her life as possible, and who asserts that life would be *so* much better if he or she lived in Japan. Y'know, the kind of people who go out of their way to affix the -chan suffix on girls' names or who might actually shout "Itai!" if they stubbed a toe in a doorframe.

There's nothing wrong with that, in and out of itself, but weeaboos are, technically speaking, people who idealize a given culture based on only a few scraps of it. It feels akin to people who say Spain must be a great place to live in just because they've integrated the cliché that all Spaniards are sultry, sensual and sensitive.

So if you're not the type who laments not being able to wear cat ears in public, I'd say you're perfectly fine. It's no stranger than watching a Dogma movie in its original language or preferring to watch "Lola Rennt" instead of "Run Lola Run".

 

[boag]

I watch Anime in Japanese, not because one VA is better than the other.

I watch it in Japanese because I cant take hearing English spoken from flapping mouth animation, there is a complete disconnect when I see the mouth animation open and close, which kinda fits the intonations of the Japanese dub better than the English one.

 

[Adultism]

Who cares if people call you names, just ignore them, and like what you like.

 

[RaikuFA]

Question: Am I considered a weeaboo because I like a handful of anime, JRPGs and Miyazaki films?

 

[shadyh8er]

I don't think that if it's in english you definately have to watch it, but I am against people saying it's better in acting ability in japanese, because apart from tones and cues you can't tell because YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT.

Precisely! Like episode 00 of Haruhi Suzimiya. I had no idea Kyon was being sarcastic until I watched it in English. As a matter of fact, I prefer any comedy anime in English. Cuz most of the time I watch them subbed, I end up reading more explanations of jokes than the jokes themselves.

Not to mention with dubs, you get accents! Am I right Baccano!, Black Butler, and Hellsing: Ultimate fans?

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Question: Am I considered a weeaboo because I like a handful of anime and Miyazaki films?

Nope. If you were to start harping about how the art direction for My Neighbour Totoro is "like, totally kawaii, desu ne?" then I'd worry.

 

[RaikuFA]

Question: Am I considered a weeaboo because I like a handful of anime and Miyazaki films?

Nope. If you were to start harping about how the art direction for My Neighbour Totoro is "like, totally kawaii, desu ne?" then I'd worry.

I don't even know what that means(except for kawaii, I took latin not japanese in school, ok?)

 

[DanielDeFig]

I don't think this is exclusive to anime. If there is something I want to read/watch/listen to, an it's originally not in a language i'm fluent in, I will always do my best to get closer to the original.

Watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles, playing JRPGS in Japanese with English subtitles and text, watching Pan's Labyrinth in Spanish with English subtitles (My spanish wasn't good enough to get all of it without help), watch Trolljegeren in the original Norwegian with Swedish subtitles. These are all examples of what I have done to get closer to the original language.

After 6 years in French speaking countries, where everything is dubbed into French (Badly. Did you know that he French translation for Hogwarts is Poudlard? WTF!?! The Swedish translation stuck to Hogwarts, why couldn't they?), I knew that bad dubs were almost unavoidable, and all you could do was to get as close to the original material as possible.