The "weeaboo" argument

[CrystalShadow]

Never heard of that accusation being made solely for wanting to watch the Japanese dub.

In fact, as someone who has lived a substantial portion of their life in a non-english speaking country, subtitles are frequently preferable, as even if there is a dub, it can be really weird.

Yeah... Doesn't really make sense.

 

[Arina Love]

yes, i watch anime ALWAYS with original sound and eng subs and that's how i like my JRPGs too. it's my choice. i don't care about how people call me i like what i like and if they don't like it they can't just f**k right off.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

You are not a weaboo for watching subbed anime.

You are a weaboo if your are a goddamned weaboo.

 

[Emperor Nat]

I usually watch dubbed, because I only have access to Anime through the internet or on DVDs. In either case, I'm almost always doing something else besides watching (I think Claymore, FMA and Code Geass, all of which have decent non-brain-melting dubs, are the only shows I've watched exclusively and not done anything else).

In terms of DVDs, I usually draw or write while watching. In terms of the internet, I usually play games while listening. So not speaking Japanese, I like to be able to understand what on earth is actually going on.

There are some dubs which are awful though. Lucky Star was fine, apart from THAT DAMNED AMERICAN GIRL. I thought my speakers had gone funny first time she spoke. Do people actually have voices that high!?

 

[Indeterminacy]

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?

I'm not so sure about this with Anime.

The problem at hand is one of authenticity. Undoubtedly, live-action films should never be dubbed over under any (non-parody; Kung Pow is awesome) circumstances, and this is where my more recent non-English watching has been focused. It would be a crack in the experience of the movie to create an image-sound disparity.


But the more obvious problem this causes isn't so bad with Anime and animation, since the suspension of disbelief between the visuals and the sound is required to actually experience it in the first place.


Of course, that's not to say that every dub is equally good. Not only are there issues of execution and the quality of the translation, but also of delivery.


However, translation quality is still an issue in subtitling, (Awesome One Piece Examples [http://saber.kawaii-shoujo.net/Various/]). And the key point is that the subtitles become an integral part of delivery to the translating viewer. It's important to recognise that the need to focus on the written part of the screen is a weakening of delivery, even if the voice acting is pretty good.

It's not a trivial point to suggest that this weakening might be too much during scenes heavy in both dialogue and visual action. Fortunately, I don't think this is the case in most Anime, which splits action and dialogue quite deliberately.

To conclude, therefore, a great action scene:

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Oh, god. Anyone who tells you to listen to the dubs only should be shot. Why... why does Sanji sound so stupid? Why is he sucking a lollypop...

Smoker is now Chaser? What?

Oh, oh god... what have they done to YGO. Pink Smoke? Pink smoke stopped Carly from dieing from 60 foot drop?!


Damn you, 4Kids!


Anyways, if a dub's decent I'll watch it and the sub. But if it's 4Kids level... then scew the dub, I have subtitles!

Not to mention the censoring.

Also, people who use the word 'weeaboo' should be laughed at. It's a word invented by some sexless nerds on some dumb site. They really have the highground here. ~.~

 

[Trivea]

I have NEVER been bothered by labels like that. Personally, I say if you ARE bothered by something someone calls you, you're either ashamed of what you're doing or hold some kind of embarrassment about it. I've been called LOTS of things and it's NEVER hurt my feelings or anything of the sort because I'm not embarrassed of my hobbies.

If I was embarrassed by it, I wouldn't tell complete strangers that I did it. What bothers me isn't that I've been called that, it's that there are people who think that other people's harmless hobbies and the way they participate in them are worthy of being insulted. I'm just asking if this is the norm or not.

 

[Demonicdan]

What you've described doesn't really sound like a weeaboo to me.

A weeaboo is more like this.

I am both confused and frightened, to some people really act like that?

 

[Asuka Soryu]

What you've described doesn't really sound like a weeaboo to me.

A weeaboo is more like this.

I am both confused and frightened, to some people really act like that?

You think that's bad, you should listen to Japanese people trying to speak English without knowing the language but some words and phrases. It's like that, but instead of being annoying it's like they don't realise how bad it is. xD Then again, it's kinda the so bad it's good. I swear I saw a McDonald's add in are Japanese text book and the slogan was in English and it sounded more like it was advertising masturbation then hamburger's.

 

[Jitters Caffeine]

I have NEVER been bothered by labels like that. Personally, I say if you ARE bothered by something someone calls you, you're either ashamed of what you're doing or hold some kind of embarrassment about it. I've been called LOTS of things and it's NEVER hurt my feelings or anything of the sort because I'm not embarrassed of my hobbies.

If I was embarrassed by it, I wouldn't tell complete strangers that I did it. What bothers me isn't that I've been called that, it's that there are people who think that other people's harmless hobbies and the way they participate in them are worthy of being insulted. I'm just asking if this is the norm or not.

You're asking if it's normal to put labels on things? Literally yes

 

[Demonicdan]

What you've described doesn't really sound like a weeaboo to me.

A weeaboo is more like this.

I am both confused and frightened, to some people really act like that?

You think that's bad, you should listen to Japanese people trying to speak English without knowing the language but some words and phrases. It's like that, but instead of being annoying it's like they don't realise how bad it is. xD Then again, it's kinda the so bad it's good. I swear I saw a McDonald's add in are Japanese text book and the slogan was in English and it sounded more like it was advertising masturbation then hamburger's.

Not to be offensive but they probably speak better English than you do Japanese, they do have the excuse of it not being their native language and also Japanese doesn't translate particulary well into English and vice versa.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

What you've described doesn't really sound like a weeaboo to me.

A weeaboo is more like this.

I am both confused and frightened, to some people really act like that?

You think that's bad, you should listen to Japanese people trying to speak English without knowing the language but some words and phrases. It's like that, but instead of being annoying it's like they don't realise how bad it is. xD Then again, it's kinda the so bad it's good. I swear I saw a McDonald's add in are Japanese text book and the slogan was in English and it sounded more like it was advertising masturbation then hamburger's.

Not to be offensive but they probably speak better English than you do Japanese, they do have the excuse of it not being their native language and also Japanese doesn't translate particulary well into English and vice versa.

No and yes. Really depends on who. I'm sure watashi wa Asuka desu sounds a little closer to Japanese then "Ai amu Jimu" does to English.

Though, it's kinda the way English is taught. They simplify it using their own language to convey the words rather then try and learn a new words pronunciation the hard.

Sort of like how most English speaking people mispronounce foreign words, like: "Violet" as "Vai-oh-let" instead of "ve-oh-lay", "Kamikaze" as "Kah-ma-kah-zee" when it's "Kah-mi-Kah-Zeh", etc.

Are you saying that Japanese is the native language of those 'weeaboo'?

Either way, I find both quite funny. I started focusing on how to pronounce the words before I worked on learning the language. I still have quite awhile to go, but I find pronunciation the best way to remove that silly accent.

Though, you can never really get rid of it, I have heard Japanese speak smooth English without an accent.

Also, if you wanna have some fun you can watch Anime where they'll have a character randomly toss out English words for no reason.

But sometimes they have an excuse, like with Jim Crocodile/Jimu Kurokudairu. He'll randomly say English words to remind the audience he's Australian, or Napolean will say "de aru" or Chronos De Madici will say "Na no ne" to remind you he's Italian.

Then there's the play on words with English and Japanese. Like B Ichi wich is a cute title as Ichi means "One" and the stories about a person who gets powers from bones.

"B One" But I have to admit, some things do sound pretty cool in Engrishu/Eigo.

But really, you can argue all you want but it's not really much different. Both cultures taking words from foreign languages and tossing them in because they like said language. One of the cool things about Bleach is that the creator likes Spanish, so you can hear Spanish here and there.

Rasu Nochesu/Los Noches

Receression, Segunda Etapa

A bunch of the Espada have spanish names.

Chado/Sado(Ichigo nicknamed him "Chad" because they sounded simmular) has an attack called: "El Directo" wich means "The Straight". Getting off topic though.

 

[exessmirror]

yes i do it to, and nobody is judging me
also have you ever heard dub'd?

 

[RaikuFA]

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

Sure, man. Relax, I wasn't attacking you or anything. I also didn't take Japanese, but I grew up with one Otaku and I know one borderline Weeaboo, so I picked up a few terms. "Desu ne?" is basically Japanese for "isn't it?"

As far as Dub VS Sub goes, it really depends on the Anime. Personally, I'll settle with dubs for things that totally stand in the realm of fantasy like HellSing, Vampire Hunter D, Neon Genesis Evangelion, etc. Subs are useful when you don't have any other choice, or when you're saddled with an oldie. I remember watching Kurosawa's "The Bad Sleep Well" (1960) with a friend once, and we naturally stuck to subs because we obviously didn't have any other choice.

I'd recommend it, overall, and not because it's classic Japanese cinema, but because of its overall artistic flair. If you're interested in movies as a medium, you owe it to yourself to watch at least ONE Kurosawa in your life. Mostly everyone's going to suggest "The Seven Samurai", but it's also fun to see Hamlet and Macbeth transposed into Medieval Japanese settings.

Didn't mean it as any hostility. Sorry.

 

[Anarchemitis]

One could make the argument that Opera has a reputation for having a respectable culture which makes a notable difference between Opera-goers and 'Weeaboo(s?)' but in respect of the difference being that one does not know the native language of the origin work, then that really makes me stop thinking of weeaboo as a credible generalization term. At least Brony or Anonymous have the distinction of self-proclamation.

I enjoy opera but no I do not know Latin, German, French, Italian, Greek, Spanish, Hebrew or Japanese.

 

[Wintermoot]

I enjoy some dubs like the one for Dominion tank police and I agree Naruto,s dub is particularly bad my friends call me a weeabo for liking anime.