Dubs.
I love English dubs, and I will always defend them.
Most of the ones I've heard sound perfectly fine to me, even some of the ones that everyone says are bad. The actors sounds like they're giving about the same amount of effort as the original Japanese actors. Hell, from what I've seen from conventions and interviews, a lot of voice actors seem to really love what they're doing, so I don't get this mentality that they're just phoning it in. I mean, some are more skilled than others, of course, but I still believe that the ones that aren't exactly good are at least trying or enjoying themselves. Direction also plays a big part, as well. I've seen several perfectly good VAs give piss poor performances that weren't entirely their fault.
Also, the biggest reason why I lean towards dubs is because, while most people claim that watching it in the original language gives a better understanding of the show, I'm the complete opposite. I gain a better understanding of the anime by watching it in a language I understand. While I can read subtitles just fine, to me, they add an extra wall between a scene and me. It's one thing to listen to what is being said, it's another to read onscreen text telling you what a character is saying in a language you don't understand. Because of this, I don't find myself fully engrossed in a scene as I should. Hell, if I know an anime well enough, I prefer watching it raw than with subtitles, and I find myself far more engaged than if there were text on screen. Now, I still may enjoy the show fine with subs, but when I hear a character speak in my language, and if the voice actor does a good enough job, I begin noticing things that give me a clearer understanding of that character, whether it's the way they talk, the more subtle details, or maybe some extra details I've missed the first time. I can think of several anime that I've never cared for subbed that I enjoyed much more after watching it dubbed.
Also, I enjoy watching bad dubs. I can sit through a bad anime easier if the dub is complete crap as well. I don't think I would've been able to sit through Garzey's Wing if it weren't for that gloriously bad dub.
And also, I've been watching dubs since I was a kid and never had a problem with it. I'm not gonna turn on it because some assholes on the internet says it's the wrong way to watch anime. There is no wrong way to watch something. I have the freedom to watch a show the way I want to. Maybe I prefer watching a show in backwards order, maybe I get more enjoyment out of watching it that way.
I couldn't give a shit about translation and voice accuracy, either, by the way. Yeah, there's examples of this that are horrible, like what 4kids do (also, to anyone that pulls 4kids as an example that all dubs suck, you are an idiot, and please know that they haven't been relevant in, well, pretty much ever.)I'm talking people who get stingy over the slightest translation change or when the voice doesn't sound like the original voice, and how that is somehow insulting the original. You know how you can pay respect to the original? By doing a performance your own way rather than just copy another's example. Voice actors should never be limited to something like that. As long as the voice is appropriate for that character, and hey, if it sounds similar to the original, then cool, that's a plus. Most voice actors seem to have a clear grasp of the character they're playing, which of course you need if you're gonna be acting as them. And of course, you're allowed to like one performance over the other, that's why they've include the option to choose what language you wanna listen to.
As for translations, you try making a performance sound natural by using those fansubs you found on the internet. I rather a line sound natural than awkward because it's being accurate to the translation. As long as the story is unchanged and the characters are unchanged, it's perfectly fine.
Sorry for the rambling, but I've seen so much pointless dub hatred that it really, really annoys me.
Similarly, some of this can also apply for remakes of movies. The best way to pay homage to the original is by doing your version of it. Give us something that the original never did. Something new, something nobody has thought about when watching the original while still being recognisable as an adaptation of the source material. Give us your own interpretation of a scene, or what could've happened, or add something that could've made it more interesting, but most importantly, just make a good movie. I don't hate the idea of remaking something, and I don't think it's an entirely pointless idea.
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