Why do people dislike reading subtitles?

[Angerwing]

I read fast enough that I don't usually notice the subtitles after a while. I have no problems reading the subtitles and catching the visuals.

 

[Acier]

Subs can ruin the compositions of shots and can be distracting to the viewer who is inexperienced.

Although, I doubt many sub haters cite those as their reasons, it's usually boiled down to "I hate reading when I'm watching a movie"

Dubs are the best option if they are high quality, the problem is high quality dubs are shockingly rare. That, and the lips won't match, which can cause discomfort in the viewer from sheer uncannyness.

I usually go to subs to avoid god awful dubs and just rewatch it so I can enjoy the camera work later

 

[Elsarild]

Well, my own personal experience with this is Germans tendency to dub over everything they possibly can. (This is personal observations not a fact)

And it destroyed my childhood, Ace Ventura will never be the same again after I saw it with german dubbed over it.

I'm not sure why it is as it is, many germans I know who is my around my age all agree it's bull, but I suppose someone keeps doing it for their own reasons.

Sorry If i seem to be picking on Germans/Germany but it really is my onlyexperience in this.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I'd take subs over dubs.

My only real concern with subs, is that reading the dialogue means I miss things that are going on-on screen. I miss the subtleties of the acting, and some of the cinematography whizzes straight by me.

 

[Jandau]

I like subs. Granted, I grew up with subs, being from a non-english country that didn't have the money to dub everything, subs are the norm to me and I barely notice them. In fact, even though I speak fluent English, I still like to turn subs on simply to avoid missing lines due to accents or because they are spoken to loudly/quietly. An example would be the last Pirates of the Carribean movie, where all to often someone would mumble something in a thick accent and I'd be left wondering "What the hell was that?" until I turned the subs on.

However, I can see how subs might be disliked by some. If you grew up without them, aren't used to them and suddenly you're expected to read stuff while you're trying to watch something, that might be annoying.

But I'd also like to point out that subs have an extra educational function. I had my first formal English lesson in 5th grade. By that time I spoke fairly fluent English and I learned it by being exposed to hours and hours of bilingual footage on TV - spoken in English with my own language in subs. Growing up like that I absorbed the language without even noticing it and I've been grateful for that ever since. I was top of my class in English for all of my life without even trying, simply because my country dubbed the TV shows and movies...

 

[Phenx92]

Reading subs while watching the show/movie/whatever has become elementary after doing it so long. Although I'll admit at first it was hard to watch and read at the same time.

 

[EvilMaggot]

i prefer subs when it comes to anime, i prefer the original voices instead of dubbed...sometimes the sync is just horrible xD

Though for movies it depends on which country its from, from a english speaking, sure no problems doesnt matter with subtitles, but if its german or stuff like that i prefer me some subtitles, but never ever dubbed... hate it..

Like why the hell are they remaking "The girl with the dragon tattoo" ... the orignal version is freaking amazing (Original name "Men who hates women" made in sweden and they talk swedish in it) but is it because America are thick skulled and doesnt know how to read or what ? stuff like that pisses me off, "uugh we have to remake a non-speaking-english-movie-that-had-huge-succes-outside-of-US so we can make it english speaking so everybody can understand it" why not save some effing money and just put subtitles on the original.. which doesnt need a remake...

 

[karloss01]

I don't mind subtitles i watch anime in sub titles because i ain't waiting for a the west to catch up (that'll take like two three years) and recently i went to see troll hunter which is in subtitles.

 

[Blow_Pop]

I hate dubbing. I love reading subtitles. Even on films in English. It drives my friends up the wall since they don't like to read and watch films at the same time.

 

[ultimateownage]

I'm fine with subtitles, I turn them on with most of my games just in case I couldn't hear something. I never watch movies that need dubbing or subtitling though, but as long as the dubbing is done well than I'm indifferent about which one I use.

 

[gruggins]

I have absolutely no problems with any dubs for any visual media (yes even the 4kids animie ones).
you see, with subtitles. I spend most of the time reading instead of, y'know WATCHING THE MOVIE/GAME!
for me its like reading a book with a movie playing in the background. wich for me, is extremely bloody annoying.

EDIT: crap. i just remembered my sole exception to this.
...
bible black.
it may have something to do with the fact that its a hentia but the voice acting is so bad its hilarious.

 

[agent_orange420]

first saw akira which had some bbc subtitles, thought it was ace. when i watched the orginal subs i was blown away by how much of the stories had been simplified for the western audience. then i watched the dubbed version *shudder*. dubbed versions always end up throwing in an aditional editor, who seems to think that the story must be simplified for the thicko western audiences.

remember watching little nezha fights great dragon kings when i was really little, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iZ-fz8XkPg

then redescovering it 20 odd years later. the beeb edit has 80's synth music in place of the original chinese traditonal music, and the dubbing completely changed the message, from quite traumatic to light hearted japery. very strange indeed.....

 

[Dethenger]

I loathe dubs. It's not even just about it being oversimplified or having poor lip-synching. The voice actors are almost always terrible. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, subs are better.

 

[Squilookle]

The only excuse I can think of, and it's a poor one... is that they suck at reading.

Seriously if it isn't that then I have no idea what people's beef is with them.

 

[Ferrious]

The thing for me is that I use visual media as a side activity. Usually I'm actually doing something else (usually related to toy soldiers) and just want something I can listen to / look up at occasionally to provide a background. If I turn away for a moment and miss a special effects shot, big deal. If I turn away and miss critical dialogue, that's a problem.

I still have plenty of subbed stuff, but usually they're reserved for when I'm ONLY watching the movie and that's rare in my hectic life.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I'm fine with both subs and dub until the dub is bad.
I asked my roommate about this when I told him I watch anime. To him he find that it's annoying that you're paid attention to the subtitle more than the actual scene which he is half right (if the scene is fast pace and they were talking fast).

 

[Mestraal]

I'll usually go for subs just because. Sometimes even on english films if I'm forced to have the volume down low.
There is on exception to this rule, though. The Black Butler anime dub. It's just MEANT to be in English, I swear.

 

[iseeyouthere]

I like subtitles. Sometimes, I might not hear what the actor is saying or mis-hear something. The subtitles help me keep on track with what they are saying sometimes.