Why is it always subs over dubs?

[Nihilism_Is_Bliss]

The biggest problem for me is that the way people speak in different languages is radically different. Dubs usually sound awful not because the actors are that bad, but because (in the case of anime) Japanese people speak differently than English-speaking people do, so hearing English spoken in a Japanese style just sounds awkward and terrible. Japanese have very exaggerated gestures and emotions, they tend to make small grunts and noises when they are startled or confused, and their language is engineered to be spoken quickly. English on the other hand, is much more subtle and subdued, and rarely do English speakers make a sound when startled or confused. To hear a person speaking English perfectly natural, but acting like a Japanese speaker is very unsettling.

hear hear! you just explained something very well that I have been failing at getting across.

I don't get all this 'can't follow the show cos too busy reading da subs' business, i watch a lot of anime and i only ever watch subs.
I've never had any trouble following what's going on while reading the subtitles before, and may only have to pause to read everything if there is a subber's editor note as well as the subtitles.
Besides, usually if there's a lot going on on the screen, like an action sequence there's minimal dialogue, and if there are two people sitting having a conversation there isn't much to follow anyways...

Anyway, I know I'm not an exceptionally speedy reader, so are all you guys just slow readers or what?

 

[hannan4mitch]

Subs, however, are (almost) impossible to get wrong. Almost.

I think I found one.

Spoiler: With plot events like this...

...you know it's interesting.

I think the first one was a computer subbing. If you know about the "All your base" meme, you know that computers are not the best translators.

 

[infinity_turtles]

As someone who took the time to learn japanese, and is reportedly* fluent in it, I prefer english dubs. Two primary reasons for this. First, I actually hate the japanese language. The second is, in reality, most english dubs are around the same quality as the japanese dubs. Because of this, the first issue takes precedence. Now, of the dubs that are clearly better in one of the languages, sure, it's usually the japanese dub, but that's maybe 20%, with maybe 5% better in english.

Also, most of the anime dubbed into English was usually a manga, visual novel, or book first. The number of alterations they suffer during translation is usually very, very low compared to what it went through to become an anime. That's of course ignoring the fact that sometimes changes, whether due to a switching media or language, improve the quality of the writing. Personally, I think Welcome to the NHK is a good example of this. Hated the novel.


*My dad is and says I am too. Never been to Japan itself though, so I haven't tested this claim. Just to note, he works in sales for a software company that does a decent amount of buisiness in Japan.

 

[WayOutThere]

The only Anime that has marginally tolerable English voice acting is Cowboy Bebop. That's why I prefer all subs.

What shows have you been watching? I rarely take issue with the voice acting in the dubbed anime I watch. The average seems to at least be at the level of competence.

 

[WayOutThere]

My personal favorite example is Digimon Tamers

My yes, I only recently learned how great some of the music from the original Japanese versions of the Digimon shows are (thank you JesuOtaku and your Digimon month). Be the Biggest Dreamer and Butterfly, in particular, are both awesome but the American opening used for the first three shows is wretched (though they marginally redeemed themselves with the opening for the fourth show). Although, I think I might prefer this fandub of Be the Biggest Dreamer to the original

Also, although I haven't seen it since I was a kid, I share your sentiment that Digimon Tamers was awesome.

 

[irequirefood]

Only subs that I like more than dubs, let's see: Death Note, Perfect Blue, maybe Spriggan. Honestly, not much comes to mind. And really, try and watch Dragonball Z subbed. I tried, and part of my childhood died.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

When it comes to anime, I prefer dubbing in general. But considering that I generally dislike the majority of entertainment classified as such, I think my opinion on the matter is irrelevant.

When it comes to film, I generally prefer subtitles. The verbal portion of the portrayal of a character is fairly important, and I don't think there is any compelling reason to use another actors take on it. Plus, I tend to find that when a movie is good enough I don't even notice that I'm having to read.

 

[RatRace123]

I prefer subs, mainly because it's easier to tune out a language I don't speak, and imagine the words said in voice that I would find pleasing.

A lot of dubs are still pretty horrendous, believe it.
Of course, I'm not an anime fan, but I was kinda talking about subs for any type of foreign entertainment.

 

[Tdc2182]

I grew up used to them.

Part of the reason I enjoy Yu Yu hakusho and Ruroni Kenshin so much are because the dubs are so well done. Now that I think of it, the voices of Yu Yu Hakusho were pretty much perfect.

 

[Sky1]

I don't think this is about dubs being good or bad. I think many who prefer subs like everything in its original state. I'm even trying to learn Japanese

 

[joshuaayt]

Probably censorship/localisation. Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Srh6pyyFs

Still, I prefer dubs, if only because they are (usually) grammatically sound. I still have subs on, though, out of habit: I just hate feeling like I've missed something that someone has said.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I gernally prefer boths. Most of the time the dub is just a good as the japanese dub e.g. Cowbop Bebeop, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Samurai Champool, Eureka 7, Studio Ghibli films and more) or at least tolerant e.g. Gurren Lagaan, Naruto, Bleach etc.
Ok granted when I wactching a anime in dvd I watch the sub first (usually if it an anime that I have seen online I watch it as a reminder of the japanese voices but I watch it sub even if I haven't seen it before).
However sometime the dub dialog is alter for some reason (there is a gag in the japanese dub which only someone understand the culture would understand e.g. something to do wit kanji). A better example of this is in Bleach there is a character called Nel who is a child and speak in a lisp, however in the dub she speak perfect english which in turn lose a aspect of that character.
Stuff like these I want to watch the sub more just so that I watching in it original form and understanding the japanese gag first.

 

[Unca Bob]

Such things are, for me at least, totally dependent on context and quality.
e.g. Naruto. Much nicer on the ears in the subbed version, and it also makes sense with the ninja's.
Now the HELLSING OVA on the other hand...don't get me started on the original voice acting.
For example Alucard, Seras, and Father Anderson (among others) are all incomparably better in English. Watch any in English and then in Japanese and you will see the difference.
Take just Anderson. The man is a psychopathic, Scottish, Catholic priest who I find deeply frightening. The line "Ah dinna care!" (from episode 7) does not work in Japanese.
And meaning no offense to the original voice actor but I cannot take Alucard seriously when he speaks Japanese. And when you can't take Count Dracula seriously something has gone wrong.

 

[Jewrean]

LOL


But OT: I prefer Subs. I'm not going to rat on everyone else for preferring dubs or whatever.

My reasoning:

1) Watch the show as it was originally intended.
2) Some cultural translations simply don't appear right in English (That being said, sometimes English actually makes more sense).
3) Narutos English voice actor pisses me off.

 

[De-Moti]

I like dubs, because I can understand it.
I don't know why you people have this odd obsession [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/weeaboo] with Japanese voice actors, unless they are doing something interesting. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkVYHUMCCwc]

Spoiler: spoiler'd for dubs

Cause noone ever checks their dubs.

Fucking doubles ninjas.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

I think part of it is certain companies who dub certain anime have given it a bit of a bad name as they butcher the story in some of the worst ways. Another part of it might be the voice acting in dubs; it?s just harder to tell whether voice acting is bad if it?s in a different language so it may be more pleasant to listen to than a badly voiced dub.

For me I prefer watching things subbed mostly because of the second point and sometimes because of the first depending on which anime I may be watching. Also it can be a bit of an arse waiting for the dubs when the series is well ahead of that point.