Why is it always subs over dubs?

[Aenir]

A lot can be lost in translation. You know his power level? It was originally over 8000.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

It depends. Sometimes when it's dubbed over the actors suck and make it all sound like shit.
I'd actually say that that's often the case.

Other times the original voice acting is too damn good and removing it compromises the show.
And some people just like to hear the original language.

 

[UberNoodle]

alright, not a great anime fan here, really dont watch to much, however i am interested, the only thing that puzzles me is people saying they prefer "subs" because it is closer to the creators original vision, surely the creator originally intended it for japanese audiances that would instantly know what is being said, therefore watching it woth subtitles would have to opposite effect, not getting the emmersion that the creator intended and having to read along, is you had a good dubbing then surely that would be closer to the creators original thought because you can understand it without effort and just get straight into the story. the problem with anime is that some fans just take it far to seriously, just calm down guys.

You have misunderstood. The artists 'vision' being talked about is not their vision for the viewers. It is their vision for the characters and tone of the film. Weighing things up, reading the subs while being emmersed in the original language and all that that evokes, is far closer to what was 'intended' then listening to what some 3rd party produced on a shoestring budget with very little regard or appreciation of how the original was created.

Alot of time and thought is expended in choosing a voice actor, and the characters designs and script are often designed to reflect those choices. Later done dubbing can't retroactively integrate itself into the creative fabric of the film. It will always lie on top, as something alien. That's my feeling on the subject. Reading subs is a small price to pay, and one I have no trouble paying. I have been reading avidly since a small boy and I have no problems reading most subs in a couple of glances, or in my peripheral vision.

If poeple prefer dubs, then I don't care at all. I don't like that I have to justify why I will almost always watch with subs.

 

[drisky]

I usually prefer the dubs, but it is the minority. I understand the language so its often easier to get emotionally involved. There are a few examples, like Soul Eater in which I watched the sub first and found the dub to not have nearly the amount of energy as the Japanese language version.

 

[LadyRhian]

I will always watch subs, because I like hearing the original "voice" that the producers/creators wanted the characters to have. I also like some of the Japanese seiyuu, like Akira Ishida. He just has such a... polite sounding voice.

 

[SideburnsPuppy]

All the Japanese cartoons I've really loved (Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Cowboy Bebop) have had reasonable to awesome voice acting, so I've had no reason to go to subs.

 

[end_boss]

Quite often, dialogue has to be changed in order to make sure that the new dubbed track matches the mouth animations. I watch subs so I know the intended dialogue as it was meant to be, and when.

Trust me, it's not that subtitles are easier. Sometimes I watch poorly subbed anime/foreign films where they give me about two seconds to read three paragraphs of text.

But yeah, I just have this thing about experiencing the story in its purest, intended, original form.

 

[UberNoodle]

...you know it's interesting.

But there is a big difference between mistranslations and mistakes. Akward phrasing is always a problem that comes from skill in the language. Skilled translators must also be skilled writers/speakers. There are plenty of monolingual people that produce atrocious grammar and word choice.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

It depends. Generally speaking, if the show was aimed for a younger audience, it'll probably be censored and changed. If it's meant for an adult audience, I'd rather watch it dubbed. Bleach is better subbed, Hellsing Ultimate I'd rather watch dubbed.

 

[Aesir23]

I personally like my animes dubbed. Mostly because I just find the japanese voices annoying since they never seem to fit the characters. And the girls always sound like freaking chipmunks!

 

[Random Argument Man]

Nah, I'm a dub only guy. I get annoyed if I'm hearing something I don't understand even if there's text to give me hints.

Plus, most subs are translated by some team. They don't always get everything right.

Note* Besides, bad dubbing gives me the chance for some good jokes.

 

[l0rD ChUcKl3s]

i prefer subbed because i usualy find that if its dubbed by a company they censor out some of the blood

 

[Kagim]

"Dilly-dally-shilly-shally." Um... what? Unless you're watching Advent Children Complete, which released years after the original, there is no real explanation in the movie for exactly why Cloud is having such problems, and this pivotal scene where Cloud understands that he is dragging an emotional burden replaces the most important word of the entire movie to "DIlly-dally-shilly-shally?" Dilly-dallying doesn't even mean anything close to "dragging" in the first place

Dilly-Dally-Shilly-Shally means your dragging your ass and your behind everyone else because your to distracted by something else, usually daydreaming. In other words Cloud is living in the past because he can't stop thinking about Aerith's death.

It's an artistic translation rather then a literal one.

...It made sense to me? It replaces Tifa saying Zurro Zurro, which is a Japanese phrase meaning the same thing just about.

See, I've never heard "Dilly-dally-shilly-shally." Ever. In my life. And a search online yielded no examples or meanings beyond those that are defined by the context of Advent Children. Seriously, every single place I looked at held either guesses as to what it meant or people figuring out based on the etymology of the original Japanese translation. I suppose you may be able to figure it out in context, but there's a difference between writing nuanced dialogue and writing nonsensical dialogue.

The subtitles simply translate it as "drag." Which makes a heck of a lot more sense, and is an actual word on top of that.

Eh, my Grandma used to say it when i would doddle behind her when we went on walks if i started zoning out to much.

As well what Tifa says doesn't actually translate to drag, i can't remember specifically but it's pretty much the exact same thing in Japan. its just a bit of non sense you say to a kid to get them to focus and keep up when there heads in the clouds. So if your translation just said drag i actually find that kinda weak because what Tifa was going for was calling him a child that needed his mother to snap him out of it. Just saying drag takes away that emotion behind what she is saying to him.

 

[Rigs83]

There is no difference if the dub is good but a lot of anime fans have been burned by bad dubs that completely distort the true meaning of many anime stories. I remember watching the dub of "Wrath of the Ninja" on vhs and then reading the sub on DVD and was amazed how much better and in depth the story was.

 

[masher]

For one: It's the original.
Two: I can read just fine
Three: The original is just more into it. They're more emotional at the right times. They're more... believable. It belongs to them... or something.

Would you like to watch Scrubs, Futurama, etc. in German, French, Japaneses, etc.? It just wouldn't be the same.

And to top it all off... It always dribbles down to personal taste and opinion. ^_^

 

[cathou]

i prefer dubs. But i'm not english, so i'm pretty much used to see dubs movies and tv shows.

i dont know for you, but in my language the dubs industry is pretty big and have a lot of talented voice actor.

 

[stiborge]

Dubs are usually atrocious, and I want it in its original form.

Full Metal Alchemist is only good in dubs.

I strongly disagree. Just saying.

If you started out watching it in dubs then it's really weird switching over. I tried watching it subtitled, but because I'd been watching it dubbed it was just too weird.
OT: It doesn't really matter to me. I generally watch dubbed but I like watching some stuff subtitled. When watching a DVD I usually just pop it in and hit play and whichever it is is what I stick with. If voice overs are atrocious I'll change it to subtitles though.

 

[fluffybunny937]

I use to only watch the subs of One Piece back when it was being dubbed by 4kids. but now I watch the dub because FUNImation is doing the dub and it's actually really good, so check it out. But I do watch the latest episode to come out in Japan sub they put on their website.
www.onepieceofficial.com

 

[Thaius]

"Dilly-dally-shilly-shally." Um... what? Unless you're watching Advent Children Complete, which released years after the original, there is no real explanation in the movie for exactly why Cloud is having such problems, and this pivotal scene where Cloud understands that he is dragging an emotional burden replaces the most important word of the entire movie to "DIlly-dally-shilly-shally?" Dilly-dallying doesn't even mean anything close to "dragging" in the first place

Dilly-Dally-Shilly-Shally means your dragging your ass and your behind everyone else because your to distracted by something else, usually daydreaming. In other words Cloud is living in the past because he can't stop thinking about Aerith's death.

It's an artistic translation rather then a literal one.

...It made sense to me? It replaces Tifa saying Zurro Zurro, which is a Japanese phrase meaning the same thing just about.

See, I've never heard "Dilly-dally-shilly-shally." Ever. In my life. And a search online yielded no examples or meanings beyond those that are defined by the context of Advent Children. Seriously, every single place I looked at held either guesses as to what it meant or people figuring out based on the etymology of the original Japanese translation. I suppose you may be able to figure it out in context, but there's a difference between writing nuanced dialogue and writing nonsensical dialogue.

The subtitles simply translate it as "drag." Which makes a heck of a lot more sense, and is an actual word on top of that.

Eh, my Grandma used to say it when i would doddle behind her when we went on walks if i started zoning out to much.

As well what Tifa says doesn't actually translate to drag, i can't remember specifically but it's pretty much the exact same thing in Japan. its just a bit of non sense you say to a kid to get them to focus and keep up when there heads in the clouds. So if your translation just said drag i actually find that kinda weak because what Tifa was going for was calling him a child that needed his mother to snap him out of it. Just saying drag takes away that emotion behind what she is saying to him.

I get the deeper meaning of the phrase; that makes sense. But I think the localization still fails when you're the first person I've ever met who actually knows what the heck the phrase means. 'Cause everyone else I've talked to was similarly confused by their choice of words: you're the first I've met who knew what it meant.