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Anime: English Dub Vs Sub


Koby

Japanese or English Dubbing?  

931 members have voted

  1. 1. Japanese or English Dubbing?

    • Japanese Dubbing with/without Subtitles
      136
    • English Dubbing
      449
    • Doesn't Matter to Me
      65
    • Depends on the Anime
      249


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It depends on the series for me, really. There are some anime - Sengoku Basara, Death Note and Gurren Lagann are the three biggest offenders for me - that I cannot abide dubbed, because the drama is completely lost. Japanese people screaming in Engrish is just so much more entertaining than English-speaking people screaming the same lines in English, at least to me. Some lines in the original version make me cringe when they're said in a language I can actually understand, and in cases where the anime is ridiculously overdramatic, it saps the fun of watching it right out of it.


 


The dub cast will affect my decision as well. There aren't any Japanese voice actors I can't tolerate (mostly because the only one I recognize consistently between series is Norio Wakamoto) but there are plenty of dub voice actors I am sick to death of by now, and I've watched more than a few anime subbed instead just so I don't have to listen to them. If it has Yuri Lowenthal or Johnny Yong Bosch in a prominent role, the chances are I'm going to watch it subbed. Although, that said, there are other dubbed voice actors - Crispin Freeman and Liam O'Brien, to name but two - who will immediately draw me to the dubbed version, because I find that I can enjoy a show a lot more if I can understand it without the need for subtitles.


 


As a rule, these days I'll see if it's been dubbed, and if it has I'll look at the voice cast. Depending on who is in it and how prominent the role is depends on whether I'll watch the series subbed or dubbed.


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  • 2 months later...

I'm a native English speaker, so I prefer not having to read subtitles that blink by and I have to back up the scene to see what was physically happening.  Yes, there are plenty of repetition in the voice dub casts, but for the most part, I have not gotten sick of hearing Jad Saxton, Luci Christian, Tia Ballard, Caitlin Glass, and others, probably because I could listen to those women's voices ALL DAY, every day, if I were so lucky.  And in some instances, some of the dubs I thought were masterful.... like Jad doing Empress Lashara Earth in "Tenchi Muyo: War On Geminar"--- and the selections of casts on what I've seen have been good.  I have not gone and learned Japanese (very difficult for native English speakers to do!) so I can likewise comment on translations of anime, nor have I looked at American cartoons to see how they are being translated into Japanese properly--- mistakes are made, I'm sure, but as vehement as some are about it, it really turns one off to the whole idea, since it feels as if people are going to find fault in *everything*.  You just have to accept it; the world isn't perfect, and neither is the translation of anime.


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I REALLY wanted to click the japanese dubbing option, but I realise there are those rare occasions where the english dub is actually not half bad, hell, some performances are just downright amazing.  As well, I'm sure there are many of us who grew up watching certain animes in english and just can't help liking the english voices, like Dragonball, Pokemon and Sailor Moon.


 


Strangely enough, I started watching Bleach in english dub, and eventually moved to the japanese dubbed version, and the only reason was because at the time, the english dub was only up to like episode 64 or so. I honestly didn't notice much of a difference, voice wise. Same story with Inuyasha.


 


Off the top of my head, the one anime I can think of where the english dub is absolutely superior is "Golden Boy". Seriously, if you haven't watched the english dub of it, do yourself a favour.


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Seriously? I was expecting that "Depends on the Anime" will be the top answer, but we are not all the same so yeah.. Didn't know that you guys likes the dubbed more than the Jap audio. The only anime I like in English dub are the Dragon Ball Series and Pokemon. The Japanese Goku sounds like a constipated child, it doesn't fit his physical appearance. A macho man that has a voice of an old woman sounds really weird.. I also like Bleach and Naruto's English dub. Some might hate him but Yuri Lowenthal's voice really suits Sasuke, especially when he shouts Chidori and Fire Style..but I still prefer the Japanese version. :) Oh..and as long as Kazuya Nakai is in the Japanese voice cast, I'd definitely watch the subbed version..badass voice.


Edited by Gwapogi
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I'm much prefer english dubbing because sometime I watch it and distracted even if I'm not looking at I know what were they talking about that...

I get that lol :P If I'm watching anime that isn't very good I will sometimes be on the internet as well :) but... then again. I don't even watch subbed anime ;) Ive never even completed one 20 minute episode English subbed haha :lol: every anime I have seen was dubbed.

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And also, just an addition, I also sometimes compare the script. Some english dubbed anime has an awesome voice cast but the script is a little off when I compare it to the English sub which is obviously a more accurate translation. Some english dubbed anime adds unnecessary script which is not even said on the original Jap audio.. 


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wow im also surpised dubbed is winning


usually whenever i post about any anime i get a ton of replies hating on dub and praising sub


quite irritating really


 


in any case,i too will go dub.


i cant stand doing anything without multi-tasking .__.


so i cant really watch sub as i dont spend too much time actually looking at the screen.


 


unless the show is beyond amazing and i love it,im always doing 2 or 3 other things at the same time.


 


but there are those shows...now i am not one of them "omg the voices are so bad eww watch sub "people..but i have found one or 2 anime that i couldnt stand watching dubbed...


 


as to the script changing,idk how much one can trust fansubs >.>


but i always watch dub with fansub when possible just to lol at how different they are sometimes xD


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I trust fansubs because when I compare them, they are almost the same, meaning the translation is accurate, except if they copied other's translations which I think is not true for those toptier groups. But when I compare them with the Dub, some scripts are different, some humor are removed and replaced with lousy scripts.


  • Like 1
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sometimes the japanese voices sound annoying.

Yep, that's why I picked "Depends on the anime". I don't know if anyone will agree with me but Maka Albarn's Japanese voice kinda annoys me, that's why I like the dubbed more than the subbed.

 

I don't hate Dub. It's just that I "prefer" the Japanese voices. Maybe one of the reason why I prefer sub is because sometimes, I can't clearly understand what the character on screen is saying. But when it's subbed, I can read it. I can understand what the character is saying even though the delivery of the dialog is in a fast, shouting, or whispering form.

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Watch Ano Hana, Fairy Tail, hell even one Piece, then you will realize why English dub ON A WHOLE will never match Japanese sub. However i must say some animes i actually prefer the anime in dub such as Death Note, DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, Soul Eater. Still most times japanese voices fit their characters


Edited by Kyle_Dimetri
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I don't understand how people put up with english dubbing. I really don't. The voice actors are almost always terrible in comparison. There are a few exceptions... but not many. And quite frankly, I hate hearing Vic. The character just loses their personality and becomes Vic Mignogna to me. 
 

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I don't understand how people put up with english dubbing. I really don't. The voice actors are almost always terrible in comparison. There are a few exceptions... but not many. And quite frankly, I hate hearing Vic. The character just loses their personality and becomes Vic Mignogna to me. 

 

Every anime Ive seen was English dubbed and I'm fine with it :P I like to watch things in my own language e.g. Films, TV Shows, Anime. :) I'm also a slow reader... I sometimes need to pause the video just to read the subs for signs lol...

Edited by Emrys
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@RB, I don't know a lot of Vic Mignogna, but I do know that he fit voicing Edward Elric better than his jap counter-part.


 


We all have preferences, but before subs, I remember only watching funimation DBZ dub. Up till now, I still feel weird watching the subs, mostly because I hate reading.


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I don't understand how people put up with english dubbing. I really don't. The voice actors are almost always terrible in comparison. There are a few exceptions... but not many. And quite frankly, I hate hearing Vic. The character just loses their personality and becomes Vic Mignogna to me. 

 

Every anime Ive seen was English dubbed and I'm fine with it :P I like to watch things in my own language e.g. Films, TV Shows, Anime. :) I'm also a slow reader... I sometimes need to pause the video just to read the subs for signs lol...

 

If you ever were to try watching an anime in Japanese and then switching to English (sometimes vice versa), you might see what I mean. The differences can be jarring. As an example, I originally watched Bleach in Japanese... watched a dubbed ep on TV and had to turn it off. The characters themselves felt entirely different to me. But I understand the not wanting to read it bit... to some extent. When I first started watching subbed anime, I was put-off by having to keep up with the text... I got used to it though. And now I've seen so much anime in Japanese that I can look away and still understand the majority of what they're saying.

EDIT:

@LimitLess: FMA is one of my exceptions. But now whenever I hear Vic, I hear Ed Elric. It was particularly bad for me when he voiced Tamaki in Ouran... or when I started to watch D.N. Angel Dubbed and realized he voiced Dark Mousy.

Edited by RabbitBones
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