Sub or Dub?

[DarkwingChuck]

When you watch anime or foreign movies and games do you prefer English dubbed dialogue or original language with subtitles? Subtitles tend to have a more faithful translation whereas an English recording can be a near total rewrite. But then the sub translations can be too literal resulting in some unnatural wording. But with dubbing they sometimes try to fit the lip synch which makes for lots of awkward lines too. And there's the whole problem of trying to read and watch the action at the same time. Both have pros and cons. Some people seem to think you're not a real fan if you prefer dubbing but that just seems like pseudo-elitist bs most of the time. What's you take on it?

[Nixon]

Re: Sub or Dub?

I prefer to watch movies and anime with subtitles. I grew up seeing a lot of horrible anime dubs, so I'm biased.

[Misty]

Re: Sub or Dub?

I agree with Nixon on the original language track. I still enjoy watching anime in its original language--so long as its subtitled, of course.

[Valkysas]

Re: Sub or Dub?

there are very few series I'll watch dubbed, because companies still don't really care enough to do shows justice.

GaoGaiGar's dub for instance, has a lot less screaming than the original (instead, they just talk louder), and the announcer can't even pronounce the show's name right. it's not "GaoGaiGer", dammit.

In addition, I won't watch any series by ADV dubbed, because they use the same 3 voice actors for every major role in every series, whether their voice fits the personality or not (hint: it never does).

[Wavelength]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Assuming a halfway decent job is done with it, I like dubbed. I find it a lot easier to catch the interplay between what's being said and the way it's being said when I don't need to also read what's being said and try to figure out what emotions fall to which phrases.

Most other Japanophiles (or foreign movie buffs) I know greatly prefer subbed.

[Kirin]

Re: Sub or Dub?

It varies from movie to movie for me. A lot of movies I've watched have had terrible English voice dubbings. Usually I'll watch a scene with dubbing first to see if I like the dialogue/voice acting. More often than not, I'll end up watching in the original language with subtitles.

[Goufunaki]

Re: Sub or Dub?

anime and videogames: dubbed.
I'd rather hear these in my own language just so i don't have to stare at the bottom of the screen while all the action is going on above. A lot of times, the mouths don't even match the original jp language anyway since they animate things first and then do voice overs. And just because the english dubs may be bad, it doesn't mean the originals are better or somehow "perfect" as some would believe. Yes, you can hear the tone of their voice when they are sad, angry, ect, but is it believable? You really need to have a good grasp on another language to know how things should sound. Since english is a lot of our first languages, it's very easy to spot bad voice acting done in english because since we speak it it's easy to know how things SHOULD sound.

live action: subbed.
dubbed voices for real people has always bothered me. it never sounds right. just the way the people should sound and also the sound quality itself never matches the rest of the environment.

[gray]

Re: Sub or Dub?

i prefer to watch anything i do watch in the manner it was originally intended, with as little mutilation as possible. i don't want my old back and whites colorized, i don't want voice tracks added to silent movies, and i don't want english added where no english was before.


also, i've only seen 2, maybe 2 and a half dubs that equal or exceed the original voice track.

[The Toecutter]

Re: Sub or Dub?

^

What he said.

[Vonwert]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Mostly I watch anime with subs.

But for example, "Ghost in the Shell", I can't stand how they did the Japanese voices, and the English ones are far better.

Another example, even though there isn't an english dub, is "The Kindaichi Case Files". The Japanese is bad in that one.

But Excel Saga is only watchable with Japanese voices.

[John Mora]

Re: Sub or Dub?

I watch live-action movies with English subtitles because even if there's a dub, it's impossible to make a believable dub with real people. However, with anime, all you have to do is match the lip-flaps, so I'm much, much more open to dubs in anime. Unless a dub is truly heinous (Patlabor stuff from CPM, Escaflowne) I watch it in English because it's less of a mental strain. Plus, I do think that some dubs like Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex and some others meet or exceed the originals in all aspects.

[Chrome Homura]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Might I say it was hilarious to watch hellsing in japanese. Really.

However, every other anime I watch from now on I am going to check the setting of the series before deciding on language, and stick to the original.

[Kefka Jr.]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Like it has been said, I prefer to watch movies and shows in the language it was originally produced in.

However, I was watching Outlaw Star over winter break, and much to my surprise, I found the actors in the English dub to have much more spark and personality, which is really noticable during those episodes where it's just a bunch of talking heads.

[John Mora]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Exactly, I think it's easier to pick up the personality in English. If you've got a group of talented voice actors, that is. I actually cried during a part of the Wolf's Rain dub. Went back and watched it in Japanese and the same energy just wasn't there.

[Magus]

Re: Sub or Dub?

Though the opposite could be said as well. Watching Paranoia Agent or Evangelion in Japanese is far more effective I think. It's case by case for me.

For shows like Cowboy Bebop or Stand Alone Complex I could go either way, though I'd probably lean for the English for simplicity's sake. Fullmetal Alchemist too.