Anime Dubbing or Subtitle?

[Sweet Pie]

[COLOR=coral][B]Which do you prefer? Dubbing or subtitle?
Some people may prefer dubbing because they can understand easily. While some prefer subtitle because it's more original than dubbing. What's your choice?

I really support subtitle because it maintains its originality. If you're a fan of Japanese Anime you must watch the subtitle type because you'll get to hear original seiyuu's voice.

For first-timers, they'll prefer dubbing because its more fun and understand the story. But as you go along, you'll get bored with the dubbed anime and start looking for the original with subtitle and no dubbing. You'll fond worthwhile and enjoyable. and also, you can learn Japanese and know bits of them and the accent. It's also a way to appreaciate the Seiyuu's voice which is one of the factors that make the anime a hit.[/COLOR][/B]

[DeathBug]

You know, it's funny; I don't prefer one over the other. In many cases, it depends on which I see first.

I prefer dubbing for Tenchi Muyo, but I also prefer subbed for Excel Saga because that was the first exposure I had to those series. It feels "right" to watch the Excel Sub and the Tenchi dub.

Granted, there are other factors; whenever I can, I watched subbed Yu-Gi-Oh because I know they've changed a lot of material from the original. Yet I'd never watched Furi Kuri subbed, because I don't think I can keep up with the dialogue if I had to read it in real time; it gets pretty fast there in places.

I own Trigun and Outlaw Star, and I'm fine with both versions because I've watched them both.

So, I guess the answer is, "It depends."

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[COLOR=red]It really depends on how something's been dubbed. Like Sailor Moon, please please please give me the Sub, I'll be your friend for life and give you a cookie! That's the kind of dubbing I just don't want to see.
Other ones, like Tenchi, Gundam Wing and Revolutionary Girl Utena, I don't really care.
InuYasha is a bit up in the air since I've seen both the dub and the sub. Honestly, Kohaku's NA dub voice scares me (not as much as Terri Hawke's Serena voice, but still) Where as Sesshy's voice makes me melt either way. So I could take either or since they're both almost alike. Even if InuYasha is a bit more polite in the sub.
Gundam Wing is an exceptional dub because they kept the story line completely the same.
Fansubs and fandubs are another thing you have to take into consideration. I saw a Korean to English fansub of InuYasha once. THey called him (InuYasha) a goblin. *dies*
Okay, what about Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? That was a dub from Mandarine Chinese. Very good either way, but I think I'd rather watch it in English since I understand it.
Okay, my two cents done and over with.[/COLOR]

[Arcadia]

[size=1]This is kind of funny, actually. If I've got the choice, than I want the subtitles with the original voice actors, and thus, the original dialogue (that is, if the people doing the subtitles don't screw it up too much - I've seen some crazy stuff flash up on the bottom of the screen).

However, as somebody else said, you don't always get the choice, so when the dubbing is the only thing I hear... well, I'm used to it. Gundam Wing is a huge example of that - most of the shows that aired on Toonami, basically. It wasn't until after I looked stuff up about them that I learned I was being cheated out of half the episodes and all that. But still, I've got a fondness for the GW voices. Trowa's - Kerby Marrow (or however you spell it) is delicious. Duo's voice was always fantastic, and I love Wufei and in any way, shape or form.

I have Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne with both versions, though, and I always choose subtitles. Mmm, I love those yellow words.[/size]

[AzureWolf]

It really depends on how "translated" the subs are. If they are translated to the extent that a lack of knowledge of Japanese culture doesn't hinder entertainment, then I prefer subs. However, dubs tend to be more "Americanized," and therefore easier to associate with.

Still, assuming that the subs are true and close to the original meaning (and do not try to reassociate meanings to English trends), then I prefer watching both the dub and sub to get the full effect and understanding.

With time constraints, though, I tend to go with whatever I started with because I'm lazy. :p

[Verykawaiineko]

I prefer subs..cause most of the times the actors are better than the english..you get the "real" feel of the show..and just because translating things in to dubs will leave out a lot...also the japanese seiyuu's are awsome and more experienced ..like K's voice from Gravitation..no one can randomlu sprout off english like him!!!

[OtakuSennen]

[color=midnightblue]I, for one, can go either way. As long as the original plot and script are still basically there, I quite honestly do not care. But, if I have a choice, I normally choose subbing. I just feel that the characters tend to be conveyed better with the original voices, and dub voice actors really tend to be too goofy or over-exxagerated for my liking. Of course, a lot of female voices in anime are also rather.. Different. The stereotype of "Loud, high-pitched girl" is most certainly a common one in anime, and I can normally get around that. But sometimes it's just too much and I force myself to watch the dub.

But then I only watch subbing with DVDs. And, being a poor, poor child, I normally have to resort to buying manga adaptations/versions or what I can get on television.

I'm not one to whine, though. I take what I can get and if I have a lot of complaints, why am I still watching this stuff? Besides, if I can get my hands on the DVDs I can just mute the television and turn on the subs. That way I get the content without problems with voices. I guess for me it doesn't matter how I see it.[/color]

[Dagger]

I normally go for subtitles. Japanese seiyuus tend to be better actors--not to mention the fact that they're far easier on the ears. I'm an exceptionally fast reader, so even the wordiest subs rarely give me trouble.

With that having been said, I usually try to purchase shows or movies on DVD, because I like having the ability to switch languages depending on my mood. If I'm feeling lazy, or it's very late at night, I'll probably choose to watch my anime du jour in English. Whenever I buy a new DVD, I go through the material at least twice: first in English, then in Japanese. During subsequent viewings, I usually make the decision to watch it subbed.

Some dubs are very well-done and enjoyable, but they're still ultimately a different version of the source material. It's nice to know what it sounded like originally, even if (as is occasionally the case) I ultimately prefer the English version.

~Dagger~

[duorocks17]

Hum...that's a really tough decision for me. I usually go with what voices sound better. I don't mind reading the subtitles, and well..acutally i find it fun. Like it was said before, it helps you to learn at least a tid bit of Japanese. What i like to do is see it for the first time in English, that way i know what is going on. Then, just for the hell of it, or to see if the voices are better, i do the subs. Subs are fun with friends, because some read faster than others! We like to say them out loud so everyone knows what is going on! Quite fun!!!!! :)

[Kanariya]

[size=1][color=chocolate]I prefer dubbing over subtitles. I can understand what they are saying, but it does depend on the show of the dubbing. Some shows are really irritating with voice actors, and some are good.

But I prefer the dubbing too because whenever there is a subtitle in the screen, I'll ignore the what is going on and always look at the subtitle. I would only read it and not see anything of the show.[/size][/color]

[Dagger]

Subtitles take some getting used to, but once you're accustomed to reading them, it's possible to enjoy the show's animation and still get the gist of what its characters are saying.

I don't really [i]read[/i] subtitles; I watch the whole screen, and in doing that, I just sort of absorb them. Subtitles can be very distracting if you try to pay careful attention to every single word.

However, I do feel that dubbing works far better in animation than it does in live-action movies, so if I like a dub, I'll probably watch it just as often as the corresponding sub.

~Dagger~

[Guest MetalSonic700]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by DeathBug [/i]
[B]You know, it's funny; I don't prefer one over the other. In many cases, it depends on which I see first.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Ya know somethin funny, I was expecting to come in here and everyone would be arguing about which is cooler and I would bust in and say both. But you did first. Thank you.

[Squall]

I'd have to say I prefer Dubbing, because, mainly I've only seen one example of sub titles in anime yet. And that came in the Cowboy Bebop mivie, where in my version they didn't even bother to put in a dubbed version, so I was pretty annoyed(though, i did enjoy Ed's origional voice.)

from that example I didn't really like Spike's politeness, but, I guess, as said before, it really depends on what you're used to. I'm used to american dubbing, so I prefer it. But, subbing would be a good experience if only just to hear the origional actor's voices.

[Guest Inuyasha7575]

I dont care which either ive never seen subtitled anime since I have only been watchin anime for less than a year i learned about anime during summer this year and havent found any good places to get good anime.

[SasukeUchiha]

I like haveing both on a DVD. That way I can watch the sub first so that I can get the truer form of the words and Japanese Dialogue, then if its available I watch it in English. But normally I will not buy an Anime Dvd unless it has bot hthe option of subs and Egnlish language dialoge.

[KharBevNor]

Oooh, tough. Normally the sub. However, sometimes if I've seen the dub first thats what I'm used to, so I go for that. What someone above me said about the Japanese seiyuu being better actors is true. It especially comes out in things like screams and laughter, which always sound better in japanese. The one anime I saw subbed first but prefer the dub of is probably Hellsing. This is because they used proper British-accented voice actors and made a very good dub (great synching) so it really adds to the overall feel of the series. Some things, (Trigun for example) just [i]suck[/i] dubbed (I really hate the English Trigun voices)

[Emme888]

i prefer dubbed...even though it may not be as authentic, i seem to miss the action in the show, if im reading the text. I guess im not that multitalented.

OH well, but i still can watch either kinds so it really doesn't matter. Even though the voice overs are sometimes really bad.

[Guest rttocs77]

I always prefer Sub, except for Kare Kano (His and Her Circumstances), in which case I needed dubbed because the subtitles were all over the place and going at a blazing speed.

[Leoko's_Koibito]

Hm.....I like the dub, and usually only watch the sub if i have time. And i usually do, so yeah. lol I prefer the dub, but if the dubbing sux, i'll watch the subbed version.

[IceWolfEyes]

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[AzureWolf]

I don't think it's the right time to judge anime dubbing just yet. I mean, take a look at video games and how, before they hit mainstream, you would have "buh buh blah blah" as comments for "Team, move it out!" Yes, the main cause was primarily technology for gaming, but when video games started hitting mainstream, they had CD quality audio. You got those B-level voice actors for Resident Evil, and today, we are blessed with British Play Actors for games such as Soul Reaver.

I think the same principle can be applied to dubbing and anime. It's just hit mainstream, and we gotta give the companies time to realize that anime voice acting is not something B-rate voice actors can be used for. I think there are some shining examples that show what promise future dubbing will bring: Gene from Outlaw Star, and I can't think of any other at the moment thanks to some moderator who will [B]shyly[/B] go unnamed.

Also, I don't think the US and Canada are very experienced when it comes to dubbing things from other languages. I mean, what else have they had to translate besides video games?

[Dagger]

As the years have passed, the quality of dubs in general has improved by leaps and bounds. Just yesterday I re-watched the Vampire Princess Miyu OAVs--dubbed--simply to remind myself of how a perfectly good show can be ruined by awful English VAs (the same thing applies to Japanese seiyuus, of course, although they're generally far from mediocre).

But the VPM OAVs were made in 1988, and presumably dubbed far earlier than, say, Spirited Away or Voices of a Distant Star. Voices of a Distant Star's dub is, in my opinion, [i]superior[/i] to its already excellent sub.

AzureWolf, I agree with every single one of your points, and it's great to see that the process you've described has already begun to take place. In just a couple of years, I'm sure that anime dubbing will have grown even better.

~Dagger~

[Sweet Pie]

[COLOR=coral]Dubbing is not that bad, I understand. Come on... Imagine you are the seiyuu and someone else just go there dubbed your voice and [B]HE[/B] instantly become known to the people watching it and not the [B]ORIGINAL[/B]
seiyuu. Give them a credit...[/COLOR]

[Fujimiya]

For centuries, humans and anime fans have asked themselves the question: dubbing or fansubbing?
For me, it depends on WHICH ON IS BETTER! Makes sense doesn't it. If anyone thinks American dubbers are overused, look at the Japanese seiyuus. Take Koyasu Takehito for example, I completely respect him, but he's in just about every single anime I've seen. He's even in Evangelion for a very minor role. Sometimes it gets old, so one needs variety. Wait...where's my syllogism going...? All in all, it really doesn't matter as long as it's good!

[Dagger]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sweet Pie [/i]
[B][COLOR=coral]Dubbing is not that bad, I understand. Come on... Imagine you are the seiyuu and someone else just go there dubbed your voice and [B]HE[/B] instantly become known to the people watching it and not the [B]ORIGINAL[/B]
seiyuu. Give them a credit...[/COLOR] [/B][/QUOTE]

I'm confused as to what your complaint is. Could you please clarify for me? Are you saying that dub VAs end up taking the credit which should rightfully go to a series' original seiyuus?

If so--

First of all, I've never heard of any case in which a seiyuu was somehow offended or angered by the fact that some non-Japanese fans listened to a dub, rather than his or her acting. English VAs may not always be as good as Japanese seiyuus, but they do the same [i]work[/i], and they, too, deserve credit for that.

If not, then I apologize in advance for misinterpreting your argument.

~Dagger~