Dubs Vs Subs

[Felicity]

So if you've watched anime then you will have watched the show in either a dub for whatever language you speak or the original with subtitles.

If you're new to anime in general then you may no have heard any of the debate of Dub vs Sub. Many people prefer the dub for ease of watching the show, typical reasoning being "Who wants to read when they're watching a tv show? This ain't a damn book".

On the other hand, there are those who prefer subtitles because these are seen to be the optimal versions of the story with the Voice actors portraying the characters in the "best" way. Or in my case you just can't be arsed to wait for the dub to be released. Why would people think this? Because some fantastic shows have received dubs that were less than stellar. Some people perceive a clear quality divide between Sub and Dub and I have to admit that with some shows this is very much the case, SAO and Ao no exorcist being the best examples of Sub > Dub that I can think of right now.

Of course, that is not to say there aren't some shows with Dubs better than the subs. Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt is a must watch in english because the Voice actors have a hell of a lot more fun with the script than the japanese VAs.

So, on which side of the fence do you fall? Sub or Dub? Any particularly terrible examples you can give.

No, you cannot use "People die if they are killed" "Pew Pew Pew" Or Suzaku's fish incident in Code Geass.

[Omega_Ra1der]

I prefer subs, because I can't do just plain va in the dubs.

[BBD]

Subs,I like hearing japanse original

Edited August 31, 2015 by BBD

[Darvan Korematsu]

It doesn't matter for me. When I listen to dubs, it is all normal, and when I'm reading the subs, I just imagine them speaking in English. Pretty sure others have been like this too.

[Hiss13]

I ain't a purist. I'll go with whichever I hear first. I prefer Nanoha and Raildex subbed for example because that was what I watched first. I prefer Code Geass, Darker than Black, and Azumanga Daioh dubbed because I watched them dubbed first. It all just depends on whichever I see first. Now…

No, you cannot use "People die if they are killed" "Pew Pew Pew" Or Suzaku's fish incident in Code Geass.

I shall refute those straight off the bat so nobody ever touches them.

"People die if they are killed" is taken way out of context though I admit it can be worded better.

"Pew Pew Pew" From the looks of the image, it was taken from Nanoha StrikerS. Yet, no English sub group I watched for it ever had the "Pew Pew Pew" thing in it.

Suzaku's fish scene? Photoshopped. All there is to it.

If anyone wants to see fan subbing at its worst though, take a look at the gg subs for Hidan no Aria. Complete troll subs.

The problem with subbing is preventing a loss from translation while still keeping as much of the original meaning intact. Let's just say, translation is a very tricky process between two different types of languages.

Now for dubs…if you have not watched the dub for Ghost Stories…what the hell are you waiting for?

[Meruem]

i normally go for the subs because not all dubs are granted to be good, just the majority of them. the subs are generally decent at the least, so going for them is the safest as they will likely not affect my overall enjoyment.

ive gotta say though, i really hate it when people badmouth dubs in general, or even of a specific show they like. one dub that seems to get very hate is higurashi's, which really surprises me because i actually found the dub to be much better than the sub. sometimes in japanese dubs, screaming and laughing is poorly done as nothing feels realistic to the ear. this is the main problem with higurashi's japanese dub. the clips im about to show are the PERFECT example of a great english dub, imo. (most of) the voice actors did their job so damn well that everything sounded way too real.

also, you guys want to know what a really bad dub is? like, really fucking bad. this video is an actual dub as surprising as that may be. seriously, be prepared.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU3Gg696yrM

finally, just gonna leave this here because the thoughts expressed on this video are the exact same as mine.

[Monochrome_Complex]

I typically find that the show's actual setting is a big part of this.

Black Lagoon is a perfect example of this. The show does not take place in Japan(well most of it doesn't) and has a wide variety of characters with different ethnicities and backgrounds English is simply better suited to the show's script since people are generally more familiar with the different accents of English that would feel natural with such a varied cast, not to mention that they're technically speaking English within the show's setting anyway. Baccano for much of the same reason, actually even moreso since it takes place in the US.

Language use is another thing. I feel like shows where characters swear a lot or use a lot of quick witted banter tends to sound better in English as Japanese...well frankly there's a lot more interesting ways to curse someone out in English than in Japanese and word play humor in Japanese is lost on foreign audiences; it's not going to be funny if I need a translator's note on like every other joke lol. Again, Black Lagoon demonstrates this quite well. Not to say the JP version wasn't without swearing but the English version turns it up to Tarintino levels and the show's dialogue manages to benefit from it. English Revy is definitive Revy. Yuyu Hakusho's English script makes Yusuke downright hilarious.

David Jojo on the other hand, I cannot see the English dub surpassing the JP one except for maybe Iggy's voice(which frankly is crap, I don't care how famous his seiyu is, she doesn't even sound like a dog half the time and she's only good during the Petshop episodes during his inner monologues) and D Arby's whose old OVA dub was the best Darby and easily the best dub voice out of the OVA alongside Dio(not saying much really lol). A lot of the dialogue and delivery works fantastic in Japanese and stuff like rerorerorerorero just isn't going to have a good equivalent, my guess is that they will just keep some phrases and such the same.

Casting is a big thing too. I know DBZ is rather divisive on the dub vs sub thing because JP Goku is highly unpopular with much of the Western fanbase, and frankly I don't blame them as it ruins the character for some when he still sounds like an 11 year old. Steve Blum and Crispin freeman almost always outdo their JP counterparts so I find myself preferring dubs when they have a major role.

Shows I prefer dubbed: Black Lagoon, Hellsing/Ultimate, Cowboy bebop, Yuyu Hakusho

Shows I prefer subbed: HxH, Naruto, Jojo, nearly every anime movie pre-2000s.

Berserk anime is weird, because the acting is very 90s anime but English Zodd sounds a lot more intimidating(except his hilariously cheesy YOU CANNOT ESCAPE, YOUR FAAAAAAATE line) and English griffith sounds exactly how I'd picture Griffith sounding. This is an example where both languages do a good job and you don't really lose on either one.

I do think in the 3rd movie both Guts actors could've did a better job during the infamous Eclipse scene. They didn't sound angry enough.

Edited August 31, 2015 by Monochrome_Complex

[SnowGlaceon]

I feel like you're trying to start a war here.

I prefer dub, because I'm often multitasking and not watching the screen. I'll take subbed if nothing else is available.

[Simon]

Generally, I'll take Sub over the Dub, but there are the exceptions like mentioned above.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Boku Wa Tomodachi are another two that I actually liked the dub more, but both were fine in their own aspects.

[SkyRunner]

I'll usually take sub over dub.

[Felicity]

I feel like you're trying to start a war here.

I prefer dub, because I'm often multitasking and not watching the screen. I'll take subbed if nothing else is available.

Let loose the dogs of wa-

Oh wait, we're capable of discussion. At least, I think we are, seeing as the waifu topic didn't completely dissolve immediately.

[Flynn]

All in all, I prefer Subs as conventionally they don't sound as awkward on emotional speeches or sudden exclamations, so on and so on. I'm not sure if this is because JP VAs find it easier to embrace a character and in turn feel less awkward with these lines that match their culture and expectations more comfortably or if I'm just so used to how an English voice is supposed to sound and I know when it sounds off. I started anime with dubbed Bleach/One Piece and thought it was amazing. Went to Sub and hated it, grew used to it and now I love it and I hate nearly all Dub except a spare few like Fate/ Zero and Gundam 00.

[Solarance]

Granted I've only seen Death Note and SAO. I listened to dub for DN. it was good. Watched Sub for SAO, holy hell it was beautiful. So I'd say most of the time Sub > Dub.

[Shamitako]

So, personally I don't really watch videos so I generally prefer dubs. Though I am okay with watching subs in the case that a show doesn't have a dub. Or if I really love it and feel like some variety for my fifth rewatching I might watch the sub instead of the dub

There are of course cases where the dub is absolutely terrible but I have yet to encounter any that are so bad I can't deal. Most of the things I've disliked the dub I've disliked when it was subbed to. You'd think not being able to understand the word would make it harder to tell when the voice acting is bleh but nope

[Chase]

Gonna have to go team dub, but I'm a casual anime viewer.

When watching subs, I find myself getting tunnel vision and reading the subs and missing everything on the screen. When you're watching something - you aren't doing so for pure dialogue.

[Shamitako]

When watching subs, I find myself getting tunnel vision and reading the subs and missing everything on the screen. When you're watching something - you aren't doing so for pure dialogue.

Interesting. For me as long as the words are on the screen I don't really need to read them so much as just know they're there and my eyes just feed the words into my brain, I only struggle when there's a lot of extra stuff to the side that's not dialogue, then I have to pause and read it over before continuing

[Solarance]

Gonna have to go team dub, but I'm a casual anime viewer.

When watching subs, I find myself getting tunnel vision and reading the subs and missing everything on the screen. When you're watching something - you aren't doing so for pure dialogue.

If you train your eyes to multitask, you can read and watch subs.

[Wes]

It's all just case by case depending on whether an English VA fits the character better than the Japanese, or vice versa. Most of the time I prefer sub because a lot of Japanese VA's tend to put more effort in to a characters emotion. However, some shows like Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, FMA Brotherhood, and Haruhi I need to watch in English simply because the English dubs are more fitting to their characters to me.

[cmdemension]

it depends on the voices of the main charecters if its better on dub i watch dub if its better on sub i would watch the sub

[Chase]

I simply don't have time to train my eyes to multitask when I'm really not multitasking at all. If I was multitasking, I would want it to be dubbed even more so I can hear the dialogue when I'm not viewing the screen.

[Shamitako]

It's all just case by case depending on whether an English VA fits the character better than the Japanese, or vice versa. Most of the time I prefer sub because a lot of Japanese VA's tend to put more effort in to a characters emotion. However, some shows like Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, FMA Brotherhood, and Haruhi I need to watch in English simply because the English dubs are more fitting to their characters to me.

This is another thing. 90% of the time I feel that the Eng VAs fit their characters better than the Jap VAs

. Which is apparently just me but meh

[Deleted User]

I like dubs.

Sue me.

[Drymus]

I prefer subs, mainly for the fact that they can be watched sooner, and I'm used to Japanese VA's.

[mde2001]

I'm not really a big anime person but when I do watch is I'm usually doing something else so I go with dubs.

[Flux]

Generally, I'll take Sub over the Dub, but there are the exceptions like mentioned above.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

This so much. I generally prefer the subs, especially in cases like SAO where the dubs just don't sound right for the characters at all. However, like Derpy Simon said, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is a major exception. I find that dubbed Kyon does a FAR better job of conveying the personality of the character, as do the rest of the dubbed cast. Full Metal Alchemist would be another exception.