# Anime fans ! Why get obnonxious over dubbed anime ?



## VIncymon (Apr 16, 2009)

As a native English speaker, I watch my anime in English Dub if I can. Then in Spanish.
And only if I can find neither english or spanish Dubs , do I watch the subs.

People go on and on about censorship and cut scenes. Personally I would trade some censorship, any day for the full entertainment value of watching a show in English/Spanish.

I have always found subtitles distracting, and the japanese voices even more distracting.

Yes, I am aware that some shows are dubbed terribly (cough...naruto) but that's neither here nor there.

I don't feel the need to prove I am the biggest anime fan, by showing off that I can watch it in the original japanese.


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## GunnyHighway (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm the same way. English dubs are what I aim for. It's never absolutely perfect, but I want to watch the action, not the words.


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## Marakunda (Jun 7, 2011)

I've always wondered this.... Why are people always like, "JAPANESE VERSION IS BETTER!!!!" meanwhile most of them are English speakers. It doesn't make much sense to me. I honestly don't care if it IS better, I wanna understand what I'm listening to....


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## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

English dubs sound retarded a lot of the time.


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## Mr Self Destruct (Jan 8, 2010)

mezzoforte said:


> English dubs sound retarded a lot of the time.


^ Death before dubs, although the Miyazaki ones are pretty good, because they usually get big hollywood actors.

and bonus for watching fansubs before the show even comes to the US :3


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## Pangur Ban (Feb 2, 2011)

I only watch the english dubs. I cannot multi-task, trying to read the sub-titles and watch the action at the same time. I like to understand what i'm listening to and I like the voice actors (My favorite is Vic Mignogna).


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## keyla965 (Jan 13, 2011)

I dont think that english dubbed does the anime justice. the english voice just suck ***. I LOVE english subbed. i love the jappeinease voices. The subtitles help me read alittle faster, i dont know about anybody else


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## crystaltears (Mar 10, 2011)

I always watch dubbed anime unless I can't find it.

There are a lot of good points in this thread:
http://www.anime-forums.com/showthread.php?120920-What-makes-english-dubs-suck-exactly


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## Charizard (Feb 16, 2011)

I prefer subtitles. 

I want the voices that the director of the series chose for the roles. Plus, most American dubs are kind of atrocious. I'm not a snobby elitist about it though, to each their own.


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## plusminusinfinity (Apr 28, 2011)

prefer subs


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## Aedan (Jul 21, 2011)

Most of the time, the original actors are more engaged in the quality of the acting, because they work directly with the director and staff of the movie.

I'm not implying that any dubbed voice acting is bad, but the original voices are always what I aim for, because they capture the soul of the characters much deeply than any other future dubbing.


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## purplefruit (Jan 11, 2011)

I don't watch anime but if I'm watching any movie I prefer to listen to the original language. I find dubs irritating. Original audio + subtitles ftw. The only downside is if you get a movie and have to download the subs seperately and you can't find one that syncs. 

But are people actually getting on your case about enjoying dubbed friggin cartoons? frankly they need to get lives. The way you enjoy something is up to you.


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## watashi (Feb 6, 2008)

But the voices are so terrible in dubs lol. I'm not japanese, but I can appreciate the original voice acting. I even learned a bit of japanese from it too.


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## Judi (Jun 22, 2009)

I prefer the original too, but that not only goes for anime but with everything else! I also think that some voice actors are just annoying, English or Japanese..
It could also be that Japanese voice actors tend to voice act together in a single room, so that everything is in sync, with the dubbing there are sometimes awkward pauses that come from voices being recorded separately.


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## Aedan (Jul 21, 2011)

Judi said:


> I prefer the original too, but that not only goes for anime but with everything else!


Exactly, me too. When I read a book or watch a movie, I always go for the original whenever I can. It's not snobbism, it's not elitism, it's just that it's the freaking original material !


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## Hiccups (Jul 15, 2011)

the originals are great as you get the original audio tracks which is kinda half of the anime right there! Subtitles are fine for me I don't understand japanese so ..yeah.

dubbed anime is really hit and miss... changing the whole audio track has a huge impact on the overall feel. Watch a dubbed then watch the original and you'll see.. sorry hear the difference! It's more often than not really noticeable.

Saying that I'll take whatever I can get and will be happy with either, just having it and being able to watch it is something I really appreciate, but when given the choice I'll take the original audio without a second thought.


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## Ratatat (Sep 8, 2010)

Any medium is better in it's original language because it was intended for a specific audience.

Dubbed anime is fine most of the time but things get lost in translation, the emotion of the original voice cast or a scene just feels different in a different language.

I'd go out of my way to watch _*anything*_ in it's original language subbed over a dub any day. In fact, I'd say not watching something in the original language is doing yourself a disservice and you can't truly enjoy the full experience if you watch it dubbed.


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## Dark Alchemist (Jul 10, 2011)

I get annoyed by "sub-snobs." They seem to have this wierd attitude that subs somehow aren't translated. Well it's not as if subtitles aren't translated too. Any time words are translated content and meaning are lost - that applies equally to subtitles and dubs. It's not as if either one can be a perfect translation conveying all the subtext and meaning of the original.

Besides, I think that often the subs sound a bit forced in comparison to dubs.

I watch dubbed because: 

1) I don't speak Japanese, and probably never will speak it well enough to follow it while watching an anime

2) If I have to read subtitles, I miss part of the action and/or artwork 

I will admit that older English dubs have sucked. But to quote Robert Dillman: 



> "A show isn't always better because it's in Japanese, and a dub doesn't always suck because it's in English."


To imply that Japanese-English translation is so deep in its infancy is ridiculous. Many recent dubs like Death Note and Fullmetal Alchemist have been *perfect*.

Look, if you like subs, that's fine - watch them. But don't pretend that subs are always better, because they're not. Looking at subs takes the eye away from the image, and although you don't see that as important, you're losing a lot while you're watching subs instead of watching the show.

True fans let other fans enjoy on their own terms, because what's important is not HOW you watch anime, but THAT you watch anime.


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## Dark Alchemist (Jul 10, 2011)

Aedan said:


> Exactly, me too. When I read a book or watch a movie, I always go for the original whenever I can. It's not snobbism, it's not elitism, it's just that it's the freaking original material !


Is it exactly "original" to read translated subtitles that are subject to the translator doing them and you're not understanding the language?

I'm not fluent in Japanese but even with my limited vocabularly I've caught some mistakes in subs that don't match whats being spoken. I can speak Spanish fluently, and I catch errors quite a bit in subtitles when I'm watching a spanish film. And it annoys the hell out of me.

Another example - my mother and I were watching a subbed move in Farsi (my mother speaks it, I don't). One line came up where a person yelled - the subtitles wrote it as "Are you crazy!?" My mom started cracking up laughing, and I couldn't get why. When she finally stopped laughing she explained to me it was a very cultural saying that is difficult to translate (it refers to having a mental disease predisposing people to annoy others - see its hard to describe...). Unless you understood Persian culture, you weren't going to get that joke.

The only way you're going to enjoy the "original" is if you can fluently speak or read the language the thing is originally written in. Period.


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## Hiccups (Jul 15, 2011)

Azumanga Daioh is a good example of that, the english overdubs have their own unique character and personality with a lot more words that are more than a straight translation. It creates a whole new feel over the original essentially like a version two. This is the only eng dub I can say this for though so far that I've seen, usually they are just stale, forced, heartless "Acting".


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## Dark Alchemist (Jul 10, 2011)

Hiccups said:


> Azumanga Daioh is a good example of that, the english overdubs have their own unique character and personality with a lot more words that are more than a straight translation. It creates a whole new feel over the original essentially like a version two.


Also Hetalia. The English dub has a lot more jokes in it. And the accents of different countries are way more apparent.


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## strawberryjulius (Jun 28, 2009)

I prefer subs, because bad dubbing distracts me too much. I'm a fast reader, so I don't really miss out on anything. I have enjoyed some dubs though, particularily Cowboy Bebop and Full Metal Alchemist. If it makes me a snob, oh well.


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## A32 (Jul 2, 2011)

To me when ever I hear dubbed anima it sounds so fake. I can't stand it. I can hear fake emotion or unrealistic tones in their acting. I can hear old people trykng to voice someone younger The voice doesn't match the characters. Probably because I'm English myself so I can catch these things. I don't speak Japanese so I can't tell the differences mentioned above. It seems real to me and as a result immerses me into the show. 

Another thing. Anime is more popular in Japan meaning more voice actors. Quality ones, too. And sometimes in dubs, part of the show, or composition is lost. Like extra silence because saying one thing in English can take longer to say than in Japan or vice versa. That silence (or lack of) adds emotion and flow to a convo. Very important for realism.


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## Dark Alchemist (Jul 10, 2011)

A32 said:


> I can hear fake emotion or unrealistic tones in their acting. I can hear old people trykng to voice someone younger The voice doesn't match the characters. Probably because I'm English myself so I can catch these things. I don't speak Japanese so I can't tell the differences mentioned above. It seems real to me and as a result immerses me into the show.


Hm, thats something that actually bugs me about subs. If the Japanese va is doing a poor job or messes up I can't tell, I just hear a person speaking Japanese. That just makes me feel clueless.



> And sometimes in dubs, part of the show, or composition is lost. Like extra silence because saying one thing in English can take longer to say than in Japan or vice versa. That silence (or lack of) adds emotion and flow to a convo. Very important for realism.


?


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## Rosedubh (Jul 11, 2009)

Dubbed voices are usually bad, like really bad. And you're watching a Japanese anime, that was made in Japan, in Japanese.
I always look for subtitles, it's just a better all round viewing experience. I find that if you watch a lot of things with subs, you just get used to it, and you can pay attention to both the subtitles and the action. But personally, they've never bothered me.


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## Micronian (Nov 11, 2004)

Dark Alchemist said:


> Is it exactly "original" to read translated subtitles that are subject to the translator doing them and you're not understanding the language?
> 
> I'm not fluent in Japanese but even with my limited vocabularly I've caught some mistakes in subs that don't match whats being spoken. I can speak Spanish fluently, and I catch errors quite a bit in subtitles when I'm watching a spanish film. And it annoys the hell out of me.
> 
> ...


In some ways that's true. In Japanese though, I find much of the voice acting to be less sophisticated, and often more muted, than its western counterpart. English voice overs are more entertaining to me and seem to give characters more life.

But the same could be said if a Japanese person were describing the dramatic culture he is more familiar with.


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## The Silent 1 (Aug 21, 2011)

I get pretty sick of certain anime fans deciding, before they even listen, that the dub is automatically going to suck and that the Japanese actors are just so superior. There was a time when the bar for English dubs was pretty low, but things have really improved and there are now a lot of dubs that are considered just as good if not better. Some dubs can give a whole other style or flavor to the anime while still being true to the original work.


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## RIVENS (Dec 14, 2011)

I watch both subbed and dubbed anime. I prefer the dubbed though because u dont have to concentrate so much on keeping up with the subs and missing out on the action


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

I prefer subs even if dubs can be very good. I like to watch movies/anime in their original language.


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## kanra (Nov 27, 2011)

I'm good with dubs that aren't ****ty. Otherwise I don't watch dubs, I avoid them when I can...

But the subtitles can be annoying to read sometimes instead of watching the actual action on the screen. But you do learn to read and watch the action over time, and it is equivalent exchange for the original version of the show.

...... retarded pun intended.

But it is true that sometimes the english dubs can be better, like with Death Note. I think L and Ryuk sound a lot better than in the japanese version.


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## GaaraAgain (Oct 10, 2011)

I just prefer subs. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other, they're just different. I'm glad for both so that fans of both can have what they want. People will find anything to be snobby and smug about, smh :roll.


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## Renea2011 (Nov 9, 2011)

Anime tends to lose something when dubs. Sometime can become too much American cartoon-ie.


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## Black Star (Dec 12, 2011)

I think some people like the Japanese because of the "effect" it has. lol The language has a rythym about it, I think so. I don't care either way.


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## MrBakura91 (Dec 11, 2011)

Heres my rule. If the dub is atrocious and not in the so bad its funny way, I'll watch subbed. If the dubs good I'll watch it in english. If its only available subbed I'll watch subbed. I think the Dub Vs. Sub debate was a dead issue after Dvd came about and you don't have to make the choice "Hmm cheaper dubbed tape that may be edited, or pricier uncut subbed?" I get annoyed when anime fans around me act like they're fandom is some how more genuine cuz they ONLY watch subs and not the "Inferior Western English speaking DUB"!


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

It's always hard to watch an anime with Resident Evil 1 quality English voices.


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## David777 (Feb 6, 2011)

I actually prefer Dubbing instead of subtitled, but only if the dubbing is good.
However since that is such a rare occurance, I usually watch my anime subbed.

Examples of horrendous dubbing: Azure Manga Daioh, and One Piece.

Azure Manga: The japanese voice's fit to absolute perfection! And in no way could be improved upon. 
Moreover, the way the english dubs butcher Osaka :bash

One Piece: One Piece is suppose to be one of those universally loved anime, but how is the show ever going to gain a following in the U.S with such horrific voice actors!?


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## MrBakura91 (Dec 11, 2011)

Logan X said:


> It's always hard to watch an anime with Resident Evil 1 quality English voices.


Or its hilarious.


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## David777 (Feb 6, 2011)




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## panic bomb (Dec 23, 2011)

Couple problems with subs. You can't look away period without missing something and you can't fully enjoy the art work by focusing on the text even if you are a fast reader. Prefer manga in that respect.


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## RawrJessiRawr (Nov 3, 2010)

Skylaishot:1059223383 said:


> I've always wondered this.... Why are people always like, "JAPANESE VERSION IS BETTER!!!!" meanwhile most of them are English speakers. It doesn't make much sense to me. I honestly don't care if it IS better, I wanna understand what I'm listening to....


Same here, I rather watch anime in english, doesn't matter to me how different it may be from the original vision, japanese voices just annoy me for some reason, I rather not hear it unless the english dub is just terrible but usually for me its not... Right now im watching dragon ball z season nine, and I love the english dub they use.


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