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Really, subs are my lifeblood. I'm a super fast reader so I can read it without missing any of the artwork, and nothing, I repeat, NOTHING annoys me more than crappy US voices.

Someone on the forums reccomended Excel Saga to me. I watched it, got hooked, and finished the whole thing in one blow (Thanks, DPD, for all the annoying things you've ever done this makes up for it.). I had a friend who had it dubbed, and, though the JP voice acting was exeptional, the dub made my ears bleed. Excel Saga is just an example though. Dubs just never worked for And, now that I'm done ranting:

Sub:

Good points: It's nice to watch it with the original (SUPERIOR) Japanese voices. Also, there are a lot of in-jokes (be it related to kanji readings, song or children's rhymes, or just J-pop culture in general) that people who aren't total Japanophiles wouldn't get and are thus ommited in the dub.

Bad points: Many people don't read as crazy-fast as me and thus will miss a lot of artwork or text in general. Also, it can be annoying when a translator puts a Japanese word in a sentence that could've easily been replaced and you have to freak out and pause pause PAUSE to read the translator's note and it turns out to be something like: "PERSON: Just according to keikaku. TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: Keikaku means plan"

Dub:

Good Points: Dubbed anime is often easier to understand for an American viewer. Also, It is often easier for most people to watch it dubbed due to not having to split attention between the text and the image. Kind of a more... immersive experience.

Bad points: A lot of stuff is lost in translation due to cultural differences and jokes only understandable to Japanese people or J-philes. And, I'll say this one more time:

Quote

Nothing, I repeat , NOTHING annoys me more than crappy US voices.

If you haven't guessed already, I'm just going to say I'm a sub person. Dubs, in my opinion, just don't feel right. If you watch a sub and then a dub, it's almost like a different show.

This post has been edited by Uwao~! on 27th October 2007 04:47

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"So imagine Kefka swearing and yelling that he'll take revenge, but doing so in a way that's... somehow... polite and feminine."

I mostly watch subs, but there are definitely a few dubs that are better than the original. Cases in point: Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing. I can also read things pretty quickly, and I've seen so many foreign films and anime that I can watch them without missing anything.

So yeah, each has their merits, but 95% of the time the original incarnation is the best version of any work of art (be it a book, a movie, a cartoon, or what have you). Not just anime.

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Dub. I wanna read, I'll grab a book.

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Arts

Farts

Twarts

I don't watch anime, but I despise subtitles that aren't in the same language as whats on screen. As a result, I rarely, if ever, watch any foriegn-langauge films or media and like what I hear. And as a result, I never watch anything not in English.

I especially despise gaelic programming on television.


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Quote (laszlow @ 22nd October 2007 02:16)

I mostly watch subs, but there are definitely a few dubs that are better than the original. Cases in point: Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing.

Okay, this may be just my bias, and I've never actually heard the American Hellsing dub (the German one is horrible and in Poland Hellsing was aired with subs), but I think dubbing ANYTHING that has Nakata Jouji (Alucard's VA) voice acting is a crime.

I perfer subs, even if the original voice acting is dreadful, because it's the original, and probably how the makers wanted it to be. Also, the dubs in Poland are absolutely horrid.

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I'll watch it in English if it's optional and doesn't sound like a Godzilla flick.

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I prefer the well-made DUBS, but i voted for SUBS as well-made DUBS are very uncommon if you ask me..

What does DUB mean anyway?

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Quote (Narratorway @ 22nd October 2007 04:59)

Dub. I wanna read, I'll grab a book.

Now, I agree with this sentance, but I also watch subs too

I'll watch the dubs 90% of the time, but I will watch subs too

Like I have the Excel Saga DVDs, I usually watch it in English, but the first time, and most recent time I watched it, I watched subs

I watch anime in whatever I feel like at the time. If either cast turns out to be especially terrible, I just change it over. I don't really understand the 'purist' attitude people have in relation to this sort of thing. It's not like anime has integrity anyway.

Quote (SilverMaduin @ 22nd October 2007 00:39)

Okay, this may be just my bias, and I've never actually heard the American Hellsing dub (the German one is horrible and in Poland Hellsing was aired  with subs), but I think dubbing ANYTHING that has Nakata Jouji (Alucard's VA) voice acting is a crime.

To be fair they replaced him Crispin Freeman, who is definitely one of the more talented english voice actors out there.


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THE HOFF

If I had to choose, I'd usually pick sub. Sometimes the dub voices are hilarious, though, and if I'm doing something silly like popping Sailor Moon in while I work on something else, I'll set it to dub.

My favorite way to watch is to turn subtitles on with the English dub and check out the HUGE differences. (Sailor Moon S is hilarious for this, given that the dub portrays Michiru and Haruka as cousins instead of lovers.)

The subs are usually closer to the intended meaning, but I've caught errors a couple of times. I don't know enough Japanese to watch a show without a translation, but I'll pick up a few phrases and realize that they didn't translate them correctly.

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The Passion was a pretty slow-scrolling flick, and I missed parts of it while trying to dutifuly read along. I can't imagine trying to enjoy a fast paced anime and reading everything said at the same time.

So my vote goes dub. As Narratorway so eloquently put it, if I wanted to read I'd pick up a book.

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Quote (ThroneofDravaris @ 22nd October 2007 20:02)

I watch anime in whatever I feel like at the time. If either cast turns out to be especially terrible, I just change it over. I don't really understand the 'purist' attitude people have in relation to this sort of thing. It's not like anime has integrity anyway.

Quote (SilverMaduin @ 22nd October 2007 00:39)

Okay, this may be just my bias, and I've never actually heard the American Hellsing dub (the German one is horrible and in Poland Hellsing was aired  with subs), but I think dubbing ANYTHING that has Nakata Jouji (Alucard's VA) voice acting is a crime.

To be fair they replaced him Crispin Freeman, who is definitely one of the more talented english voice actors out there.

It's not who they put in instead of Nakata Jouji, it's the lack of Nakata Jouji where he was originally. It's not being purist, it's more like "I love that voice" and I am ready to go terribly fanboyish about it.

Second, I didn't get that "anime has no integrity", so I double checked every dictionary lying around and even wiktionary, just in case I missed a meaning of "integrity". I still don't get what you're trying to say, please elaborate? (Take it to PM if you prefer)

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"I fell off the mountain of words at around the 10,000ft mark. Tell my family...they owe me money." -Narratorway

"If you retort against this, so help me God I'll shove any part of your anatomy I can find into some other part. Figuratively, of course." - Josh

"We have more, can deliver tuesday." - Del S

Good old CoN

Quote (SilverMaduin)

It's not who they put in instead of Nakata Jouji, it's the lack of Nakata Jouji where he was originally. It's not being purist, it's more like "I love that voice" and I am ready to go terribly fanboyish about it.

That comment wasn’t in relation to what you said ftr. It was directed more towards those out there that refuse to watch anime in anything other then Japanese ever.

Quote (SilverMaduin)

Second, I didn't get that "anime has no integrity", so I double checked every dictionary lying around and even wiktionary, just in case I missed a meaning of "integrity". I still don't get what you're trying to say, please elaborate? (Take it to PM if you prefer)

I just meant that for the most part anime doesn’t strike me as a medium where you would actually lose anything through watching it in anything other then the original language.


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THE HOFF

If I had to pick, I'd much prefer subtitles because it at least makes an effort to keep the dialogue in its initial form [if reputable]. Dumbing-down the dialogue, jokes, references for the English-speaking audience -- those are the spice of the original! I'm no animephile, but after watching 100s of episodes of Bleach, Naruto, Outlaw Star and whatever on Youtube, subbing just seems as close to the natural form.

This post has been edited by Shotgunnova on 24th October 2007 18:48

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I prefer subtitles, and voted subtitles, but I have discovered something over the last couple days that made me sad...

I just road-tripped to california, and we played cartoons, music, and movies while on the road. I brought my laptop, and just downloaded the first season of bleach on it, only to discover that most things you can irresponsibly glance at, but not subtitles, so bleach will need to be watched off the road.

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There's a lot fo good dub now, but with the Japanese you kinda get a feel for it better. Someone has probably said that already.

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I haven't really watched enough anime to decide between them, but I think that I'd prefer a dub over a sub, but only if the script is well-translated and well-spoken.

Also, I'll reiterate someone else's question, why are they called "sub" and "dub"? I'm not sure what dub means, but I thought "sub" as in "subtitle" meant the thing that comes after a title, like "Legend of the Seven Stars" for "Super Mario RPG".

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Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 31st October 2007 12:50)

Also, I'll reiterate someone else's question, why are they called "sub" and "dub"?  I'm not sure what dub means, but I thought "sub" as in "subtitle" meant the thing that comes after a title, like "Legend of the Seven Stars" for "Super Mario RPG".

Quote ("thefreedictionary.com")

sub·ti·tle  (sbttl)
n.
1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work.
2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen.

dub (3)  (db)
tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs
1.
a. To transfer (recorded material) onto a new recording medium.
b. To copy (a record or tape).
2. To insert a new soundtrack, often a synchronized translation of the original dialogue, into (a film).
3. To add (sound) into a film or tape: dub in strings behind the vocal.
n.
1. The new sounds added by dubbing.
2. A dubbed copy of a tape or record.
[Short for double.]

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END SPOILER

I really just prefer to watch shows in their original format. I wouldn't go and get a Japanese copy of an American show, just as I prefer to watch an anime in its original form. But I prefer subs over dubs because anime more often than not have excessive violence, language and even plot removed when becoming "americanized", which is a trend I think is slowly diminishing today.

Subs.

You DON'T wanna hear the dubs here in sweden.

But the dubs from the old times were so crappy they actually was good.

ya i gotta agree with the "crappy US voices": part, but some are still alright. I guess overall they both got good sides,

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I will be there...

I usually watch them with subtitiles but then take them off on about the third time... i watch advent children without subtitles because after 23 times..... you kind of get to know what they say off by heart....

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If I have a choice, I prefer subs. As well as the reasons people have stated, I also say that if I want to watch TV with English voices, I'll just go switch off the DVD/turn off the computer. Also, dubs can be a complete disaster if handled badly... while not an anime, FFX would prove this.

However, if there's no *equally cheap* alternative, I'll go for a dub.

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I voted for dubs for well, convenience sake. But usually it's whatever I see first.

Examples: Got into Haruhi Suzumiya a while back on the Youtube. It was dubbed and I have to say Crispen Freeman is in everything. But when I got my hands on actual copies, it was subbed and I was a little disconcerted.

Example Two: Azumanga Daioh, hilarous. Saw first subbed, then seen snippets in English. Osaka should sound like there's a sign with 'Vacant Space for Rent' on her forehead...a Texan accent is...too off.

To be frank, I prefer dubbed with subtitles, so if a line is changed/censored or whatever, I can catch it in the subtitles. Also helps if another language comes up besides english.

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I voted dub. I find subs to be really distracting and it's hard to make a connection with the subtitles and what's actually going on. Plus, I'm on stupid dial-up so I've never even watched anything with subtitles in the way of anime. I actually did put my Fullmetal Alchemist episode DVD in Japanese with English subtitles, and I missed a lot of stuff. One more thing, it's always good to hear how the character would say stuff in English because it adds to their personality. Unless of course it's Final Fantasy: Unlimited.

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I prefer subs, mostly 'cause I like things to be in their original format and context much better oh, let's say 90% of the time. It's rather hard, if not impossible to improve any aspect of something that's just simply classic after all, be it T.V. a book, a game or other such whatnot.


Also because dubbed voices sound ridiculously like they just don't belong. I've heard that the Evagellion dub was pretty good, by dub standards, from multiple sources. I thought everybody, age irregardless sounded like some form of ridiculous high schooler from an after school special or something of the sort that couldn't be taken seriously. This doesn't just go for anime either. Ever hear any of the Star Trek movies dubbed in Spanish? I've seen at least a small snippet of one once. I must say, it's both funny and saddening to see Kirk and Spock ducking enemy fire under a rock and saying stuff to each other while channeling their inner Mexican. It's seriously impossible to take the situation seriously, at least for me, though it doesn't matter since I don't understand spanish anyway.

Besides, it's not hard to read and watch at the same time anyway, at least not to me. Keeps your mind from completely rotting into illiteracy too, as an added bonus. Eye kneeds thims werds two reeds mai komix. XP

This post has been edited by Tonepoet on 25th November 2007 17:08

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Role reversal at its finest.

subs

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Please read the forum rules, particularly section 1a. One-word posts are forbidden because they don't add anything to a topic. Give some further explanation, don't post just for posting's sake. -Neal

This post has been edited by Neal on 25th November 2007 17:37

Quote (laszlow @ 22nd October 2007 00:16)

I mostly watch subs, but there are definitely a few dubs that are better than the original. Cases in point: Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing.

I've seen both animes with subs, and though it was great. What makes the dubbed versions better?

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The end has no end.

I usually watch Animes with subs, probably because it sounds cooler =) and also because alot of the time the english voice acting really screws it up, but I guess if you watch the english first you wont realise any differences. But, yeah subs most of the time.

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*Sigh*....Times are tough

While I agree that dubs will almost always butcher the creator's vision, I don't think that's any reason to write them off entirely. There are several reasons for this:

1) Subtitles could just as easily butcher the translation as dubs.

2) Subtitles take me out of the experience by forcing me to split my attention. Can I do it? Yes, with all but the quickest lines/transitions, but why would I want to? Especially with the best foreign indie films, where they take advantage of spatial symbolism quite often, going the subtitled route means that I'm going to miss those, which could potentially be far worse.

3) Dubs don't force me to split my attention.

4) This one is mostly by luck: I don't watch any anime with crappy voice acting, so that's not really an issue for me.