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When you watch anime, do you have preference? I prefer Subtitles because the dubbing voice choice usually isn't that great. With Subtitles, you can "hear" the story the way it was meant to be heard in terms of the pitch and voice choice.

This post has been edited by Barrylocke on 2nd November 2005 12:40

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Dead Winter. A nice comic.

Yarg, original voice acting with some subtitles for my understandment is just fine.

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I think I prefer the subtitles when the dubbing isn't so great (which is unfortunately quite often)

I prefer dubbing.

I feel no special affinity to anything Japanese (language, people, culture, history, etc.), and I think that watching translations on the screen takes away from focusing on the acting (or drawing, more accurately). However, if the dubbing is bad, I'd strongly prefer on-screen translations (I dislike the term 'subtitles' in this usage, since I use it to refer to secondary titles like "The Thousand-Year Door".).

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I PREFER dubbing, although currently I'm right in the middle of a Full Metal Alchemist marathon in subtitles. Impatience is a horrible thing, and I'm chocked full of it. So I prefer dubs, although I'm not above reading subs when the need arises.

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Well, I voted "It doesn't matter" but in actuality, I find it's more of a case by case sort of thing. I have no problem with subtitles, they don't really distract me (athough I am a fast reader. Someone who's a bit slower may find them annoying and difficult to keep up with) but occasionaly I do like to hear english voices, just for the heck of it.

I will admit there are times when both mediums vex me. I remember watching Appleseed in Subtitles first, and then later watching the dubed version, and being pretty annoyed with the voice acting. Hitomi in particular was aggrivating to listen to, with her vapid, schoolgirl tone, which made lines that were ment to be innocent, such as "This is the legendary warrior? She's beautiful (not an exact quote) sound dirty.

On the other hand, somehow, the subtitles in Millenium Actress seemed to take away from the experience. It was hard to get as worked up about her life when was concentrating on the reading and not the emotion.

All in all, I'm such an anime freak, that I'll watch whatever version is easiest to get, without complaint. Subs or dubs are far better than nothing at all.

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I'm spoiled. I don't like to have to read the subtitles at the bottom, and sometimes, possibly have to decipher what they mean. I've seen some really really bad subtitles.

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I prefer subtitles, but only as a result of a case-to-case basis. I generally go for the version with the highest quality acting, and 99.99% of the time that means the original voice track with subtitles, simply because the actors/actresses involved are more talented and dedicated due to the greater importance of the industry in Japan. On those extremely rare occasions where the dub is as good or better than the alternative (Cowboy Bebop is the only one I can think of off the top of my head), I'm fine with either.

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I put other because it really depends on the anime. If it's a good dub, I prefer dubbed. If it's a bad dub, I'll take subtitles.

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I prefer subtitles. More often than not, the dubbed voices are awful.

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It depends. I'm not a big fan of anime, but I don't like the fact I HAVE to read what they're saying which is distracting, rather than supplementary when I watch an english-language DVD with the subtitles on. If it's a foreign-made film and the language that's meant to be spoken by the characters is that of the original move (EG German film set in Berlin) I'd rather it was subbed to maintain realism.

BUT I abhorr anime to an extent and I abhorr how many people there are who get elitist about subs 'n' dubs, so I go with dubs if I ever watch an Anime becuase it annoys elitists that I am not one of.

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Hey, as for me, it's really the "Other" answer, since I prefer french subtitles .

Although rarely some french version are so excellent that I prefer them to the subbed version: Porco Rosso in french is incredibly good, having Jean Reno as Porco himself...that's pure class.

Quote (Mr Thou @ 25th October 2005 08:06)

Porco Rosso in french is incredibly good, having Jean Reno as Porco himself...that's pure class.

I'm going to have to see this in French now. Jean Reno is the man.

But yeah, Miyazaki movies usually have pretty stellar voice acting. Princess Mononoke's English version has Billy Bob Thornton, Minnie Driver, Claire Daines, Billy Crudup, Gillian Anderson, and Jada Pinkett-Smith in it, which is pretty awesome. The English dub of Nausicaa has Patrick Stewart as Yupa, Howl's Moving Castle has Billy Crystal as Calcifer, Castle in the Sky has Mark Hamill as Muska (he's done oodles of voice acting since his Star Wars days, he was also The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series) and Anna Paquin as Sheeta, the list goes on. The point is, when you have a movie that's distributed worldwide by Disney, you can get some A and B-list voice talent.

And to answer the thread's prompt, I really don't care. I can understand where people are coming from when they insist on keeping the Japanese voices, but as long as I can follow the action, the story, and take in the visuals okay, then I can manage. Plus, most of the anime that I've seen syndicated has had the English voices grow on me, even if they keep recycling the same voice actors all time (Steven Jay Blum is all over the place - he's Spike on CB, Mugen on SC, and the Toonami mascot dude, plus I'm also pretty sure he was Wolverine in X-Men Legends).

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I voted subtitles. It's way better in the original language the dubbing is really sick sometimes. Besides you can't hear them say "BAKA!" in english.

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I like anime but no if i can under stand what the are in crazy talk or i have to read

whats up with all you not likeing dubbs the last time dubbs did not match the people was in the '70's now the pay good Engish voice actors no more useing the same voice for all males and another for all females like in the realy old Godzila movies

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This post has been edited by Neal on 30th October 2005 19:01

Always subtitles. Because Dubbed version sometime are awful, no expresion on the voices, and that kind of stuff. Always its best at how was originally made it, though some dubbing its good, like Trigun.

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It really depends. I like watching dubbed, because a lot of times you can miss things by having to constantly look at the subtitles. However, sometimes it's the voice that makes the character - case in point is Excel from Excel Saga. Not only would a dubbing have been nearly impossible with the speed she speaks at, but it probably would have taken a lot of energy from the character. So for me, it really depends on the show.

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If I have to pick one or the other, I'd rather have subtitles. The Japanese voice acting is almost always good, and English dubbing is usually spotty at best.

I like to have the option to turn on the English, though. Sometimes it's to compare the English dub with the subtitles (which is particularly funny in the third season of Sailor Moon), or sometimes I want to work on something else and "watch" the show without having to pay close attention in order to read.

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Quote (Bob @ 30th October 2005 14:48)

whats up with all you not likeing dubbs the last time dubbs did not match the people was in the '70's now the pay good Engish voice actors no more useing the same voice for all males and another for all females like in the realy old Godzila movies

In the 70s? Have you heard the Full Metal Alchemist dubs or the Naruto dubs? Awful, awful stuff.

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Depends on the voices. Though I generally prefer subs, some dubs work for me, too. Two specific examples I wish to cite: adult Goku (Dragon Ball series) and Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin). I'd like to know what possessed the Japanese to use females to voice grown male characters.

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Elena:

I think the FMA dubs are fine. They match up pretty well actually. Also I think they did a decent job of matching the voice in english with what they sound like in japanese.

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It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
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Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

fma dubs slice up my *conscience.* the emphases and personalities of, at the very least, ed and al both are totally lost in the transition.

i rpetty much never watch dubbed ever, because the japanese voice acting is consistently better across the board. even in things like bebop, where the american voice actors for the main characters did a commendable job, so many of the peripheral characters were unemotional, overblown, or flawed in some other painful way. the voice acting industry is simply more important and refined in japan.

but really for almost all anime, i don't need the subtitles and can understand perfectly well from the raw japanese. anime really sucks lately, and the good series like basilisk and trinity blood don't get subbed, so i've been stuck watching a lot of raws.

Quote (gozaru~ @ 31st October 2005 01:36)

i rpetty much never watch dubbed ever, because the japanese voice acting is consistently better across the board. even in things like bebop, where the american voice actors for the main characters did a commendable job, so many of the peripheral characters were unemotional, overblown, or flawed in some other painful way. the voice acting industry is simply more important and refined in japan.

but really for almost all anime, i don't need the subtitles and can understand perfectly well from the raw japanese. anime really sucks lately, and the good series like basilisk and trinity blood don't get subbed, so i've been stuck watching a lot of raws.

In most cases, i agree with you on origional japanese voices--you can get the true emotions and emphasis with or without the subtitles more often than not untranslated (Cowboy Bebob and Full Metal Panic!/? are the only ones on my list). I mean, take Naruto for instance, I've listened to it in both english and japanese, and the english version gives me volatile, homicidal emotions. The voices are one reason why I both fear and love to see some of the anime I've downloaded come to America.

The same goes for foreign movies and some video games. This is slightly off topic but: every chance I get in a video game, I go straight for the options menu and look for the Voices option to change it from english to japanese. I think FFX would be better if it had that option, and I can learn (very) basic (and unneccessary) Japanese phrases by doing this. I've picked up a little Japanese just by watching anime fansubbed.

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Usually, I watch it in whatever form I obtained it.

Ie if it was on DVD, I’ll watch it in whatever language is the default, usually English. Sometimes the dubbing is really good (Eva, Excel saga, Chobits…) although sometimes it’s really terrible (Galaxy Angel, Saikano…) thus I switch to Japanese.

Obviously, if I download anything it will be in Jap so…


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Voted Subtitles. I'd rather hear voice-less translations than hearing crappy voices (Like Naruto and Dragon Ball Z!)

I like the use of subtitles because it preserves the original quality and feel of the anime. It also helps that I like reading subtitles.

NeoEx-Death: If I recall, in the original Japanese DBZ, Goku had a very high sounding voice. One could argue that the dubbing for that character might be an improvement.

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Quote (Kame @ 2nd November 2005 13:56)

NeoEx-Death: If I recall, in the original Japanese DBZ, Goku had a very high sounding voice. One could argue that the dubbing for that character might be an improvement.

I mentioned that earlier, too. In the original Japanese version, a female spoke for Goku and it wasn't even one of those deep-voiced females. If the dubbing did one thing right, it was giving Goku a more masculine voice. Otherwise, I would have to agree with NED, those voices were awful (especially Vegeta.........UGH).

Edit

I'd just like to echo MogMaster's sentiments on the FMA dubbing. I may not be familiar with the original Japanese voices, but I feel the dubbed version did a good enough job that I'm not exactly running for the nearest subtitled version, either.

This post has been edited by Galsic on 2nd November 2005 22:58

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I can't decide. I definately prefer to hear the japanese voices, as i think the language is beautiful and amazing, but sometimes the subtitles are a bit distracting when you want to fully appreciate the artwork. so i want both. i think i'll vote other, becuase 'doesn't matter' isn't really appropriate.

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I don't mind dubbing that much, but after watching/reading some foreign movies with subtitles, I don't think either really takes away from the experience. One may get a bit of multitasking going on, trying to see what's being said and what's going on (?), but it doesn't create too much hardship.

Trigun is awesome either way.

This post has been edited by Shotgunnova on 3rd November 2005 03:25

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