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← darkroom
Just curious, do you watch dubbed or subbed?
Hello all. I'm really not looking for an answer or to say one is better than the other, I'm just curious as to which one people prefer in general. I know there's been a few other threads sorta like this but they were pretty specific, I'm just wondering overall what your preference is.
Personally I watch subbed for the most part, unless it's something I grew up with, like Pokemon, and some stuff I know really well, like One Piece and Dragon Ball.
Edit: Wanted to clarify that while I watch subs for the most part, I don't have anything against dubs. Subs are generally easier to come by.
Mostly Subs. If an anime is set in Japan I usually don't give the dub even a chance. If the anime has a western setting, like Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, FMA etc., I check out the Dub. Some anime I prefer watching dubbed like Dragonaball, Black lagoon or the aforementioned examples.
Edit: except for Highschool DxD, that shit is hilarious in the dub
Sub 100%. I prefer to watch it the way it was intended to be watched. Voice acting is usually better too. Sometimes the different VAs in dubs lead to giving off a whole different impression of the character. Also sometimes the dub translations irk me
The way it's "intended to be watched" is by watching it, not reading it.
well if you're going to nitpick, it's really neither. The intended experience involves both "watching" and "hearing," both of which I still get when watching with subs. Ideally one day I won't need the subs as I am slowly trying to learn the language, but leaning on the subs in the meantime.
It's very doubtful you'll one day be as fluent in Japanese as a native speaker, so if that's the goal, you'll never watch it the way it was "intended to be watched," as arbitrarily dictated.
The goal is to understand the entirety of what is being said without subtitles. Don't think that one needs to be a native speaker of the language to get to that point eventually. I'm already to the point where I am picking up on some funky translations and able to say "I think what they said would probably be better translated as ____" or I notice when they're adding to or removing parts of a phrase. That in itself has already added some value/enjoyment to my watch experience so I'm going to keep at it and continue to improve. But hey, to each their own
I mean it was intended to be watched in its own language, without subtitles. Subs like dubs still need to go through a translation process, and since direct translation is pretty bad sometimes, both can have bad translations at times, or for certain scenes.
Dubs probably more so since they need to match mouse movements/speed.
Generally, not really. A dub that is very strict in terms of mouth movements is one that needlessly sacrifices equivalency, as one probably isn't paying attention to mouths when watching an anime, anyway (and even if they were, 9 times out of 10, the mouth flaps aren't animated that well in the first place).
This. Sometimes dubs straight up lie in order to fit words into a space they wouldn't otherwise fit.
I was trying to come up with a good example from something popular and turns out somebody already made a video for it!
The Youtube clip below from Kimi no na wa (Your Name) that compares the same scene with Japanese and English audio. I noticed a discrepancy the last time I was watching the film since I've started to study a little Japanese myself. A little Japanese education below, from a bored novice, for those who are interested!
In English we say "I" to refer to ourselves. In Japanese there are multiple pronouns that one can use to refer to themselves.
The ones that appear in this scene are:
私 (Watashi) - Is the polite way to refer to oneself. This is what you would say to your elders or teachers at school, boss at work, etc etc. Used by both male and females. Females typically use this exclusively.
僕 (Boku) - Less formal than Watashi. Used by men/boys in settings of their own peers. A high school buy might refer to himself as "boku" in front of classmates. Have heard girls use this on occasion but it is much more rare.
俺 (Ore)- WAY LESS FORMAL. Used by boys only among their close friends. Would be considered rude to use this outside your close friends. Boys tend to outgrow using this as they get olderSo in the scene in Japanese in the video (not sure if these are the official subs or not):
- Mitsuha (a polite girl in Taki's body) originally refers to herself (when she is Taki) as "Watashi" out of habit. Taki's friends give her a strange look and question it.
- Mitsuha, being overly polite as she is, follows up with what she thinks her best alternative is, "Watakushi," which I didn't mention above, but is SUPER FORMAL and not even really used anymore. Taki's friends look at her even funnier. - I always imagine it like a something a knight would say back in the day when referring to their Lord (and thus you sometimes here it in some Isekai anime. Example: Kokkoro from this season's "Princess Connect" is using "Watakushi").
- Mitsuha kind of gets the hint and goes to "Boku" which could work in a group of guy friends but since this is Taki and his really close friends, they are expecting to hear "Ore." Mitsuha gets there eventually (though uncomfortably). link
In the English dub (not sure about the official sub, did not check) this conversation is entirely different, as you see in the clip. Granted this is not a critical scene in the movie and does not make or break anything, but with just some really basic knowledge of the Japanese language, one can spot differences like this.
This is just one of the many instances where this occurs in anime. I personally enjoy being able to catch differences like this when they occur (often even in the english subs). Does that mean don't watch dubs? No. If you prefer the dubs then go ahead. Personally, I prefer watching with the original audio. I find it cool that through my studies I am starting to pick up on things like this :)
sub. there is no way in hell that im watching dubbed. english voice actors sound way too "fake" that it just makes watching the anime unbearable.
I generally watch dubbed. I mostly watch sub if a dub isn't available.
Its easier to watch dubbed, i'm dyslexic so i'm constantly having to pause and read when I watch it subbed
i watch sub for multiple reasons.
i feel the actors in sub are more driven to the project.
dub fucking hurts my ears (if you have ever heard a modern dub you would know what i mean)
and sub just feels better, i feel im getting the original experience.mhmhm, i agree 100% with you. it doesn't even feel like english voice actors are trying compared to japanese voice actors.
Well, that's mostly because you, presumably, cannot speak Japanese, while you can speak English, so the Japanese VAs are trying as far as you know.
yeah i found japanese actors, put more emphasis and drama into their words and dub actors just say words.
That's not even true. While yes, Japanese VAs tend to put a lot of emphasis on their words (to the point where they don't sound like an actual person; in Japanese classes, you'll be told a lot to NEVER try and learn how to speak via anime) English VAs are no less trained and they really only sound "phoned in" if you want them to sound phoned in to push a narrative that foreign=good.
if you have ever heard a modern dub you would know what i mean
I really don't
I think it is because Japanese Voice Actors have to do so many roles, they have become better through all of their roles. Also, they probably actually watch anime, so they probably know what is expected out of certain roles.
...so you think all American VAs are amateurs and that they don’t research roles or watch anime?
They may research their role, but most of these Japanese VA have been doing the same type of characters for decades. Its just preference I like sub, you like dub. So I don't think there is fact here its up to preference.
Then just say that, stop trying to make it a "Japanese voice actors are just better" thing.
I acctualy watch mostly dub because i feel like i can understand it better. But like recently with listeners the dub was so bad, i had to watch sub. and i dont really mind sub but i just loose my intrest quicker if that makes sense. Also with comedy i find it funnier in english. But in the end they are both okay. It shouldnt matter if you watch sub or dub.
subbed of course
english dub sucks
English dub except in special circumstances.
1) There isn't a dub, and never will be, but x anime is unusual and I absolutely must watch it
2) I'm not willing to wait (SNK), or I know the dub won't be worth waiting for (Made in Abyss; The Promised Neverland - Japanese actors are SO MUCH BETTER at voicing kids than American VAs)
3) I'm watching with other people and they insisted on sub
4) A can't-miss performance (like the manager in Zombieland Saga)
5) The dub is unwatchable (Higurashi)Sometimes I get curious and flip back and forth between the audio tracks to compare acting and script, by watching the same scene back to back in each language. Actually, I've done that with every dubbed anime I've watched this year. Every once in a while, the dub is bad/annoying and I try to switch over to subbed. I always end up sticking with the dub in either case. Higurashi and Zombieland Saga are the only anime I've ever chosen to watch subbed when there was an existing dub.
tl;dr; Listening to a translation > reading a translation, and I love English dubs unconditionally.
English subs only (I am polish).
Sub - I want to watch the latest episode asap, not weeks or months after the show has been aired. For older shows I look at dub rating. If dub is liked by community I go for it otherwise sub.
Though I acknowledge special shows that must be watched in sub like JoJo or Gintama etc....
Only thing I watch dubbed is Dragon Ball
Sub.
The only reason I always prefer sub is because I'm not a native English speaker (most dubs are in English). There are not many (or not at all, I think, at least on streaming service) animes that are dubbed to Indonesian. If I have to choose between two foreign dubs (Japanese and English), I'd always prefer the original which is Japanese.
That being said, if there were animes that are dubbed to my native language, I'd still prefer the Japanese dub for originality and also because that's what I've been used to.
