because i don't know Japanese and every time I look at subtitles my brain goes blank

cant focus on both subtitles and what going on the screen

plus i can barely tell a difference in Japanese voices in the first place

Two main reasons for me. One is that i can also accomplish other things while watching and I don't have to miss anything important. Another is that sometimes the anime has a lot of terminology like Psycho-Pass and it's easier for me to understand in english or the dialogue is too fast in Japanese too keep up with subtitles, like Saiki-K (watching Saiki-K in sub was freakin hard dude).

They've trouble reading subtitles maybe?

I watch both but I mostly watch dub only because I have ADHD and sometimes its hard to sit through a bunch of episodes without doing something else and if I zone out it is easier to pick back up where I was not that I think dub is better

I love both sub and dub, but if the dub is good,
i'm likely going to watch it in the dub version.

1. English usually only works for people who speak English as their first language. Eg; i'd never enjoy German dub cause i dont speak it
2. Most of us would not have started watching anime if not for having started something in dub.
3. There are plenty good (sometimes better) dubs out there.
4. If the dub is good, for me it makes the characters easier to connect to
5. If an anime isn't set in Japan (Victorian or American setting), the dub feels suitable.
6. There are some people who are unable to concentrate while reading subtitles

7 | And on a more controvercial opinion that is my own:
Believe it or not, Japanese people are human. They aren't perfect.
On rare instances, they chooses VAs that aren't good for characters
Big Example: Franky from One Piece of all things.

Why do people watch dub?

A Matter of preference, ig.
Some dubs are as entertaining, if not better than, as the sub.
Examples like Psycho Pass, Konosuba, Death Note, HxH, FMAB and so on, work well even in the dub.
And as Scion said, I made into anime because I started with dubs. I remember watching Your Name in sub for first time, and I didn't understood the plot, even though, it's pretty simple.

They straight up do not like to read

Have you ever watched Cowboy Bebop in Dub?
Watch it and you'll change your mind

im a bit dyslexic so when i first started watching dub was my best friend, but i kept getting told dub was the worst way to watch anime so i forced myself to watch sub.

i still have problems sometimes and i pause / rewatch a lot of scenes. dub can be really helpful for people who cant read very well and still have the chance to enjoy anime

They probably dont wanna or having trouble reading subs

It helps my immersion a lot, especially in anime I love or drama anime. Its way more impactfull for me to hear 'I love you' or sth like that than just read it.
Also, it helps with making it an easier experience for me to pay attention and not miss details. Every part of my entertainment almost is in English, including texting, memes and youtube videos (despite not being my native language)
Last but not least, I have to say that not all anime have or should have a dub. I rewatched most my favorites in dub the second time and preferred it but obviously not shows like tatami galaxy, shouwa genroku, fune wo amu, ping pong the animation, shirokuma cafe that both dont have a dub and actually use Japanese phrases or tradition in the plot

Why do you care about people who watch dub? Seriously, let people watch anime the way they want to.

Some watch dub as they have trouble keeping up with subtitles, others watch dubbed so they can fully pay attention to what’s going on (applies to action-focused anime etc.)

It’s fine if you don’t like dub but you come across as looking down on others who do watch dubbed anime.

DBZ. The only franchise for which I watched the dubbed version exclusively. Could not accept a castrato Son Goku.

Also, Vegeta's English-dubbed voice in DBZ is "chef's kiss". Mandatory for "The Complete Anime Experience" xD

it's a personal preferance

Because people will watch however they want to watch. There's no right or wrong way to enjoy the media that you enjoy. I've been an anime fan for nearly 20 years and I'm so tired of this debate. Sub purists just need to get off their high horse, let it go, and stop gate-keeping other people's entertainment.

because they want to?

Cause they haven't unlocked Sharingan to read subs and watch the action at the same time ( I'm joking, everyone can do what they want)

I have attention issues and can’t stay focused so I like doing other things while watching anime, films or whatever.
If something’s not dubbed I’ll still watch it, it’ll just take longer for me to get through.

Plus it shouldn’t matter how others enjoy anime as everyone has their own preferences and what works for them.

You somewhat sound like an Elitist

I usually watch sub, but sometimes dub is better and/or easier to watch without having to really pay attention to it.

Also, a lot of people can't keep up with the speed of the subtitles/get distracted easily, my friend is dyslexic and they can only watch dubbed because they're unable to read the subtitles so fast.

I have tried to watch dub before, it was to cringe worthy.

Japanese is just as cringe, that’s because you aren’t used to anime in your language. I’d say that after watching a few episodes, this feeling will fade or disappear completely.

The voices are not the same, they all sound stupid.

Yes, voices will never be the same and that’s normal! First it’s really hard to find two VA with the same voice. Second, you have to adapt the anime as a whole when you dub. It’s often deliberate to make female voices deeper in dubs to match European/American voices (we tend to have deeper voices than our asian counterparts). Very high voices would sound unnatural and even weirder.

And the mouths don’t match up bcuz its a dub

uhhh does it ? I mostly watch french dubs, and those don’t have this issue (French are really good at dubbing, even if elitists won’t acknowledge it). A translator’s job is not to google translate the script, it’s supposed to adapt, localize and find words that match the mouths. I didn’t watch many English dubs, but I didn’t notice such problems.

Now why do I watch dubs? Because often, they are just as good. People refuse to acknowledge that things improved a lot since the 80’. There aren’t translation issues anymore or unmotivated VA. Both subs and dubs have their pros and cons. When I watch something and the dub is alright, why should I force myself to read subtitles ? There’s no point, it takes away immersion, and even as a fast reader, you have to look at the subtitles instead at what’s going on.

I find crazy that in 2021 people still have to justify why they watch dubs like they were experiencing some bad version of a movie or anime and their opinion was trash (not what OP said, but you often read that on the internet).

TL;DR - Things vastly improved the last few years and most die hard fans refuse to accept it. also cringe comes from habit.

For 99.9% of what I watch I watch subs however, with a few shows here and there I do choose to watch them dubbed either due to it either being a well done dub or just featuring a ton of my favourite VAs I know from other medium.

dubs can be fun, theres a lot of series that i liked in dub more than sub and one that i literally can not watch in sub because thats how much i hate it ^^;;
both have really good qualities and that doesnt mean all dubs are bad either ...

I think this meme fits right here

sometimes the dub is good

I personally don't mind either way, it depends if I am too lazy to read the subtitles or not.

The voices are not the same, they all sound stupid.

then watch anime with better castings.

And the mouths don’t match up bcuz its a dub

if the people behind the dub gave a crap about stuff like labial consonants and translated/localized the script to actually fit the mouth movements, problems like that wouldn't exist. it's not that hard if you know what you're doing.

Because people like it

Watch FMAB dub. Literally as good as the sub

Thank you. Someone finally said it. For a moment I thought I remembered seeing this thread 500+ times in the past, but it was probably one of these false memories I keep experiencing. Nelson Mandela, that little rascal, is probably fucking around with the universes again. He already died twice, but can't seem to stay dead.