[Anime] Subtitles vs Dubbing


If you are unable to read/write Japanese, which do you prefer when watching anime?  

361 members have voted

  1. 1. If you are unable to read/write Japanese, which do you prefer when watching anime?

    • Subtitles (including fansubs)
      290
    • Dubbing (including fandubs)
      71


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I never liked english dubs. They sound so weird and not natural. The japanese have a way to pick the right voices that suit the character. Fansubs is better IMO. Even if I get a DVD with dual languages, I would watch the subtitles with japanese audio than watch it with english audio.

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Ditto. I usually prefer subtitles when watching anime. I think that sometimes a lot of the content or the story line gets lost in translation with dubbing.

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My intelligence was called into question after I asserted that watching anime with subtitles and the original Japanese audio track is superior to watching anime that has been dubbed into another language.

Here is an opportunity to guage the anime-watching preferences of the Neowin community.

I believe the original audio + subtitles are superior (in any case) because too much content is lost in translation when dubbing... and in some cases stories/conversations will stray-away from the original script.

Subtitles can afford the opportunity to accurately translate Japanese... while not every set of subtitles are accurate, it surely beats limiting/restructuring sentances/conversations to the movement of the character's lips (as is the case when dubbing).

Please share your opinions.  And please bump the poll up with your opinions!

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Well, I think there's something lost regardless of the method of translation. The subtitles aren't necessarily a more accurate translation than the dub. Your point about restructuring the dialogue for the dub is a good one, but it's still possible to get the point across without losing the meaning. The main appeal of a sub IMO is that you get to hear the original VA performance, which is a significant factor. Whether it's a positive one depends on the show & character. Mousse from Ranma 1/2, for instance, sounds far more appropriate for the character in the dub IMO. On the other hand, they tried to approximate Tomoyo's voice for the dub of CCS the movie 2: The Sealed Card. They succeeded, but the result just didn't work for me. I vastly preferred the original Tomoyo, or for that matter Madison from the Cardcaptors dub.

Dubs have the advantage of being more accessible. There are people who can't read subtitles effectively - my cousins are anime fans. However, one has a vision impairment which makes reading subs impossible for her. Her children, while literate for their ages, would not be able to keep up with the on-screen text. Not to mention I got a sore throat reading all the subtitles to them the few times we tried doing subbed anime. :) So when sharing, I prefer dubbed anime - it's less work. ;)

On my own, I don't have a preference. It depends on my mood, and whether I'm able to just sit & watch or want to do something while the DVD's playing. In fact, I occasionally switch the soundtracks between episodes of a show to compare the performances. And since most decent DVDs these days have both (if a dub is available), it's not even an issue to me.

Oh, and since you don't have a "Depends on my mood" option, I'm not voting in the poll. Sorry.

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OT - 100 votes already! Thanks for your input thus far :cool:

KFGatri - I am surprised that you don't have a preference :ermm: I understand that each (subs and dubs) have their own advantages, but when it boils down to it (and you're sitting in front of the TV with time to yourself), you don't have a personal preference?

To each his own, I guess :) Without trying to sound obnoxious, thanks for not voting (Y) The question in this poll was phrased in such a way that it is exclusive to people who do have a preference... thanks for your opinions (Y) I think you made some good points :)

I'd also like to openly invite Quantum Trickery to post his thoughts on this matter now that a preliminary set of results are available... without QT this poll wouldn't exist :shifty:

It's nice to see that others out there appreciate the performance of the Japanese voice actors (Y) Outlaw Star (for example) degenerates to an obnoxious children's cartoon when listening to the dubbed-audio track... Aisha Clan Clan (the Ktarl Ktarl) sounds like a shrieking-wench in the English audio track :x

Edited by joekr
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I dont really know whats meant by anime but Manga films always seem best in Japanese with sub titles. There are so many differences its just not funny. I always wonder how much you really do miss out on even with good subtitles.

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Most of the time I will prefer subbed over dubbed, especially on the Nartuo and Bleach series, I saw the dubbed Naruto series and I have to say it sounds like total crap :/, naruto's voice is just ugh....

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I only want subbed anime. Only SOMETIMES I like anime dubbed, like 'Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro', an anime from 1979. It was dubbed but not in English language, but Dutch (I'm from Holland). Those voice actors were very good, and it didn't harm the quality of the anime at all :cool:

Though, most of the dubbing is done by horrible voice actors. Like, Naruto is going to be dubbed, and shown on Cartoon Network. I've seen a clip of that, and yes, yet again another victim of amateuristic voice acting...

Such a shame. Another example is Golden Boy in English, bah! It sounds like the voices were done by retarded people!

So ehm, subbed for me. Japanese rocks.

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I dont really know whats meant by anime but Manga films always seem best in Japanese with sub titles. There are so many differences its just not funny. I always wonder how much you really do miss out on even with good subtitles.

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Anime are TV series.

I'd go with subtitles anyday because IMO, dubbing isn't that great, there are very few animes that actually offer great or even excellent dubbing (i.e. Fruits Basket) IMO.

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It really depends on the quaility of the Dub. I recently brought a DVD copy of an anime I had recorded off the TV years ago on VHS which was failing(megazone 23) and was really disappointed when I put the DVD in, only to notice it had been redubbed. Although the translation is supposedly better according to anime websites I thought the voice acting was utter terrible compaired to the version I had on VHS :/

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Subtitles for me.

I've watched Cardcaptors. Bad Bad Dub. Horrible feelings just thinking about it.

When I watch Anime in Japanese with English Subtitles.

The only exception is Gundam Wing, I watch that in English (haven't watched it in Japanese yet - maybe when I'm really bored)

{Is the post confusing?, I thought it was, too tried from resetting up my computer area}

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Tough one for me. I think for me it depends on which I see first.

I don't rent as much anime as I used to, so alot of the stuff I see I see on TV first and that's pretty much always dubbed.

I really like the Trigun, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, and Full Metal Alchemist that I've seen dubbed, and probably would find the original voices odd since I've seen the English Dub first. I also liked Robotechs dub, although they took heavy liberties in that translation since they put 3 unrelated anime together to form one story, but I think it worked fine.

That said however I've rented some things that are truly terrible dubbed. Le Femme Nikita, while not an anime, was freaking terrible.

One things for certain, I'd like to have the option for both on a DVD in the event that the English dub was terrible.

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I think it really depends on the dubbing - I'm more of a subtitle person, but some of the dubs are there for capturing more of a feeling that the subs. There are just some things in Japanese that aren't in other languages, and sometimes dubbing can convey a closer feeling of what the original means that just direct translation.

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Dubbing, I spose but it annoys me when they especially in lesbo pr0n stick another womans screams and moans over the one actually getting...... :whistle:

Subtitles I supposed you get used to whislt watching, a bit like when you first start watching a tv you see the vase on the tv, the back wall, the rim of the tv, then once into the film, tv programme you don't notice it anymore.

So you kind of program yourself to notice the action and read the subtitles at the same time.

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In a live action recorded film it would be subs hands down.

However, for anime I find that since the lip movement is already so limited that the dubs for anime are less cut up and not as distracting as for a real film. For me the real appeal of anime is the actual animation and style and that for animes glancing down at subs constantly detracts from the film. This could be hugely influenced by the fact I mostly watch the big name films where voice-work is done by professionals, and don't tend to watch the less mainstream anime.

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I like subs, it is the hearing of the original Japanese voices that makes an anime interesting and exciting and subs are much more accurate and less annoying than emotionless amateur voices that make me go..... ugh.... !!

Subs all the way !!

DubZ lose ! (until they stop butchering the storyline and putting retarded voices on the characters)

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