the dubbing discussion thread

[Gisol888]

Well I'm pretty new with animes an I haven't watched much animes yet ( I mostly read mangas) and I just don't know in wich language i should watch animes!
I would love to know in wich language you usually watch animes and why you're watching it in this language!!

If you're born and raised in japan or know the japanese language well enough to watch animes without subtiles, vote for MY OWN LANGUAGE!!!

I would love to know your opinions because i just have no idea wich language i should listen to! I don't know if i should read all the time the subtiles but i also don't want to miss the anime feeling (bad voice actors)
please help me!

Greetings Gisol888

[Strike Zero]

Well, most of the anime I watch is in Japanese by default because I watch it as its coming out -- that is, before it has a chance to be dubbed and released here in the States.

That said, I've never strictly watched anime either sub-only, or dub-only. Most times, I'll end up watching a show I own in both languages. Sometimes I'll like both just fine, sometimes I'll prefer one over the other. It varies from show to show.

[bullethead]

I picked "Different" because it was the closest thing to Other I could find.

For me, it depends on which I hear first and/or which I perceive to fit better. While I do watch anime subbed, I always give the dub a shot (even Sentai dubs, which are horrible - I do it to see just how bad they are). If I like the dub better, I usually stick with it; if not, I go back to the subs.

In general, I find shows that are either not set in Japan or in a future Japan work well dubbed, while present/past Japan stuff is a mixed bag. Military oriented shows also tend to be a bit more dub friendly than some of the other stuff.

[kmagryffindor]

For me I am drawn to the art and story, I enjoy anime more dubbed in my own language (English). It allows me to take in the full visual spectrum and I really like english voice actors, I am even inspired to be one. Just remember their is no right or wrong way, or better way to watch Anime. Just watch it your way

[Xenosynth]

It usually just depends on the anime. I know with GitS:Stand Alone Complex I watch in english, as well as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. SOmetimes I will watch the dub though if I just get used to the voice, like the Zeta Gundam series, where I am so used to Kamille sounding like that, that even with some derps here and there I am just more comfortable with the dub. But again, it's a case by case basis.

[Khandri]

Like with the others here, it really depends on the series, and sometimes how I see it first. There are some series--such as Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Eureka Seven, Ghost in the Shell: SAC, etc.--with really stellar dubs that I just can't get myself to watch it in the original Japanese, or that's how I saw it first, and I have a particular fondness for the dub as a result. (I'm also a an enormous fan of Johnny Yong Bosch, so I will pretty much watch any dub he's involved with over a subbed version.)

On the other hand, there are plenty of series where I prefer the original Japanese cast, either because that's how I saw it first, or because the dub simply doesn't impress me very much. Most of the Gundam TV series that were released in the US fall into this category, I find; I'm really not a big fan of Ocean Group's anime dubs overall.

And then there are the very, very few anime, such as Gundam Unicorn and some of the Studio Ghibli movies, where I will happily watch it in either language because both versions are just that good.

[mcred23]

Throw me in the "whichever I heard first" group as well. It doesn't matter if I saw something dubbed or subbed the first time around, whichever way it was is the way I remember it in my head and how I'll go back to the work in question in the future 99% of the time, regardless of the quality of the dub or subs (MSG movie dubs 4 life, yo ). If there is a dub available when I first go into something, I'd probably go with that, but for me at this point it's not a big deal at all.

[Toxicity]

Whichever i heard first usually. In some cases if i know who the dub group is who did the english voice acting, i'll watch it subbed just because i get tired of hearing the same few voices in every damn show i watch. Gundam is particularly bad about this for me.

[South Burning]

I must watch anime in my native English or subbed because I don't speak Japanese. However, a friend gave me a copy of the first 00 episode that was subbed and I enjoyed the original voices so much that, once I "memorized" the dialogue, I watched it over and over without reading the subtitles. And when the English dubs became available, I had to watch several episodes before I could enjoy the English voices. The original Japanese voices were SO good. I guess I am saying that however I experience anime the first time is the way my brain prefers it, which seems to be the case with most human experience. But I ALWAYS say get your anime any way you can (as long as its legal), because its better than no anime.

[Dark Duel]

Me, I usually have no preference one way or another. In rare instances I'll prefer one over the other. For instance, when I watched the original NGE series years ago, I tried both and preferred the dub. Ditto Rune Soldier.
On the other hand, when I watched Gravion and Gravion Zwei, I started out dubbed, then switched to the sub and found I liked it better. (Though I may be a little biased, as a lot of that had to do with the seiyuu for Klein Sandman(Sho Hayami), Raven(Hikaru Midorikawa), Eiji(Suzumura Kenichi), and Leele(Houko Kuwashima) - especially the latter two).
And while I absolutely LOVED Crispin Freeman, Michelle Ruff, and Johnny Young Bosch's performances in Code Geass, many of the characters I felt were handled better in the original Japanese (Kallen in particular has some really cringeworthy pacing issues at times in some of her dub lines). Overall I'm ambivalent, but except for the aforementioned three VAs and Liam O'Brien I have a slight preference for watching it subbed.

More often than not, I'll alternate. I'll watch a series dubbed, then the next time I rewatch it I'll watch it subbed.
As an example, I recently rewatched FMA Brotherhood subbed. Previously, I watched it dubbed. Then I did the same thing with Code Geass...sort of. I watched the first season dubbed, then R2 subbed.
I've done the same thing with every Gundam series I own on DVD, save the last episode of Unicorn because I watched that one dubbed, but haven't watched the sub yet. Also, 0080 I haven't watched subbed yet as far as I can recall.
And, come to think of it, every other anime I own except for the Rebuild of Eva movies and Chrno Chrusade (which I have only watched dubbed).

[Antares]

I go for subs. Two primary reasons:
- I can understand Japanese moderately well (but still rely on subs, especially when mecha anime has unconventional vocab)
- Finnish TV has always relied heavily on subs, since that teaches you another language (rather than dubs than conform to your lack of language skills). This means when people say "I can't read subs and watch the show at the same time", I can't understand what they mean.

However, I am not anti-dub as such, and understand that people who have *no* understanding of Japanese prefer them. Some dubs, I've checked, are also high-quality. But I'm one of those that thinks the native delivery is always the best.

[Ryuu74]

It really depends on the show, and also depends on how it was translated- if the dub is just a straight translation, I'll probably go sub- however, if the dub script has a bit of its own flavor to it, like with Nadesico, I'll probably go dub.

[Tangerine]

Japanese for me. it doesn't matter if I heard dub first, I always find the original to be better.

Finding dub to be better? try hearing Spiderman in Cantonese or Mandarin? Not that I've heard it myself, but it must be a fascinating experience for any viewers with the know-how about English. For me they just won't sound as natural as it was intended.

of course if you don't want to be bothered to read texts than dub is preferable.

[JulieYBM]

I watch everything in its original format. I figured if I'm going to get angry over censored violence or nudity, I ought to get angry over replaced audio.

[YokozunaBulldozer]

I dont mind dubs but I understand Japanese so it becomes my personal preference.