Subtitles or Dubbed?

[YokaiKnight]

Anyway I prefer subs, English voice actors fail (at least in the animes Ive seen) if I watch a dub without ever watching the original japanese one I might stand it but once I compare both it's more likely that Ill watch the original.

Try Last Exile and RahXephon's dubs. Last Exile is probably the better series, but both are great dubs.

[CGV]

Which one did you watch first, the dub or the sub? Because if I watch the dub before the sub I find the dub a little more bearable, but if I watch the sub first, the dub is just plain dumb and sucky. (Although this only applies to TV series, with anime even if I watch the dub first I just can't stand it, Naruto for instance, I just cant hear an entire episode without wanting to rip off my arm and throw it to the screen)

Yeah pretty much this. Whatever you get used to first is what you normally watch. That's like that for me anyway

[Ragnell]

I hardly ever watch shows that aren't in English (I'm not into Japanese anime all that much), so my opinion doesn't count for much. But when I do watch something, I prefer dubs. Mostly because, even though the voices often suck, it's easier than looking at the subs, then looking back at the scene, then back at the subs, then realizing you missed a sentence while looking at the scene, then missing another paragraph while contemplating your loss. I don't mind subs, though.

Plus, I don't understand any of Japanese. None, zip, nada. So trying to learn Japanese by listening is hard for me because I don't understand the language's structure.

Edited December 27, 2008 by Ragnell

[thanibomb]

It depends on the anime.

Shows like Inuyasha and FMA I prefer dubbed, because that's how I watched them originally. Dubbed anime really isn't as bad as people say. Some I even prefer over the subbed (i.e. Berserk, Death Note, Black Lagoon).

[Loki Laufeyson]

It depends on the anime

this.

CardCaptor Sakura the dub was possibly the worst thing on the planet..but some dubs are ok like Trinity Blood has good dubbing if you ask me..and the sub for Excel Saga...umm no...Excel talks too fast and its too hard to read even for a fast reader like myself..

i do enjoy subs on a lot of different stuff...Inuyasha subs IMO are better...

[Rei]

I hope you know that ALL anime are technically "DUBBED".

[Altera the Hun]

It depends on the anime.

Shows like Inuyasha and FMA I prefer dubbed, because that's how I watched them originally. Dubbed anime really isn't as bad as people say. Some I even prefer over the subbed (i.e. Berserk, Death Note, Black Lagoon).

It helps that Black Lagoon's dub version of Chinglish is so amazingly good. She's probably one of the best english dub voices out there.

On that note, sometimes the Dub is so radically different from the Sub that they're practically no longer the same show. Case in point: Shin Chan. The Dub and the Sub are so drastically different that it's really hard to compare the (Funimation) dub to the original show, because so much of the show has been changed durring the dubbing process (I personally prefer Shin Chan's dub, BTW.)

[Palsy Brown]

After living in foreign countries and watching movies therein, I have a somewhat innate preference for subtitles, though this is mostly due to exposure. I typically even watch English films with subtitles, as I feel more comfortable with them there. I prefer seeing any medium in their original language, whether it be anime or films from other countires; I suppose the main reasoning being that the visuals coincide a bit more with the sound that way.

However, I don't mind dubbed if the dubbing is done well. I suppose this is a bit trite, but I actually slightly prefer the dub of Cowboy Bebop to the original Japanese audio -- the voices feel a bit more authentic in a way to me, due to the heavy american themes within the show. I'll also probably watch some movies over again in English with the subtitles for the Japanese audio on as a comparison after the first viewing, I'm a bit peculiar in that regard, I suppose.

[Starwolf_UK]

CardCaptor Sakura the dub was possibly the worst thing on the planet..but some dubs are ok like Trinity Blood has good dubbing if you ask me..and the sub for Excel Saga...umm no...Excel talks too fast and its too hard to read even for a fast reader like myself..

Are you refering to Carp Captors which the dubbing was the least of the shows problems (still a problem but heavy cutting, censoring etc FTL :( ) or the real CardCaptor Sakura :P

As for Excel Saga, I remember back in the day people described it as the "show which couldn't be dubbed" well they were proven wrong...even if it did take 2 voice actresses first one had to quit on health grounds caused by the acting

I'm most sad that ADV Films in the UK seem to have lost the Excel Saga liscence* (and not renewed it) so it is impossible for me to buy the DVDs (they're out of print and about a year ago they did a fire sale of all their inventory for insanely low prices...and I missed it :( ) but at the same time I don't want to download it plus I hear ADV films did a pretty job on the subbing with an annotated version...

*-I wasn't aware anime liscences expired either but they are probalby time limited contracts. Actually, liscences are a pain. There are a number of older shows which can't be liscenced because one party wants too much money or doesn't want to (I've only heared off the cuff remarks from Ameircan distributors about how certain older shows can't be liscenced because the music liscence** is far beyond their budget and if thet released with different music the fanbase would reject it)

**-You might not know this but 4Kids wouldn't pay this so made their own soundtrack (read:gerneric elevator music :( ) to well...everything except the first few seasons of Pokemon :(

If anyone wants to see bad dubbing and I mean bad dubbing try searching for "those obnoxious aliens" on youtube...poor old Urusei Yatsura always did get the short end of the stick outside of Japan not least with Vis Media canceling the manga incomplete (thankfully fans pciked up the rest :) ) and the anime being very hard to get in complete form outside of America (and possibly Japan) becuase AnimEigo (the liscence holder) doesn't ship outside of there for some reason :(

Edited December 30, 2008 by Starwolf_UK

[YokaiKnight]

I hope you know that ALL anime are technically "DUBBED".

Oh, stuff it. Read every instance of subbed and dubbed with "English" in front of it. :P

As for Excel Saga, I remember back in the day people described it as the "show which couldn't be dubbed" well they were proven wrong...even if it did take 2 voice actresses first one had to quit on health grounds caused by the acting

That's one of the few shows I can imagine that happening for. XD

[thanibomb]

It helps that Black Lagoon's dub version of Chinglish is so amazingly good. She's probably one of the best english dub voices out there.

On that note, sometimes the Dub is so radically different from the Sub that they're practically no longer the same show. Case in point: Shin Chan. The Dub and the Sub are so drastically different that it's really hard to compare the (Funimation) dub to the original show, because so much of the show has been changed durring the dubbing process (I personally prefer Shin Chan's dub, BTW.)

Haha I love the Chinglish. XDD

[DeSu]

The only dub I find acceptable is Ranma 1/2 dubs, and maybe Dragon Ball( Original, not Z)

[shadowofchaos]

I prefer RAW. That should be an option.

SPOILER WARNING, I was ranting, so I apologize for any spoilers.

As far as Cardcaptor Sakura went, DO NOT watch the English dub, aka "Cardcaptors" which was heavily edited to attempt (note: ATTEMPT) to fit the anime for American audiences as well as target boys as well as girls. Kind of like an attempt to compete with Pokemon's target audience.

Don't get me wrong, the opening song was catchy (the dubbed Cardcaptors one) but the Original one definitely had the shoujo anime feeling. And even IF it was cute like that, when I was 10, AND I'M A GUY, I probably would have still watched the anime.

Actually, when I was 10, just like everyone else, you would probably be completely fine if you watched Cardcaptors ONLY. By itself, it's a decent anime, considering it was the first ever thing to introduce me to the concept of "cute". However, Cardcaptor Sakura doesn't have a large fanbase, with many people saying "It was my favorite anime of all time."

Like an analogy I saw somewhere on the internet with the two series, "It's hard to miss the beauty and vastness of the ocean when all you've ever seen is a small lake."

[spoiler=I don't know how spoiler'y this is]To my knowledge, there has been NUMEROUS voice actor changes for Syaoran Li (I SIMPLY REFUSE to call him "Showron") in the middle of the freaking series. Not to mention, the heavily edited Cardcaptors shows "Today's card" with segments of the Cardcaptor Sakura episodes of the ones you never see. It's a giant middle finger to the viewer, pretty much. Character development is VERY skewed. I haven't watched Cardcaptors episodes besides the zoo one and the Final Judgement, but I did read that Sakura was able to confess to Yukito/Julian, BUT Syaoran was not able to confess to Sakura. They edited that out. I can see WHY they would, it's editing to fit kids, but seriously, they did a crappy job at it. The way the text described it on summary, it seems like "Elementary Schoolers are allowed to confess to older people, as long as they get rejected. Since we edited the confession of a grade schooler to a grade schooler, we are saying YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE FEELINGS WHATSOEVER WHEN YOU'RE THAT YOUNG."

The stuff above, the erasing of Li's confession, basically SHOT THE SECOND MOVIE'S ENTIRE PLOT AND PURPOSE. I'm not sure if the voice actor's changed to the Australian dub or whatever, but I watched it in Japanese, there just happened to be a second track there that was English. I heard Sakura call Syaoran actually "SYAORAN" in English, so I ASSUMED (yes, shut up) it must be better, considering how butchered the entire Americanized series was.

Considering I just finished the OVA's 5 minutes ago and the 70 episodes 2 days before that, I had a fresh rant in my mind. I watched the Japanese dub of Cardcaptor Sakura, and I was so into it, that I'm feeling that I'm in a slump right now for finishing it, because I want more. But alas, all good things must come to an end.

GO FREAKING WATCH THE JAPANESE VERSION, don't waste your time with English Cardcaptors. If you're gonna watch it in English, watch "Cardcaptor Sakura" Austalian English dubbed version (I read SOMEWHERE, I'm not sure, that they dubbed all 70 episodes for the Australia dubs).

That anime is probably one of the best arguments against CRAPPY DUBBING. Don't get me wrong, there are great dubs out there, but Cardcaptors was one of the crappiest ones I have ever had the displeasure to watch dubbed, but had the greatest pleasure being sucked into with the Japanese voiced, English subtitled/No subtitles version series.

The nostalgia was great. However, with this, my 10 year old crush, hidden for 9 years, waiting to be lifted by watching every episode and killing it by shipping Sakura x Syaoran probably more than I ship Eliwood x Ninian, I hope is finally done with.

[Tangerine]

Hahaha, wtf? The last post in this thread was January 2009, why would you post in it ?