Dub vs. Sub

I would really like to know all of your different opinions on dub vs. Sub. Could you do like a pro/con list and tell which is your favorite way of watching it? Thanks!

I'm a dub man myself, simply because I like to take in every single bit of animation from every scene. I like to see all the minor things like reactions, things in the background, etc. If I have to read text during the show (not that i mind all that much, anyway), it takes away from my viewing experience. I do watch subs now and again, but deep down, I love dubs more.

Dubs: Pros: Allows me to see everything i want to, I like a lot of voice actors and it's exciting hearing them play one of my favorite characters
Cons: Sometimes they're done really poorly.

Subs: Pros: It's awesome hearing the show how it was originally done, and japanese is such a beautiful language
Cons: I can'ts see everything i want to see and still now the dialogue (short of rewinding all the time).

Subs are the way to go for me.

I understand what people say about the dubs and not having to read, but I always feel like there's a lot lost in translation and making the words fit to the mouths. I like to hear it in the original script (or well with minor changes for the subtitles) how it was intended to be heard. I'm also a fast reader, so I normally have enough time to read the subtitle and still get a long good look at the scene, so I don't miss much animation.

I also think that there's a lot of bad dubs out there.

Now, don't go off thinking I'm a dub hater. There are times where I prefer dubs. Sometimes a characters voice in the original may be painfully annoying and more bearable in the dub. But remember, this works the other way too. A good example: Relena Peacecraft from Gundam Wing. The character alone makes me want to kill her, her voice added to this and I could literally strangle her (Enough to make me wince at people who cosplay her!). The original Japanese voice, much more bearable! At least in my opinion.

I also do like some Dub voice actors, like Steve Blum and Vic, and I'll generally give a go at animes that they're in.


Another thing to consider is that you can normally get your hands on subed animes long before the dubbing. This is my main point, and has two aspects. Firstly, if the anime isn't licenced in America it's not illegal to download it via file-sharing programs. Since animes normally don't get licenced until after the show's completion (to look at the sucess of the show), minus a few cases where the anime is an instant hit, you can get your hands on it legally for free. Secondly, you can also get it faster. Fansubbers have a turn-around of about a week, maybe less for really popular series. They're normally very good subtitles and you can see the show almost at the same time it's airing. If you wait for the dub it can take up to a year for licencing, casting, recording, and THEN you have to pay for the DVD (at least to get it legally).

Yeah, agree with many of those points. As of late, I've been watching a lot of subbed anime, especially because Funimation's youtube channel seems to love putting only four dubbed episodes at all of any given series (which i found really annoying). And yes, Chiaki, Steve Blum is amazing. So is Vic, for that matter. Good call.

I'm Sub.

It just tends to seem more natural, oddly enough. For many animes that I see, the voice acting feels a little... off. And in some cases it just feels completely wrong.

Plus as it's been said before, you get to see it much faster subbed than dubbed, which is always a plus.

I usually like dubbed though when I am not in the mood to concentrate on the show. Like if I feel like watching anime, but I am doing something else like cleaning up or typing or other stuff where I can't keep my eyes on the screen at all times.

i voted both because I like it either way and maybe ive just been lucky enough to get really good dubbing. or its because i watch so much sub stuff. and the reason i watch sub stuff is because there is so much that hasnt gotten here and is most likely isnt going to get here or i like the dub so much i want to wait for the rest. for example right now i just finished watching Hell Girl season 1 and the dubbing was really good so im going to wait to get the 2nd and 3rd season in english. im even going buy the box set when ever i can.

I'm slightly more a fan of subbing, since an English dub usually has big shoes to fill after licensing. At the end of the day the worst dug characters I find are the little girls. English dubs come off as annoying to me in the beginning, but I can't really fault the voice actors. Pre-pubescent children simply do not sound like adults (in general terms at least).
But I do enjoy Crispin Freeman whenever he talks (which is often) and whenever Johnny Yong Bosch gets angry (which is also often). Makes me feel all giddy and happy.

I SAID dubbed, but I would have said both. I'm with Lamp on that dubs allow you to focus on both the words and what's going on, but more often than not the dubber f-s up the anime and makes the dialogue stupid or cuts parts. That's why I like subs, because you can see the original scenes and read the original words.

Good call, Darklord. While i have stated before that i'm a bigger fan of dubs, I don't mind subs at all. The only thing that gets me about them is when I can only find "fansubs". Take, for example, the last episode of Soul Eater (fantastic anime, by the way). There were more F-bombs than I ever thought possible for an anime. I don't really know if they're actually there or not, but I hate gratuitous swearing (of the S and F variety, damns and hells and asses are still ok) in the subs that I watch. That's really my only big aversion to subs that I find on the internet. Also, sometimes the fonts are impossible to read. If i can find an official sub, I'll watch it, but when most of the time I have to watch these subs that were dragged up from the pits of retardation, it's really tough to get behind them.

Lamperouge, did you switch to a different fansub group for the last episode?

No. I was watching the same website. I think the site picked these videos up from everywhere, because almost every sub was different.

I voted Subbed, but honestly it depends on the anime, Trigun for example has a great dub, Death Note does as well.
_____________
Sub
Pros
- Generally Less Censoring
- More Choices
- Generally fits better with ANY given anime.
- Often done better than Dubs.

Cons
- While reading the subs some people can miss out on the animation, or atmosphere of a scene.(This happens to me when watching Ronin Warriors, I can't watch it, And strangely enough it Only happens to me in Ronin Warriors. I think the font for the subs is to small, yes, I'm aware its available dubbed.)
_____________
Dub
Pros
- Can look away from the screen and still get a joke. (If you aren't fluent.)
- Some people enjoy what they don't have to read more.

Cons
- It doesn't make sense to watch an anime that pretty much just life in Japan where everyone speaks a foreign language.
- Less to Watch.
- Alot end unfinished.

-

Huh... Didn't see this thread...

Forgive me for being preachy. I think the American standard for voice acting is not on par when compared to Japanese. Again Japan has been releasing animation and voice actors are in demand in alot of anime per season. Which brings us to fansubs, in how their efforts have brought forth for you and me to enjoy anime. Sure it's not ethical for the anime economy to do so, but the quality for little fansub groups has done alot when it comes to typesetting, Font, Karaoke translation, raw format, and all that junk pretty much sums up my siding with SUBS.

I find this little article interesting *WARNING LINK IS NSFW*:

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/02/22/japanese-prefer-subs-to-dubs-49-vs-47/