Not to mention that the best U.S. voice actors who did English Dubs moved on to do video-games and or western cartoons. They are more popular with the general audience, and pay better.
BioZero216 Oh yeah & Jerry Jewell, Todd Habroken, Luci Christian, Caitlin Glass and Joel MacDonald. All of them work in Funimation, although some of them actors have moved to Sentai to voice their anime they licensed in the past & now. Although difference with Sentai & Funimation is that Sentai despite they do have their own in-house veteran voice actors and they actually try & hire new voice actors in their anime.
A dub is really only as good as its director. I don't think it's fair to say dub actors aren't good actors just because they commonly pop up in many shows because they can be really fantastic in any role so long as they have a good director guiding them. Not to discredit the original Japanese versions but the dubs for K-On! and Kill la Kill are both excellent. I can watch both these shows in either language because the cast is just so strong and well done in each.
I have to say this: This argument only applies to Funimation in the early-mid 2000's, the dubbing industry has grown a lot since the days of Ouran's dub. I actually barely hear Vic Mignogna in anything these days, the two most recent shows he was in that I have seen is Free and Oh Edo Rocket, which were a solid few years apart. There are a lot of new voice talent in dubs these days, and while I will concede they still aren't as good as the Japanese, they are a hell of a lot closer than they used to be. I am cool with people not liking dubs for them not being the original language, I understand, but discrediting the entire dubbing industry because of how it used to work almost 10 years ago is kinda dumb. I mean, being around the argument for your whole life doesn't mean it will never improve, or expand. I do agree that some actors are overused, but a few of them actually deserve the amount of work they get, like Laura Bailey, whom you mentioned, I haven't heard her in an anime dub since FMA:Brotherhood. But, I don't watch as much anime as I used to, maybe I missed her? But still, I don't even know where I'm going with the rest of this, I already made my full point...
The problem with subs is that you can't always tell what's the correct translation. Gintama episode 6 has a monster alien. One version Kagura says the alien rapes people. The other version says the alien eats people. Wtf.
The reasons why I watch dubs because of great actors like: Mike McFarland, Eric Vale, J. Michael Tatum, Matthew Mercer, Kyle Hebert, Greg Ayres, Christopher Sabat, Richard Epcar, Jerry Jewell, Tony Oliver, Todd Haberkorn, Steve Staley, Justin Cook, Chris Patton, Steve Blum, Yuri Lowenthal, Lex Lang, Johnny Yong Bosch, Crispin Freeman, Vic Mignogna
Also part of why subs sound better to US is because of the language barrier, we cant really tell for the most part if the japanese actor sucks or not :P
Thanks for pointing that out. We can't judge the Japanese voices. This is a big part which loses this idiot credibility. And he haven't even watched much dubs to even make a truthful judgement on them.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Look at Funimation, doing the same thing. However there are different voice actors in Japan that lend their voices in other anime like for example, Saori Hayama, I always thought that her voice sounded no different than the other actresses but after listening to the little details her voice is different than most and same goes for other actors like Yuki Kaji. It is the same actors 90% of time.
The reason I prefer dubs is because I just understand and comprehend information better when it’s spoken to me rather than when I read it. During long speeches or exposition dumps in anime, if I’m watching sub I won’t be able to completely put two and two together
I treat English dubs the same way as I treat underground music. I don't expect it to have the best quality but that doesn't mean it can't ever be great. Also, tere are just some shows that within the first 5 minutes, I can tell I would enjoy it in the dub simply because of the content/ subject matter. Cowboy Bebop: because cowboys and american accents. Sword Art Online: because I've played online and I wanna hear 1337 instead of read. Hetalia:... seriously...
I watch a fair amount of dubs because I struggle with following subtitles due to dyspraxia. I accept that a lot of subs are just better, I persevered with Bakemonogatari but ended up watching about 30 minutes per episode looping over to catch things people had said.
Kill la Kill is the only anime that I watched all the way through with english dub. Although some characters sound different (Gamagoori), the dub does a good job at translating the school tropes that certain characters represent to the western high-school subculture. And even though I love Japanese Ryuko with all my heart, english Ryuko did something I liked very much: her vocabulary was casual and scruffy, which fit perfectly to our understanding of a punk high-schooler. The subs I was using failed to portray it, with lines like "You're that eager to learn what first love tastes like?" when the english dub did simple "Are you that desperate to swap spit with chicks?" - Both talked about the concept of an indirect kiss (something more common in Japan then the west), but only one explained it. I think they even mixed typical anime voice actors with those from video games, giving Gamagoori the voice of Garrosh Hellscream (World of Warcraft) and Scorpion (Mortal Kombat 9) or Aikuro the voice of MacCready (Fallout 4) and McCree (Overwatch), and they all delivered. Even the crazy cream Iori makes when transforming into his Tailor's Regalia was present in the dub as well. They also added new jokes, like Barazo calling Nui a cosplayer. Overall I was pleasantly surprised and I regard it as one of the best dubs I heard.
I think Digi's perspective on this topic is rather unique, considering he knows some Japanese (I don't know the extent of his knowledge, but still). I would very much be shocked if a person learning Japanese wouldn't prefer the subs if not for just the fun of a learning experience. I came here because I mostly prefer subs, but I actually reluctantly enjoyed a lot of the dub for Ouran High School Host Club (which of course he berated in this video), and made me think legitimately about watching dubs for things. As a VERY casual viewer of anime, getting into a dubbed show, is a LOT easier for me than getting into a subbed one. It would have to be very compelling from the get go for me to want to spend my time binging a subbed show. And a lot of anime has done that for me. The first real anime I watched was Madoka Magica, and that totally hooked me in. Log Horizon is another show that I just became super interested in, and by episode 9-11 (I forget where it really happens) where the main twist came in? I was completely invested, and easily finished the first and second seasons. But I've dropped a number of shows I just couldn't get into, and I can't help but shake the feeling that if I had watched a good dub of it, I might have gone that episode or two further that would make me invested in the show as a whole. So I've been making the choice watch a dub if there is one that isn't garbage, which frankly, many of them are. And honestly, it makes me rather curious about the subbed version, and usually I go back and end up maybe watching some of both. It really depends on my patience. But honestly, I came here to see his opinions on the cowboy bebop dub and I was not disappointed 😅
Dubs I prefer over the subs: - Berserk - Cowboy Bebop - Black Lagoon - Toradora - Is This a Zombie? - Raildex - Birdy The Mighty - Bamboo Blade - Beck - Garzey's Wing - DBZ
Panty & Stocking, Desert Punk, Baccano, Gundam Wing, FLCL all also have dubs that are pretty fun to watch and are not that annoying... I think people over hate dubs.... I mean there are many decents out there
Whenever I watch anime, I watch it subbed and focus fully on the anime, neglecting anything really happening outside it. I then realized that my friends prefer dubs because they watch anime differently than me. They watch anime while doing something else at the same time, like drawing and would prefer to not have to focus 100% on it. They also think if they are reading already, they should just read the manga instead of reading the anime. I fully disagree on both parts but I just found it interesting how differently people can take in the same media.
My stance is that subtitles are a hassle. I simply find dubs easier for me to watch, unless the dub is EXTREMELY BAD which is rarely the case in my opinion.
I think they've started adding new voice actors in eng dubs so now you're not going to hear wendee lee and johnny yong bosch in every show. I'd say in recent years anime is suffering less from a lack of variety in voice actors. Laura Bailey is also my favorite, good taste there. She as Shin-chan was great, a good example of a show that actually attempted to translate the jokes for an American audience.
Maurice Fleshman I know, I'm responding more to digi cause he was saying how he'd hear vic in every show, even though like wendee and bosch it's been a while since I've last heard him take an important role in a show.
New voice actors=/=good voice actors. It's nice that they're hiring new people, but it doesn't matter if they aren't being more selective. I think it's nice I'm hoping they pay attention to the gaming industry and start hiring professionals. Most of the really good English VA's have moved to that industry anyway.
pttoau Weldezion Moved and now protesting for better pay. I wonder how that is working out for them. Look up performance matters. Also those "professionals" are in unions and have asking prices. Do you know how that is a headache waiting to happen?
It exists. The first anime film has a dub. It was...something. It wasn't terrible in my opinion, the actors did a good job, but it's pretty much impossible to dub Gintama properly.
BioZero216 Okay I see what you are saying. I have heard CrunchyRoll are licensing their own anime & even dubbing them but since CrunchyRoll & Funimation are kinda doing a merger partnership now. I think Funimation is doing the voice work for Crunchy's anime. Which to me, is kind of a shame I wanted to Crunchyroll to do their own thing instead of handing out to big companies like Funi, but I understand from business perspective that Crunchy is pretty new at this whole expanding their anime business thing with licensing. What's "NU" ?
kinda funny when he mentioned that it is really rare to have a japanese voice that is completely obnoxious. I guess he dodged a big bullet by not watching the second season of Asterisk War :P
WickedAnimeTroll Perhaps, given since Digi hated Asterisk with a passion all because it was one of those shitty SAO-like cliche light novels, let alone bad anime adaptation. I still liked Asterisk watching it, despite it was "by the numbers".
Ignorance bliss they say. If we knew Japanese like I do Spanish we wouldn't be saying that. Even then with everything I have watched with Japanese voices they have a bad habit of phoning in their performances. That is why some people think Japanese voices sound the same.
Thomas Fernandez Basically instead of actually trying to put effort and be the character they are just going through the motions just playing their archetype. Not all do this, but for example in Tokyo Mirage Sessions. A lot of the cast sounds like they don't give a fuck besides the two ladies Kiria and Ellie. A prime example of this is Goku's Japanese voice actor. For nearly years she has sounded the same and has not bother to change it up. This isn't to take a dig at the ones who really try and do great work. I'm a huge fan of Aya Hirano but even she has been caught doing this.
When I tried to watch the first episode of Sailor Moon Crystal in sub I just had to stop. The annoying voices thing applies to subs and dubs, but in my experience dubs definitely do get most of that. It really is frustrating since there are many English voice actors I really truly appreciate but they're in shows where the dub main cast has that one voice you just cannot stand.
I personally prefer dubs, but I agree with most of your arguments. I do admit that yes, the way the dubbing industry is handled is DEFINITELY not as good as it should be. I would LOVE to hear famous TV actors do voices for dubs. However, I just like hearing english voices. I am someone who can still get the experience most people get after they have seen the sub. I like My Hero Academia, Mob Psycho 100, One Punch Man, D-Frag, the Fate series, No Game No Life, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, etc. All of these shows are shows most people have seen subbed, but I honestly still get the appeal and agree with the consensus about what makes them amazing even though I watched it dubbed. I don't inherently feel we should argue which is better. Some people will only watch subs, some people will watch dubs if they're better, some people will watch a sub if a dub doesn't exist yet, and some people will for the most part just watch dubs. I am someone who can still get the appeal from a dub that someone else got from a sub. Let's just watch an anime the way we want to watch it, and then talk about how awesome the anime is.
Meh I just hate constantly reading the subtitles, but Im getting used to it I guess. I dont think my enjoyment from watching dub is any different from subs though.
As someone who does art I usually look to dubs as background notice cause drawing with subs is impossible. I'm easily pro dub and personally am not all that bothered by the same voice appearing a lot so long as they give a good performance, plus it barely any different than subs having different VA's who all basically sound the same. My issue is that dubs some times have really awkward line deliveries or they will say things that you can clearly tell is just to make the lip syncing work. Of course that is only a problem because I'm a native English speaker and won't really notice when a line sounds awkward in subs (unless it is painfully apparent). Really, the only reason I don't watch dubbed shows more often is because by the time they are out I'm either half way though a series or done with it. The dub I say I watch even close to consistently (and that's stretching it) is Pokemon.
I've never understood the subs vs dubs debate since it boils down to personal preference anyway. That being said I personally prefer dubs, except in the case of hatchet jobs that usually happen to kids shows (obligatory 4Kids comment), because I don't like having to divide my focus while I'm watching a show. Especially if the show has a lot of dynamic action and/or above average art and animation. The issue of voice acting quality isn't important to me since I don't really listen to what's being said when I'm watching subs cause I'm to focused on reading the subtitles. In cases were only subs are available, like Pretty Cure, I'll usually watch episodes twice so I can follow the story then again to watch the show without having to read the subtitles.
"I was watching Clannad-" Oh lord... Most of you are probably thinking I'm about to say "Oh lord, Clannad is so sad. Boo hoo." Nope. I'm saying "Oh lord, that dub is horse shit."
I get what you're saying and the quality of Japanese voice actors is definitely better. I still like dubs though and Funimation is getting better if only a bit at a time, shows are coming out faster and there are more new actors than before. I do agree though from early 200's to like a few years ago was pretty much all the same people and I even got sick of that. Although I do like how cheesy some shows are and that's my personal taste and I get that most people don't like them. Funimation tends to do more adaptive dubbing where they re-write a lot of jokes, whereas Sentai Filmworks tends to do those weird translations that make little sense. I mostly agree that dubs aren't too great but I'm still going to watch them and support them in hopes that they get better. But hey to each their own.
They were also intended for you to understand the voice intonations as characters say them (although, on the other hand, the amount of intonation that is different enough for you to be unable to notice it simply due to it being in a different language is so tiny that it's probs negligible, so who knows)
The very fact that you're watching it in sub-titles means that you're not watching the original art form. You're merely hearing the original language, and you can't understand it.
Also people got to chill with the vic hate, I mean if you don’t like his voice that's fair but that's no reason to dislike as a person you don’t know the dude
That wouldn't be a problem if he didn't think he was God's Gift to the Anime Fandom, perved on his underage fans, and has had coworkers talk about how hard to work with he is.
Josh Sinclair I just don't like judging people I don't know based on hearsay (Not to say I never do it but I try my best not to. it's a slippery slope and being in the public eye is stressful I imagine because people Do jump to conclusion or spread rumors
I have a completely different perspective. I always go to Dubs unless the dub is particularly bad. There's a few reasons that I honsetly can't be fucked at the present time to go into. It's really strange because you mention Ouran which is one of my favourite dubs.
It's funny cause I don't give a fuck about how good the voice acting is either way and it's ALL about immersion to me. I just happen to find my original language more immersing XD. Although interesting enough I *LOVE* the fact that all dub voices are the same. I make a game out of trying to figure who's voicing who before I even watch a show it's super fun for me hope it never changes XD
I think you made some legitimalley good points about your personal distaste in dubs. Yes, in a perfect world actually getting voice actors from TV shows would be awesome (although it's actually kinda funny that you mentioned Venture Bros because one of the main actors actually voiced the main dude in Bakuman). However, I think you are putting dubs at way too high a standard. Don't get me wrong. You are obviously comfortable with subs, and I don't expect you to prefer dubs. The reason I personally watch dubs is 1. I feel more comfortable when characters actually speak my own language, and 2. I hold my expectations based on how the dubbing industry is handled. Sure, the majority of voice actors aren't Tara Strong or Chris Parnell, but honestly when you think about it the dubbing industry can't AFFORD those kinds of actors. TV shows rake in WAAAAAAY more money than anime, and the only people they can afford are newer and up and coming voice actors. That's one thing I feel is a good thing about dubs, because it gives voice actors the chance to actually have a career and improve. Densel Washington was not a great actor when he first started out, but eventually got better. Also, I would counter that companies like Funimation are WAY better with their casting than they used to be because they have been getting a ton of newer voice actors, so there aren't as many recurring actors in everything. Hell the upcoming Hyouka dub doesn't any actors I have seen before, and neither did 91 Days with one or two exceptions. Also again, I think you are holding a bit too high of an expectation with dubs. Dubbing isn't as big as regular TV shows, so big name actors don't have any reason to take part in these projects especially when they have bigger more well paying roles to do. You don't hear H. Jon. Benjamin or Phil Lamarr doing any video game voice over the time they probably would would be if it had to do with a TV show they already did. I think you are being a bit too harsh on dubs. I'm not syaing you have to like them. I'm jsut trying to help give you an understanding of why people may prefer and enjoy dubs, so you won't be as harsh dubs
I would never take a DUB before a SUB, I always watch sub first because they contain the original intentions and delivery of the text and they're very close to the production team. DUBs are fine for a fun rewatch for a show I like though.
But you're reading sub-titles, right? How are you supposed to get the "original intentions and delivery of the text" when you're reading sub-titles which is in ENGLISH and not Japanese. A lot of things are changed in the sub-titles to make grammatical sense in English and word diction, etc... This is actually funny, because what you're saying only applies to a Japanese speaker. If you don't speak Japanese, then no it does not apply.
"A lot of things are changed in the sub-titles to make grammatical sense in English and word diction, etc... " And dubs don't change anything? Subs have more freedom to express the original meaning than dubs, in dubs they have to match the dialog to the character speaking. Subs are not perfect, but it's the next best thing beside knowing the original language.
AragorN As I pointed out. The subs are in English. The original language is an Japanese. The so called "original intention" is already gone. You're reading the texts- was that also the "original intentions" of the creators to have their viewers focused be at the bottom of the screen all the time? As an English speaker, I can't fully appreciate the Japanese version ( even though I've watched so many) because I'm always reading something that's not supposed to be read. Reading was not the animators original intentions. Thus, reducing the claims that you made. I also want to note that even though I disagree with you- you do have a point with watching anime in "sub-titles" because it does come with some pros, but it doesn't prove the point of original intention since it's an a completely different languages. If you knew Japanese, then it would be more reasonable to watch anime in its original language better. With GREAT script writers and actors, and great collaboration with the Japanese producers and team, I find no reason to avoid watching a dub. 99% of anime are adaption of something anyway- I'd like to point that out too. Dubs are continuously getting better, with companies such as Netflix joining the game, they'll put out money for the resources, thus, producing even better dubs that we have now.
"you do have a point with watching anime in "sub-titles" because it does come with some pros, but it doesn't prove the point of original intention since it's an a completely different languages." I don't even know what you are arguing against anymore. My point was, all things equal, subs havs more freedom to express the original intention of the creators. You know you can get a translation to be as literal as possible, it's not such a big deal. Now personally i'm not english myself so i don't really care about english dubs, i'm not against them, it's just not for me. I don't know, not hearing japanese it doesn't feel like an anime anymore. I'm used to seeing subs on movies so i guess it's personal preference up to a point. To make a comparison I wouldn't watch a Pixar or Disney movie dubbed in my language, it just doesn't work for me.
I had a weird experience where I met a Japanese person online who prefers English dubs of anime. I do agree with your opinions. For me I like dubs where it makes more sense for the characters to speak English, if it's a good dub.
I'd say that to complain about a small dubbing industry while lambasting and refusing to economically support its growth is somewhat self-defeating. However, obviously I wouldn't claim you can't criticise the dubbing industry as is, so I ask how you try to reconcile the two ideas as one directly leads to another. It is largely the "fault" (if you can even call it that) of some anime fans that refuse to consider that dubs will ever get better that ensures they don't as it means the US voice acting industry largely remains small due to a lack of growth due to this. (As you say in the video, I'm sure you've heard this before and I only say this as I don't get why you mention it when you mentioned the small size of the English dubbing industry) Again something you've probably already heard, but was curious from your omission of this point is the fact that most full time voice actors in anime are also full time video game voice actors. To want better voice actors in general might also require a generational shift in who the voice actors are in the US similarly to the difference between the backgrounds of Miyazaki compared to Anno and the shift from a new(ish) industry as an industry to one with more fans in the industry due to being fans. Also, I don't get the hate for Vic as a person, why do you dislike him? (And it's his homophobia in being against signing erotic fanart of his characters can you explain why that's a terrible thing) Also, great video and while I disagree a lot, your arguments were supremely cogent and engaging.
I don't really have any stake in making dubs better. It really wouldn't bother me if anime was never dubbed in the first place, considering I watch 99.9% of it in Japanese and never even look at the English version. I just don't see the point in it to begin with, personally.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Some people forget that. Hell even though you get CR people rather steal shit than pay for it on CR. People whine about their sub quality and rather go to Commie. The anime fanbase is very picky and whiny.
When Digi says that all anime voice actors, universally are not in their positions because of their talents and instead because they have an "in" is right about where I tuned out. For someone who typically has a refreshing perspective on the industry, that view is really pathetic and insulting to the hard working professionals of the voice acting industry here in the U.S.
And there's quite literally no basis in it. Like where is he getting that? Just because anime is not the dominant voice acting medium in the west doesn't mean that the west doesn't have or use competent actors.
The only example of a voice actress, I can think of (I'm sure there are a few more, but not many) who is primarily known for her work on western cartoon working on anime dubs is Hynden Walch, probably best know for playing Princess Bubblegum on Adventure Time and Starfire on Teen Titans, she played Nia in the Gurren Lagann dub, Yutaka in Lucky Star and some smaller roles in Haruhi and Princess Kaguya, so it does happen sometimes, not often though. And of course there's Steve Blum, who whilst probably more famous for his role as Spike than anything does most of his work in cartoons and video games,, but he's perhaps not as well known in those communities
I only watch subs these days, but there are a handful of shows I watch the dubs of. And those are typically the nostalgic toonami/adult swim shows (FMA, Bebop, Trigun etc.) Where it becomes difficult is when I'm trying to introduce a show (or anime in general) to someone. I have to make the decision of wether or not to lead off with dubs out of fear of the person losing interest. Aside from that very specific situation, I'm mostly for subs.
ONO It's actually a pretty neat dub overall, and Genos voice works. He had a similar tone in the original, it was just harder to tell because language barrier.
Guypersonmanthing3 Lol fuck no, I speak Japanese but it doesn't need one to tell that the tone of voice was way off wtf ?? Regardless of that Genos was absolutely butchered in the eng dub, the dude sounded like he had dicks inside his nose or something XD.
I can't help but look at the white rectangle reflected in your glasses, and with your glasses, it looks like you have giant cartoon eyes. And now I can't unsee it. lol
Here's my 2 cents you can all ignore. I'll watch it sub or dub depending on what's available, I'm not picky I don't care and no amount of screaming from either camp is going to change my mind. I hate it when anime girls are in an octave only dogs can hear, and i don't want my bishonen sounding like those same girls, so in those instances I'll go dubs but if no one watches Dubs then the industry can't grow and they won't put the investment into it to make it better... *this was longer than intended merry xmas*
You keep mentioning only Texas's Funimation studio, i'm curious, are you aware there are studios in other states as well? There's a few in New York, and like 12 in California, and hell two or three in Canada. Some of those studios are generally consistently better than Funimation. Your general stance sounds like you'd generally disagree with me anyway, but Aniplex Of America puts out some pretty solid dubs(Blue Exorcist, Fate/Zero, UBW, KLK, ETC) So if you're interested, those would be some to check out. Also yes, Dean Venture's actor is in anime providing for such characters as Angelo in Gundam Unicorn, Taki in the movie Your Name, Kenji in Summer Wars. As well he's also frequently Leonardo in TMNT. I realize you probably don't care about that information, but I just wanted to say it anyway.
I respectfully disagree on Space Dandy's English voice, I thought it fit perfectly. Dandy looks like a western guy anyway so the voice seems to go with his look and I have heard the Japanese Dandy.
*BUT WHAT ABOUT FLCL?* But in all seriousness, I've had to deal with dub'd anime until the revolution of streaming anime. I also have friends and family that prefer dub over sub. Sub'd anime is for watch while its airing and dub'd anime is for watching with other people. I have a tolerance for dub'd anime, but gosh darn was the Boogiepop Phantom dub atrocious.
I don't see why they don't get more mainstream voice actors who have actual range. I would love to see the likes of Tara Strong and Phil Lamaar blow those squeaky voiced brats.
The Hunter X Hunter dub bugs me so fucking much. Like hisoka is ok but Killua and Kurapika are shit. Gon is only a pass because they sound like Aladdin from Magi. (Probably same voice actor.)
Forthelemon Well that dub I don't dare bash on because I know the voice actor of Hisoka.... like it was shit but it was 1999 dubs weren't quality for another year 2 years. And even then WTF were they going to do? It didn't have a budget. Like yeah it was shit but it was decent shit. The 2011 dub is killing me but my dad doesn't watch subs and he wants to know about the characters I rant about
All points you made are valid. Honestly the only dubs I can watch were from anime I saw growing up. Only dubs I can watch now are Bebop, Champloo, and Ghibli films.
As a Mexican I do have more respect for dubs, because it was also a very competitive scene with variety it also had it's flair of godawful dubs, which were usually outsourced to South America. The Rurouni Kenshin dub is godawful and they all said Ken-chin. Also since Spanish has the same syllable pronunciation as Japanese we don't get cases where they say Rai-ooo instead of Ree-ooo for Ryu. Cardcaptor Sakura, Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball Z, and Sleeping Beauty (Original dub) are pretty legendary. I think even Walt Disney liked the Mexican dub more than the original. Lain is also pretty damn good. Digimon was also pretty good even if it had some goofy voices and lines about Mexican food. We also have basically our version of Ghost Stories with the Anime Dotto Koni-chan which sure was already a comedy but the dub is so fucking funny because they basically are just riffing on the series. Still prefer subs and will like to watch raw eventually.
I can agree with what you're saying. That being said, three dubs I adore are Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Space Dandy, and Cowboy Bebop. I also thought the dub for Psycho-Pass was pretty good, and I don't think the dub for Azumanga Daioh was too shabby (though I'm sure that's nostalgia talking, lol). Also, ever since partnering with Disney, the Ghibli dubs are all wonderful, but that's because, you know, they have ACTUAL actors.
I would like to hear you stance on translation. Applying both to subs and dubs. There are translations that keep really true to the original language, others that adapt more toward the language its being translate too.
Comparing the industries and numbers of talented voice actors is one thing, but this debate will always come down primarily to aesthetic preference. Personally, one of the things that made me love Fullmetal Alchemist was Vic Mignogna's voice, which I thought was perfect for the character of Edward Elric. I thought the Japanese voices for Brotherhood were alright, but couldn't stand listening to them say "Eduado Erriku." Now that you bring it up, though, maybe I'll give Space Dandy a try in Japanese. I didn't like it much when I watched the first episodes, but I did watch it in English.
I feel like one of the reasons I don't watch as much anime as I used to is that my life has gotten increasingly mentally exhausting over the last eight years, and now I'm generally too tired to keep up with what's going on on-screen while reading subtitles. I've noticed now I'll frequently ignore the subtitles entirely and just emphatically interpret the voice acting, so I don't know what's actually being said most of the time, but I can follow the emotional train of it. This does and doesn't work mostly based on genre and VA skill but largely it works if I remember what was said and can put the jokes together from visual cues, so I don't tend to watch new anime very much because I don't have that to work with. if dubbed anime was of a higher quality I'd conceptually love to try that; but this reminds me of a time when I was watching Evangelion on Adult Swim, and for some reason the Closed Captioning was on; the subtitles in this dubbed broadcast show made more sense and were more moving than the words they were saying, and they were almost entirely different. As if the CC was scraped from a fansub group that cared but the VA script was translated in house.
I always wonder if Japanese fans of American shows debate over if sub or dub is better. Also I swear some people on UA-cam and some of my friends are better at voice acting than some people working on dubs.
I usually prefer dubs for comedy portions, because for me, humor hits harder, and has better timing when it'd in my own language and I'm not reading subs faster than the actual speech. That being said majority of the time I prefer watching subs also thank you, because most arguments I see against dubs are very bad. this is one of the only times I've heard a good argument
The only reason I prefer subs to dubs is because the characters mouths are animated to match the dialogue in it's original language (and I do notice this kind of thing now). With dubs, sometimes it just wont sync up or something will be lost in translation.
***** Thanks! Read the comment and...damn, I didnt know a whole lot about that. That really sucks, especially seeing as how I really liked his voice for Junpei in Persona 3 and Edward in FMA. =^/
windy "...Can't I just hate a guy on flimsy pretexts in peace?" He hasn't even met the guy it seems. It's similar to when someone hates a celebrity on flimsy reasons without doing much research.
Also, the sound mastering is always on all dubs ever, even in Hollywood, wrong, every time a character is dubbed everything else is silenced completely, and you can notice this more during "action" sequences since explosions are silent when anyone speaks, I noticed this in films and it remains the same in anime. As someone who can speed read,i just take a quick glance at the subs and continue enjoying high quality audio.
Also, since there are cultural subjects that cannot be translated, i prefer fan subs that have notes explaining things, and that also maintain the honorifics.
>start scrolling down comments >read the same arguments I've read for years >"NOW I KNOW THE COMMENTS WILL B-" At least the video's been made now, there's literally nothing more to say. shout out to the "muh reading"/"muh foreign language" memers
The first time ive heard a legit reason for someone not liking dubs. I prefer dubbed most of the time. If an English dub is really bad then i will go to sub. I love Japanese voices but i REALLY hate reading subtitles. I find your opinion interesting and actually respect it.
This entire argument can be easily be applied to the original sub. I absolutely hate Japanese voice acting I watch subs mainly cause that's really only option I have to watch current shows.
Jepze the voice acting is really bad, either high pitched and annoying or so low and gruffy it boarders on self parody. have you every seen a Japanese film? they don't sound like that at all. I understand it's animation but it really takes me out of it.
A question (or questions) arises after watching this video: What could be done to help or grow the dub "industry" (and I'm using that word VERY loosely considering its probably more akin to a scene than an industry)? Surely there are many people who would be more than happy to contribute voices, as well as people who are more qualified than those handful of voice actors we get over and over and over again. And these same, handful of voice actors can't keep dubbing anime for the rest of eternity. I understand it goes through studios and it's a "who you know" kind of thing but still, one would think it wouldn't be that hard to find people that either want to voice act for anime specifically or just want to break into voice acting. It shouldn't be that hard to localize some jokes and other issues that come along with translating the work from Japanese to English either. I don't know, it just seems like if an actual effort was made, this wouldn't be AS big of an issue. And even if this did happen, sub VS dub is always going to be a topic for debate within the anime community. I guess I just want to see an effort put forth to release the best art possible.
The only thing I could imagine fixing it, is demand. As it stands, people seem to choose subs or dubs more based on ideology or comfort, rather than quality. I don't think there's much pressure for them to get way better from anime fans. Though I do think if they made less shit dubs then they'd have a better chance of getting anime shows to break into the mainstream.
I respect your opinion even if I don't agree with it. I enjoy watching dubs way more than subs. I waited for ONE PUNCH MAN to be dubbed and enjoyed it! Don't get me wrong if I don't see a dub in sight I will watch it. I saw Konosuba and all of Food Wars. But I like dubs because I honestly feel like the dubs manage to make the characters more interesting sure I can recognize the voice actors most of the time, but if they fit the roles and their voices work I don't mind. Also, the thing about dubs is that they are a true statement of anime. Anime is not just something japanese people watch. Dubs show that anime is an international medium. Also, at least for me, very few subs sound different to me. I tried watching Nisekoi subbed because I really thought it was good, but I just couldn't get past the fact that I can't really remember anyone with their voices. Similarly It's why I can't watch the Monogatary series. These are two shows I REALLY want to watch but the subs are just too bland for me. The Asterisk War is only tolerable to me BECAUSE it was dubbed. I wasn't ever going to watch it unless it was dubbed because a dub can provide more of an identity to characters. I'm sure I'm the only person who thinks this, but I need dubs because anytime I watch a sub I don't feel any kind of Identify with the characters. Although I do agree you made some good points. I just need to hear english voices that don't sound Star Wars prequel level wooden. I admit I would like to hear TV show voice actors, and better scripts.
For Nisekoi you definitely want to read the manga. But generally if there isn't a dub and the show isn't just airing at the time, I stick with the source material.
Before I make counterarguments. I want to point out that I don't think dubs are superior. I just think that dubs are just as important as subs and deserve to be on par. Now, I agree that subs provide a statement too, but dubs provide a GREATER statement. Also, I can name a ton of anime I have seen dubbed that still managed to do what the people loved about a show subbed. D-Frag was still hilarious dubbed. Charlotte was still touching, when it wasn't flawed. No Game No Life was still fun. Fate/Stay Night was still awesome (I've only seen 2006 at the moment I have every intent on watching the rest). Sure, maybe you find the sub to be more enjoyable and that's fine, but personally I want to hear characters talk in my language so I can focus on the show. I don't think dubs are superior. I just think that dubs do just as good of a job at portraying anime. Sure, if a dub fails to do the anime justice, or if the dub is just THAT atrocious I will watch the sub, even if the dub isn't superior, if it still manages to provide what the anime is conveying, and I can buy it. I'm all good. Just let dub watchers have their dubs so they can enjoy the anime you enjoy as well.
tokyojesusfist I understand your side. But there are PLENTY of dubs where the creators of the original side have a hand in the crafting of the dub. You are justified in subs. But not every dub is just a poor copy. A good amount actually try and capture what makes the original great. Again, with all of the examples I listed I got what people who watched it subbed would have gotten. Sure, it's definitely weird hearing people who live in Japan speak English, but I can just ignore it. Plenty of dubs try and translate the essence of the original. My Hero Academia's dub still had what made it great. There is not a single anime I love just about all the anime people enjoy when they've seen it subbed. I agree that most dubbed anime have superior dubs. I won't deny that, but that doesn't mean the dubs are bad. I just prefer dubs because I can relate more to characters who speak my language, and I can just focus on the show. I don't necessarily think dubs are superior I just think that most dubs are able to have just as much of an impact as a sub and plenty of people are able to get the same experience.
tokyojesusfist I agree. You are right. I am rationalizing, and dubs are altered versions of the original. If you don't want to watch dubs that's fine, but without dubs I never would have been able to experience the awesomeness of so many great anime. Mob Psycho 100 may be better subbed, but I have been laughing my ass off and enjoying the hell out of it dubbed. Dubs are not superior to anime, but they have a place in the industry and I just prefer them more. Maybe they aren't exactly the same, but so far I have been able to get just as good of an experience as you with any of your subs. Don't watch dubs, you are justified in your disinterest, just let dub lovers watch the anime the way they want to watch and let's talk about how awesome the anime is
When I have that chance, I'd prefer to listen to it dubbed. Firstly I do this because a lot of times I have a hard time following a show's plot when I have to focus on reading the subtitles (I'm a slow reader). For instance, by the time I got done watching Attack on Titan, I had no clue what was going on and I couldn't recall any of the characters names except for the main 3. Secondly, I can't recognize the tone of Japanese voices. At best, I can hear when characters are overly- excited, viciously angry, or when they're crying, and being able to recognize how the lines are delivered is very important. Although I do recognize that some of the English voice actors are bad. Off the top of my head, I can remember that I dropped Clannad in it's second episode because one of the younger kids got on my nerves too much.
When I heard him talking about Vic Mignogna, I thought he was talking about Kirito's voice actor for a minute, but then I checked and it was Edward Elric? I really loved the FMA dub (and so do a lot of others), so I was caught off by that
Well put. I've always had a hard time articulating what's so off-putting about dubbed anime besides just saying "they sound dumb" It makes a lot more sense when you point out that American anime voice acting is a small, underpaid club. Along with the difficulties of proper translation.
Throughout my childhood, I've watched four random episodes of American cartoons dubbed in German. For different shows, all with the exact same cast. I can't even understand it and I notice it. Weirdly, either the Dutch dubbing industry has a lot of different people active in it or because I grew up with them I didn't notice this stuff... But I have difficulty believing Dutch dubs are really bad, weirdly...
ONO Because it's still people trying to work hard, even if they don't meet his standards. It comes off similar to "UA-cam isn't a real job and I don't respect it" Something like that.
Guypersonmanthing3 Well It's his opinion, he's free to think whatever the fuck he wants to about anything. Stop being salty and triggered about a person's opinion and get a life, how about that ?
No one was salty or "triggered" but you, mate. Respect isn't an opinion. Respecting women isn't an opinion, it's treating them equally. Respecting another religion isn't an opinion, it's accepting it exists and being courteous. Digibro saying he doesn't respect the English dub industry implies a lot more than an opinion. For a guy who can dissect anime really well, he might want to take a minute longer when he speaks about these kinds of topics and choose his words more carefully. He can dislike, hell he can HATE, the English dub industry, but saying he doesn't respect it is like saying, "All these people can go jobless for all I care. I have no respect for them, they're not even as good as the guys who bag my groceries."
Hoo... kay. Before I comment on this video proper, I should probably state where exactly I fall on the spectrum of narrow-minded, intellectually lazy dub-watchers and the elitist, snobbish subtitle nazis: 1) Whenever possible, it is always better to hear a recorded performance in its original language. By dubbing over a film, you are in a very practical sense undermining the vision and decisions of its director. From a purist standpoint, the best that a dub can hope for is to is bastardize the work as little as possible. 2) That being said, there *IS* such a thing as a good dub. It takes a perspicacious translator, skillful direction, stellar casting, and flexible and talented voice actors, but it is possible to recapture the most of an original work's essence in a different-language dub. (See: the English dub of FLCL, the Japanese dub of Home Movies.) And if the original has too many regional nuances to be converted into a coherent cross-cultural equivalent (see: Azumanga Daioh and the least-watched English dub ever), it is just as possible to re-imagine it as something that might not be entirely faithful to the original, but manages to retain most of its spirit while effectively becoming an entirely different work in itself (see: the English dub of Shin-Chan). Now with all of that out of the way, your entire criticism of the American dubbing industry boils down to two basic things: A) You have a personal dislike for more than a couple of English voice actors, and B) you have more respect for the Japanese voice acting industry for no real reason other than it's been around longer. Now point number B has some basis in reality. Voice acting started as an industry in Japan when radio first became popular in the mid-1920's. It is incredibly competitive, and popular Japanese VA's frequently earn international renown and are highly respected craftsman. On the other side of the Pacific, animation studios in the United States have a much farther reaching history than they do in Japan, and actually began creating voiced animations earlier too, starting with "Steamboat Willie" from Disney in 1928. But they did receive far less mainstream attention because they weren't taken seriously by the adults creating them. Since no one but kids was watching, there wasn't any real motivation to push the envelope. But Japan takes everything seriously. It's just a part of their culture, which is why the English voice acting industry is only just starting to catch up. Your video suggests that English voice actors, many of whom do voice work for dozens of companies that you probably never noticed, are somehow inferior simply because they take paychecks from Funimation. You can not like Vic Mignogna all you want (my opinion of him is only based only of the handful of times I met him in person at the conventions that I staffed, and he always seemed rather personable to me), but the fact remains that he is a very talented professional who has given a number of exceptional performances. Now I could sit here and make a huge list of all the actors who worked on Funimation dubs that also live in California or Canada, or the many dub jobs efforts that were noted by the original Japanese staff to have produced superior quality work (see the English dub of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), but I also get the sense that I'd be wasting my time. What I really wanted to point out was that, if you feel like your opinion on this subject is frequently attacked and undermined, it's because it's entirely based on your personal tastes and is (at least as far as this video is concerned) largely devoid of any objective analysis.
I don't feel like my stance is undermined at all--I just wanted to make a video to get it out there. At no point was my goal to be objective or helpful to anyone.
This video just reminded me of the first episode of the Plastic Memories german dub, that I tried watching like a week ago, which sadly had Isla sounding more like a 40-year old woman who's trying to sound cutesy than a cute little android girl. You could literally hear her age in her voice.
If there's a dub, I watch it dubbed. The voices all just kind of sound the same (quality) to me anyway, might as well be in the language I speak. Though I've only heard about 1&1/4 shows' seasons worth of language overlap for direct comparison.
If a dub is of *equivalent* quality to a sub then the dub is objectively the better option. If a dub is of lower quality than a sub to the point of being *distracting* then yes, subs are better. There we go, its done. Lets order pizza.
I woudln't say it's objectively better. I hear English a lot more than I do Japanese, and I find Japanese a really beautiful (even when I knew nothing about it) and pragmatic (well, if you can throw aside Kanji) language, so I'd always rather watch anime with the original voice acting. There really is no objective truth here, it's mostly useless arguing about this because people will always have their own subjective opinion about it.
Unless you understand Japanese then you're adding a layer of separation from you and the work at the benefit of hearing another language that you think sounds pretty. But then again the equivalent dub in your case would be worded in a way that titillates you to an equivalent degree.
Well, I certainly don't understand more Japanese than I do English, but I'm currently learning it. Watching subbed/trying to watch unsubbed anime and movies is a decent way to get some expousure to the language's sound. I don't get your second sentence. Are you saying I could watch a dub in another language that I find as pleasing to hear, to the same effect as watching the original? Or do you mean a dub that is using particularly nice-sounding English? I also don't believe that it adds much separation, because it usually takes less time to read a sub than it takes for many things to happen on the screen, especially since a lot of anime today are more about complicated drawings than constant animation. I'd argue that more separation may ensue from changes that MUST be made in the dub's writing so the translation can make sense. Even if this happens in the subtitles too, there's still the Japanese audio that you might understand.
-----1 edutainment is muddying the conversation since it drags motivations into the argument ---2 Note: the use of the word equivalent in the original comment was to be a cop out since its a hypothetical and discussion on hypotheticals on the internet is cancer. With that said "Or do you mean a dub that is using particularly nice-sounding English?" this one. -----3 The amount of separation is variable since my arguments requires you to listen better than you can read and individuals have varying abilities to process multiple visual stimuli at once. The point of my argument is that any separation taking away from the experience should be avoided. (which goes both ways: if a dub is distracting you more than reading subtitles than you should go with the less distracting version) ------4 Not sure why you brought up subbing issues(I think we can all agree that understanding Japanese and watching a Japanese dub is the best option) unless of course you're going off of not knowing lower 2 yet. ------5 To be more clear on how I view reading subtitles. ___Reading subtitles while watching a show is like sitting between two speakers playing music in another language out of one speaker and the translation(not a dub, just the translation) out of the other. You can orient yourself however you like and move closer to one than the other but it will undoubtedly be a muddled experience._____ Wew this conversation has gotten complex as fuck, hope you don't mind the organization. I just did it so I could reference certain things from earlier in the comment.
No, it's not objectively the better option. Objectively the better option is the one the director chose. Every episode of every show and every movie you've ever seen would never be the same without the director. They chose people for each part, while 99% of dubs they just pick from a handful of Texans that they have laying around. So if the voice acting is equally as good.. then the sub is better, because it is not only equally as good, but also more fitting and directed by the fucking director, not a random Toonami hire.
all I know is that trigger shows have great performances (japanese), and I like Liam O'briens voice. Also does no one else like it when characters in the japanese speak in a different dialect?
"cause, you'know she watches dubs" he said with disdain. This will now be my reason for why digi broke up with the girl.
nice lol
For watching anime in English? This is sad :/
That deep lore.
well digi is that petty.
implying that he would interact with physical human females
"My ex watched dubs so I had to dump her" - Digi
I remember a time when the sub-dub debate meant buying two copies of the same VHS tape.
Not to mention that the best U.S. voice actors who did English Dubs moved on to do video-games and or western cartoons. They are more popular with the general audience, and pay better.
RIP Troy Baker as Kanji, he was too good for the role.
RavegousHermage Daemon Clarke he was pretty good as Scar in FMA but that changed.
BioZero216 Just to name a few, Monica Rial, Josh Grelle, Austin Tindle, Jamie Marchie, Eric Vale, Tia Ballard, and Andrew Love.
BioZero216 Oh yeah & Jerry Jewell, Todd Habroken, Luci Christian, Caitlin Glass and Joel MacDonald. All of them work in Funimation, although some of them actors have moved to Sentai to voice their anime they licensed in the past & now.
Although difference with Sentai & Funimation is that Sentai despite they do have their own in-house veteran voice actors and they actually try & hire new voice actors in their anime.
Well with the recent preference matters movement that isn't telling the whole truth. VAs be getting screwed in the realm of video games.
A dub is really only as good as its director. I don't think it's fair to say dub actors aren't good actors just because they commonly pop up in many shows because they can be really fantastic in any role so long as they have a good director guiding them.
Not to discredit the original Japanese versions but the dubs for K-On! and Kill la Kill are both excellent. I can watch both these shows in either language because the cast is just so strong and well done in each.
I can't even begin to imagine watching K-On in English, nor do I want to.
Digibro It could be worse...
You could accidentally watch the Animax dub.
It's pretty solid from what I hear and seen of it.
+Digibro You should make a reaction video where you watch K-On in English Dub. The suffering...heh heh heh heh...
God, I'm a sadistic fuck.
Buck Wade That could actually be pretty interesting.
But what about BlackDeathPantyJojoHakushoHetalia: Brotherhood?
I'll be damned if someone insults Tara Strong and Laura Bailey for not having "cute voices". Because, they totally fucking can.
Yeah sure but when western VA try to do this moe thing they just cant
The_Archduke the sad thing is that they're the few female voice actors that do it good
>Vic has an obnoxious voice
>Sees him playing an obnoxious character
>Thinks this is a problem
what?
also due to the high pitched thing female voice actors do often in anime in the subs, i just can't watch, it physically hurts me.
I constantly get headaches trying to watch subbed anime. So yeah, either dub or source material for me.
I never understood this problem. I dont problem with them
I just like subs because I like to read it, I feel like I miss less :p
HASHARAHHA14
If you like to read then manga and light novels would be best for you.
ehhh it's more expensive (I like to read actual books) scrolling gets tiresome after awhile (or clicking to the next page) xD
I have to say this: This argument only applies to Funimation in the early-mid 2000's, the dubbing industry has grown a lot since the days of Ouran's dub. I actually barely hear Vic Mignogna in anything these days, the two most recent shows he was in that I have seen is Free and Oh Edo Rocket, which were a solid few years apart. There are a lot of new voice talent in dubs these days, and while I will concede they still aren't as good as the Japanese, they are a hell of a lot closer than they used to be. I am cool with people not liking dubs for them not being the original language, I understand, but discrediting the entire dubbing industry because of how it used to work almost 10 years ago is kinda dumb. I mean, being around the argument for your whole life doesn't mean it will never improve, or expand. I do agree that some actors are overused, but a few of them actually deserve the amount of work they get, like Laura Bailey, whom you mentioned, I haven't heard her in an anime dub since FMA:Brotherhood. But, I don't watch as much anime as I used to, maybe I missed her? But still, I don't even know where I'm going with the rest of this, I already made my full point...
The problem with subs is that you can't always tell what's the correct translation. Gintama episode 6 has a monster alien. One version Kagura says the alien rapes people. The other version says the alien eats people. Wtf.
The reasons why I watch dubs because of great actors like: Mike McFarland, Eric Vale, J. Michael Tatum, Matthew Mercer, Kyle Hebert, Greg Ayres, Christopher Sabat, Richard Epcar, Jerry Jewell, Tony Oliver, Todd Haberkorn, Steve Staley, Justin Cook, Chris Patton, Steve Blum, Yuri Lowenthal, Lex Lang, Johnny Yong Bosch, Crispin Freeman, Vic Mignogna
Also part of why subs sound better to US is because of the language barrier, we cant really tell for the most part if the japanese actor sucks or not :P
Vikingr Fmly Yeah that makes sense there. As I always think that Japanese voice actors all sound the same.
Thanks for pointing that out. We can't judge the Japanese voices. This is a big part which loses this idiot credibility. And he haven't even watched much dubs to even make a truthful judgement on them.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Yeah but if you listen to enough Japanese dubs more you might hear your favorite actor or actress voice.
Thomas Fernandez Yeah that happens in nearly all medium. They reuse the popular ones in effort to make more money. Just look at Hollywood.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Look at Funimation, doing the same thing.
However there are different voice actors in Japan that lend their voices in other anime like for example, Saori Hayama, I always thought that her voice sounded no different than the other actresses but after listening to the little details her voice is different than most and same goes for other actors like Yuki Kaji.
It is the same actors 90% of time.
The reason I prefer dubs is because I just understand and comprehend information better when it’s spoken to me rather than when I read it. During long speeches or exposition dumps in anime, if I’m watching sub I won’t be able to completely put two and two together
I treat English dubs the same way as I treat underground music.
I don't expect it to have the best quality but that doesn't mean it can't ever be great.
Also, tere are just some shows that within the first 5 minutes, I can tell I would enjoy it in the dub simply because of the content/ subject matter.
Cowboy Bebop: because cowboys and american accents.
Sword Art Online: because I've played online and I wanna hear 1337 instead of read.
Hetalia:... seriously...
My only reason for watching subbed is it feels more genuine and fitting plus english voice actors can sound cringy to me
LOL that is a good comparison.
I want a dub of Hetalia where every character speaks their native language.
Volbla That would be a nightmare to direct and expensive as all hell.
Totally worth it though :3
I normally go with dubs unless it's painfully bad and I got a pretty good pain tolerance
Agreed
Anime as a whole needs to get more mainstream recognition in the West for the dubbing industry to become strong like it is in Japan.
I watch a fair amount of dubs because I struggle with following subtitles due to dyspraxia.
I accept that a lot of subs are just better, I persevered with Bakemonogatari but ended up watching about 30 minutes per episode looping over to catch things people had said.
Well that is the only case where it's justifiable to watch Anime dubbed.
Kill la Kill is the only anime that I watched all the way through with english dub.
Although some characters sound different (Gamagoori), the dub does a good job at translating the school tropes that certain characters represent to the western high-school subculture.
And even though I love Japanese Ryuko with all my heart, english Ryuko did something I liked very much: her vocabulary was casual and scruffy, which fit perfectly to our understanding of a punk high-schooler. The subs I was using failed to portray it, with lines like "You're that eager to learn what first love tastes like?" when the english dub did simple "Are you that desperate to swap spit with chicks?" - Both talked about the concept of an indirect kiss (something more common in Japan then the west), but only one explained it.
I think they even mixed typical anime voice actors with those from video games, giving Gamagoori the voice of Garrosh Hellscream (World of Warcraft) and Scorpion (Mortal Kombat 9) or Aikuro the voice of MacCready (Fallout 4) and McCree (Overwatch), and they all delivered. Even the crazy cream Iori makes when transforming into his Tailor's Regalia was present in the dub as well. They also added new jokes, like Barazo calling Nui a cosplayer. Overall I was pleasantly surprised and I regard it as one of the best dubs I heard.
I think Digi's perspective on this topic is rather unique, considering he knows some Japanese (I don't know the extent of his knowledge, but still). I would very much be shocked if a person learning Japanese wouldn't prefer the subs if not for just the fun of a learning experience. I came here because I mostly prefer subs, but I actually reluctantly enjoyed a lot of the dub for Ouran High School Host Club (which of course he berated in this video), and made me think legitimately about watching dubs for things. As a VERY casual viewer of anime, getting into a dubbed show, is a LOT easier for me than getting into a subbed one. It would have to be very compelling from the get go for me to want to spend my time binging a subbed show. And a lot of anime has done that for me. The first real anime I watched was Madoka Magica, and that totally hooked me in. Log Horizon is another show that I just became super interested in, and by episode 9-11 (I forget where it really happens) where the main twist came in? I was completely invested, and easily finished the first and second seasons. But I've dropped a number of shows I just couldn't get into, and I can't help but shake the feeling that if I had watched a good dub of it, I might have gone that episode or two further that would make me invested in the show as a whole. So I've been making the choice watch a dub if there is one that isn't garbage, which frankly, many of them are. And honestly, it makes me rather curious about the subbed version, and usually I go back and end up maybe watching some of both. It really depends on my patience. But honestly, I came here to see his opinions on the cowboy bebop dub and I was not disappointed 😅
Dubs I prefer over the subs:
- Berserk
- Cowboy Bebop
- Black Lagoon
- Toradora
- Is This a Zombie?
- Raildex
- Birdy The Mighty
- Bamboo Blade
- Beck
- Garzey's Wing
- DBZ
Duwang Is Unbreakable Beck is pretty much my favourite dub, the vocal performances of the songs are just on point.
You forgot _Space Dandy_.
Supertron Oh yeah, that's a great one too.
Luke Watson Brina Palencia's voice is absolutely lovely. Her version of Moon On The Water is my fave. Definitely one of my favorite English VA's.
Panty & Stocking, Desert Punk, Baccano, Gundam Wing, FLCL all also have dubs that are pretty fun to watch and are not that annoying...
I think people over hate dubs....
I mean there are many decents out there
Whenever I watch anime, I watch it subbed and focus fully on the anime, neglecting anything really happening outside it. I then realized that my friends prefer dubs because they watch anime differently than me. They watch anime while doing something else at the same time, like drawing and would prefer to not have to focus 100% on it. They also think if they are reading already, they should just read the manga instead of reading the anime. I fully disagree on both parts but I just found it interesting how differently people can take in the same media.
My stance is that subtitles are a hassle. I simply find dubs easier for me to watch, unless the dub is EXTREMELY BAD which is rarely the case in my opinion.
I think they've started adding new voice actors in eng dubs so now you're not going to hear wendee lee and johnny yong bosch in every show. I'd say in recent years anime is suffering less from a lack of variety in voice actors. Laura Bailey is also my favorite, good taste there. She as Shin-chan was great, a good example of a show that actually attempted to translate the jokes for an American audience.
you haven't been hearing them for years to be with. LOL!
Maurice Fleshman
I know, I'm responding more to digi cause he was saying how he'd hear vic in every show, even though like wendee and bosch it's been a while since I've last heard him take an important role in a show.
Soshi Nine Yeah people don't bother researching this.
New voice actors=/=good voice actors. It's nice that they're hiring new people, but it doesn't matter if they aren't being more selective. I think it's nice I'm hoping they pay attention to the gaming industry and start hiring professionals. Most of the really good English VA's have moved to that industry anyway.
pttoau Weldezion Moved and now protesting for better pay. I wonder how that is working out for them. Look up performance matters. Also those "professionals" are in unions and have asking prices. Do you know how that is a headache waiting to happen?
I couldn't imagine a Gintama dub. "SHUDDERS"
It exists. The first anime film has a dub.
It was...something. It wasn't terrible in my opinion, the actors did a good job, but it's pretty much impossible to dub Gintama properly.
RavegousHermage Gintama dub was done by Sentai Filmworks.
BioZero216 What's getting dubbed?
BioZero216 Canada is dubbing Gintama movie? I thought Canada share the same dubbing company like Funimation or Sentai Filmworks for one?
BioZero216 Okay I see what you are saying. I have heard CrunchyRoll are licensing their own anime & even dubbing them but since CrunchyRoll & Funimation are kinda doing a merger partnership now. I think Funimation is doing the voice work for Crunchy's anime.
Which to me, is kind of a shame I wanted to Crunchyroll to do their own thing instead of handing out to big companies like Funi, but I understand from business perspective that Crunchy is pretty new at this whole expanding their anime business thing with licensing.
What's "NU" ?
kinda funny when he mentioned that it is really rare to have a japanese voice that is completely obnoxious. I guess he dodged a big bullet by not watching the second season of Asterisk War :P
WickedAnimeTroll Perhaps, given since Digi hated Asterisk with a passion all because it was one of those shitty SAO-like cliche light novels, let alone bad anime adaptation.
I still liked Asterisk watching it, despite it was "by the numbers".
Oh god flora's voice made me want to kill myself every episode.
Ignorance bliss they say. If we knew Japanese like I do Spanish we wouldn't be saying that. Even then with everything I have watched with Japanese voices they have a bad habit of phoning in their performances. That is why some people think Japanese voices sound the same.
Maurice Fleshman What do you mean phoning?
Thomas Fernandez Basically instead of actually trying to put effort and be the character they are just going through the motions just playing their archetype. Not all do this, but for example in Tokyo Mirage Sessions. A lot of the cast sounds like they don't give a fuck besides the two ladies Kiria and Ellie.
A prime example of this is Goku's Japanese voice actor. For nearly years she has sounded the same and has not bother to change it up. This isn't to take a dig at the ones who really try and do great work. I'm a huge fan of Aya Hirano but even she has been caught doing this.
When I tried to watch the first episode of Sailor Moon Crystal in sub I just had to stop. The annoying voices thing applies to subs and dubs, but in my experience dubs definitely do get most of that. It really is frustrating since there are many English voice actors I really truly appreciate but they're in shows where the dub main cast has that one voice you just cannot stand.
I personally prefer dubs, but I agree with most of your arguments. I do admit that yes, the way the dubbing industry is handled is DEFINITELY not as good as it should be. I would LOVE to hear famous TV actors do voices for dubs. However, I just like hearing english voices. I am someone who can still get the experience most people get after they have seen the sub. I like My Hero Academia, Mob Psycho 100, One Punch Man, D-Frag, the Fate series, No Game No Life, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, etc. All of these shows are shows most people have seen subbed, but I honestly still get the appeal and agree with the consensus about what makes them amazing even though I watched it dubbed. I don't inherently feel we should argue which is better. Some people will only watch subs, some people will watch dubs if they're better, some people will watch a sub if a dub doesn't exist yet, and some people will for the most part just watch dubs. I am someone who can still get the appeal from a dub that someone else got from a sub. Let's just watch an anime the way we want to watch it, and then talk about how awesome the anime is.
Meh I just hate constantly reading the subtitles, but Im getting used to it I guess. I dont think my enjoyment from watching dub is any different from subs though.
As someone who does art I usually look to dubs as background notice cause drawing with subs is impossible. I'm easily pro dub and personally am not all that bothered by the same voice appearing a lot so long as they give a good performance, plus it barely any different than subs having different VA's who all basically sound the same. My issue is that dubs some times have really awkward line deliveries or they will say things that you can clearly tell is just to make the lip syncing work. Of course that is only a problem because I'm a native English speaker and won't really notice when a line sounds awkward in subs (unless it is painfully apparent). Really, the only reason I don't watch dubbed shows more often is because by the time they are out I'm either half way though a series or done with it. The dub I say I watch even close to consistently (and that's stretching it) is Pokemon.
I've never understood the subs vs dubs debate since it boils down to personal preference anyway.
That being said I personally prefer dubs, except in the case of hatchet jobs that usually happen to kids shows (obligatory 4Kids comment), because I don't like having to divide my focus while I'm watching a show. Especially if the show has a lot of dynamic action and/or above average art and animation. The issue of voice acting quality isn't important to me since I don't really listen to what's being said when I'm watching subs cause I'm to focused on reading the subtitles.
In cases were only subs are available, like Pretty Cure, I'll usually watch episodes twice so I can follow the story then again to watch the show without having to read the subtitles.
This pretty much sums up how I feel about it, and my dyslexia makes it all the worst when trying to read subs.
"I was watching Clannad-"
Oh lord...
Most of you are probably thinking I'm about to say "Oh lord, Clannad is so sad. Boo hoo." Nope. I'm saying "Oh lord, that dub is horse shit."
I get what you're saying and the quality of Japanese voice actors is definitely better. I still like dubs though and Funimation is getting better if only a bit at a time, shows are coming out faster and there are more new actors than before. I do agree though from early 200's to like a few years ago was pretty much all the same people and I even got sick of that. Although I do like how cheesy some shows are and that's my personal taste and I get that most people don't like them. Funimation tends to do more adaptive dubbing where they re-write a lot of jokes, whereas Sentai Filmworks tends to do those weird translations that make little sense. I mostly agree that dubs aren't too great but I'm still going to watch them and support them in hopes that they get better. But hey to each their own.
I dislike dubs for the simple reason that any piece of art/media should be experienced as it was intended, in the original language.
They were also intended for you to understand the voice intonations as characters say them (although, on the other hand, the amount of intonation that is different enough for you to be unable to notice it simply due to it being in a different language is so tiny that it's probs negligible, so who knows)
Man Jackson drmadra That's why I'm trying to learn Japanese.
And at least having subtitles doesn't disrespect the work of the japanese voice actors.
The very fact that you're watching it in sub-titles means that you're not watching the original art form. You're merely hearing the original language, and you can't understand it.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Still better than dub.
Unlimited Phantasy For some people, they would rather watch their entertainment than read it.
Also people got to chill with the vic hate, I mean if you don’t like his voice that's fair but that's no reason to dislike as a person you don’t know the dude
That wouldn't be a problem if he didn't think he was God's Gift to the Anime Fandom, perved on his underage fans, and has had coworkers talk about how hard to work with he is.
Josh Sinclair I just don't like judging people I don't know based on hearsay (Not to say I never do it but I try my best not to. it's a slippery slope and being in the public eye is stressful I imagine because people Do jump to conclusion or spread rumors
I have a completely different perspective. I always go to Dubs unless the dub is particularly bad. There's a few reasons that I honsetly can't be fucked at the present time to go into. It's really strange because you mention Ouran which is one of my favourite dubs.
English Dandy > Japanese Dandy. That is just an objective subjective fact of life.
Fuck no.
" objective subjective" you don't even know what that means XD you're makin an ass outta yourself.
That is what the joke though... it is objectively a subjective opinion
It's funny cause I don't give a fuck about how good the voice acting is either way and it's ALL about immersion to me. I just happen to find my original language more immersing XD.
Although interesting enough I *LOVE* the fact that all dub voices are the same. I make a game out of trying to figure who's voicing who before I even watch a show it's super fun for me hope it never changes XD
You don't deserve that name or profile pic.
Rights are Relative not Absolute WTF? Park Jimin reminds me of a young Mamoru Miyano
Honest question, why do you hate Vic Mignogna as a person? Did he piss you off at a convention or something?
Nicholas Smith I'd like to know this as well. Maybe a future video?
i believe he has said something fairly harmless that was blown the fuck outta proportion
I think he's not fond of people of the homosexual persuasion. Or he is a douche. Or both.
Patrick Dawson Then I am seriously out of the loop. Did he vote for Trump or something?
ew275x When did he say this? Didn't he voice that one dude in that Yaoi swimming anime?
I think you made some legitimalley good points about your personal distaste in dubs. Yes, in a perfect world actually getting voice actors from TV shows would be awesome (although it's actually kinda funny that you mentioned Venture Bros because one of the main actors actually voiced the main dude in Bakuman). However, I think you are putting dubs at way too high a standard. Don't get me wrong. You are obviously comfortable with subs, and I don't expect you to prefer dubs. The reason I personally watch dubs is 1. I feel more comfortable when characters actually speak my own language, and 2. I hold my expectations based on how the dubbing industry is handled. Sure, the majority of voice actors aren't Tara Strong or Chris Parnell, but honestly when you think about it the dubbing industry can't AFFORD those kinds of actors. TV shows rake in WAAAAAAY more money than anime, and the only people they can afford are newer and up and coming voice actors. That's one thing I feel is a good thing about dubs, because it gives voice actors the chance to actually have a career and improve. Densel Washington was not a great actor when he first started out, but eventually got better. Also, I would counter that companies like Funimation are WAY better with their casting than they used to be because they have been getting a ton of newer voice actors, so there aren't as many recurring actors in everything. Hell the upcoming Hyouka dub doesn't any actors I have seen before, and neither did 91 Days with one or two exceptions. Also again, I think you are holding a bit too high of an expectation with dubs. Dubbing isn't as big as regular TV shows, so big name actors don't have any reason to take part in these projects especially when they have bigger more well paying roles to do. You don't hear H. Jon. Benjamin or Phil Lamarr doing any video game voice over the time they probably would would be if it had to do with a TV show they already did. I think you are being a bit too harsh on dubs. I'm not syaing you have to like them. I'm jsut trying to help give you an understanding of why people may prefer and enjoy dubs, so you won't be as harsh dubs
I would never take a DUB before a SUB, I always watch sub first because they contain the original intentions and delivery of the text and they're very close to the production team.
DUBs are fine for a fun rewatch for a show I like though.
But you're reading sub-titles, right? How are you supposed to get the "original intentions and delivery of the text" when you're reading sub-titles which is in ENGLISH and not Japanese. A lot of things are changed in the sub-titles to make grammatical sense in English and word diction, etc... This is actually funny, because what you're saying only applies to a Japanese speaker. If you don't speak Japanese, then no it does not apply.
"A lot of things are changed in the sub-titles to make grammatical sense in English and word diction, etc... "
And dubs don't change anything? Subs have more freedom to express the original meaning than dubs, in dubs they have to match the dialog to the character speaking. Subs are not perfect, but it's the next best thing beside knowing the original language.
AragorN As I pointed out. The subs are in English. The original language is an Japanese. The so called "original intention" is already gone. You're reading the texts- was that also the "original intentions" of the creators to have their viewers focused be at the bottom of the screen all the time? As an English speaker, I can't fully appreciate the Japanese version ( even though I've watched so many) because I'm always reading something that's not supposed to be read. Reading was not the animators original intentions. Thus, reducing the claims that you made. I also want to note that even though I disagree with you- you do have a point with watching anime in "sub-titles" because it does come with some pros, but it doesn't prove the point of original intention since it's an a completely different languages. If you knew Japanese, then it would be more reasonable to watch anime in its original language better. With GREAT script writers and actors, and great collaboration with the Japanese producers and team, I find no reason to avoid watching a dub. 99% of anime are adaption of something anyway- I'd like to point that out too. Dubs are continuously getting better, with companies such as Netflix joining the game, they'll put out money for the resources, thus, producing even better dubs that we have now.
"you do have a point with watching anime in "sub-titles" because it does
come with some pros, but it doesn't prove the point of original
intention since it's an a completely different languages."
I don't even know what you are arguing against anymore. My point was, all things equal, subs havs more freedom to express the original intention of the creators. You know you can get a translation to be as literal as possible, it's not such a big deal.
Now personally i'm not english myself so i don't really care about english dubs, i'm not against them, it's just not for me. I don't know, not hearing japanese it doesn't feel like an anime anymore. I'm used to seeing subs on movies so i guess it's personal preference up to a point.
To make a comparison I wouldn't watch a Pixar or Disney movie dubbed in my language, it just doesn't work for me.
AragorN I would rather watch cartoons, then read it. If I wanted to read it, I would read the manga/comics.
Cool video, Digibro. I would like to see you do a video talking about maybe taking a trip to Japan and what you want to do there.
Black Lagoon. Best Dub.
Cpt. Kisaragi Fucking this ^^^
Samurai Champloo m8
Alex Kerrigan Samuel l jackson my ass
Lmao no.
Mazen Saif-Edden
ILL FIGHT YOU NIGGA
I had a weird experience where I met a Japanese person online who prefers English dubs of anime. I do agree with your opinions. For me I like dubs where it makes more sense for the characters to speak English, if it's a good dub.
I'd say that to complain about a small dubbing industry while lambasting and refusing to economically support its growth is somewhat self-defeating. However, obviously I wouldn't claim you can't criticise the dubbing industry as is, so I ask how you try to reconcile the two ideas as one directly leads to another. It is largely the "fault" (if you can even call it that) of some anime fans that refuse to consider that dubs will ever get better that ensures they don't as it means the US voice acting industry largely remains small due to a lack of growth due to this. (As you say in the video, I'm sure you've heard this before and I only say this as I don't get why you mention it when you mentioned the small size of the English dubbing industry)
Again something you've probably already heard, but was curious from your omission of this point is the fact that most full time voice actors in anime are also full time video game voice actors. To want better voice actors in general might also require a generational shift in who the voice actors are in the US similarly to the difference between the backgrounds of Miyazaki compared to Anno and the shift from a new(ish) industry as an industry to one with more fans in the industry due to being fans.
Also, I don't get the hate for Vic as a person, why do you dislike him? (And it's his homophobia in being against signing erotic fanart of his characters can you explain why that's a terrible thing)
Also, great video and while I disagree a lot, your arguments were supremely cogent and engaging.
I don't really have any stake in making dubs better. It really wouldn't bother me if anime was never dubbed in the first place, considering I watch 99.9% of it in Japanese and never even look at the English version. I just don't see the point in it to begin with, personally.
This is fine Digi. Though anime wouldn't be big over hear if it was just sub only and that's a fact.
If it wasn't for the dub MOST anime fans wouldn't be anime fans.
FErgersonn THE GREAT Some people forget that. Hell even though you get CR people rather steal shit than pay for it on CR. People whine about their sub quality and rather go to Commie. The anime fanbase is very picky and whiny.
Maurice Fleshman Digibro once said that he first experienced anime in Toonami. If no dubs, NO TOONAMI, no him experiencing anime.
>Clannad
>dubbed
Even to newcomers and those who like watch dubs, I'd never let them go through that kind of suffering.
When Digi says that all anime voice actors, universally are not in their positions because of their talents and instead because they have an "in" is right about where I tuned out. For someone who typically has a refreshing perspective on the industry, that view is really pathetic and insulting to the hard working professionals of the voice acting industry here in the U.S.
And there's quite literally no basis in it. Like where is he getting that? Just because anime is not the dominant voice acting medium in the west doesn't mean that the west doesn't have or use competent actors.
The only example of a voice actress, I can think of (I'm sure there are a few more, but not many) who is primarily known for her work on western cartoon working on anime dubs is Hynden Walch, probably best know for playing Princess Bubblegum on Adventure Time and Starfire on Teen Titans, she played Nia in the Gurren Lagann dub, Yutaka in Lucky Star and some smaller roles in Haruhi and Princess Kaguya, so it does happen sometimes, not often though. And of course there's Steve Blum, who whilst probably more famous for his role as Spike than anything does most of his work in cartoons and video games,, but he's perhaps not as well known in those communities
But what about the dub of Corey in the House?
I only watch subs these days, but there are a handful of shows I watch the dubs of. And those are typically the nostalgic toonami/adult swim shows (FMA, Bebop, Trigun etc.)
Where it becomes difficult is when I'm trying to introduce a show (or anime in general) to someone. I have to make the decision of wether or not to lead off with dubs out of fear of the person losing interest. Aside from that very specific situation, I'm mostly for subs.
One Punch Man has a bunch of new voice actors, so that's something.
But it turned out absolute garbage , did you hear fuckin Genos HolyFUCk*** !!!
ONO It's actually a pretty neat dub overall, and Genos voice works. He had a similar tone in the original, it was just harder to tell because language barrier.
Guypersonmanthing3 Lol fuck no, I speak Japanese but it doesn't need one to tell that the tone of voice was way off wtf ?? Regardless of that Genos was absolutely butchered in the eng dub, the dude sounded like he had dicks inside his nose or something XD.
ONO Ok. I guess I'm wrong. Merry Christmas btw.
Guypersonmanthing3 I'm not christian.
I can't help but look at the white rectangle reflected in your glasses, and with your glasses, it looks like you have giant cartoon eyes. And now I can't unsee it. lol
Here's my 2 cents you can all ignore. I'll watch it sub or dub depending on what's available, I'm not picky I don't care and no amount of screaming from either camp is going to change my mind. I hate it when anime girls are in an octave only dogs can hear, and i don't want my bishonen sounding like those same girls, so in those instances I'll go dubs but if no one watches Dubs then the industry can't grow and they won't put the investment into it to make it better... *this was longer than intended merry xmas*
Damn, this debate is almost identical to original vs dub debate in gaming industry
You keep mentioning only Texas's Funimation studio, i'm curious, are you aware there are studios in other states as well? There's a few in New York, and like 12 in California, and hell two or three in Canada. Some of those studios are generally consistently better than Funimation.
Your general stance sounds like you'd generally disagree with me anyway, but Aniplex Of America puts out some pretty solid dubs(Blue Exorcist, Fate/Zero, UBW, KLK, ETC) So if you're interested, those would be some to check out.
Also yes, Dean Venture's actor is in anime providing for such characters as Angelo in Gundam Unicorn, Taki in the movie Your Name, Kenji in Summer Wars. As well he's also frequently Leonardo in TMNT.
I realize you probably don't care about that information, but I just wanted to say it anyway.
I respectfully disagree on Space Dandy's English voice, I thought it fit perfectly. Dandy looks like a western guy anyway so the voice seems to go with his look and I have heard the Japanese Dandy.
*BUT WHAT ABOUT FLCL?*
But in all seriousness, I've had to deal with dub'd anime until the revolution of streaming anime. I also have friends and family that prefer dub over sub. Sub'd anime is for watch while its airing and dub'd anime is for watching with other people. I have a tolerance for dub'd anime, but gosh darn was the Boogiepop Phantom dub atrocious.
I don't see why they don't get more mainstream voice actors who have actual range. I would love to see the likes of Tara Strong and Phil Lamaar blow those squeaky voiced brats.
I'm a mix. I don't care. But if the English is shit I'm like fuck this shit I'm out. Madoka is my prime example.
The Hunter X Hunter dub bugs me so fucking much. Like hisoka is ok but Killua and Kurapika are shit. Gon is only a pass because they sound like Aladdin from Magi. (Probably same voice actor.)
lol if you think the hunter x hunter 2011 dub is bad you should hear the dub of the original 1999 show
Forthelemon Well that dub I don't dare bash on because I know the voice actor of Hisoka.... like it was shit but it was 1999 dubs weren't quality for another year 2 years. And even then WTF were they going to do? It didn't have a budget.
Like yeah it was shit but it was decent shit. The 2011 dub is killing me but my dad doesn't watch subs and he wants to know about the characters I rant about
Justice Kuran ah yeah fair enough, it isn't all bad and to be honest I think hisoka was one of the better actors.
All points you made are valid. Honestly the only dubs I can watch were from anime I saw growing up. Only dubs I can watch now are Bebop, Champloo, and Ghibli films.
As a Mexican I do have more respect for dubs, because it was also a very competitive scene with variety it also had it's flair of godawful dubs, which were usually outsourced to South America. The Rurouni Kenshin dub is godawful and they all said Ken-chin. Also since Spanish has the same syllable pronunciation as Japanese we don't get cases where they say Rai-ooo instead of Ree-ooo for Ryu.
Cardcaptor Sakura, Saint Seiya, Dragon Ball Z, and Sleeping Beauty (Original dub) are pretty legendary. I think even Walt Disney liked the Mexican dub more than the original. Lain is also pretty damn good. Digimon was also pretty good even if it had some goofy voices and lines about Mexican food.
We also have basically our version of Ghost Stories with the Anime Dotto Koni-chan which sure was already a comedy but the dub is so fucking funny because they basically are just riffing on the series.
Still prefer subs and will like to watch raw eventually.
Lain was pretty meh, man. Animax and LocoMotion in general, like you said, made pretty bad dubs.
I can agree with what you're saying. That being said, three dubs I adore are Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Space Dandy, and Cowboy Bebop. I also thought the dub for Psycho-Pass was pretty good, and I don't think the dub for Azumanga Daioh was too shabby (though I'm sure that's nostalgia talking, lol).
Also, ever since partnering with Disney, the Ghibli dubs are all wonderful, but that's because, you know, they have ACTUAL actors.
I'm a simple man. I see dubs, I click the video
Check em
Praise Kek
Tristan Cooper Very simple
There's a few dubs I prefer, like anything with Cripin Freeman in it, but largely I prefer subs too for the reasons you gave.
I prefer the One Piece dub a tiny bit more than the sub.
*runs and hides but will probably still get massacred by the other commenters*
General Franky I Don't blame you as 4kids ruined it but Funimation redeemed it.
Nah m8 they did a good job with One Piece.
You didn't say which dub you goof.
Maurice Fleshman the funimation dub. It's basically just the Dragon ball Z kai cast but Im totally down for that.
General Franky Oh yeah same here. I'm not very high on the kai dub the one piece dub is so much fun.
I would like to hear you stance on translation. Applying both to subs and dubs. There are translations that keep really true to the original language, others that adapt more toward the language its being translate too.
Comparing the industries and numbers of talented voice actors is one thing, but this debate will always come down primarily to aesthetic preference. Personally, one of the things that made me love Fullmetal Alchemist was Vic Mignogna's voice, which I thought was perfect for the character of Edward Elric. I thought the Japanese voices for Brotherhood were alright, but couldn't stand listening to them say "Eduado Erriku."
Now that you bring it up, though, maybe I'll give Space Dandy a try in Japanese. I didn't like it much when I watched the first episodes, but I did watch it in English.
I feel like one of the reasons I don't watch as much anime as I used to is that my life has gotten increasingly mentally exhausting over the last eight years, and now I'm generally too tired to keep up with what's going on on-screen while reading subtitles. I've noticed now I'll frequently ignore the subtitles entirely and just emphatically interpret the voice acting, so I don't know what's actually being said most of the time, but I can follow the emotional train of it. This does and doesn't work mostly based on genre and VA skill but largely it works if I remember what was said and can put the jokes together from visual cues, so I don't tend to watch new anime very much because I don't have that to work with. if dubbed anime was of a higher quality I'd conceptually love to try that; but this reminds me of a time when I was watching Evangelion on Adult Swim, and for some reason the Closed Captioning was on; the subtitles in this dubbed broadcast show made more sense and were more moving than the words they were saying, and they were almost entirely different. As if the CC was scraped from a fansub group that cared but the VA script was translated in house.
I always wonder if Japanese fans of American shows debate over if sub or dub is better.
Also I swear some people on UA-cam and some of my friends are better at voice acting than some people working on dubs.
If it is for something like disney, they preffer the english voices, if it is for anime they think the english voices sound awful.
There are debates of that nature in Japan, actually.
I usually prefer dubs for comedy portions, because for me, humor hits harder, and has better timing when it'd in my own language and I'm not reading subs faster than the actual speech. That being said majority of the time I prefer watching subs
also thank you, because most arguments I see against dubs are very bad. this is one of the only times I've heard a good argument
I think I can't be friends with somebody who watches with dubs.
SquidwardAF i can, but i'm admittedly gonna look at them like a dumb animal for years.
That's fine. It just so happens that I can't be friends with pretentious arrogant fuckwads.
***** no. If you don't enjoy reading, you are objectively lesser, and/or defective.
The only reason I prefer subs to dubs is because the characters mouths are animated to match the dialogue in it's original language (and I do notice this kind of thing now). With dubs, sometimes it just wont sync up or something will be lost in translation.
But wait, why do you hate Vic as a *person*..? I know this has been asked many times before, but..
Go to his reddit and look in the comments on this video on there. He explains it there.
***** Thanks! Read the comment and...damn, I didnt know a whole lot about that. That really sucks, especially seeing as how I really liked his voice for Junpei in Persona 3 and Edward in FMA. =^/
windy Links pls
Guypersonmanthing3
www.reddit.com/r/Digibro/comments/5k47rc/comment/dblbccz
windy "...Can't I just hate a guy on flimsy pretexts in peace?"
He hasn't even met the guy it seems. It's similar to when someone hates a celebrity on flimsy reasons without doing much research.
Also, the sound mastering is always on all dubs ever, even in Hollywood, wrong, every time a character is dubbed everything else is silenced completely, and you can notice this more during "action" sequences since explosions are silent when anyone speaks, I noticed this in films and it remains the same in anime. As someone who can speed read,i just take a quick glance at the subs and continue enjoying high quality audio.
Also, since there are cultural subjects that cannot be translated, i prefer fan subs that have notes explaining things, and that also maintain the honorifics.
>start scrolling down comments
>read the same arguments I've read for years
>"NOW I KNOW THE COMMENTS WILL B-"
At least the video's been made now, there's literally nothing more to say.
shout out to the "muh reading"/"muh foreign language" memers
The first time ive heard a legit reason for someone not liking dubs. I prefer dubbed most of the time. If an English dub is really bad then i will go to sub. I love Japanese voices but i REALLY hate reading subtitles. I find your opinion interesting and actually respect it.
This entire argument can be easily be applied to the original sub. I absolutely hate Japanese voice acting I watch subs mainly cause that's really only option I have to watch current shows.
But why?
ONO you got me pegged bo
Jepze the voice acting is really bad, either high pitched and annoying or so low and gruffy it boarders on self parody. have you every seen a Japanese film? they don't sound like that at all. I understand it's animation but it really takes me out of it.
Not for me. I like how over to top and unrealistic it is.
Jepze well it's simply a matter of taste
A question (or questions) arises after watching this video: What could be done to help or grow the dub "industry" (and I'm using that word VERY loosely considering its probably more akin to a scene than an industry)? Surely there are many people who would be more than happy to contribute voices, as well as people who are more qualified than those handful of voice actors we get over and over and over again. And these same, handful of voice actors can't keep dubbing anime for the rest of eternity. I understand it goes through studios and it's a "who you know" kind of thing but still, one would think it wouldn't be that hard to find people that either want to voice act for anime specifically or just want to break into voice acting. It shouldn't be that hard to localize some jokes and other issues that come along with translating the work from Japanese to English either. I don't know, it just seems like if an actual effort was made, this wouldn't be AS big of an issue. And even if this did happen, sub VS dub is always going to be a topic for debate within the anime community. I guess I just want to see an effort put forth to release the best art possible.
The only thing I could imagine fixing it, is demand. As it stands, people seem to choose subs or dubs more based on ideology or comfort, rather than quality. I don't think there's much pressure for them to get way better from anime fans. Though I do think if they made less shit dubs then they'd have a better chance of getting anime shows to break into the mainstream.
I respect your opinion even if I don't agree with it. I enjoy watching dubs way more than subs. I waited for ONE PUNCH MAN to be dubbed and enjoyed it! Don't get me wrong if I don't see a dub in sight I will watch it. I saw Konosuba and all of Food Wars. But I like dubs because I honestly feel like the dubs manage to make the characters more interesting sure I can recognize the voice actors most of the time, but if they fit the roles and their voices work I don't mind. Also, the thing about dubs is that they are a true statement of anime. Anime is not just something japanese people watch. Dubs show that anime is an international medium. Also, at least for me, very few subs sound different to me. I tried watching Nisekoi subbed because I really thought it was good, but I just couldn't get past the fact that I can't really remember anyone with their voices. Similarly It's why I can't watch the Monogatary series. These are two shows I REALLY want to watch but the subs are just too bland for me. The Asterisk War is only tolerable to me BECAUSE it was dubbed. I wasn't ever going to watch it unless it was dubbed because a dub can provide more of an identity to characters. I'm sure I'm the only person who thinks this, but I need dubs because anytime I watch a sub I don't feel any kind of Identify with the characters. Although I do agree you made some good points. I just need to hear english voices that don't sound Star Wars prequel level wooden. I admit I would like to hear TV show voice actors, and better scripts.
For Nisekoi you definitely want to read the manga. But generally if there isn't a dub and the show isn't just airing at the time, I stick with the source material.
If the anime failed to do the manga justice, and it doesn't play Chitoge favoritism. THEN I'll read the manga
Before I make counterarguments. I want to point out that I don't think dubs are superior. I just think that dubs are just as important as subs and deserve to be on par. Now, I agree that subs provide a statement too, but dubs provide a GREATER statement. Also, I can name a ton of anime I have seen dubbed that still managed to do what the people loved about a show subbed. D-Frag was still hilarious dubbed. Charlotte was still touching, when it wasn't flawed. No Game No Life was still fun. Fate/Stay Night was still awesome (I've only seen 2006 at the moment I have every intent on watching the rest). Sure, maybe you find the sub to be more enjoyable and that's fine, but personally I want to hear characters talk in my language so I can focus on the show. I don't think dubs are superior. I just think that dubs do just as good of a job at portraying anime. Sure, if a dub fails to do the anime justice, or if the dub is just THAT atrocious I will watch the sub, even if the dub isn't superior, if it still manages to provide what the anime is conveying, and I can buy it. I'm all good. Just let dub watchers have their dubs so they can enjoy the anime you enjoy as well.
tokyojesusfist I understand your side. But there are PLENTY of dubs where the creators of the original side have a hand in the crafting of the dub. You are justified in subs. But not every dub is just a poor copy. A good amount actually try and capture what makes the original great. Again, with all of the examples I listed I got what people who watched it subbed would have gotten. Sure, it's definitely weird hearing people who live in Japan speak English, but I can just ignore it. Plenty of dubs try and translate the essence of the original. My Hero Academia's dub still had what made it great. There is not a single anime I love just about all the anime people enjoy when they've seen it subbed. I agree that most dubbed anime have superior dubs. I won't deny that, but that doesn't mean the dubs are bad. I just prefer dubs because I can relate more to characters who speak my language, and I can just focus on the show. I don't necessarily think dubs are superior I just think that most dubs are able to have just as much of an impact as a sub and plenty of people are able to get the same experience.
tokyojesusfist I agree. You are right. I am rationalizing, and dubs are altered versions of the original. If you don't want to watch dubs that's fine, but without dubs I never would have been able to experience the awesomeness of so many great anime. Mob Psycho 100 may be better subbed, but I have been laughing my ass off and enjoying the hell out of it dubbed. Dubs are not superior to anime, but they have a place in the industry and I just prefer them more. Maybe they aren't exactly the same, but so far I have been able to get just as good of an experience as you with any of your subs. Don't watch dubs, you are justified in your disinterest, just let dub lovers watch the anime the way they want to watch and let's talk about how awesome the anime is
The Dragon Maid dub is surprisingly good
The FLCL dub is amazing, the Japanese director even said that he prefers the dub voice of one of the characters.
When I have that chance, I'd prefer to listen to it dubbed. Firstly I do this because a lot of times I have a hard time following a show's plot when I have to focus on reading the subtitles (I'm a slow reader). For instance, by the time I got done watching Attack on Titan, I had no clue what was going on and I couldn't recall any of the characters names except for the main 3. Secondly, I can't recognize the tone of Japanese voices. At best, I can hear when characters are overly- excited, viciously angry, or when they're crying, and being able to recognize how the lines are delivered is very important. Although I do recognize that some of the English voice actors are bad. Off the top of my head, I can remember that I dropped Clannad in it's second episode because one of the younger kids got on my nerves too much.
oh
When I heard him talking about Vic Mignogna, I thought he was talking about Kirito's voice actor for a minute, but then I checked and it was Edward Elric? I really loved the FMA dub (and so do a lot of others), so I was caught off by that
It's shit tho -_-
I prefer trips
Vic Mignogna performance as Edward Elric was amazing imo. Idk any o his other stuff doe.
Is Code Geass a good dub?
Yes.
Yes.
Watch it subbed to prepare for season 3 !!!
watch it and decide for yourself. all that matters is that you enjoy it
Ikem Louis I enjoyed it, but from previous knowledge both have solid casts.
Well put. I've always had a hard time articulating what's so off-putting about dubbed anime besides just saying "they sound dumb"
It makes a lot more sense when you point out that American anime voice acting is a small, underpaid club. Along with the difficulties of proper translation.
I hate how the can never pronounce the names right. I'd rather have the names translated that hearing that shit
Oh, and the Japanese pronounce Western names with absolute perfection?
Josh Sinclair Idk, I don't watch japanese dubs of cartoons
Have you ever watched "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," "Black Butler," or FMA? That's en example of butchering Western names.
Josh Sinclair HORRRY SEEEEEEIT!
How so?
Throughout my childhood, I've watched four random episodes of American cartoons dubbed in German. For different shows, all with the exact same cast. I can't even understand it and I notice it. Weirdly, either the Dutch dubbing industry has a lot of different people active in it or because I grew up with them I didn't notice this stuff... But I have difficulty believing Dutch dubs are really bad, weirdly...
Also, while I respect your opinions, your comments of "I don't respect dubs" really? really? Come on? That's rude.
Well he's not obligated to respect anything he doesn't want to, what's so hard to comprehend in that ?
ONO Because it's still people trying to work hard, even if they don't meet his standards. It comes off similar to "UA-cam isn't a real job and I don't respect it"
Something like that.
Guypersonmanthing3 Well It's his opinion, he's free to think whatever the fuck he wants to about anything.
Stop being salty and triggered about a person's opinion and get a life, how about that ?
ONO I'm not really angry, and you're acting aggressive here.
No one was salty or "triggered" but you, mate. Respect isn't an opinion. Respecting women isn't an opinion, it's treating them equally. Respecting another religion isn't an opinion, it's accepting it exists and being courteous.
Digibro saying he doesn't respect the English dub industry implies a lot more than an opinion. For a guy who can dissect anime really well, he might want to take a minute longer when he speaks about these kinds of topics and choose his words more carefully. He can dislike, hell he can HATE, the English dub industry, but saying he doesn't respect it is like saying, "All these people can go jobless for all I care. I have no respect for them, they're not even as good as the guys who bag my groceries."
the dub for space dandy was really good to me, it's one of the few dubs that i actually searched for.
Hoo... kay.
Before I comment on this video proper, I should probably state where exactly I fall on the spectrum of narrow-minded, intellectually lazy dub-watchers and the elitist, snobbish subtitle nazis:
1) Whenever possible, it is always better to hear a recorded performance in its original language. By dubbing over a film, you are in a very practical sense undermining the vision and decisions of its director. From a purist standpoint, the best that a dub can hope for is to is bastardize the work as little as possible.
2) That being said, there *IS* such a thing as a good dub. It takes a perspicacious translator, skillful direction, stellar casting, and flexible and talented voice actors, but it is possible to recapture the most of an original work's essence in a different-language dub. (See: the English dub of FLCL, the Japanese dub of Home Movies.) And if the original has too many regional nuances to be converted into a coherent cross-cultural equivalent (see: Azumanga Daioh and the least-watched English dub ever), it is just as possible to re-imagine it as something that might not be entirely faithful to the original, but manages to retain most of its spirit while effectively becoming an entirely different work in itself (see: the English dub of Shin-Chan).
Now with all of that out of the way, your entire criticism of the American dubbing industry boils down to two basic things:
A) You have a personal dislike for more than a couple of English voice actors, and B) you have more respect for the Japanese voice acting industry for no real reason other than it's been around longer.
Now point number B has some basis in reality. Voice acting started as an industry in Japan when radio first became popular in the mid-1920's. It is incredibly competitive, and popular Japanese VA's frequently earn international renown and are highly respected craftsman. On the other side of the Pacific, animation studios in the United States have a much farther reaching history than they do in Japan, and actually began creating voiced animations earlier too, starting with "Steamboat Willie" from Disney in 1928. But they did receive far less mainstream attention because they weren't taken seriously by the adults creating them. Since no one but kids was watching, there wasn't any real motivation to push the envelope. But Japan takes everything seriously. It's just a part of their culture, which is why the English voice acting industry is only just starting to catch up.
Your video suggests that English voice actors, many of whom do voice work for dozens of companies that you probably never noticed, are somehow inferior simply because they take paychecks from Funimation. You can not like Vic Mignogna all you want (my opinion of him is only based only of the handful of times I met him in person at the conventions that I staffed, and he always seemed rather personable to me), but the fact remains that he is a very talented professional who has given a number of exceptional performances.
Now I could sit here and make a huge list of all the actors who worked on Funimation dubs that also live in California or Canada, or the many dub jobs efforts that were noted by the original Japanese staff to have produced superior quality work (see the English dub of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), but I also get the sense that I'd be wasting my time.
What I really wanted to point out was that, if you feel like your opinion on this subject is frequently attacked and undermined, it's because it's entirely based on your personal tastes and is (at least as far as this video is concerned) largely devoid of any objective analysis.
I don't feel like my stance is undermined at all--I just wanted to make a video to get it out there. At no point was my goal to be objective or helpful to anyone.
Fair enough. My apologies for the misunderstanding. Carry on. :)
This video just reminded me of the first episode of the Plastic Memories german dub, that I tried watching like a week ago, which sadly had Isla sounding more like a 40-year old woman who's trying to sound cutesy than a cute little android girl. You could literally hear her age in her voice.
Best dubs is obviously Ghost Stories.
If there's a dub, I watch it dubbed. The voices all just kind of sound the same (quality) to me anyway, might as well be in the language I speak. Though I've only heard about 1&1/4 shows' seasons worth of language overlap for direct comparison.
If a dub is of *equivalent* quality to a sub then the dub is objectively the better option.
If a dub is of lower quality than a sub to the point of being *distracting* then yes, subs are better.
There we go, its done. Lets order pizza.
I woudln't say it's objectively better. I hear English a lot more than I do Japanese, and I find Japanese a really beautiful (even when I knew nothing about it) and pragmatic (well, if you can throw aside Kanji) language, so I'd always rather watch anime with the original voice acting.
There really is no objective truth here, it's mostly useless arguing about this because people will always have their own subjective opinion about it.
Unless you understand Japanese then you're adding a layer of separation from you and the work at the benefit of hearing another language that you think sounds pretty. But then again the equivalent dub in your case would be worded in a way that titillates you to an equivalent degree.
Well, I certainly don't understand more Japanese than I do English, but I'm currently learning it. Watching subbed/trying to watch unsubbed anime and movies is a decent way to get some expousure to the language's sound.
I don't get your second sentence. Are you saying I could watch a dub in another language that I find as pleasing to hear, to the same effect as watching the original? Or do you mean a dub that is using particularly nice-sounding English?
I also don't believe that it adds much separation, because it usually takes less time to read a sub than it takes for many things to happen on the screen, especially since a lot of anime today are more about complicated drawings than constant animation.
I'd argue that more separation may ensue from changes that MUST be made in the dub's writing so the translation can make sense. Even if this happens in the subtitles too, there's still the Japanese audio that you might understand.
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edutainment is muddying the conversation since it drags motivations into the argument
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Note: the use of the word equivalent in the original comment was to be a cop out since its a hypothetical and discussion on hypotheticals on the internet is cancer.
With that said "Or do you mean a dub that is using particularly nice-sounding English?" this one.
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The amount of separation is variable since my arguments requires you to listen better than you can read and individuals have varying abilities to process multiple visual stimuli at once.
The point of my argument is that any separation taking away from the experience should be avoided.
(which goes both ways: if a dub is distracting you more than reading subtitles than you should go with the less distracting version)
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Not sure why you brought up subbing issues(I think we can all agree that understanding Japanese and watching a Japanese dub is the best option) unless of course you're going off of not knowing lower 2 yet.
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To be more clear on how I view reading subtitles.
___Reading subtitles while watching a show is like sitting between two speakers playing music in another language out of one speaker and the translation(not a dub, just the translation) out of the other. You can orient yourself however you like and move closer to one than the other but it will undoubtedly be a muddled experience._____
Wew this conversation has gotten complex as fuck, hope you don't mind the organization. I just did it so I could reference certain things from earlier in the comment.
No, it's not objectively the better option. Objectively the better option is the one the director chose. Every episode of every show and every movie you've ever seen would never be the same without the director. They chose people for each part, while 99% of dubs they just pick from a handful of Texans that they have laying around.
So if the voice acting is equally as good.. then the sub is better, because it is not only equally as good, but also more fitting and directed by the fucking director, not a random Toonami hire.
I think you're forgetting the best dub ever made
Cromartie High School
I think Eureka Seven had a good dub. Ghost Stories dub is legendary.
all I know is that trigger shows have great performances (japanese), and I like Liam O'briens voice.
Also does no one else like it when characters in the japanese speak in a different dialect?
Yes I love when they speak in different Japanese dialect or accent, like in Drifters Shimazu Toyohisa for example.