Do you prefer anime dubbed or subbed?

[JoelBM]

I'm in the process of learning Japanese (catching on surprisingly quick) but have always preferred subbed. Btw, I use animaniac as my username for almost everything lmfao

 

[Lacota]

Definitely subbed - I don't know enough Japanese to watch without. Dubbed is just annoying.

 

[Trendsetter]

Subs all the way! - i really like hearing it in it's original sound and it helps with me pronunciation of the Japanese Language(Nihongo).

 

[Zuba]

I prefer subbed. Since I am studying Japanese it is a form of passive learning and practice. I also feel that sometimes things are lost when they are dubbed. Like just how a character sounds in the Japanese just fits how that character is. Though this is not as big a problem as it used to be.

 

[Lady Orisha]

Subbed Or Dubbed?

That's right, the biggest question in the anime scene: Do you prefer your anime subbed or dubbed?

I don't mind either one. If it's the first time I've seen something, I prefer to watch it dubbed, since I suck at multi-tasking and I'm gonna miss something cool by reading. If circumstances don't allow, however, that's fine.

It's anime! I enjoy it any way I can get it.

I enjoy subbed anime the most. I love how the voice actors really commit to the role and express the emotions. There are so good dubbed like Deathnote, Slayers/Slayers Next series, Neon Genesis Evangelion but to many bad dubbed ones like Dirty Pair Flash out there or ones that see anime as a cartoon and voice act as such.

 

[komoto]

Subbed! I enjoy original voice also.
That's why I have to study Japanese harder.

 

[Apollo]

Subbed!

 

[diligentcircle]

With a couple exceptions, I am quite picky about this: I only watch shows in the original language they were written, unless a re-dub is the only option I can find (as in Code Lyoko; I couldn't find the original French audio for that show anywhere). The only language I can understand well enough to follow along is English, so for anything else (Japanese included) I need subtitles.

The reason for this is mostly because I find that most re-dubs in new languages are inferior to the originals, although there are exceptions (e.g. Dragon Ball Z Kai, that was quite good quality), and more importantly the pressure to synchronize new dialog to the lip flaps often leads to imperfect translations or strange modes of speaking. Plus, language jokes are lost. I love those.

Also, I already know English, so any chance I can get to expose myself to Japanese is something I welcome.

 

[SawakoKuro]

I definitely enjoy the original version of the anime. I love hearing the Japanese voices. They are more committed, more appropriate and much more enjoyable than dubbed voices. Unfortunately I'm not good at understanding Japanese so a subbed is a must for now. Hope I will manage someday to understand Japanese. Fingers crossed! :emoji_blush:

 

[Sheermule]

Subbed for sure! Hopefully soon I'll be able to watch without subs...although I can manage New Game!! without subs already

 

[Kamasama]

Almost always prefer subbed. An anime can be unwatchable for me if they do not stick to the original plot. Doesn't have to be literal but when translators start making stuff up, I'm out.

 

[tsugiwajapan]

I tried but I really can't watch it when it's dubbed :/

 

[やれやれだぜ]

This is a false dichotomy. I prefer to watch anime with no subtitles with the original Japanese audio. This is the way that native Japanese people enjoy their anime. In both cases of dub vs. sub, there are inherent issues. For dubs, a lot of those issues are self explanatory. I feel like people give a lot of credit to subs, however, when a lot of that credit is not due. Subs are just plain bad. To hear the line being said in Japanese and then reading the translation produces feelings of dysphoria. Even though I understand a decent chunk of Japanese, if there are subs, I will unwittingly and inevitably read the text because English is my native language and I'm not going just not read a line of text right in front of my eyes. It's confusing and unpleasant. There is something to be said about having Japanese subs over top of Japanese audio but even then, there are inherent issues. Constantly reading the text at the bottom sliver of the screen means you are not watching the entire picture. It does not allow one to truly appreciate the visual animation, which is rather good, especially in some anime.

 

[Seiko]

Only two things that matter to me. the characters voice and how close is the dub to the sub or to the real Japanese. I truly hate when anime companies like Aniplex, funimation or others do not even try at all to keep the english 90% to 99% to the Japanese language.during translation. I think that why most of us who perfer Dub will watch and deal with anime in sub because we feel it is more accurate..

There time i am watching anime in dub and i'm like that does not sound right, and i will watch it in sub and i am right, it not right.. Everytime i start a anime i will watch it in Dub and Sub or have the Sub show. If i feel its not accurate enough,

Now, there are sometime when the English voice is really good, i will watch the anime in Dub, example... "xxxHolic" then i will watch it in sub to see how close the sub to the dub..

 

[Nuala]

It depends on where I'm watching the anime. I like dubbed in my bedroom, and I watch subbed anime in the living room.

 

[La-Nuit-en-Rose]

Subbed, usually because it helps me get used to hearing japanese. No strong preference though.

 

[Seiko]

Read this. Link below.

The Great War Over Anime Fan Dubs

Before anime became so mainstream that Netflix and Disney got into a bidding war over the streaming rights to Naruto, the genre was largely confined...

melmagazine.com

 

[Mark of Zorro]

Both have advantages and disadvantages but preference totally depends on the user. A lot of that that has to do with what knowledge they have and also what their brains can handle. Can you even imagine having both the original Japanese audio and a dub going at the same time? I can and if I was an anime fan I might actually set up to do this. My Japanese is good for conversation but not good enough to keep up with most shows and movies....mainly because I am really not a fan of Japanese shows and movies of any kind. I want the original voice acting and correct timing, but I also need a crutch to keep up with the Japanese...so that means I prefer sub in general as a combo of original audio and dub is not generally available.

That said, Kung Fu theater was a hoot when I was a kid. All those crappy and mis-timed dubs were like a violent comedy show!

I did watch an old Doraemon movie straight Japanese with my son recently however. That was okay.

Anyway, another reason for preference that probably gets ignored is literacy. If you can't read or can't read well, you will obviously prefer the dub. But no one is going to admit a low literacy level for that preference Look at Donald Trump. Few will ever be president by being honest.

 

[Mark of Zorro]

The original vote choices could have used a "neither" option. I have watched movies in languages I don't even understand with zero aids. Its an interesting experience. You just have to know how to go into toddler mode and chill and accept the fact you won't understand a lot....but you can still learn.

 

[Amir77]

I prefer the subbed for the voices of Japanese version. I tried dubbed but it’s an entirely different experience from the original. Plus you know translations really omit some of the cultural, pop and more kinds of references or puns that could be made on the original.

 

[zoomingjapan]

I speak and read Japanese fluently.
I don't watch dubbed anime. I usually don't like them at all, I'm sorry.....
I also usually only read manga in Japanese because I don't like the translation style of some official translators. A lot of jokes or cultural insiders get lost in translation unfortunately....

 

[angusthegreat]

Subbed Or Dubbed?

That's right, the biggest question in the anime scene: Do you prefer your anime subbed or dubbed?

I don't mind either one. If it's the first time I've seen something, I prefer to watch it dubbed, since I suck at multi-tasking and I'm gonna miss something cool by reading. If circumstances don't allow, however, that's fine.

It's anime! I enjoy it any way I can get it.

i wonder i'll change my mind if i can listen to Japanese. I'm doing an experiment anyways. Will post 2 version of my playing of 'Homura' in 2 violins. one with no sub. one with sub. lol

 

[Jezinn]

There are other possibilities:
1) Japanese audio and Japanese subtitles
2) Dubbed with Japanese subtitles

I've recently found and bought a software program called Japanese Language Decoded, which has helped me with reading Japanese. I used to be in the totally prefer dubbed group, but as my reading of kanji and kana has picked up, I'm much better at reading and listening to Japanese. So for more practice, prefer both the Japanese audio and Japanese subtitles.

Interestingly, many Japanese programs will have subtitles. My girlfriend will at times not even have the audio on and just be reading the kanji.