movies/tv Subbed vs Dubbed

[Dashy 4 Ever 4,830]

So I've heard there is constant heat between the subbed and dubbed war

Honestly I've kinda grown up watching subbed and like it better hearing the original voice acting but that's just me. What do you all prefer?

(If this idea has been taken already sorry about that)

[PoisonClaw 8,134]

Normally I don't have a preference, I prefer what I watched/heard first. Though if a English Dub exists already, then I usually try to start with that, especially if it's by Funimation or Viz Media.

[Tacodidra 56,971]

I generally go with the original voices, if at all possible. With MLP, for example, I can't stand the Finnish dub at all (though I don't need subtitles either for shows with English audio). With live-action, dubs are a definite no for me because of the terrible lip sync. As for anime (where this debate seems to be the most common), it's not something I watch much, but I see no reason why I wouldn't choose the original audio there as well.

[Latecomer 435]

24 minutes ago, Sondash Studios said:

So I've heard there is constant heat between the subbed and dubbed war

Honestly I've kinda grown up watching subbed and like it better hearing the original voice acting but that's just me. What do you all prefer?

(If this idea has been taken already sorry about that)

They have different uses. Personally I prefer subs (and pretty literal ones) while watching Japanese media nowadays, but that's in part because I'm learning Japanese (and started by reading subs). However I do have fond memories of many dubs from my childhood. If they're different enough, it can be like watching the same show twice... but I do think that they should probably try to be closer than that.

In any case, subs are probably better for most fans, while dubs are much better for viewing by the general public. Just in either case, make sure to do them right!

[Flutterstep 40,165]

It really depends. I like to know the original dialogue as a posed to hearing sentences that prioritise the mouth synchronising than an authentic translation. On the other hand, I don’t like staring at the bottom of the screen the entire watching and having things spoiled for me like dialogue being interrupted. If I had to pick one it would be the latter.

[Denim&Venöm 14,326]

I don't mind either too much. For the most part I prefer dubs. That way I can pay full attention to the show instead of missing something reading the text. Heck, there are examples where the dub is performed better than the original Japanese version like in Cowboy Bebop or Yu Yu Hakusho. 

The more recent the dub, the better it will be. Dubbing and VA work is taken far more seriously than even anime's golden age during the Toonami days. But for the most part, the majority of dubs before the late 90s aren't that good, so I'll go with subbed in those cases. I'll only make exceptions for A. If I grew up with that dub (Ronin Warriors)  or B. If the English dub makes it funnier (Golden Boy).                                                                         

[cuteycindyhoney 13,186]

It depends on the anime, or time of day. If it's late at night, it's too big of an eyestrain for me to read subtitles. On of the best dubs out there is for "You're Under Arrest"

[Snow 5,285]

Usually the dubbed voices aren't amazing but if I'm watching a video I don't want to read, I want to watch the darn video, if I wanted to read I would have gotten the book 

[Pentium100 1,938]

Subs. It's really annoying to me when the video and audio are out of sync. Dubs make it appear as though they are out of sync, especially for live action. Also, the way that a lot of English voice actors pronounce Japanese names sound weird to me.

[The Wife of Law 18,772]

I am content watching anime subtitled in English but I won’t do it if I don’t have to. I prefer to watch anime (and pretty much anything) in spoken English. 

[Brony Number 42 8,672]

I used to be snotty and only watch subbed. But now I'm too lazy to read.

[Samurai Equine 38,325]

Both. Though I tend to lean towards dub.

Honestly, when I first learned there was a division in the fandom, I was shocked! I was like "Why? Why do you have to pick a side? Back when I first started buying DVDs of anime, switching back and fourth between audio languages was half the fun of the show itself!" And it STILL is! I love comparing how similar or different the voice casts are!  It makes me ashamed to be an anime fan knowing there are elitists out there that will bully you for not liking subs only, especially when that is such an ablest attitude and not everyone can read subs due to medical conditions.

What I find funny is how people defend the Japanese voice cast as how the characters are "suppose to sound".
Uh... No?
The Japanese voice actors are just the ones that got there first. These are still fictional characters in a fictional story. The language they speak is just a tool of communication. The language itself shouldn't matter. The only one who can say how these characters are "suppose to sound like" is the creator of the stories themselves. Because these ideas were birthed from someone's imagination, and only in their minds do they know what the characters are suppose to sound like. That's why a lot of manga artists and anime studios are happy to have their properties dubbed. There is no superior language to them, they are just happy other countries are interested in their media. And that is why the original Japanese creators and studio heads are usually the ones who have the final say on the English voice cast. Because despite what you might think, it's not about matching the Japanese voice actor with an English sound-alike, it's about matching the original creator's vision and what they had in their head.

Not that I want to defend EVERY dub of an anime. You obviously have to do your research. I'm just saying, there are WAAAAAY more "good" dubs that people hardly give the industry credit for. There's also way more uncut anime to choose from these days as well. There are some anime that got the short end of the stick, like anything that was dubbed by 4Kids. But most companies are better then that, and they at least give you the option to experience the show however you like.

The only argument I will entertain against dubs is "I don't support the company that made this dub". That's it. Just because you are use to one set of voice actors doesn't mean the other is automatically bad. Depending on title, some anime do have bad acting. But a huge majority of them have GOOD acting from professional actors that have years of experience. 

44 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

Dubs make it appear as though they are out of sync, especially for live action. Also, the way that a lot of English voice actors pronounce Japanese names sound weird to me.

I'd love to know what anime you're talking about, because the industry as a whole has vastly improved on lip sync over the years, with only a few unavoidable hiccups (like when they try to dub an anime character that is singing). Voice actors and dub directors have actually gotten a lot better at accurately pronouncing Japanese names and terms in recent years. The only reason you might have for not liking that is if you're Japanese or if you have a finely-tuned ear for Japanese pronunciation. But even then, that's just a cultural thing. It's hard for Westerners to get it perfect, even with lots of practice. The impression that I've gotten from Japanese voice actors watching their American counterparts is that the pronunciation is fine, but at worst it sounds like a foreigner trying their best to imitate a different language. Understandable, but just a little rough around the edges.

Also, live action dubbing is a COMPLETELY different beast of burden. It's a rare practice that is done these days, and I'd also argue that you have to have a certain kind of taste/mindset to enjoy it anyways. You'll never get a perfect dub, no matter what you do. But again, it's all about the research. If the dub was done by a company you trust, by voice actors who usually deliver a great anime dub, the translation is as good as you could possible ask for, etc.; then the dub will probably be as good as it could possible be. Not perfect, but oh... Those rare moments when the English sentences actually fit pretty well with the Japanese mouth movements, and it stops feeling like an obvious dub... Golden. 

Edited October 10, 2019 by Samurai Equine

[Cash In 18,598]

I usually prefer dubs, though I'm fine with subs if that isn't possible. It doesn't really bother me either way, so I can work with either.

[The Spitfire Simp 13,928]

Dubs are the best...

Finnish is the exception to the rule, my ears bleed when I hear a Finnish dub usually

[Pentium100 1,938]

59 minutes ago, Samurai Equine said:

Just because you are use to one set of voice actors doesn't mean the other is automatically bad.

It doesn't mean that, but I can still have a preference... 

59 minutes ago, Samurai Equine said:

I'd love to know what anime you're talking about, because the industry as a whole has vastly improved on lip sync over the years, with only a few unavoidable hiccups (like when they try to dub an anime character that is singing)

I can't tell you the title as I do not remember it, since it was some years ago. The same thing said in Japanese and English may result in different length sentences, which would make the dub out of sync. However, after watching a lot of anime subs, now I kinda expect anime to be in Japanese with subs and the dub versions looks and sounds weird.

1 hour ago, Samurai Equine said:

Voice actors and dub directors have actually gotten a lot better at accurately pronouncing Japanese names and terms in recent years. The only reason you might have for not liking that is if you're Japanese or if you have a finely-tuned ear for Japanese pronunciation.

English speakers (not just voice actors, but regular people as well) tend to stretch out the middle of the word (for example, stretching the "u" in "Sakura"), which sounds really strange and unnatural to me (and for some reason I pick up on it really fast). English is not my native language and how I naturally pronounce the Japanese names more closely resembles what I hear the Japanese people say.

1 hour ago, Samurai Equine said:

But even then, that's just a cultural thing. It's hard for Westerners to get it perfect, even with lots of practice.

 Well, yes. I never said that the American voice actors were bad at their job or anything, just that I prefer to watch anime (and movies) in the original language with subs.

1 hour ago, Samurai Equine said:

Also, live action dubbing is a COMPLETELY different beast of burden. It's a rare practice that is done these days, and I'd also argue that you have to have a certain kind of taste/mindset to enjoy it anyways.

What they do in my country is voice-over dubbing. Basically, the original soundtrack is kept intact, but someone (usually one person, sometimes they have a man and a woman) reads the translated text when a character speaks. This is just for TV though, movies in cinema are usually shown in the original language with subtitles. Some animated movies, like "Open Season" get dubbed though.

 

[CloudMistDragon 6,132]

I prefer dubs, granted they have good dialogue and voice acting. I used to prefer subs, but voice acting in other languages has really started to drone over me more in recent years.  

[Shadicus 18,937]

I prefer dubbing. But only if it’s halfway decent.

I’d rather be able to watch the animation on screen, rather than split my attention between it and the subtitles. But if the dubbing sounds horrible, that’s even more distracting.

[Pentium100 1,938]

I am so used to subs that if I watch a movie that is in English, but has subs in a language I can read, but not understand, then It's hard for me to understand what the characters are saying, unless I hide the subs.

[Latecomer 435]

9 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

I was like "Why? Why do you have to pick a side? Back when I first started buying DVDs of anime, switching back and fourth between audio languages was half the fun of the show itself!

Not all DVDs are so generous as to provide both. And remember, for many people this arguement goes back to the analogue era.

7 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

What they do in my country is voice-over dubbing. Basically, the original soundtrack is kept intact, but someone (usually one person, sometimes they have a man and a woman) reads the translated text when a character speaks.

This is pretty much entirely different to full-cast dubbing though - you can't judge one by the other.

 

[Pentium100 1,938]

20 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

This is pretty much entirely different to full-cast dubbing though - you can't judge one by the other.

Voice-over dubbing is OK for me, it's the full cast dubbing that may trigger the "audio is out of sync" thing for me.

As for pronouncing the names - well, it does not matter which version of dubbing is it, stretching the middle of the word is bad for me.

[Oleks 1,967]

For me it depends. If it’s anime, I prefer subs, although quality, professional dubs are fine too. For cartoons and animated movies, dubs are better, especially adapted ones in comedies. As for live-action movies, I like to hear actors’ real voices, so if I don’t understand the language or the accent, I watch them with subs.

[The Spitfire Simp 13,928]

31 minutes ago, Oleks said:

For me it depends. If it’s anime, I prefer subs, although quality, professional dubs are fine too. For cartoons and animated movies, dubs are better, especially adapted ones in comedies. As for live-action movies, I like to hear actors’ real voices, so if I don’t understand the language or the accent, I watch them with subs.

I agree... right up to anime, but that's probably because I'm spoiled because I'm speaking my native language right now,

I think subtitled anime is the hardest to watch, because anime is especially fast pased

[Prospekt 10,959]

I like dubs because they allow me to play the anime in the background while doing other things and still get the gist of what's happening. I like subs because they force me to actually pay attention to what's being said. Just depends on the anime and what kind of mood I'm in.

[Samurai Equine 38,325]

19 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

What they do in my country is voice-over dubbing. Basically, the original soundtrack is kept intact, but someone (usually one person, sometimes they have a man and a woman) reads the translated text when a character speaks. This is just for TV though, movies in cinema are usually shown in the original language with subtitles. Some animated movies, like "Open Season" get dubbed though.

Ah, well, if you live in a different country, that might also be another factor in everything.
I live in America, and most dubs here are homemade. I know other countries tend to make their own dub, even if it's in English. And other countries don't always have a perfect record for quality assurance.

I can't say anything else about the animes you are thinking of. You might have gotten bad luck by seeing some really badly dubbed titles. I was going to say that the syncing problem might be a hardware issue or something else, but it may just be your country. I know there have been times when I'd stream anime, and internet lag would always make weird things happen, including audio falling out of sync. But that usually effects everything, like sound effects and such, and not just the voices themselves.

12 hours ago, Latecomer said:

Not all DVDs are so generous as to provide both.

True. Even now, in the age of Bluray and 4K, there are a few exceptions to the rule. But that goes back to my biggest piece of advice:
Do your research first!
This will always tell you which DVDs have multi audio tracks and which do not. Some titles you can guess just by track record alone. I doubt anyone in America would be smart enough to try and find DVDs that have the original Japanese audio from the Pokemon anime. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by Samurai Equine

[TBD 16,730]

ehh, it really depends. I don't mind dubbed MHA, FMA, Naruto and One piece. Especially  One Piece, since these actors/actress put the effort to add accent to their characters. The rest is very cringeworthy. .