English Dubs

[Timdog]

He would always repeat the stupid sounding sentences and laugh (boy would he have had a blast seeing "people die when they are killed" in FSN

For the record, I didn't find your post elitist. But I don't think subtitles would've sounded any less stupid to someone determined to hate on anime. Ever try reading subtitles out loud? Most sub lines don't sound too cool, either. Incidentally, if he'd heard the FSN dub, the line would've been "If people are hurt badly enough, they die. That's the way it should be."

This was true, about 4 years ago. Most dub haters live in the past, and not in the here and now.

You think? One Piece was also hacked to pieces for that dub. Lolly anyone?

  Yes, the old 4kids One Piece dub was a hackjob, but by all accounts the new Funimation dub is perfectly good. It's being released on uncut DVDs with all cigarettes, guns, and other "mature" elements uncensored.

Except that his not what he said.

He was talking about better voice actors. Hollywood actors are actors; not voice actors. There is a significant different.

Yeah, you're right. It's just that when most people talk about "anime VAs suck, they should get some real actors," they're usually referring to A-list celebrities.

it really hard to find such anime that dubbed with heart, name at least 1 anime that had that heart of the character,

I'll name a few: Fruits Basket, Rumbling Hearts, Shuffle, Koi Kaze, Kanon 2006, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist, El-Hazard (even the Japanese producers thought that dub was better), Ouran High School Host Club, Solty Rei, Trinity Blood, Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze...

it is not original no matter how you slice it and you dice it. Anime's done in Japanese voice acting, and even the feelings that get put into when acting from the ORIGINAL seiyu behind the scenes, original voice acting, original scripts, original whatever else you wanna implement on this. Anime in Japanese voices > English voices. Anime's originally done in Japan (focusing on stuff coming from Japan and developed in Japan).

Not all original Japanese stories and scripts are outstanding works of creative genius, just like not every US original cartoon, TV show, and movie has top-notch scripts. I've seen a number of shows that are simply more interesting and entertaining in English, regardless of the relative quality of the acting. Among them would be Ghost Stories, Generator Gawl, Magikano, Orphen, Colorful, E's Otherwise, Girls Bravo, Ikki-Tousen, Gokudo, Dai-Guard, and Shrine of the Morning Mist.

And what about shows not set in Japan, like shows that take place in the USA/UK or otherwise international settings? For shows like Chrono Crusade, Baccano, Yugo the Negotiator, Area 88, Noir, Hellsing, Sherlock Hound, and Beck, English can feel more appropriate for the show's characters and atmosphere. And then there's all the sci-fi/fantasy settings like Last Exile, Berserk, Lodoss War, Trigun, etc.

*Shana dub clip link* Just proves how full of shit English Dubs are. HAAAAAAAAAAAH AHAHAHAHAHAH!

Original > Everything else. Thanks for reading.

And what exactly is wrong with that clip, again? Having seen all of that dub, I thought it was pretty good. Once Tabitha St. Germain settled into the role of Shana (that clip was from one of the first eps IIRC), she came pretty close to Rie Kugimiya in many ways. Especially in one melon bread-eating scene towards the middle of the series. Marjorie was hilarious, and I appreciated how Kazumi Yoshida and Hecate actually sounded like... Kazumi Yoshida and Hecate, instead of like Ayako Kawasumi and Mamiko Noto.

Besides, what does one clip from one show prove about English dubs in general? That's like saying, "I saw this fansub with the line 'mass naked child events,' fansub translations are terrible."

And if we accept that "Original > Everything Else," that still doesn't mean that "everything else" is bad.

-----
In general, if you don't want to watch English dubs, feel free not to watch them. Just don't knock 'em till you try 'em. In my experience, some dubs are very good, some are very bad, and most fall somewhere on the spectrum between those extremes.

I actually started realizing a lot of anime has very awkward dialogue a few days ago.  I started to imagine what it would sound like if the lines were spoken in a movie in English.  I realized they would sound very awkward and would just be plain bad.  Not all is like this and it might be due to the translation, but I'm wondering if people prefer subs because they don't notice how awkward things are since they don't actually understand the spoken language.  Next time you watch an anime, try imagining the sub lines being spoken by a big-name English actor and you'll see what I mean. 

[Tatsujin]

He would always repeat the stupid sounding sentences and laugh (boy would he have had a blast seeing "people die when they are killed" in FSN

For the record, I didn't find your post elitist. But I don't think subtitles would've sounded any less stupid to someone determined to hate on anime. Ever try reading subtitles out loud? Most sub lines don't sound too cool, either. Incidentally, if he'd heard the FSN dub, the line would've been "If people are hurt badly enough, they die. That's the way it should be."

This was true, about 4 years ago. Most dub haters live in the past, and not in the here and now.

You think? One Piece was also hacked to pieces for that dub. Lolly anyone?

  Yes, the old 4kids One Piece dub was a hackjob, but by all accounts the new Funimation dub is perfectly good. It's being released on uncut DVDs with all cigarettes, guns, and other "mature" elements uncensored.

Except that his not what he said.

He was talking about better voice actors. Hollywood actors are actors; not voice actors. There is a significant different.

Yeah, you're right. It's just that when most people talk about "anime VAs suck, they should get some real actors," they're usually referring to A-list celebrities.

it really hard to find such anime that dubbed with heart, name at least 1 anime that had that heart of the character,

I'll name a few: Fruits Basket, Rumbling Hearts, Shuffle, Koi Kaze, Kanon 2006, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist, El-Hazard (even the Japanese producers thought that dub was better), Ouran High School Host Club, Solty Rei, Trinity Blood, Haibane Renmei, Texhnolyze...

it is not original no matter how you slice it and you dice it. Anime's done in Japanese voice acting, and even the feelings that get put into when acting from the ORIGINAL seiyu behind the scenes, original voice acting, original scripts, original whatever else you wanna implement on this. Anime in Japanese voices > English voices. Anime's originally done in Japan (focusing on stuff coming from Japan and developed in Japan).

Not all original Japanese stories and scripts are outstanding works of creative genius, just like not every US original cartoon, TV show, and movie has top-notch scripts. I've seen a number of shows that are simply more interesting and entertaining in English, regardless of the relative quality of the acting. Among them would be Ghost Stories, Generator Gawl, Magikano, Orphen, Colorful, E's Otherwise, Girls Bravo, Ikki-Tousen, Gokudo, Dai-Guard, and Shrine of the Morning Mist.

And what about shows not set in Japan, like shows that take place in the USA/UK or otherwise international settings? For shows like Chrono Crusade, Baccano, Yugo the Negotiator, Area 88, Noir, Hellsing, Sherlock Hound, and Beck, English can feel more appropriate for the show's characters and atmosphere. And then there's all the sci-fi/fantasy settings like Last Exile, Berserk, Lodoss War, Trigun, etc.

*Shana dub clip link* Just proves how full of shit English Dubs are. HAAAAAAAAAAAH AHAHAHAHAHAH!

Original > Everything else. Thanks for reading.

And what exactly is wrong with that clip, again? Having seen all of that dub, I thought it was pretty good. Once Tabitha St. Germain settled into the role of Shana (that clip was from one of the first eps IIRC), she came pretty close to Rie Kugimiya in many ways. Especially in one melon bread-eating scene towards the middle of the series. Marjorie was hilarious, and I appreciated how Kazumi Yoshida and Hecate actually sounded like... Kazumi Yoshida and Hecate, instead of like Ayako Kawasumi and Mamiko Noto.

Besides, what does one clip from one show prove about English dubs in general? That's like saying, "I saw this fansub with the line 'mass naked child events,' fansub translations are terrible."

And if we accept that "Original > Everything Else," that still doesn't mean that "everything else" is bad.

-----
In general, if you don't want to watch English dubs, feel free not to watch them. Just don't knock 'em till you try 'em. In my experience, some dubs are very good, some are very bad, and most fall somewhere on the spectrum between those extremes.

I actually started realizing a lot of anime has very awkward dialogue a few days ago.  I started to imagine what it would sound like if the lines were spoken in a movie in English.  I realized they would sound very awkward and would just be plain bad.  Not all is like this and it might be due to the translation, but I'm wondering if people prefer subs because they don't notice how awkward things are since they don't actually understand the spoken language.  Next time you watch an anime, try imagining the sub lines being spoken by a big-name English actor and you'll see what I mean. 

I never stated that "everything else" is bad. Everything else is below the original, specifically and pin-pointing it to Anime made in Japan. This is about Anime dubs. I personally favor Japanese voices with English subtitles, I've started to watch raws without subs since I understand a lot of things that they talk about.

[Scarlatch]

Though rare, there are a few animes that are aided by English dubs I think.  In particular, I am referring to ones where the plot is fairly deep and subtitles aren't displayed long enough naturally to keep up with the flow of conversation.

Just my two cents.

[zrdb]

"Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." On really now?

Ya, really.

Not really-if all you listen to is japanese tracks then I'd say you're pretty narrow minded. I've heard pretty shitty japanese dubs-just because it's the originial language doesn't mean it's superior toan english dub. "If it's not in the originial language then it's crap"-that's total bullshit.

[Borror0]

"Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." On really now?

Ya, really.

Not really-if all you listen to is japanese tracks then I'd say you're pretty narrow minded. I've heard pretty shitty japanese dubs-just because it's the originial language doesn't mean it's superior toan english dub. "If it's not in the originial language then it's crap"-that's total bullshit.

Which part of "Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." made you believe that I thought that all English dubs were bad or that I listened to none of them? Really, I'd like to know. Quite obviously, if I make such a statement it means that 1) I don't think that all English dubs are and 2) have listened to them to judge of their quality.

[Tatsujin]

"Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." On really now?

Ya, really.

Not really-if all you listen to is japanese tracks then I'd say you're pretty narrow minded. I've heard pretty shitty japanese dubs-just because it's the originial language doesn't mean it's superior toan english dub. "If it's not in the originial language then it's crap"-that's total bullshit.

Which part of "Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." made you believe that I thought that all English dubs were bad or that I listened to none of them? Really, I'd like to know. Quite obviously, if I make such a statement it means that 1) I don't think that all English dubs are and 2) have listened to them to judge of their quality.

............. I'm gonna go learn Russian. Screw English.

[furuoshiki]

And what about shows not set in Japan, like shows that take place in the USA/UK or otherwise international settings? For shows like Chrono Crusade, Baccano, Yugo the Negotiator, Area 88, Noir, Hellsing, Sherlock Hound, and Beck, English can feel more appropriate for the show's characters and atmosphere. And then there's all the sci-fi/fantasy settings like Last Exile, Berserk, Lodoss War, Trigun, etc.

What bout them? You think Samurai Jack would be better off in Japanese?
No matter how "international" or "US/UK" they seem, its still Japanese. The one writing the story has a Japanese-ethnocentric-point-of-view that is trying to please a majority Japanese audience. No matter how you look at it, its not truly international and it will not be as good in any other language besides its original (in this case, Japanese).

Not at all true bro.

For example the manga Tokyo Tribes could very well be set in the Bronx, NYC since most of it's characters have a Black/Hispanic appearance to them anyways. And when reading the manga (if you are from an urban city) it really seems like it is a story that was written in America and imported to Japan.

Don't underestimate the Japanese ability to mimic the nuances and atmosphere of foreign ideas and media. The manga Pluto also seems very foreign (European/German in particular in regards to the characters disposition and personalities) and non-Japanese in comparison to say Astro Boy, of which Pluto is called a spin-off of.

Michiko to Hatchin was supposedly written/drawn by a Japanese Brazilian, therefore in Japanese the story line seems sort of "odd" compared to if the language spoken was (Brazilian) Portuguese. Many of the characters names were Brazilian as well as locations and street names...so despite the fact it was a Japanese person developing the plot, characters, story line and script, the flavor of the series is clearly Brazilian, not Japanese.

What I'm NOT arguing here is that all Japanese Manga/Anime writers find a translator for fictional productions that are supposed to take place outside of Japan.

What I AM arguing is that English or another language OTHER than Japanese CAN and SHOULD be more appropriate for a certain artistic creation based off of a story that takes place in that given country where the language OTHER than Japanese is spoken.

This means that if an Anime or Manga takes place in America...why NOT dub it in English? It will be more appropriate. Wouldn't it make sense hearing an American voice over cowboy say "DALLAS" instead of a Japanese voice actor saying " DARRAS" (That's like preferring a Hispanic saying "NEW JORK" instead of " NEW YORK" in a fictional production which is supposedly taking place in the USA with characters BORN in the USA...Now if the fictional character IS in fact Hispanic then that pronunciation by the voice actor would be justified).

Come on now, let's practice some common sense people. So unless the character of the series is JAPANESE in another country...why would a local dub sound any worse than the Japanese voice actor?

[DmonHiro]

Come on now, let's practice some common sense people. So unless the character of the series is JAPANESE in another country...why would a local dub sound any worse than the Japanese voice actor?

While I do see your points, there is just too much of a difference between Japanese dubs and English dubs. The quality is usually much better on the Japanese front. I mean, come on, they have schools for this. There just aren't that many talented English dub actors. I can tell my favorite Japanese actor from a single line, that's how identifiable those voices are (Hayashibara Megumi, Rie Tanaka, Ishida Akira). Also they have a very wide range of voices, that sometimes you can't believe it's the same voice (Chii from Chobits and Suigin Tou from Rozen Maiden have the same voice, Rie Tanaka). On the other hand, most English dub actors only have one voice, and that one's not always good. I mean, I love JYB, but all his roles sound the same. (although, to be fair...all his characters ARE the same). Now, I'm not saying that all English dubs are bad. There are good English dubs, some even better then the original Japanese. But, really, the character's origin had no real impact on weather the English dub would sound good. It's all up to the actor, and quite frankly, most are lacking.

PS: If you ever try and listen to a dub of a character who's original voice was Rie Tanaka or Nakahara Mai...brace yourselves, it won't be pretty. Also, check out Higurashi in Japanese to hear Nakahara Mai's REALLY CREEPY laugh as Rena.

[Havoc10K]

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2

even if you put the effort of a galaxy, you can't replace feelings with effort, no matter how good the VA is if there are no feelings the effort is wasted, that is why English dubs are so horrible, there is no feelings in them, only effort because they are paid, Japaneese on the otehr hand, love this kind of job, it allows them to experience different personalities, they can behave differently, it gives them another piece of their beloved freedom, take Saikano for instance, the lead female VA is timid and incredibly polite, but in the show she plays the role of a girl that is not herself, a quite different character to experience, this is what makes Japaneese original dubbing so unique and pleasant to listen, same goes for Higurashi, the VA of english dubs is not bad, but l always say ENG DUBS ARE HORRIBLE, because l don't feel anything from listening to them, in the most touching scenes in Chobits l didn't feel anything when l was listening to Eng dubbs, while l cried a bit when l listened and read the subs form jap dubb.

to me this matters the most, it doesn't matter if the voice is similar, and sounds good, if there are no feelings, the effort is wasted, and that is why it's a horrible english dubb.

[furuoshiki]

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

Good point, but this is more of a cultural issue than economic issue I'm betting because I am sure they are paid the same salaries (something along the lines of what public school teachers are paid?) in either America or Japan right?

Overall the apex of this argument comes to one simple issue then. A Japanese voice over is not always the most appropriate for certain series based in certain countries or foreign cultures. HOWEVER, when examining the quality of Japanese voice actors versus English voice actors and the difference in feeling, effort, experience and ability to captivate an audience...The result is clearly in favor of the Japanese.

Perhaps Viz and others need to step up their game and recruit better voice actors or simply pay their current line-up more than usual to give incentives for better theatrical performances. Another option is to simply foster the growth of more domestic Manga and Anime writers and artists, which would then foster the growth and demand for more American voice actors.

There are a variety of people majoring in the fine arts schools that have the capability to be voice actors in this country. I don't know why the talent pool has been so restricted in comparison to that of our Japanese counterparts in that industry. Is it the abysmal pay? Or the fact that the position isn't respected enough in the Media Arts and Entertainment community?

My opinion is that it is because little to no Manga or Anime is produced domestically within the United States with the exception of regional doujunshi clubs and some examples featured in the "Rising Stars of Manga" (which is all I am aware of as of this moment).

What is it exactly?

[LiquidZero]

theres some good japanese dub voice overs.

i liked vash the stampede's voice actor as well as the voice actors for that show, they sounded like they tried hard.

as well as probably most well known english voice actor Steven Blum (TOM:toonami, spike spigel, mugen, etc. etc.) i think his best work was tom and spike. Sometimes he doesnt seem as into it (ie: the effort isnt the same as feeling) like in GTO i felt the japanese guy a WHOLE lot more.

i also think that the english (UK version since i liked raspy vegeta) dub of DBZ was good. as well as several older anime titles (like outlaw star and the excel saga)

[bakkagirl]

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2



to me this matters the most, it doesn't matter if the voice is similar, and sounds good, if there are no feelings, the effort is wasted, and that is why it's a horrible english dubb.

I agree with you whole-heartedly. I have hardly ever found a dubbed series or movie that I loved.

[furuoshiki]

as well as probably most well known english voice actor Steven Blum (TOM:toonami, spike spigel, mugen, etc. etc.) i think his best work was tom and spike. Sometimes he doesnt seem as into it (ie: the effort isnt the same as feeling) like in GTO i felt the japanese guy a WHOLE lot more.

You might have to take into account that Eikichi Onizuka, Spike Spigel and Mugen were all pretty laid back or non-chalant characters with a generally cool headed composure (except in parts of the plot with a great amount of suspense involved). It would be pretty hard to show too much feeling via these characters

i also think that the english (UK version since i liked raspy vegeta) dub of DBZ was good. as well as several older anime titles (like outlaw star and the excel saga)

Excel Saga definitely can be enjoyed as a dub. Vegeta definitely sounded better with a raspier voice because it suited his personality more.

[shabutie]

I don't understand the arguments of Subs V Dubs because it's simply your own preference

*Also, I didn't really read many responses in this thread*

I started off watching dubs because of cartoon network and techtv.  Though now I've been watching subs.  For me though, its all what I first watched the series as (I don't despise dubs, but I usually don't watch them anymore).

Ghost in the Shell: SAC, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Black Lagoon are really all I watch the dubs of, because that's how I saw them first.


But... both dubs and subs exist...  so...  w/e ^_^  everyone gets to watch anime ^_^

[Aneroph]

I don't understand the arguments of Subs V Dubs because it's simply your own preference

*Also, I didn't really read many responses in this thread*

I started off watching dubs because of cartoon network and techtv.  Though now I've been watching subs.  For me though, its all what I first watched the series as (I don't despise dubs, but I usually don't watch them anymore).

Ghost in the Shell: SAC, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Black Lagoon are really all I watch the dubs of, because that's how I saw them first.


But... both dubs and subs exist...  so...  w/e ^_^  everyone gets to watch anime ^_^

I think the idea is that the people who hate dubs/love subs hate waiting to buy their anime DVDs and hate spending extra money for crap they don't want. I could care less since I torrent anyways and usually if I buy DVDs it's of a show I love so much that even the English dubs sound okay to me.

Really though, there is no argument without facts. I would LOVE to see some solid evidence on viewer ratings in different areas between subs/dubs played on television. Dubs brought me to anime. Subs keep me addicted to anime. The only thing I can't stand for is the fucktards over at 'anime news network' writing articles about how anyone saying they prefer subs is using it only as an excuse to justify torrenting.

[furuoshiki]

This wasn't just (yet another) Dub v. Sub argument.

I believe it was whether English/Foreign Language dubs WOULD be appropriate (sometimes even MORE appropriate than Japanese voice overs) given certain plot locations or settings in which the Anime or Manga takes place.

[Aneroph]

This wasn't just (yet another) Dub v. Sub argument.

I believe it was whether English/Foreign Language dubs WOULD be appropriate (sometimes even MORE appropriate than Japanese voice overs) given certain plot locations or settings in which the Anime or Manga takes place.

Did you read the first post? It's a video of Conan O'brian and Andy Rickter doing voice overs for Ghost in the Shell with comments of "this is why English dubs suck so bad".  

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2

Havoc this bugs me. It's a huge generalization based on nothing. It's almost downright offensive. I'm not fighting for dubs, but to say English voice actors don't put their hearts into their work? That's ridiculous. English voice actors are pretty much stage actors that couldn't find work anywhere else. They go to the same schools (Reading Johnny Bosch's web page says exactly this same thing). If you go and watch a movie like 'Ice Age' or 'Toy Story' where they have used real 'A' list actors (the good ones) the quality in the voices are incredible. There are just too many variables in the dubbing over of anime.

Let me take some video games for example. More recently, a lot of the Japanese video games that come to America have been getting a complete overhaul when it comes to doing dub work. They go into the game and even change the mouth movements to the English voice overs (Play lost Odyssey with Japanese voices and you will realize it's moving with the English dubs (Super side note: Lost Odyssey had terrible Japanese voices. Only time I've ever hated the Japanese dub). With this extra freedom, most of the newer games I have played have had better dubs/English voices than any anime.

[Havoc10K]

This wasn't just (yet another) Dub v. Sub argument.

I believe it was whether English/Foreign Language dubs WOULD be appropriate (sometimes even MORE appropriate than Japanese voice overs) given certain plot locations or settings in which the Anime or Manga takes place.

Did you read the first post? It's a video of Conan O'brian and Andy Rickter doing voice overs for Ghost in the Shell with comments of "this is why English dubs suck so bad".  

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2

Havoc this bugs me. It's a huge generalization based on nothing. It's almost downright offensive. I'm not fighting for dubs, but to say English voice actors don't put their hearts into their work? That's ridiculous.* English voice actors are pretty much stage actors that couldn't find work anywhere else. They go to the same schools (Reading Johnny Bosch's web page says exactly this same thing). If you go and watch a movie like 'Ice Age' or 'Toy Story' where they have used real 'A' list actors (the good ones) the quality in the voices are incredible. There are just too many variables in the dubbing over of anime.

Let me take some video games for example**. More recently, a lot of the Japanese video games that come to America have been getting a complete overhaul when it comes to doing dub work. They go into the game and even change the mouth movements to the English voice overs (Play lost Odyssey with Japanese voices and you will realize it's moving with the English dubs (Super side note: Lost Odyssey had terrible Japanese voices. Only time I've ever hated the Japanese dub). With this extra freedom, most of the newer games I have played have had better dubs/English voices than any anime.

* - every Anime l watched in dubs made me shiver, and l felt ice going down my spine, really unpleasant, the only exception was GITS (all movies and series) and Vampire Hunter D where it was plausible.
** - games are a different matter, l don't compare the ammount of work they give in VA for games, altough there are games l just want to cry cuz VA in english dub is horrible, though thats rare.

l dunno how much effort english VA put in their work, l don't doubt it, but l don't feel anything when l listen to them, except the shivers going down my spine, you have your opinions, to me, english dub is bad and l will always avoid it like rabbies.

[furuoshiki]

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2

Havoc this bugs me. It's a huge generalization based on nothing. It's almost downright offensive. I'm not fighting for dubs, but to say English voice actors don't put their hearts into their work? UNFORTUNATELY, Havoc is 80% correct in this generalization. That's ridiculous. English voice actors are pretty much stage actors that couldn't find work anywhere else. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD SUCK AS VOICE ACTORS CONSIDERING THIS ISN'T THEIR FIRST CAREER PICK? Do you think you would perform as well in a field that you "somewhat" enjoy but are not passionate about? This is where Havoc's comment regarding their lack of passion comes into play. They go to the same schools (Reading Johnny Bosch's web page says exactly this same thing). If you go and watch a movie like 'Ice Age' or 'Toy Story' where they have used real 'A' list actors (the good ones) the quality in the voices are incredible. There are just too many variables in the dubbing over of anime. According to what I have heard Japan allows nothing but these 'A' list actors while American Anime Dub productions allow 'B' and sometimes even 'C' into the mix. Hence the sucky English dubs in some Anime. (But then again if an Anime is bad enough and isn't made by a big name group like BONES/CLAMP/etc it may not attract top tier Voice Actors even in Japan.)

Let me take some video games for example. ( Video game series often come in with more revenue that Anime and require less time committed to the project, this means you can hire voice actors as hourly employees or contractual may be good or bad depending on how much mobility versus Stability the top tier Voice Actors want in their career. The lack of commitment requirement in this industry may attract top talent.) which More recently, a lot of the Japanese video games that come to America have been getting a complete overhaul when it comes to doing dub work. ( Not that this is a good thing particularly)They go into the game and even change the mouth movements to the English voice overs (Play lost Odyssey with Japanese voices and you will realize it's moving with the English dubs (Super side note: Lost Odyssey had terrible Japanese voices. Only time I've ever hated the Japanese dub). With this extra freedom, most of the newer games I have played have had better dubs/English voices than any anime.

[Aneroph]

simple as that :
1 - Japaneese Voice Actor puts feelings into the role he/she plays.
2 - English Voice Actor puts effort into the work he/she is doing.

1 does not equal 2

Havoc this bugs me. It's a huge generalization based on nothing. It's almost downright offensive. I'm not fighting for dubs, but to say English voice actors don't put their hearts into their work? UNFORTUNATELY, Havoc is 80% correct in this generalization. That's ridiculous. English voice actors are pretty much stage actors that couldn't find work anywhere else. SO WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD SUCK AS VOICE ACTORS CONSIDERING THIS ISN'T THEIR FIRST CAREER PICK? Do you think you would perform as well in a field that you "somewhat" enjoy but are not passionate about? This is where Havoc's comment regarding their lack of passion comes into play. They go to the same schools (Reading Johnny Bosch's web page says exactly this same thing). If you go and watch a movie like 'Ice Age' or 'Toy Story' where they have used real 'A' list actors (the good ones) the quality in the voices are incredible. There are just too many variables in the dubbing over of anime. According to what I have heard Japan allows nothing but these 'A' list actors while American Anime Dub productions allow 'B' and sometimes even 'C' into the mix. Hence the sucky English dubs in some Anime. (But then again if an Anime is bad enough and isn't made by a big name group like BONES/CLAMP/etc it may not attract top tier Voice Actors even in Japan.)

Let me take some video games for example. ( Video game series often come in with more revenue that Anime and require less time committed to the project, this means you can hire voice actors as hourly employees or contractual may be good or bad depending on how much mobility versus Stability the top tier Voice Actors want in their career. The lack of commitment requirement in this industry may attract top talent.) which More recently, a lot of the Japanese video games that come to America have been getting a complete overhaul when it comes to doing dub work. ( Not that this is a good thing particularly)They go into the game and even change the mouth movements to the English voice overs (Play lost Odyssey with Japanese voices and you will realize it's moving with the English dubs (Super side note: Lost Odyssey had terrible Japanese voices. Only time I've ever hated the Japanese dub). With this extra freedom, most of the newer games I have played have had better dubs/English voices than any anime.

You're completely mistaken Furoshiki. Saying that English voice actors don't put any heart into their work is ridiculous. That's like me saying "Oh Furoshiki, I hate your ava/sig therefor you must not have spent any time, effort, or put any thought into it whatsoever." (just a hypothetical, your ava/sig is fine ).

Have you ever asked an English voice actor about their job? I'm expecting no. Again, I'm not sticking up for dubs, but to insult these people's hearts??? That's disrespectful. I was simply stating that Japanese voice actors/actresses have more specialized voice training or are better suited for the position, whereas English voice actors are the same as actors just in a different field.