English Dubs

[JoaoAl]

i'm watching a dvdrip in mkv and yes i think it's nice (just my opinion man), the voices are very good, if it's well translated that i can't say.

[Tatsujin]

i'm watching a dvdrip in mkv and yes i think it's nice (just my opinion man), the voices are very good, if it's well translated that i can't say.

Horrible Subs should come back anytime in August. -cheers-

As far as american animated shows, with big stars, they pretty much nailed down a lot of things (with feelings and acting, etc). Tho' I don't watch those american animated shows. As for dubs and what not, anything that is as English voice acting for anime, regardless if it's shitty (countless of them are junk over junk) or not ... 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).

[protoman1990]

Everyone has different opinions. For me, I hate watching the japanese version cause its so annoying, Its like every time they talk I feel like I'm listening to 3 years olds and they all so sound so alike for me lol.

[JoaoAl]

Everyone has different opinions. For me, I hate watching the japanese version cause its so annoying, Its like every time they talk I feel like I'm listening to 3 years olds and they all so sound so alike for me lol.

that's exactly why i tend to search dub versions: they all sound alike and i sometimes get lost in who's who and who's saying what. :-)

[aznZephyr]

that's exactly why i tend to search dub versions: they all sound alike and i sometimes get lost in who's who and who's saying what. :-)

by the way, your reason isn't exactly the same as protoman...
Anyway, it's the other way around for me: the dubbed version is too confusing.

[kurandoinu]

For the most part I'll try both. If its a particuarly bad dub then it'll get changed back to Japanese, but when I watch anime I don't always have the pleasure of being able to sit and give it my whole attention. This is where for me dubs are better. If I can't see the screen because I've crawled under the bed to retrieve clothes, at least I can hear whats being said and understand it. I like to hear the differences in voices, there have been times I've liked a character in the English who's voice just doesn't seem to suit them in the Japanese and vice versa.

I will agree that the Japanese is for the most part gonna be superior in the fact that the animation was done for that language. Personally I think that American dubbers must have a bitch of a time matching them AND at least trying to keep the conversation the same. We can all knock it and say they do a shitty job, but until we work in the industry ourselves, we don't know.

[Borror0]

We can all knock it and say they do a shitty job, but until we work in the industry ourselves, we don't know.

As I have said earlier, other languages do a better job at dubbing than English.

If I am forced to watch a dubbed anime, I'll pick French over English in a heartbeat not because my French is better but because the French dubbing is better and more natural sounding than the English version. I mean, it's still an anime and there are voices that are a little... abnormal (just like they are in the Japanese version) but it fits into the anime's mood. The English dubs, however, don't make any sense.

English dubs are good at one thing: making my ears bleed.

[kurandoinu]

Thats a pretty gross generalisation. Until you've watched EVERY anime in English you can't say that they all make your ears bleed.

[Borror0]

Thats a pretty gross generalisation. Until you've watched EVERY anime in English you can't say that they all make your ears bleed.

Generalization? Yes. Indubitably. It was intended to be.

Gross generalization? No, I don't think so. Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule.

[zrdb]

"Good English dubs are the exception rather than the rule." On really now?-I don't think so. English and japanese va's do the same thing. I don't like reading anime-that's what manga is for. I will only watch anime subbed if I have no choice in the matter (read that as watching fansubs).

[Borror0]

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

Ya, really.

[Tatsujin]

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

Ya, really.

Just proves how full of shit English Dubs are. HAAAAAAAAAAAH AHAHAHAHAHAH!

Original > Everything else. Thanks for reading.

[Zalis116]

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.

[Aneroph]

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."

For the record, 'People die when they are killed" is exactly the way the line is supposed to be. It appears in the anime and numerous times in the visual novel. It was referring to the fact that

(click to show/hide)

he had already been injured so many times and so badly that he was, according to all worldly rules, killed and should have died all those times, but something is still keeping him alive. Thus the phrase, people die when they are killed. He was 'killed' many times, but never died

People just love to isolate that phrase and use it for humor (even I laughed when I saw before the anime )

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.

Maybe my sources are wrong, but the last time I did a check on American voice actors they all stated that voice actors and stage/movie actors have the exact same training. Honestly, actors on stage can't have less emotion in their voices just because they're able to also speak through body language. There's quite a large difference in voice acting quality with anime dubs and movies like 'Up' and 'Ice Age' and 'Toy Story' where A/B-list celebrities do the voices. Japanese movies sound pretty much the same if not worse than anime voices (could be a lack of bad stage actors from Japan though )Before anyone says I'm living in the past I should mention that I still watch anime every Saturday night on Cartoon Network in dubs. I may not like the dubs, but I sure as heck like to support the fact that anime is still being played on television as this was the way I found anime, and occasionally I come across a series that looks interesting that I download.

Personally, I've always wanted to see a large scale collaboration between international anime companies to make one grandiose sub anime with characters of different nationality speaking the proper language. American characters have original American voices, Japanese characters have Japanese voices, French characters have french voice etc. with choice of subs for whichever language you speak, or make it story relevant and include translators when the multi-national characters speak with each other. Something like Afro Samurai with (I think) Japanese creators and original English voices  was a nice attempt at stepping out of the language box, but it was fail in my book the moment they put the words 'afro' and 'samurai' in the same sentence, and even more so when they cast (motha Fu**ing ) Samual L. Jackson as the voice.  

[aznZephyr]

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...

You seriously considered Fruits Basket, Samurai Champloo, Fullmetal Alchemist and Ouran High School Host Club as "dubbed with heart?" I wouldn't know about the other anime on your list since I've never watched them dubbed (or at all), but I have seen the ones I listed, and the English dub was just as dry as the next.

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).

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've tried 'em, I won't watch 'em, and I'll knock 'em as much as I want

Dubs are like most everything; some are good, some are bad, and most fall somewhere on the spectrum between the extremes. Unfortunately there's only so much an abridged product can do. Even if its from Enlgish to a more readable English (like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), it won't match the true character intended.

EDIT:
I've said this before (or at least in a simillar way). I do not believe subtitles are innocent of the accusations above. They can be just as bad as the dubbed. For example, a certain subbing group translated dango to dumplings. There are many types of dumplings from different countires and cultures all over Asia. Dango, on the other hand, is specifically Japanese. In this specific example, it doesn't make that much of a difference: in the end since it wasn't major to the storyline. Hopefully you get my point though; subtitles can be just as bad. Although in the end I prefer them over dubs because they don't replace anything.

Personally, I've always wanted to see a large scale collaboration between international anime companies to make one grandiose sub anime with characters of different nationality speaking the proper language. American characters have original American voices, Japanese characters have Japanese voices, French characters have french voice etc. with choice of subs for whichever language you speak, or make it story relevant and include translators when the multi-national characters speak with each other.

Keep dreaming (no offense intended).
Although one thing's for certain - It would top Steamboy for the record of most expensive anime (26 million USD).

[Borror0]

Personally, I've always wanted to see a large scale collaboration between international anime companies to make one grandiose sub anime with characters of different nationality speaking the proper language. American characters have original American voices, Japanese characters have Japanese voices, French characters have french voice etc. with choice of subs for whichever language you speak, or make it story relevant and include translators when the multi-national characters speak with each other.

That's one of the things I liked about Heroes: when the characters don't talk in English, they don't magically talk in not-English-but-we-hear-it-in-English-anyway. Instead, it's subtitled and spoken in the real language. I think it makes the show more realistic and more enjoyable.

Black Lagoon is an anime that could have benefited from that, a lot.

[Decado1]

Aw, hell. I thought this thread was going to be about good dubs to try.

[Klocknov]

I find it sad how so many people will strike down the English dub when they try there best. I won't disagree we have our amount of bad voice actoring in English dub, but we have also had a fair share of good that people strike down a lot too. Voice acting is something that most people say any actor can do, but I disagree with that, for someone to do a voice acting they not only need a special talent to become the character, they also need the want to make a character special to the series or show. That is where we hit more problems, when you have something that has already been done once, whether it is in a different language or not, you have had someone already do that. So those voice actors are trying to be the person who did it before them, not be the character is more how it seems to the people watching it, also sometimes true in all actuality. That is one of the biggest problems on the side of anime as I see it.

I will say I do prefer Japanese dub with English subs, but it isn't because the English dub is bad, it is because I enjoy watching it in the original form. Though I still enjoy English dub when I can't devote all my time to a show, for it makes it to where I can do stuff and still listen as the plot develops with full understanding.

[kenpa007]

Berserk Outtakes > all english dubs

[Tatsujin]

Berserk Outtakes > all english dubs

Tatsujin > Everyone else.

I'll make you all suffer under my rule. -laughs evilly-