The best example of this is Lynn Minmei from the Robotech/ Macross series. In English, Minmei is annoying and whiny... she is like fingernails scraped across a chalk board. In the original Japanese language, she is quite a different person. She is sultry in her voice... Watching the two different versions is like seeing and hearing two different characters.
Dubbing was sadly subjected to the "kidifying" of all that has and continues to occur in American animation. Things have only recently been getting better. Granted for me personally, dubs can be superior when the characters are obviously supposed to speak English. A bunch of British characters running around in Hellsing sound better speaking English. I like Asuka to occasionally speak in German or a German accent. I like to also hear Jean of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water speak or at least sound French. I like Japanese characters to speak Japanese...
Things have gotten a lot better, but I understand why some are upset at dubbing still.
