Dubs - actually bad, or just unfairly biased against?

Brigid · Post by **Brigid** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:02 pm

This is where manga has an advantage over anime. Since it's already a printed medium the addition of notes in the margins to explain cultural references and such isn't such a problem.

Thing is, most people would really like to hear and understand the dialog. That, and if you don't understand what the people are saying it can sometimes be hard to figure out who's talking. Especially if they're off screen and *especially* if the viewer isn't used to watching subs. It takes practice and the general public isn't willing to put in that sort of effort when it's quite feasable to make a dub.

So fans can have their preferences. I say there are ups and downs to both that even out overall.

Besides, I've seen some just simply awful subs, so that technique isn't immune to crudiness.

milkmandan · Post by **milkmandan** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 4:43 am

you are right as well

but i was kinda speaking in terms of the best of each category,
the best fan sub, or sub, against the best dub..

sub > dub

)v(ajin Koji · Post by **)v(ajin Koji** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:05 am

Brigid wrote:Dub quality varies as much as anime quality. (Frankly, I can't stand DBZ, dubbed or not, but it is worse dubbed.)

There's a slight difference in the dubbing with DBZ from a lot of other dubbed anime is that it was the first "flagship" bad dubbing job. of course this was for various reasons e.g. change of names, adding of the infamous "i can see their parachutes" line and others and along with the dubbing of voices the music was changed also...synthesisers...

the japanese version is better, I feel anyway.

older_gohan · Post by **older_gohan** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 7:22 am

There are alot of things that are lost in translation. Well let me explain this better starting from the begining.

In making an anime there's alot of plot and hidden plotlines which the viewer has to see through lines, actions, etc.

Now when an anime comes to America it actually goes through a very rigorous process of making it possible to use the anime correctly.

1) Voice actors. The probably most important thing is proper voice actors. One main reason is the fact that your developing characters over time and eventually their voices will change. So you will need a deep more masculine voice or more feminine one as the characters get older. (This is one reason why Naruto sounds so high pitched and nasaly. Eventually as the show goes on he will get older and his voice will change. They are just factoring that part in)

2) Music. Sometimes they have to change the music to fit in with the crowd who is going to be watching it. True alot doesn't change but some does and that may change someone's out look on the dubbed version.

3) Language. This is probably the hardest to change and acustom to. Whether we think so or not, whether we like it or not, the japanese culture is alot looser on what people can view on T.V. than the U.S. is. Infact most countries are looser than the U.S. is. Infact the U.S. has a certain rating for T.V. shows and depending on when that show is being view determines what kind of rating it must stick to. (This is why they made Adult Swim. They could get past certain rules and regulations during that time at night.)
I'll try to hit this with certain points.

Direct Language Translation - Now when you translate something from other languages your not always going to get a direct translation. Infact it can be hard to even find a similar translation. Mind that this does not account for the earlier dubs of DBZ but it can account for instances where you hear something that jsut didn't feel like the original version. It's going to be with every dub so get over it.

T.V. Rating systems - This is teh hardest to get over. it's a real obstacle for alot of shows and you have to coincide or you could lose alot more than one show to possibly air. A good example being the first time DBZ was shown. As everyone knows quite a bit was cut out and alot of words were changed. I.E.
Death - Another Dimension
Kill - Send you to another demension
Hell- HFIL (That one was just plain weird)
I can see their parachutes

Certain things you can't have kids seeing. And considering the time it was placed on prime time television shows why they had to hack it like it did.

As for the ones you can buy uncut, on DVD. Those are the best to invest in because you get everything. As well with the dubbed version you get to possibly understand certain underlying themes here's why.

Direct English translation - In a subb version your attention is really gathered at the bottom of the screen, reading words as they scroll across. I found this rather hard to deal with considering I was missin the film itself. The dubbed version allows for english voices over it and yet you can understand the anime a little better because you are hearing teh changes in tone, and the different voices of the actor. Now mind you I do understand the importance of the original having a bit more, until I learn japanese I'll stick with the Dubbed version.

Ao my whole take on it is this. Dubbed is better than subbed in alot of ways it's only gotten a bad rap because of the first dubbing done and the hacking that had to be done because of T.V. regulations.

So basically be glad for what you have now. I prefer dubbed even with bad actors.

There ya go. My vote is for dubbed over subbed.

Brigid · Post by **Brigid** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 6:06 pm

^
||

What he said, though I don't have quite as strong a preference. (I just take what I can get, though I strongly apreciate having dubs around. ^_^; )

hiya123 · Post by **hiya123** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:22 am

imagine they try to cut out pages of manga like they dub anime and you'll be reading a two page volume which is sutible for all ages!

EmilLang1000 · Post by **EmilLang1000** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:41 am

It isn't quite that bad. And if you haven't noticed, they are allowing more and more each year. This, I think is partially due to the DC Comics shows - Batman, Batman Beyond, Superman, and more than anything Justice League. If you listen to the dialogue in those shows, you begin to here some VERY mature things being said or hinted to... they just leave it ambiguous enough so that kids can watch it and not get in trouble with their parents for repeating "dirty" things.
Case in point: watch Dragonball Z from when it was first aired in the US on UPN (when they did all that stupid junk about "Another Dimension," etc.), to the end of the Friiza Saga when they started saying "kill," etc., with minimal blood, to the Cell Saga when they only cut some of the more profuse and unnecessary blood, to the Buu Saga when nie on anything could be done - the one thing was that they couldn't say or spell HELL because the show was still in the TVY7 range at 5:00, and to have that would make parents scream at the top of their lungs at CN.
4Kids aside, because no one's saying that they're good at all, Anime and cartoons as a whole are becoming much more mature in America. The only thing they won't allow are characters saying "Shit," "Fuck," or any of the other four-letter words they can't even say on South Park (damn and Hell are perfectly fine); but when you get right down to it, explicit language isn't needed.

Knowname · Post by **Knowname** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:14 pm

I saw it on I-channel or AZNTV as it's now called but in Buu saga, they killed the puppy!! ... and an old lady! I couldn't understand it cuz it was raw but,

hiya123 · Post by **hiya123** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:25 pm

EmilLang1000 wrote:It isn't quite that bad. And if you haven't noticed, they are allowing more and more each year. This, I think is partially due to the DC Comics shows - Batman, Batman Beyond, Superman, and more than anything Justice League. If you listen to the dialogue in those shows, you begin to here some VERY mature things being said or hinted to... they just leave it ambiguous enough so that kids can watch it and not get in trouble with their parents for repeating "dirty" things.
Case in point: watch Dragonball Z from when it was first aired in the US on UPN (when they did all that stupid junk about "Another Dimension," etc.), to the end of the Friiza Saga when they started saying "kill," etc., with minimal blood, to the Cell Saga when they only cut some of the more profuse and unnecessary blood, to the Buu Saga when nie on anything could be done - the one thing was that they couldn't say or spell HELL because the show was still in the TVY7 range at 5:00, and to have that would make parents scream at the top of their lungs at CN.
4Kids aside, because no one's saying that they're good at all, Anime and cartoons as a whole are becoming much more mature in America. The only thing they won't allow are characters saying "Shit," "Fuck," or any of the other four-letter words they can't even say on South Park (damn and Hell are perfectly fine); but when you get right down to it, explicit language isn't needed.

yeah you're right but sumtimes they do get on your nerves especiallly with the 'other dimention' crap

W i l l o w · Post by **W i l l o w** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:42 pm

Thank the heavens, someone who is actually standing up for ENGLISH DUBS!! I'll have more to say latter, but I'm just thankful I'm not the only one thinking the things you've described.

(I've got nothing against Japanese DUBS).

W i l l o w* (DARK KNIGHT OF TOMORROW)