Having spoken to many long-time fans and having read various articles and essays about anime, it is clear that many earlier imports from Japan suffered from rather deplorable English dubs. This is obvious when one rents an older title, selects English for the language, and is variably assaulted by overacting, deadpan voices and/or choppy and unnatural dialog.
The often deplorable state of dubbing certainly contributed to the (sometimes snobbish and haughty) typical preference of anime fans for subtitled versions. Many will look at you in shock if you profess to prefer a dub to a sub. For sub fans, they question the purity and faithfulness of watching a show that is dubbed; and it is not rare for sub fans to be somewhat dismissive of and condescending to the dub fan.
So why do I prefer dubs?
If you've seen BECK, you'd KNOW why I prefer dubs!!!
First, it is important to point out that I was lucky enough to come to the medium after the companies responsible for English-language distribution, and in turn the many individuals making such distribution possible, had honed their craft. Those fans who, like me, only became familiar with anime in recent years, have benefited from: increasingly excellent and accurate translations; intelligent, sensitive and practical writing, and re-writing, of scripts (to convey the original meaning while also being relate-able for English-speaking audiences); and nuanced, enthusiastic and measured performances by voice actors.
As a result, when picking up an anime DVD and choosing to listen to it in English, the viewer is often treated to a dub that is a full 180 degrees in opposition to many of the earlier dubbing debacles.
Second, I have no desire to read television shows. Having to read the dialog takes time away from appreciating the art and special effects of the shows. Part of me pops in a disk to be transported elsewhere, and the illusion of becoming lost in a fictional world is somewhat lessened when I am rushing to read the oftentimes extensive and fleeting dialog on the screen.
And if I didn't watch shows in English, I would have missed any of the multiple shows whose dubs are highly regarded and memorable. Shows like Hellsing Ultimate, Fullmetal Alchemist and Last Exile. In fact, some shows seem to make more sense in English - shows like Baccano! (which mostly takes place in prohibition-era New York and having voice actors speak in New York-accented English simply fits) and BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (where the songs sung were written in English). Other shows need to be re-written with an English-speaking audience in mind for the gist of the humor to be fully realized, like Desert Punk. Other shows work well in the subtitled format, but also worked extremely well as a dub - including classics like Full Metal Panic!, Cowboy Bebop, FLCL and Witch Hunter Robin.
I am trying to watch a few more shows in subtitled format - in fact, my hand will be forced as fewer shows are being dubbed, due in large part to the ailing economy and its impact on the anime industry. But that said, it would be a shame for fans in general to dismiss all English dubs without even a listen. Many shows are even arguably better in English, and I would hate to think anyone would miss Steven Jay Blum's performance as Spike in Bebop, or Crispin Freeman as Alucard in both Hellsing series simply because they remember the horrific dubs of the past.
So for those who are die hard sub fans, why not kick back and just give a dub a chance? At the very least, you can avoid eyestrain and not have to scramble to read dialog . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment