Japanese. The original language is always going to be the definitive version of any text.
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Japanese. The original language is always going to be the definitive version of any text.
Subtitles?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ranger Jack Walker
It really depends for me. If I'm going to be watching it with my full attention, I usually prefer subtitles; if I want to have it on in the background while I'm soing something, I tend to like it dubbed (although there are exceptions to each scenario). This is mainly why I haven't watched Tatami Galaxy in a while: it moves too quickly for me to follow if I'm doing something else at the same time.
In terms of quality, though, I'm going to go with the original nine times out of ten. I want to experience the show as it was originally intended.
English, as it's the language I speak.
Japanese. I enjoy watching it in its original language, plus over the years, I've come to love the language in itself. By this point in time, I'm finding it harder to picture anime in any language outside of its native one.
Japanese is a very direct (unless you're being super polite), socially aware, and concise language. English is easily inane, sarcastic, and verbose--at least by comparison. Let me give you an example, from the very beginning of Digimon Tamers ep09.
You can find the original with official subs on Hulu and probably find the dub online somewhere *wink*.
Original / quick and dirty translation
Dub:Quote:
<no music, sound effects: traffic noise, sirens, etc>
Takato:
boku ga kangaeta dejimon na no ni / Even though he's the Digimon I invented,
yatto shinka dekita no ni / even though he finally evolved [like I wanted],
kowai / I'm scared
Guraumon:
Ta-ka-to
<cue music: "heavy" piano version of "Biggest Dreamer">
Takato:
Guraumon...
gomen ne / forgive me, okay?
kowagattari shite / for being such a coward and so on
Guraumon:
tatakau graumon sonna ni kowakatta? / was the fighting me so scary?
Takato:
un / yeah
<music ends, more quiet>
Guraumon:
guraumon, takato ni mata kowagararen no ga iya da kara / I'd hate to frighten you again, so
girumon ni modoritai / I want to go back to being Girumon
Takato:
sou da ne, / yeah, that's right
sore ni kono karada ja / besides, with this body
girumon hoomu ni mo haireru ka dou ka / whether or not you can get into your "home"...
Note that for the 20% where it's actually translating, the dub does a decent job. The rest is just moronic filler and unnecessary jokes. The entire series is like this.Quote:
<EPIC SCARY MUSIC>
Takato:
I know I wanted him to digivolve, but now he's so scary. I probably look like an appetizer to him. Why didn't I draw him smaller?
<Growlmon, uh, growls.>
I'm just a big jalapeño popper with legs! At least maybe I'll give him indigestion.
Growlmon:
Don't--be--afraid.
Takato:
uh, uh, eh, (etc.)
I'm so sorry. I'm not afraid of you.
Growlmon:
Was I really that scary? I mean, when I was fighting.
(flashback: grah! dragon slash!)
Takato (to himself):
Only if you find huge, scary things scary.
Growlmon:
Takatomon, I want to go back to Guilmon so you don't have to be afraid of me anymore, 'kay?
Takato:
That's a good idea. Let's go back to the park, relax, and figure out what to do. It shouldn't be that hard. Right?
This is considered a good dub, by the way.
I think a good translation, sub or dub, should first be "functionally" equivalent: words do things, and they should do as much as possible the same in translation as the original. That accomplished, the translator should preserve the imagery evoked by the dialog, and even the rhythm and feel--this is much harder.
Takato's first three lines don't sound natural in my translation above. That's because we don't directly say "I'm scared" in English and "even though" or "despite" is too formal for the situation.
Maybe something like this works:
Certainly not as literal, but I hope it's better.Quote:
He's the Digimon I made up,
I wanted him to evolve, but
now I wanna scream.
Ta-ka-to
Glaumon,
I'm sorry,
I was such a coward.
Am I really so scary when I fight?
Yeah.
I don't wanna to scare you again.
I just wanna be Gilmon.
Sounds good.
Besides, in this shape,
you might not fit in your house.
And, here's the official sub on Hulu:
I hope you can see that it's all about trade-offs. Heck, even I like "Guilmon Home" in the official subs. My own take on the whole thing:Quote:
<first line missing>
And it was finally able to digivolve to Growlmon
I'm scared.
Ta- Ka- To.
Growmon,
I'm sorry that I was scared.
Was the fighting Growmon that scary?
Yeah.
Growmon doesn't want to scare Takato again, so I want to return to being Guilmon.
You're right. On top of that, I don't know if you'd fit in "Guilmon Home" like this.
Literal is bad. Making stuff up is worse. There is a golden mean.
Dubs give the translator dangerous freedom to make stuff up.
Sub are horribly distracting. Ideally, just learn Japanese.
If not, you have to decide which is the lesser evil.
And support good translation.
I prefer to watch English dubs. =)
It's not that I have a problem with subs, cause I don't. They're fine. And, if I'm with a group of anime fans who want to watch something subbed, I'm okay with that. I certainly don't mind watching subbed anime. ^^
But I definitely enjoy watching dubbed anime more. I like watching anime in a language I can actually understand (English). And most of the time, the voice acting is good.
I prefer Japanese most of the time.
After all, it is the original.
Japanese all the way. Except for Pokémon, which seems to be my sole exception. It can be either in Finnish of English.
I like something I can understand.
Japanese. I like their voice actors better, and it's sometimes easy to guess what they're saying judging by their actions.
I feel that it truly depends on the actual series. There are some series that probably are close to the original and the only issue is the voice acting (dub). Even though I don't know when I saw something dubbed, there are some dubs I like because it worked better in English or either I like both the same, like say Cowboy Bebop and .hack//SIGN. For the most part, I probably would choose something subbed over something dubbed, as it's usually uncut and shown in the way that it was intended. For some dubs, you just don't get that.
I am learning Japanese, so I don't realy mind watching it in Japanese or English
Japanese. Because it's more natural that way. Although watching an anime with english voices is very amusing.
It depends on the series for me. Some series such as Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon and Baccano! (among others) have spectacular English voicework, and I would prefer to watch the dub in those cases. Others I may prefer in subs - for example, I got so used to the subtitled Clannad DVDs that I have trouble adjusting to the English voices, and some of the jokes in certain series get lost in translation. There are still others, like Gurren Lagann or the Haruhi series, that have decent-but-not-perfect English voices, so those I may watch in English or Japanese depending on my mood or what company I am in.
Short version: I prefer English versions if they're good, but I don't have a problem with subtitles if they're not.
Its really a matter of preference for me with certain animes, so for me its a mix between the two.
I prefer the English DBZ voices/music, but when I watch it on the remastered dvd sets I put on the Japanese subs so I can see what the original dialogue is.
But in English I prefer Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, and for some reason the original Yu-Gi-Oh
In Japanese I prefer Yu-Gi-Oh GX/5D's/Zexal