Anime The Purpose of Dubs

[Manic Webb]

I found a 2 month old similar topic a few pages back, but I didn't add on to it because I was the last person to post in it and then I'd run the risk of double-posting. :cross:

The purpose of this thread is [b]not[/b] to talk about your favorite dub voice actors or compare edits in dubs to the original Japanese footage.

I want to talk about the [b]purpose[/b] of dubbing an anime.
Why do you think companies dub anime?
Are dubs necessary?
Have they ever been necessary?
Why do (or don't) you watch dubs? (whether they're on network television or not)

I'll give my opinion later. I want to see what you all think, first.

[Syk3]

The [b]purpose[/b] of dubbing an anime, simply put, is to make it more convenient for people who speak a different language. The whole point is making the anime more friendly towards those who prefer to watch something in their own language, leave it on in the background, etc. Companies obviously dub them for the purpose of making money among these types of people. If you could watch your favorite anime in your own language with little to no changes, would you? Dubbing companies try to get you to say yes, and recieve credit for the "expert language translation." Some people don't like having to read the subtitles, some subtitles of which are poorly written and hard to read, even ones that arn't fansubbed. They can't leave it on in the background, and it is sometimes very inconvenient.

Yes, they are necessary. Whether you like it or not, the demand for dubbing anime is there, and when companies fail to meet it, they fail to make a profit outside of Japan. I do watch dubs, but when I do, I leave the subtitles on, and I don't miss anything anyway. In other words, instead of having companies make the choice for me, I buy animes where I can choose whether or not to watch it dubbed or subtitled, depending on how much focus I'm going to have in the anime at the time.

However, I do try to refrain from watching the dubbed anime that Cartoon Network puts out. I understand that it isn't their fault, and I like anime dubbed to an extent, but they have pushed it a little too far. Not only have they changed much of the original, and interesting I might add, dialogue, but some look at it to the extent that they essentially changed the plotline.

So, it really depends on the company that dubs the anime, and like I said before, how they meet the demand for good anime in their own language. When you hear the word "dubbing," Funimation comes to mind for many. Those people also think of words like "crappy," "worthless," etc., but what this company is simply doing is trying to provide for America's youth, which it knows is going to be a hit.

Ahh, I've kind of strayed the point. I'm going to close by saying that I respect dubbing, and understand that most dubbed anime that I've seen certainly hasn't been translated bad at all from it's original Japanese version. In fact, with regards to the hassle put into to watching anime, I'd say that I prefer the dubbed version to subtitled.

[GinnyLyn]

[color=crimson]Well, I've only dabbled in a few animes, but there have been some awful mistakes that have been made, plot wise.

Any Digimon "expert" can point out those flaws. In Season 3, a character was supposed to be a male (Antylamon), but, for "kinder to children" reasons, the gender was changed to female. Several eppies down the line, a girl character (Suzie) was trying to teach Antylamon how to refer to himself in the male pronoun...or something like that. Anyways, they butchered that scene...made it sound like the female Antylamon was trying to figure out where north was. >.< And that is one of the KINDER examples.
Plot lines get messed up when the translators are too eager to get their money for their work.

Agreed, most dubs are good...but some vital stuff tends to get lost along the way. In FFX, I found the original script for the game, and was a little startled to see that Auron was "harsher" in the original wording. But the original script also helped me to understand some aspects that didn't make sense in the translated game.

Overall, I'd still stick with dubs as opposed to subs...it's too distracting for me to read the words AND watch the action. I prefer my own language, yes, and the best reason of all--I just happen to be lazy like that! ;)[/color]

[Guest Hikaru Ichijyo]

:) Well pretty much everyone said it though I'm going to try and add on to what people said. The purpose of anime being dubbed is to accomadate many fans that are just way to lazy to read some subtitles and would rather have it in their own language with the sacrafice of it being horriblely edited. Another reason they dub various animes are to push them out on the american market toward younger kids thus we get stuff like Pokemon and Yugioh.

Personally I don't see a reason for dubs but the real answer it's a lot easier to market an "american product" to "american fans".

[James]

[color=#507AAC]I think that the purpose of dubbing is highly obvious. It's not just to physically allow non-Japanese to enjoy a movie/series, but it also allows for some editing so that cultural differences (which might cause misunderstanding amongst western audiences) are ironed out somewhat.

Having said that, I [i]do[/i] get annoyed at the whole "You're a dubbie, you suck" attitude.

Let's face it, if you don't know Japanese, you might be unwilling to watch a movie with subtitles. As Ginny said, it can distract from the action and the artistry on screen.

I don't mind watching a subbed movie at all, but I can see how it would frustrate some viewers.

Ultimately, subbing is all about accessibility. If subbing allows for another million people to watch and enjoy an anime...then it's certainly not a bad thing. Anime should be as accessible as possible (including distribution and marketing). And truly great anime is really worth watching, even if you're getting a slightly butchered version.

I guess subbing isn't always ideal...but it does serve a very functional and real purpose. And if you prefer dubbing, there is nothing wrong with you; as long as you are enjoying the movie/series, that's all you need to be worried about.[/color]

[Spikey]

[COLOR=darkblue]The reason is because they put some animes on cartoon network. Kids couldn't watch those if they weren't dubbed. Also because DBZ, is mostly shown on t.v for kids. Also, what if little kids wanted to watch anime, but all of it wasn't dubbed? So that's why.

I watch dubbed because mostly that's all I can usally watch. I get the chance to watch others, but not as much as the dubbed ones. I don't like it that much because it takes out a lot of important, and good scenes. [/color]

[vegeta rocker]

The reasons for dubbing....
1. good for bad readers
2. Good for kids watching them
3. less of a challenge,for nonreaders anyway

Are they crucial?
1.Depends on the animes audience,ex. Pokemon.
2. They sell easier to the majority of the public

Do I watch dubs?
Sure, I have no problem with them. Though i usually watch the dub first then the sub to see what i missed. Though since i am an avid reader i don't mind subs.

[Darkness]

I don't mind watching subs at all, but some good points were mentioned earlier. It's kinda nice to be able to talk to someone else in the room and not miss the dialog of what you're watching.

And like James said, I get really sick of people downing someone who watches dubs. Oh, and "Americanize this" and "Americanize that" needs to stop too. If it's possible to convert the language while keeping the plot the same, do it. I'm a Marketing major, and we always talk about how the message has to be changed somewhat for it to be understood. The cultures are completely opposite, deal with it. Or don't. Either way quit crying.

[Syk3]

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Darkness [/i]
[B]And like James said, I get really sick of people downing someone who watches dubs. Oh, and "Americanize this" and "Americanize that" needs to stop too. If it's possible to convert the language while keeping the plot the same, do it. I'm a Marketing major, and we always talk about how the message has to be changed somewhat for it to be understood. The cultures are completely opposite, deal with it. Or don't. Either way quit crying. [/B][/QUOTE]
Exactly. Many people with this opinion have aparently gotten it seeing a bud dubbed anime or two (dbz or something), and have since refused to watch further dubs. I'm not completely sure of the case, but they may think that watching subs makes them look "cool." However, the fact of the matter is that most animes are dubbed so well these days, that one would have a hard time making out the difference.

[Manic Webb]

Wow. Most of you took the words right out of my mouth.
There are people who can't read and people who don't read. Given the choice between watching any random show in your own language or reading the subtitles for it, most people would prefer to watch a show in their own language. That's why there are dubs; it's more appealing. The original script is translated and re-written to make more sense to an audience of a completely different culture; then the voices are dubbed over into the new audience's tounge (in this case, English) for the purpose of letting people watch a series without having to pull out their reading glasses or glue their face to the television more than usual.

Airing a dub on North American network television and dubbing into English are completely different (despite what some people say). The standards for television in Japan and North America (and some other parts of the world) are completely different. A brief glimpse of an inked-out drawing of an animated female breast might fly on Japanese television, but most North American censors just aren't having that. So when most anime are shown on network television (I say "network" because I know of a local station that used to show unedited anime), changes in the film and dialogue are changed to be more suitable for Audience #@2. What most people don't understand is that this is only done for television. There is no need or purpose in editing a dubbed anime for television if the anime will never be shown on television outside of Japan. But I digress...

Subtitled anime is good for those who want to compare original and dubbed-over anime or anyone who doesn't mind reading and staring at a television for extended periods of time, but I prefer dubs simply because (like some of you already said) reading subs can be distracting. Given, watching subtitled anime has improved my reading speed, but it gives me a headache to look at the screen for that long without turning away in fear that I'll miss something important a character said. That's why I buy bi-lingual DVDs. I'd really rather watch an anime in both versions; first dubbed to hear everything, then subbed to know how everything was originally.

Dubs are completely necessary for people like me who don't like to read. Plus, I wouldn't have ever heard of anime if some of it wasn't dubbed into English. You think I would show interest in a cartoon that I have to read through? Of course not. Not unless there was some way I could watch it without having to read through it.

[TheShinje]

[color=red] Dubs are good for one reason, the only way i can watch anime :p , besides that. I really hate dubs that totally twist an distort the plotlines so kids can watch it, even when the original show was not for kids, Dragonball was marketed at the adult audiences in Japan, so should have been kept that way, FUNI saw animation, though it was for kids, saw the language and violence that would make any sane person change the kid opinion quickly, warp and distort and water down the action and language until it is kidsafe, that's a bad dub, the rest are fine. [/color]

[wrist cutter]

Dubs are made so the American companies can make profits from the growing and gullible audience of children with cash. Without dubs, you can basically kiss the whole 1-18 market goodbye. Dubs are great from a marketing standpoint.

Since anime are cartoons (oh, cry about it), you couldn't market them to adults because:
a) Adults wouldn't waste their money on anime
b) Adults wouldn't even realize they were the ones supposed to buy it
c) Adults wouldn't like it when they bought it anyway

So companies that want to bring anime over have to target children who will watch the stuff. And since kids can't read very well, they have to be dubbed. So I'd say to make money, dubs are necessary.

I don't watch dubs because I... don't watch anime? And if I did I certainly wouldn't watch dubs.

[Semjaza]

I think the point of the existance of dubs is rather obvious, and it's all been explained here.

If I have to choose between one or the other, I get subs. Now that there are DVDs, I can generally choose the language I want to listen to. Sometimes I don't feel like sitting there and reading everything on the screen, and I put the dubs on instead. Some of them aren't that horrible, but I tend to not be super nitpicky about that stuff anyway... Especially when I'm tired and just want to watch something..

Honestly, I don't know Japanese. For all I know, the Japanese voice actors in some anime might be considered horrible to Japanese people. There are American voice actors that I think are awful, yet somehow they manage to make careers out of it anyway.