Anime communities are often very vocal about their preferences, with fans often being divided into two big groups: those who watch English dubs and those who criticize fans who watch English dubs. But are anime dubs really that bad? Here's what we think:
Why Are Anime Dubs Considered Bad?
Translation
Any act of translation is bound to be different from the original even in subtle ways.
Some translations are considered masterpieces, comparable to the original works, but these are unfortunately not the norm, and some nuances of meaning will almost always get lost or altered.
This isn't always the translator's mistake, as some concepts are just nearly impossible to translate.
Sound
Sound further complicates things. In books and manga, and even in stage plays, the translator has greater freedom to experiment and take the space they need to produce the best possible result.
Timing
Dubs also add another factor: timing. While animated characters' mouths will usually be less expressive than real people's, the dubbed text should still be about equal in length to the original.
Otherwise, the character speaking will look unbelievable and, if too much time was lost, the entire scene would be derailed.
Depending on the cadences of different languages, this presents a challenge.
In some languages, the same meaning might be possible to convey in fewer words (that would also take less to speak out loud). While in other languages, more words might be necessary to make the meaning clear.
This calls for some hard choices. How do you fill in the gaps when you have said everything you need to say but the character is still seen speaking?
What will you cut? Sometimes, characters are made to say something that doesn't sound exactly natural just to keep the timing the same.
Cultural Factors
Cultural differences also become a factor to consider. Some types of reactions might make more sense in the context of the language for which they were originally meant, and the exact same type of acting might not look the same in different languages.
English dubs, in particular, are often subject to fans' ire due to issues such as poor acting, poor casting choices, sloppy work, or even censorship.
This isn't to say that all English dubs are bad. There are many brilliant and talented English-speaking voice actors.
Many fans' complaints are associated with poor fits, especially if they've already watched the original Japanese.
For instance, in many dubs -- English or not -- pre-teen or teenage male characters might end up being voiced by adult male actors.
Such choices can impede viewer immersion, especially if the original Japanese dub had gone for a more realistic voice cast.
Censorship
Censorship, especially in past decades, was also an issue, with Sailor Moon being an infamous example.
The 1990s shoujo anime was ahead of its time, portraying both a canon lesbian relationship between two main characters and two male villains who were clearly a couple; a relationship that added depth to both their characters.
Unfortunately, the American dub of the time censored both instances, making the two girls cousins and having Zoisite, who was either male or genderqueer, be voiced by a female actor, therefore alluding to a straight relationship instead.
Some fans, especially queer fans, were annoyed at these choices, justifying their preference for the original Japanese version.
READ MORE: What Is Shoujo Anime? Genre and Meaning Explained
Voice Acting Quality
In many less extreme cases, original Japanese voices are just deemed preferable because the acting is exactly what it was originally meant to be.
Dubbed versions just have a characteristic, slightly less soulful quality, but this does not mean that they are utterly unwatchable.
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Do Dubs Have Any Redeeming Qualities?
While dubs are often hated, not all of them are terrible. Sometimes, dubs in languages other than English, such as Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, and so on, can be hidden gems in their own right, while the standards for English dubs are also quite high for most high-profile anime.
No translation is ever perfect, but dubs can be valuable for those who are too young to read subtitles, visually impaired audiences, or viewers who simply wish to watch anime while doing something else.
Ultimately, there is no consensus as to why dubs are considered bad.
There are many reasons this is the case in many dubbed anime, and some of these reasons are pretty serious, especially when it comes to censorship or sloppy work that could have been done better.
However, not every single dub is guilty of the above.
So, while nothing beats the original Japanese experience for many fans, each dub should be judged on a case-to-case basis by those who are interested in trying it out.
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