I couldn't help but notice just how many people seem to really hate dubs and I was kind of wondering why. I know
most of the argument. They are the same ones used all the time. Don't get me wrong I enjoy hearing things both
ways. I just don't understand why dubs are so "blasphemous".
For lack of anything better to do I will go over part of the arguments and throw in my rebuttal so that you all can
interject your opinion afterwards.
1)It destroys the integrity of the original intent by changing languages.
Ok, this I never understood. To switch language doesn’t mean that the original idea is now unconveyable or lost.
Heck most of the time the people doing anime are not the ones that came up with the story in the first place. It is
just there interpretation of it. If we "ruin" it by dubbing into another language then is it safe to say that
every time one of our movies that is dubbed(or anyone else’s) is now ruined? Or how about the fact that the
Japanese do import some of our cartoons and dub it into their own language. Does that make it less of a show and
inferior because they translated their interpretation onto it?
By the way fansubs are not the gospel truth of the original script. It is just one persons take on it.
2)Dubs sound awful.
This one I find funny. I didn't like anime at all years ago because yes the voices over here sucked. However the
actors of today are nothing like the ones of yesteryear. There are some very fine and very real actors working in the
dubbing industry now. But that is not the funny part. What is funny is the fact that over and over again I hear people
say that and sooner or later it is followed with an "I don't watch dubs ever" or something close to it.
Some will even admit that they have not watched a dub in years upon years upon years. Well if one never watches it then
they can not possibly know what the heck they sound like or accurately judge. Second funny point is the whole the
Japanese are better for it. I may get flamed for this but I will say it anyway. The Japanese are melodramatic and tend
to over act. I have heard a Japanese director even comment on this. They know they do it and its on purpose. Listen
to some of these same actors normally talk and then ask them to act. There is a world of difference, not always but a
lot of the time. Furthermore the Japanese voices can be just as out of place with a character as anyone else’s.
For example they love to have adolescent boys voiced by women. I'm sorry but a 16 or 17 year old boy is not going
to sound just like a chick.
Now I am not saying that English dubs have no problems. That greatly depends on who is doing them. I just want to know
why are dubs hated so much?
