Honestly, it’s all about what’s available. Plenty of newer shows haven’t been licensed for dubbing yet. I’m for whatever gets people to watch more anime. I can’t pick a side.
King Solomon
Subs preserve the nuance of the original. Look at something as basic as Princess Mononoke – I’m not saying Gillian Anderson doesn’t have a great voice, but in traditional Japanese anime, dogs are voiced by men, and cats by women, and that gets lost when you recast without respect for the original.
Hannibal Barca
That’s actually not even true? Moro was a wolf goddess. She was clearly female. Did you even watch the whole movie?
The Trưng sisters
Dubs make shows accessible. Not everyone is alive to the nuances of Japanese culture, you know? Subtitles tell you what’s going on, but dubs make the little details come alive. And isn’t that what anime is all about?
Boudica
I think if you’re not willing to take a few minutes to learn about Japanese social structures, you’re probably not going to get much out of anime in the first place. Honestly, it’s basic research. Subs separate the dabblers from the real fans. If I see something I don’t understand, I look it up, I don’t ask for a second-rate German voice actor to hold my hand and explain things to me.
The Venerable Bede
Okay, don’t flame me, but I actually thought the dubbed version of Sailor Moon was better. Sailors Neptune and Uranus actually made really cute cousins! This way I could watch it with my kids without having to explain stuff they’re not ready for.
Maimonides
I don’t even know what to say to that. Subs. Obviously. Would you dub over the Mona Lisa? No. You couldn’t.
Empress Chadi
One word: Robotech. I rest my case.
Huldrych Zwingli
I’d rather someone watched the dubbed version than illegally torrented it. Torrenters are f*cking ruining the anime industry.
Abraham Lincoln
Look, just because some dubs have been subpar doesn’t mean that dubbing as a practice is always bad. You can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Benito Juarez
Dubs are basically cultural erasure. I don’t understand the point of dubs. It’s like eating baby food when you have a full set of teeth.
Charles Dickens
SUBS ONLY IF I WANT TO HEAR RUSSELL CROWE’S VOICE AS TOTORO I WILL KILL MYSELF AND GO DIRECTLY TO HELL
Ulysses S. Grant
Have you seen Hellsing? I swear I’m not trolling, but I think the English dub is actually better than the original in some ways. Also, I’m not watching anime because I want to read a book, you know? If I want to read a book, I’ll read a book.
Gen. George McClellan
I don’t watch anime.
Ida B. Wells
You can’t even get a series like Ao no Exorcist in dub. Good luck trying to watch episode 21 of Guilty Crown while you’re at it, dubbers. You’re living in a dream world.
Joseph Stalin
Either one is fine.
Mallory is an Editor of The Toast.