Anime Dub vs Anime Sub

To dub, or to sub is the question.

I remember the days of questionable dubs, poorly translated sub, and quite honestly just a great time to get into anime; however, today’s standard for both is on such another level. Every single day on a forum thread, inside our favorite card shop or out and about at the mall we still have have the eternal debate. Dub or sub?

First off, what is dub? For an anime to be dubbed, it means the title has been stripped of its original audio and given rerecorded dialogue, music, etc. Dubbed anime matches up animation with translated dialogue that is recorded in a variety of native languages for international fans to then enjoy.

Secondly, what is sub? Basically, a subbed anime has everything the Japanese version has, with the exception of subtitles in English (and sometimes other languages as well depending on popularity.)

A fair chunk of the sub only community has a good point with these aspects to consider. Starting with the language barrier when converting Japanese into another language such as English for example. Next, due to the language barrier affecting the proper or appropriate conversation of the language this affects the “feeling” that was originally intended to be conveyed. Lastly, the nuanced delivery of jokes, the over-the-top drama & throes of passion aren’t as accurately executed. There are some real notable outliers, that are in my opinion better than the sub, such as Steve Blum as Spike Spiegel and his perfectly crafted portrayal, Colleen Clinkenbeard as Riza Hawkeye brings a strong, discerning voice to one of the strongest and steadfast female characters in anime history.

While dub is just as good, and great when don’t want to read the subtitles while falling asleep in bed, there is a big downside. The case of missing episodes & seasons. Some for good reason like the hot spring episode of Outlaw Star, kind of hard to get that one on tv, or the Porygon episode of Pokemon. (All of these extreme examples can be researched by you mature adults.) Season zero as we know it in the west though of Yu-Gi-Oh wasn’t really that bad to not be aired sooner in my opinion.

So with the new season of anime coming in hot, it’s going to be hard to wait for the dubs (see another reason dub can be so frustrating!) I enjoy because of the love of the series overall.