Anime watchers tend to have very strong opinions on whether anime should be watched subbed or dubbed. Currently, the majority of anime viewers, including myself, watch anime in Japanese with English subtitles. However, recently the number of people who watch dubbed anime is growing, which may raise the following question in the minds of several anime viewers, “should I watch subbed or dubbed anime?”.
When I first started watching anime I watched all anime series and movies dubbed. But within a month I made the decision to watch subbed anime instead. Hopefully after reading the reasons below you also will be able to decide whether you will enjoy watching anime more when it is subbed or dubbed.
Reasons to watch subbed anime:
Reasons to watch dubbed anime:
I am sure there are more pros and cons for watching anime subbed or dubbed than the ones I have stated above. These were just the reasons I felt were important.
So, should you watch subbed or dubbed anime? Personally, I don’t see myself watching any dubbed anime in the near future, since I certainly don’t have the patience to wait an extra 6 months, or even a few weeks for that matter, to watch the new episodes of anime series that I enjoy. Having said that, this definitely does not mean that subbed anime is the better choice in your case as well, since it needs to be recognized that there are advantages and disadvantages to watching both subbed and dubbed anime.
When I first started watching anime I watched all anime series and movies dubbed. But within a month I made the decision to watch subbed anime instead. Hopefully after reading the reasons below you also will be able to decide whether you will enjoy watching anime more when it is subbed or dubbed.
Reasons to watch subbed anime:
- Watch episodes as soon as they are released in Japan: Subbed anime episodes are generally released within a few hours of their release in Japan, whereas dubbed anime may take 6 months or even a year to be released. This is simply because it takes much longer to produce dubbed anime than it takes to add English subtitles to the anime episodes released in Japan.
- Have more anime to watch: It is not possible for companies that dub anime to dub every single series that is released in Japan. For this reason they have to pick and choose which series they will dub. However, almost every single anime series, if not all anime series, are subtitled because it does not take as many resources or time to subtitle them. So by watching subbed anime rather than dubbed anime you are opening yourself up to more anime series.
- Experience anime like it was intended to be by the original creators: Many times when a character is dubbed he or she no longer has the same feel as they did in the subbed version of the anime. This may be because the dubbing company decided it would better suit a western audience if the feel of the character is changed or it may be just because the English voice actor has done a poor job in representing the character. Regardless, I have found that almost all the time I have preferred the feel of the character as it was shown in subbed anime. The only case that comes to mind in which I felt the dubbed voice acting was done better than the subbed is Nyanta from Log Horizon. Many people dismiss this point by saying that they don’t understand Japanese in the first place, so how does the quality of the voice acting in subbed anime matter. I completely disagree with this statement because there is more to voice acting than just blurting out what the script says into a microphone. The tone and speed at which the voice actor says the lines also make a big difference in the experience of the viewer.
- Variety of voice actors: Unfortunately, there are not nearly as many English voice actors in the anime industry as there are Japanese voice actors. This results in dubbed anime have one voice actor voicing a character in several anime which are airing during the same season. In my opinion, hearing the same voice for different characters across multiple series that you are watching during the same anime season detracts from the viewing experience, as whenever you notice it your mind is no longer focused on the episode you are watching. This is almost never the case with subbed anime as there is a surplus of Japanese voice actors in the anime community.
Reasons to watch dubbed anime:
- Sit back and relax: Though it is very easy for most people to get used to reading subtitles while watching anime, not having to read subtitles at all allows the viewer to simply sit back and relax while watching anime. You can also better appreciate the art of the animators when you don't have to constantly be looking down to read the subtitles. For someone who is watching anime purely for entertainment, which is the case with most people, the last thing they want to do is have to rewind a couple seconds to finish reading the subtitles (though this will almost never happen if you are fluent with English).
- May feel more natural: Anyone who speaks English throughout their day with whomever they meet it will feel more natural to watch anime in English as well. In my particular case, as a person who had no exposure with the Japanese language before watching anime it did admittedly take roughly an hour of watching anime until I was used to how the characters spoke with the dialect of Japan.
- Dubbed anime is catching up: The time it takes for anime to be dubbed, with programs like 'Broadcast Dubs' by Funimation, is gradually reducing. Recent shows like 'Death Parade' were dubbed within a few weeks of their Japanese release. Though it will still be quite some time before every single anime will be dubbed within a few weeks, it is promising to see that dubbing companies are taking initiative and focusing their efforts in reducing the time it takes for dubbed anime to be released. Not only that, but the quality of voice acting in newer dubbed anime has also noticeably improved.
I am sure there are more pros and cons for watching anime subbed or dubbed than the ones I have stated above. These were just the reasons I felt were important.
So, should you watch subbed or dubbed anime? Personally, I don’t see myself watching any dubbed anime in the near future, since I certainly don’t have the patience to wait an extra 6 months, or even a few weeks for that matter, to watch the new episodes of anime series that I enjoy. Having said that, this definitely does not mean that subbed anime is the better choice in your case as well, since it needs to be recognized that there are advantages and disadvantages to watching both subbed and dubbed anime.