Sub vs Dub, the Great Anime Debate

Anime, animated series from Japan, are presented in America in one of two formats: subbed or dubbed (usually abbreviated as sub and dub respectively). Subs are presented with the original Japanese audio with English subtitles. Dub, on the other hand, re-dub the anime into English. This has led to a division among anime fans between those who prefer dubs and those who prefer subs. The two sides can be fiercely adamant about their preference, often decrying the opposite form of anime. This article will explain some of the basic arguments that drive the debate, as well as clearing up some common misconceptions about both versions.

Subs are more accurate

One of the main reasons that many fans prefer subs is that they believe that the subtitle shows a more accurate and less edited version of the original dialogue. A big part of this belief is that dubs have to match their dialogue to the existing animation, specifically the lip movements (lip flaps) of the character speaking. This means that dub writers have to adjust the dialogue to follow the rhythm and tempo of the original audio.

While the issue of lip flaps does indeed restrict the dub dialogue, subtitles have their own restrictions. They still have word limits per line and need to be rewritten to follow certain guidelines of their own. In fact, subtitles can have some very strange, even awkward translations, since they are written instead of spoken. At least if a dub line sounds odd, they realize it during the recording and can change it. Awkward subtitles are more likely to make it to the final version. Finally, the fact that the translation doesn't get matched to lip flaps doesn't mean that it is true to the original meaning. Anyone with basic Japanese skills can tell that subtitles often don't follow the original audio as well as fans would like. So while subtitles can more easily maintain the original meaning of a line, they are by no means a guarantee of accuracy.

Dubs are censored

When anime first became popular in America, the companies that handled the dubbing tended to heavily edit the anime before airing it. Series about battle and adventure were now just extended friendship morality stories. And series originally made for teenagers were dumbed-down to grade-school level. Even in the series that escaped this process, any controversial topics were removed, omitting themes like religion and violence (often going so far as to edit out weapons and blood). This era of anime dubbing left behind it a very negative opinion towards dubs in general.

However, times have changed. American anime companies have recognized the complaints and desires of their fanbase and now leave series mostly alone. With few exceptions, they do their best to maintain the original intent of the show. The days of fitting every anime into the Saturday morning cartoon mold have passed. And now, if a small change is made, it is often made to both versions. The official subtitle is just as likely to avoid a potentially offensive translation as the dub is.

Subs have better voice acting

Again, this is mostly a hold-over from the early days of anime in America. Back in those days, the companies doing the dubbing didn't have a great grasp on how to dub a show. Early dubs clearly show this inexperience, featuring many deadpan or awkward performances. Some were simply embarrassing, as many current anime voice actors will freely admit.

In the years since anime came over to the states, actors and dubbing companies have learned from their experiences and greatly raised the quality of the performances. While America still does not have the large pool of voice actors to pull from when casting a show, there is now a solid community of actors experienced in voice acting and familiar with the dubbing process, with new actors being added all the time.

It is also worth noting that Japan has a much larger anime industry than the US does. This means that there are more directors and actors available for projects, with more experience in the field. In addition, Japanese voice actors are able to record in a much more organic environment. Instead of dubbing over existing animation, they get to record all together in a process know as pre-lay (where the audio is recorded first and the animation is created to match. This is the same method used when creating American cartoons). The actors are usually in a group when recording, so they have each other to play off of. In contrast, dub voice actors record individually, so that a technician can make sure that the line matches the lip flaps.

But while the recording method and depth of the industry give Japanese actors distinct advantages, this doesn't mean that their acting is always superior. The Japanese are just as capable of failing to grasp the essence of a role or of giving an annoying or weak performance. Often, the only way to determine whether you prefer the acting of the dub or the acting of the sub is to watch each version and make the decision for yourself.

Subtitles distract from the animation

One of the major arguments for dubs over subs is that when you're reading the subtitles, you can't watch the action going on on the screen. While this can be an issue for some slower readers, or during scenes where a lot of dialogue is delivered quickly, most anime fans don't find it to be much of an issue. As was mentioned earlier, subtitles have to be within a certain length, and this limit helps make it easy to both read the subtitles and still watch the animation. You may miss a little, but you can still see most of it.

There is a drawback to having to read along with the show, however. Like most people in this busy era, I like to multitask. This often involves putting on a show while I work on other projects or activities. When you're watching a subbed anime, however, this isn't an option. You don't have time to divide your attention between the show and other activities. You need to keep your eyes on the screen, or you'll completely miss what's happening in the show (unless you speak Japanese, of course). So if you don't have the time to sit and do nothing but watch anime, you might want to lean more towards dubs. But if you do have the time, the issue of reading subtitles probably shouldn't be the deciding factor between sub or dub.

So, really, a lot of the usual reasons that one version or the other is superior are based on old biases or misconceptions. Subs and dubs both have different strengths and weaknesses. When it comes right down to it, it's not really possible to prove that one version is "better" than the other. The version you prefer is based on personal preference and the circumstances. Each fan should make the decision themselves, on a series-by-series basis, which version they would rather watch.