You Elitist Bastards!

[bipper]

The self-proclaimed American "otaku" crowd will prefer the Japanese versions of Japanese media every time because:

A) It's cooler to like the Japanese version.
B) They don't understand Japanese, so they can't tell if the VA is bad or not.

QFMFT

Quoted for smurfing GOEING
QFFG

[JKTrix]

I didn't realize this was an anime thread.

When I'm watching anime on DVDs, I'd watch it subbed. However, if I'm not just watching anime (i.e. cleaning room, web surfing, DS-ing) I'd switch over to the dub. That way I can do other things and still follow what's going on. If I'm watching something for the first time I normally wouldn't do this, but if it's something I'd seen before it happens more often.

In many cases, the Japanese version 'feels' better. Aside from the elitism and the language barrier, the stuff is Made In Japan. The voice actors are directly influenced by the Director of the show who moulds their performances to fit with his vision. Sometimes a character is designed to perfectly fit with a particular actor. Anime is serious business in Japan.

In the US, Anime is definitely a bigger deal than it was several years ago. The Dub Directors and the actors themselves seem to be doing a better job of getting in tune with the show, the characters and the emotions involved. Some things will inevitably get lost in translation--especially for TV broadcasts--due to cultural differences and TV censorship. So most of the time, watching a dub (especially on TV) will be an altered experience.

I haven't come across any truly horrendous dubs, other than the kids' stuff that 4kids pumps out. I don't watch much anime on TV (since most of it is uninteresting kids' stuff) and I tend to only buy the best of the best anime that I've seen before. The stuff I buy usually gets the dub treatment it deserves.

One anomaly I've found is in Anime that are based in different countries. The case I'll be using is Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my top favourites...watch it!) which is mainly set in France. So, all of the characters have French names. When the Japanese pronounce words that are not Japanese, it tends to sound awkward and overpronounced due to the phonetic setup of their language. (For example: DBZ's Trunks is To-RA-n-ku-Su. The main character of Gankutsuou is Albert, pronounced Al-BEAR in Eng/French, A-ru-BE-ru in Japanese). This is one area where the English dubs can surpass the 'originals' since it will flow better, as English/European phonetics are more flexible than Japanese is.

While I'm not of the Subs Purists who would spit on a dub, I'm all for anime (and games for that matter) coming out in the US *without* a dub. They would get here a lot faster and cheaper for the companies. Sucks for US voice actors, but I want my stuff quickly.

[Discord]

Wow 7 languages Discord ?!? That is amazing!

My sister speaks 6 I'm the "klutz" of the family, speaking only 3

Heh, 3 are more than enough. I know very, very few people who know more than 3 on a fluent basis myself, while having studied at an linguistics orientated school where most people were half something half something else.

I retain languages far better than I thought I would since I rarely had an interest in them in HS (though it was mostly due to having only one choice: Spanish)

I can still follow conversations in spanish and japanese pretty well but I still have difficulty speaking naturally and not sounding like I'm a gaijin (I still have difficuluties remembering vocab and proper grammar, on the other hand my pronunciation is flawless. )

To those who haven't... learn another language. It's incredibly insightful. I need to get back to my japanese courses and I need to start work on learning my russian again. I should probably try to learn spanish properly since that language is actually relevant to where I am.

I sense a common spirit.

Russian is pretty hardcore, IMO. I still have difficulties with the endings of the adjectives.

[...]Some things will inevitably get lost in translation--especially for TV broadcasts--due to cultural differences and TV censorship.[...]

That really made me wonder what Elfen Lied would look like if you removed nudity and graphic violence.