There are a ton of anime fans that state subtitles are the only true way to watch anime. True, it is more immersive to listen to a show in its original dialect. Because of this, any anime fans that actually likes watching dubbed animes as looked at like they have two heads. Why is there such a divide between fans of dubs and subs? While there're are certainly plenty of bad dubs, there are plenty of good ones like Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Trigun and more.
Make sure that whoever writes this talks about how many prefer dubs as they can focus on watching the show itself without having to focus on reading the text constantly just to understand what the characters are saying. Also that not everyone will think the original Japanese voice actor's performances fits the character they are playing. It comes down to preference, but unfortunately, some fans who prefer subs for the reason as stated, can be a bit elitist towards those who don't share their preference. – Ryan Walsh9 years ago
I'm fairly certain we had a topic like this submitted a while back, not quite sure what happened to it.
I think cultural detachment is one reason why people prefer subs over dubs. When I watch a dub, I can get embarrassed for the voice actors for having to say such cheesy or awkward lines that don't transition overseas very well. And yet, from my experience of having lived in Japan for a little bit, I know that Japanese people feel the same way about originals, that anime can be awkward to watch at time. Since most sub watchers don't typically know the norms and structure of casual, everyday Japanese, watching sub can do away with some of the awkwardness. There's also the more obvious reason for watching subs: availability. Subs always are released before dubs, and there will always be more subs to watch than dubs at a given moment. I think more than elitism, availability is the reason most people watch subs. – Austin9 years ago
I usually just watch it without subtitles. Sometimes I watch dub because I find it interesting how the American voice actors adapt and such. – Akecha9 years ago
Honestly I don't think the argument between hardcore fans should be a versus of Dub vs Sub. I only watch dub because I can't handle reading lines off the screen fast enough, as embarrassing as it is, and find that if I can manage it I'm too absorbed in reading to watch what's going on. It's a language barrier. The real "hardcore fans" shouldn't be concerned with a few dialogue changes so much as actual plot changes. Manga vs Anime adaptation, now there is a battle! So much filler... – Slaidey9 years ago
I agree with Ryan. Dub-loving fans don't seem as elitist as the sub-loving fans. The fans who prefer subs are generally more elitist towards those who don't. This needs special emphasis in the article. And of course I'm one of those elitist sub-lovers... – Abhimanyu Shekhar9 years ago
Depends on how much attention you want to give the anime. You're probably going to focus more on an anime with subs because you actually have to pay attention enough read them to pick up what's going on. With dubs your eyes can wander a bit or even focus on other things while you're watching it because you can understand the dialogue. This theory of attention doubles for people who are so eager to watch an anime that they don't want wait long enough to what for the dub and there will be more focused on it as it comes out. On the other hand, there are also dyslexics out there or people who can't mentally focus on ready and visuals at the same time. – Lazarinth9 years ago
Dubbing is actually ruined anime quality as original speech lose to foreign speaker who try to imitate sound and speech in anime. Subtitled is less destructive as it only add few texts below screen and never obscure viewer who want to enjoy watch anime, while, original sound and speech is still intact. – manifest9 years ago
I mostly watch anime in the english subs. But some anime sound better with the english dubs, in my opinion. For example, I prefer Death Note in the English dubs. This is probably cause I watched it first, but I prefer the dub more than the sub. It's the same with Attack on Titan and Mirai Nikki (I prefer the Japanese name tho xD) – mekakushimegane9 years ago
I mostly watch anime with the subtitle in it because not all anime have the dubs. But I would still go for the subtitle, I'm kinda used to it. Also, I have watched anime where some of the characters don't match with their dubs which is a no-no. – bez9 years ago
In my experience, it's a bit of a toss up. Some of the "Legendary" anime (i.e. Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in Shell: Stand Alone Complex) have some phenomenal voice work and part of why it was so popular. Then there's anime like Great Teacher Onizuka where the English voice actors basically went ENTIRELY off the rails and made the work a lot more fun for us Westerners. Lastly, we have anime like Baccano! and Romeo X Juliet, which, arguably, have put a lot of work into their dubwork and should be listened to in English. On the other hand, there's works like Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni who just don't have that great a dub track, and there's a lot of shows that don't even make it stateside. It's kind of a very subjective topic. – Helmet9 years ago
I like the idea of addressing this topic because it is a relevant conversation that takes place between anime lovers. In my personal experience, I don't have a preferred choice over subbed v. dubbed. I've watched both and enjoyed both. When watching a dubbed anime, as people mentioned above, it is easier for non-Japanese speakers to concentrate on the action displayed on the screen as opposed to reading the subtitles. When watching a subbed anime, I personally like to listen to the language because I like the way it sounds. However, the debate over what is more "authentic" or whether one way is better than the other seems confusing if the anime altogether is interesting to watch, what does it matter what language it is in? When writing about this topic, it would be important to gauge both sides of the argument and their opinions. – ShelbyLee9 years ago
I generally watched subbed anime, though there are a few that are better dubbed. I feel like it's more genuine and like I can better feel how it's meant to come across when the cadence is right and we're not fitting the wrong amounts of words into places, but that's just my opinion. – nsiegel9 years ago
There's already an article written about this topic on the website. – Jordan9 years ago
Does anybody else feel like anime is slowly becoming more popular? What is it about anime that makes us so excited, so emotional, so drawn into the story and the lives of the characters? What are the ways that anime can make society a better place…and what are the ways people can take the lessons or ideals of anime and misinterpret them? It's an important question, especially since anime is on the rise. How will it affect us?
I would make sure that there's some actual data to back this up before trying to write this. I feel like anime has become more popular, but I've also only come into anime in the last few years, so I have a very warped view based on my own shifting awareness. This could become too subjective very easily, so I would pull in some cold, hard facts to give the article a solid argument. You might be able to acquire such data from websites such as myanimelist. The data might be hard to get, but I would be willing to help anyone who wants to write this article. PM me if you need help finding the data or crunching numbers. – OddballGentleman9 years ago
I think you have a point here. I actually watched anime a decent bit before this recent boom in popularity. Just five-six years ago admitting to liking anime or manga was a bit of a taboo. So I agree that you need data, but I don't think finding that data or making that assertion will be difficult. However, something to keep in mind that not all anime, just not like all shows, are good. There has been a lot of controversy over anime lately, as there has been more of a demand, there has been more of a turnout. But quantity doesn't equal quality, and many people have noticed an increase objectification of young girls and women in shows, as well as more sexually inappropriate themes. Remember: Japan is not a Western culture, they have different standards and different philosophies. A good example is the fact that the age of consent in Japan in 13, and objectification of young girls is common. So there can be problematic elements in anime as well. You even have one of the biggest creators of anime and a huge influence on Western culture commenting that 'anime was a mistake'. Now, I don't necessarily agree with this, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a legitimate reason to say this. There are some great things that anime can turn out, one of my favorite shows for example is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. So when examining ideals and misinterpretation keep in mind that quality isn't always going to be up to par, and that some of this boom in popularity may not be for the better. – MIKAILARUSHING9 years ago
Independent or Anti-feminist? Many criticize Anime for not having enough independent female characters and when a potential comes along, it is almost always reduced to a more dependent girl. Shonen especially is guilty of this but since Shonen is aimed specifically towards boys of a preteen or adolescent age, is this a fair judgment to make? What about non-Shonen titles? What sort of girls do we get there? And does it mean anything when we know Shonen dominates Japan’s Anime industry? Look at a few major Anime titles, split evenly between Shonen and not-Shonen (for lack of better term) and look at the role of girls. What do they all have in common? What makes them different?
I think the easiest genres to compare are shounen and shoujo. Shoujo is manga geared towards female readership. It's important to look at the difference in genres between shounen and shoujo, because shoujo focuses more on romance, whereas shounen focuses on action. In shoujo, romance moves the plot, so it's hard to create a female character that is completely independent that doesn't need a man, because then it wouldn't match the genre. In shounen, since action moves the plot, there is little or no need for romance, and is usually used a subplot. I suppose independent female characters (like Erza from Fairy Tail) usually get love plots to give them a more feminine side to demonstrate that females don't always have to act masculine to become cool and awesome. I hope this note helps! – YsabelGo9 years ago
Because Anime is from a different country, they may have more different views on how to write female characters than America does. Just look at how there is so much more fan service there is in Anime, when compared fan service in American shows. With that said, Japan has also made a lot of progression in there animes. Sailor Moon had a lesbian couple, and that show is for little kids. For America, we just recently had the first lesbian couple in the finale of The Legend of Korra. Comparing the two countries, and how they write female characters would be an interesting way to go with this topic. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
After flipping through television channels I once dedicated myself to as a kid, I noticed that a lot of the current Western animations do not use the medium to the extent seen in Japanese anime. Of course there are exceptions, but the majority I've seen are episodic, simplified, and primarily targeted towards children. If current Western cartoons can learn something from Japanese anime, what would it be?
It would be interesting, if in this topic, one went into the cultural differences between Japan and the Western world and how that contributes to the difference in animation- as well as the marketing audience of each. – szamponi9 years ago
I tend to view Western cartoons to be more dumbed down, not all of them of course, but a pretty big majority of them. Other than that most anime looks more visually appealing, not necessarily the characters, but the overall design. However it does depend on that cartoons and anime are you going to compare, and what particular aspects at that since Disney animation is very visually appealing and fluid versus the rather rigid anime one... – crispychips9 years ago
Well, if Western animation could learn anything, its probably that good writing and that serial shows can work. Avatar The Last Airbender did quite well. It also might be worth it to look into what the differences in target audiences. Anime seems to be going for more dedicated fans(fans who will tune in each week to catch the next episode). On the other hand western cartoons seem to just want to bring in the most viewers. I also wonder if we had more children's serial shows, would they be popular and can they be profitable in the same way that episodic shows are? – Schmerica119 years ago
So many things! 1. Don't treat your audience like they're stupid. 2. Don't keep secrets for too long, or at all/don't be stingy. 3. Hire actors with energy & honest bones. Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are great examples - but they aren't the first serialized animated series in the world, which is a false truth people believe here in the west. There are countless wonderful animes about important human trials. Animation isn't an easy craft. I find when people turn their nose on animated shows, they think back to being a child and how powerless it may seem from their current perspective or how mindless their childhood cartoons were. Some literature for children is awful - those are the ones that never stay in the pockets of your soul. We hate them for wasting our time. The medium of a story isn't to blame. How can you blame a pages of a book that bares terrible literature? Animation is beautiful. The west needs more story tellers. Stronger story tellers. Open story tellers. Anime is an important inspiration! Great topic! – yase9 years ago
I think the key fact here is that western cartoons and anime are apples and oranges. Other than the type visuals, they are very different. Cartoons are animated kids' shows. They might be very deep, well made kids' shows, but they are definitely kids' shows. In that sense, cartoons are a genre. Anime, however, is not an genre, it is an art form. Anime covers a wide variety of genres: action, romance, comedy, horror, psychological thriller, and more. And, while all of them are made in mostly the same way, they are distinctly different in most other ways. There are, of course, some commonalities that spring from the common cultural roots of anime, but for the most part anime is not a homogenous artform. It might only be fair, then, to compare cartoons and anime directed at children, as they serve a common purpose. Comparing something like Steins;Gate to Courage the Cowardly Dog would not really be fair or helpful; of course Steins;Gate is better, but not when you consider the particular fact that it wouldn't be good for kids, which is what's relevant here. – OddballGentleman9 years ago
Popular manga being adapted into anime is common practice, but as of late there has been a rise of live-action film adaptations (see Attack on Titan, Ore Monogatari!!). Is it possible to still maintain the integrity of the original story through multiple translations from one form of media to another? It is a different process from films being adapted from novels and there seems to be more room for content to be lost in translation.
This topic sounds like it would be very similar to the debate over Western comics being faithfully adapted into live-action films. There could potentially be parallels addressed between the two despite manga being more often connected with animation in contrast to Western comics. – dsoumilas9 years ago
I definitely think live action movies lose a lot of the anime and manga in translation. I watched the new Attack on Titan live action movie trailer and honestly, not only does it seem like just a grab for more money re-telling the same story in a different medium, it has most definitely changed it into a fan service! I saw Erin kissing Mikasa in the trailer... like, come on. They deliberately changed a major plot motivating relationship to make some fans happy because now shipping it is "canon". – Slaidey9 years ago
I think it would be more interesting to limit this to anime adaptations, specifically. That way it could be more focused. I think bringing live-action would be too much for a single article, since there's so much to be said simply about adapting a manga to animation. – britaolmstead9 years ago
Whilst transformations can be seen in many cultures, but i've noticed that it seems most prevalant in Japanese work. From popular cartoons such as Dragonball, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, through Studio Ghibli to video games like Super Mario, the idea of 'leveling-up' and improving as a physical transfomation, rather than just a skillful one, is very strong. Why is this the case? I would be intrigued to see if there is a link to Japanese theatre and mythology, and whether the use of such transformations in Western culture has been more common since such programs have become popular here.
Hmm, because many of them originate as video games? – Justin Wu10 years ago
I think this could also have an interesting cross cultural-psychological spin. – DClarke9 years ago
"Natsume Yuujinchou" has Madara, who can transform between a visible-to-the-human-eye maneki neko and an Inugami (dog-spirit) visible only to the spiritually aware. The anime/manga goes into a lot of Japanese mythology, though I'm not sure how accurate it is. – lnr17729 years ago
I would imagine that the whole idea of "leveling-up" or "transforming" reflects some of our human desire to become better. – AbeRamirez8 years ago
I know that there are a number of VR anime out there; Accel World, .Hack, and Sword Art Online are probably the most well known. I've not seen a lot of VR anime, but it strikes me that there are many commonalities among them, first and foremost getting stuck inside them. It would be interesting to look at VR in Anime as a trend and a genre, and to explore how it reflects Japanese cultural perceptions of VR. It could also be interesting to draw a parallel or contrast to Western cultural perceptions on the same subject.
If you're going to do a comparison to western takes on the trope, one YA novel I heartily recommend is "Heir Apparent". – Winter9 years ago
I've actually read "Heir Apparent", although it was a few years ago now. That also draws upon the idea of being stuck in a virtual reality game. It's certainly worth the read. Another good comparison to make, though maybe a tad obvious, would be to the Matrix. – OddballGentleman9 years ago
Comparing movies such as "Inception" and "The Matrix Trilogy" with anime such as "Paprika" and "The Animatrix" would be an idea. Although this could also become a topic on VR portrayed in live action movies versus anime. – Quill9 years ago
The latest one is Overlord. I quite like it. It is about VR where the main gets stuck in the game and all the NPCs get come to life and start moving and thinking by their own liked. I personally quite enjoy anime that revolve around VRs. (ps, SAO II after the GGO arc, it got TOOOOOO bad... imo) – mekakushimegane9 years ago
In what has been an issue of contention in both Japan and the western world, the matter of sexualisation of young girls in the mediums of anime and manga is coming to the fore more than any time before. Especially in the light of new child pornography laws which were implemented last year, banning outright the possession of any pornographic material with underage youths involved. Many have wondered as to why anime and manga were excluded from such sweeping legislation. Over the past decades both mediums have expanded tremendously in a multitude of avenues. This would also include a vast increase in the number of titles in with youth are overly sexualised and/or placed in borderline pornographic situations.
Do anime and manga differ from other mediums due to their animated or illustrated means and thus should be excluded from notions of juvenile pornography? And if so why? The core issue to address in all of this is whether or not there is a significant set reasons to justify the exclusion of anime and manga from such notions. What aspects of the cultures of Japan, anime and manga have to play in all of this if any?
This is a great contradiction to address, much like how in western society it's more acceptable to glamorize violence than say, smoking. There's isn't a justifiable argument why we allow hentai over regular porn to display juveniles, and yet people stick by the decision. The only thing I can think of is that some people sleep better at night because like at the end of some movies they imagine the heading "no real people were hurt in the making of this"... but it's glamorizing it all the same! – Slaidey9 years ago
Sexualizing is sexualizing, no matter if it is a drawing or live-action pornography. Explicit comics such as Tijuana bibles and artwork have always existed and were never seen as suitable for children or a youth demographic so logically, anime and manga should be no exception even if they are only animated and illustrated. On the other hand though, the fact that anime in particular is often mixed with children's cartoons despite some titles being labeled as hentai in Japan would surely be the cause of confusion in Western countries since animation is more familiar as a children's medium along with that "no real people were involved." Therefore, there is also a case of cultural differences at play since there have been many cases where parents buy an anime title for their children just because it's animated only to discover there is sexual content. – dsoumilas9 years ago
