DAE think subbed anime is always better than dubbed?

At a local anime meetup last year, this guy told me dubs let him actually watch the animation instead of reading subtitles. I get his point but I still think the original voice acting captures emotions way better, like in episode 12 of Violet Evergarden where the subbed version made me tear up. Has anyone else felt like dubs lose something in translation.

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_webb671mo ago

Have you ever tried watching a dub and noticed the mouth movements don't quite match up with what they're saying? It throws me off every time. That scene in Violet Evergarden you mentioned hit way harder in Japanese because the voice actress put raw emotion into every shaky breath. Dubs smooth things over too much, like they're scared to let the characters sound messy or sad. Sometimes the literal translation just can't catch the feeling behind the words.

foster.jordan1mo ago

Yeah I swear dubs make everyone sound like they're reading a script while half asleep.

roberts.leo1mo ago

Oh man, you just reminded me of this time I tried watching a French film with English dubs and the voice actor for the main guy sounded like he was narrating a nature documentary. I had to switch back to subtitles halfway through because the mismatch between the passionate shouting on screen and this calm, level voice was too distracting. Makes you wonder if dub directors ever actually watch the original performance before they record over it.