Do you prefer to watch anime in Japanese, or English?
@ElaineSpencer (152)
United States
October 9, 2010 8:43pm CST
The subject says it all, fellow MyLotters! What language do you prefer to watch anime in?
I prefer Japanese, because it's the original language and sometimes things are changed when they are dubbed in English. For example, not only are the names changed in Sailor Moon, but the relationship between Michiru and Haruka (Michelle and Amara in the English dub) is changed from lovers to cousins. However, for the most part, names are constantly changed, especially in shows that are dubbed and targeted towards children, and sometimes the titles themselves are changed (for example, Cardcaptor Sakura being changed to CardCaptors, Tokyo Mew Mew to Mew Mew Power, Detective Conan to Case Closed). Because of this, and because the people I mainly have anime related discussions with are Japanese foreign exchange students, I watch my anime in Japanese.
2 people like this
29 responses
@adamgray1337 (147)
• United States
10 Oct 10
I Love to watch dragonball z, and gt. The japanese language is 10x better if u care to read subtitles. I watched all of dragonball z and gt this way so im use to it now. Japan language is for the win. It has the original story not changed around by translations and editing.
1 person likes this
@gloryacam (5540)
• Philippines
10 Oct 10
I love watching anime's in Japanese! I just wish I was fluent with the language. So I still have to rely on the subtitles. But, I prefer that to being dubbed because at least I can still hear them in the original Japanese voice.
@olisaur (1922)
• United States
10 Oct 10
I like to watch it in Japanese, too. As you said it just seems more "original," and the voices seem to fit the characters better than any other dub.
There are also a lot of references (most of the time) to japanese pop culture or food that just don't make sense in other languages.
1 person likes this
@olisaur (1922)
• United States
10 Oct 10
I like to watch it in Japanese, too. As you said it just seems more "original," and the voices seem to fit the characters better than any other dub.
There are also a lot of references (most of the time) to japanese pop culture or food that just don't make sense in other languages.
1 person likes this
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
12 Aug 11
I prefer to watch anime in Japanese and there is an English subtitle on it. Although I enjoyed watching Samurai X already dubbed in English. I prefer it with subtitle since there are information I can't get right away. Specially those anime that are full of information to absorb. It is better if I read the subtitle.
@angelic123 (1108)
• United States
10 Oct 10
It defends on my mood and my eyes. if my eyes are too tired to read I prefer dubbed version,but I like to have it in Japanese because I learn some of their language and it is cool to pronounce the words. I watched Kyo Kara Maoh in Japanese. It is a vey good anime. Inuyasha, I watched it in English I did mot enjoy it much because the stubbornness and playfulness in their Japanese voice are not heard in English translation.
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
20 Jan 11
When I watch amime, I have to listen to in dubbed english. I have some diffculty in watching subtitles. I have watched some aimene in subtites simply becase there was no english dubb avaible. I do realisze that there are sometimes things lost in tralation and I have seen this in some amime that I wacth.
@ReViewMeMedia (3785)
• United States
10 Nov 10
I watch anime in English because I like to understand what I'm watching without have to read and go, "What was that?" besides, all the Japanese voices sound the same and it gets annoying after awhile. I will watch some shows subbed, because I actually like the Japanese actors, but my first preference is English.
@Beholder01 (13)
• South Africa
4 Nov 10
I agree with you, there are some really bad dubs out there. But in a perfect world I'd prefer a good english dub to the original, just cause I always seem to miss something when reading the subs and viewing the action. Maybe I should just learn Japanese!?!?!?
@bautistaanna04 (306)
• Philippines
17 Nov 10
i prefer watching anime in Japanese. It's different and weird for me when it's not Japanese though I am not a Japanese and can't speak Japanese.
Besides, i like the way they call relatives like Onee-chan/Nee-chan/Onee-san. There are alot of versions. but they differ in some sense. like onee-san is more honorific than the others.
but in English, they are all "sister". and it seems like the same.
i want the original.
@aeisle (377)
• Philippines
8 Nov 10
I prefer to watch the Japanese version. I love to hear the original voices intended for the characters and also, sometimes the English translation becomes different with the original Japanese. Probably this is due to the target audience that you have mentioned. Though I have collections of anime which are English dubbed too, but if it was a dual audio, (English/Japanese) I would prefer to switch its audio to Japanese. Although I don't understand Japanese quite well, there are still some words and phrases that I'm familiar with and those subtitles given by the encoders seems to fit more the its English audio. So if I were to choose, I'll go to the original Japanese anime. -)
@angyland (46)
• Australia
7 Nov 10
I'm bilingual and can speak both Japanese and English. That said, I prefer my animes in Japanese due to its authenticity. A lot of the times the English voiceovers don't translate the original Japanese properly, and a lot of the times this results to the loss of subtle innuendos and original intentions. You are right, most dubbed animes are targeted towards children. This means that they constantly cut out scenes that are deemed 'inappropriate' for younger audiences. I also find the English voiceovers to be irritating.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
11 Nov 10
I prefer watching anime with English Subtitles since some English dubbers are not exactly as good as Japanese Seiyuus. Also, sometimes the plot is changed due to the dubbed conversation (as you pointed out in your sample). I also learned a lot of Japanese - English translations by watching the anime with subtitles.
@darksquall (58)
•
17 Nov 10
99 times out of a hundred I prefer to watch in the original Japanese also. The only anime I really like in English is Cowboy Bebop. Like you, I prefer the original so that the anime doesn't lose anything either in translation for the mass market or in the silly little things like names. Often the Japanese voice actors are much more suitable for the roles too, sounding more like the kids they're supposed to be.
Sometimes I let people's actions affect how I view them as actors and actresses or other people in the media and a couple of the people who voice act the english versions have turned me off ever listening to them.
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
11 Oct 10
I've done both, & I love the way the real voices sound in Japanese. but since I only know--maybe--5 words in that language, if I really want to understand even some of the plot, I need subtitles. I realize that they don't translate perfectly, but that's okay, so long as I can figure out what's happening.
Now, if you'd like to help me learn Japanese, that would change...
Maggiepie
"If you destroy a free market you create a black market." ~ Benjamin Franklin
Maggiepie
"If you destroy a free market you create a black market." ~ Benjamin Franklin
@saizo6 (2199)
• United States
11 Oct 10
I mostly watch anime in Japanese with English subtitles. I've been watching it like that for years now so I've gotten used to it. Plus, most of the English dubbed series I've seen are pretty horrible. There are only a few exceptions that I can think of, like Fullmetal Alchemist and Fruits Basket. Just the other day I watched a dub episode of Bleach for the first time and I couldn't help but be unimpressed. The people sounded so unenthusiastic and lame.
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
27 Oct 10
well I usually prefer japanese because the english dubbed are almost always cheesy or a kids voice.
@alilin28 (1527)
• Uruguay
11 Oct 10
being honest, i dont like it so much, i prefer the old cartoons like made by WB or Disney.. but i remeber when i was young i really like Pokemon, and i saw all the chapters and have the pokemon cards hahaha if i have to choose one of them, i would choose in spanish hah or english. have a nice day
@SincereEve (90)
• Philippines
2 Nov 10
Japanese language is still the best for japanese animes. You only have to watch it in subs to understand but it's really enjoyable that way you can experience the originality of the program... ^_^
@Jcwilliams (12)
• Australia
28 Oct 10
All i can say is English dubs don't match the mouth movements and most English voice actors sound very stupid. I used to watch all anime in English then my girlfriend introduced me to original Jap and it was so much better.
