Sub or dub?

Sub vs dub

Sub

Dub

Jul 10, 1:44 AM

NuclearSorrow

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Aug 2021

857

Should i watch this anime in dub or sub?

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Jul 10, 2:04 AM

berries_yogurt

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Oct 2021

watching anime with sub is the only way to truly experience it in its original form...the way it was intended by the creators...dubs can be fine, but they often miss the nuances, tone, and cultural authenticity that come through in the original japanese audio

Jul 10, 2:11 AM

hKonata

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Jan 2016

311

It depends on your taste, in my opinion i prefer to watch subtitled anime

Jul 10, 4:34 AM

FutoiOtaku

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Nov 2023

1511

If you’re American, either is fine. If you’re actually English, dub is too far removed from Japanese by the characters sounding like another culture altogether, not just English.
I have the show on DVD and have watched both and the humour and nuances don’t suffer too badly in dub. And also, the sub loses nearly as much original Japanese goodness as the dub. But always sub for me as a Japanese language student.

Jul 10, 6:32 AM

MrHunterxHunter

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Mar 2021

395

dub for the lucky channel moments !

Jul 10, 6:57 AM

Notshane

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Jan 2015

116

Light Spoilers for the anime.

TL;DR (two paragraphs still, hahah, sorry): The culture of Lucky Star has referential humor that appeals to those who have seen most popular anime of the past couple decades prior to 2003. The anime is 2007, but doesn't add too many post-2003 references besides a running gag about Haruhi Suzumiya (likewise with the VAs, where both the Japanese and English voices did Haruhi and both proceeded to do Konata next). It also nice and calm life moments that are pretty funny with the intended audience. The experience would be more favorable in sub because of a good handful of word jokes present in the script, though it's recommended to find one with translator's notes as they're useful to study up on if you're unfamiliar and want to learn.

The dub is serviceable in writing and the acting is good, but some of what it tries to tackle falls flat at times. I wouldn't say you'd lose a dramatic amount of the experience, but definitely some of it. Though if you don't really understand the pop culture reference humor to begin with, the dub will be mostly on the same footing as sub. The aforesaid studying up on its references can still work if you're fortunate enough to find a dub feed that contains translator's notes.

Boring Version:

To disregard all these "tHiS iS tHe CoRrEcT wAy To WatCh It" takes, or from folks who have only absorbed dub or sub independently without giving the other a chance, here is an elaborate perspective from someone who has re-watched both language tracks multiple times.

With the type of culture that Lucky Star aims for, it comes with a lot of Japanese references. Sometimes including word jokes where context can be so specific that the best way to watch it in sub without experience of its topical views is with translator notes. Though inevitably, it won't make the misunderstood jokes any more funny in a lot of cases, but rather be a good informatory to take in the references and then come back to Lucky Star in the future with a better understanding, should you decide to watch the referenced media.

These jokes are either conveyed with a different type of execution or outright said in the same fashion as the Japanese original in English dub, which can be off-putting since it's obviously forced. This is not the case every time, but definitely for a handful. Lucky Star also began the dub practice of using Japanese honorifics, or at the very least popularized it ("-san," "-sama," etc.) to where dubs after it weren't afraid to do the same. But if that's not your cup of tea, this will be a regular occurrence and should be kept in mind.

Other than the referential humor, there's other types of Slice of Life exclusive comedy that's very nice for this crowd, though maybe not for folks who prefer more going on with their stories. Such as a scene where they all want to do the "fan voice" thing and proceed to mock Kagami for doing it when nobody was looking. Or another scene where Konata gets bothered with her Instant Ramen.

One of my favorites is Konata's teacher Nanako, who plays the same MMO as her, message scolding her with schoolwork while she's trying to grind. All of these scenes are very comparable between dub and sub with critical takes being within the nitpick range at best. Though I would argue the Minoru breakdown during a Lucky Channel segment (E21, 19:21 minute mark for those who just want a funny re-watch) is noticeably more funny in Japanese and was pretty watered down in English. But in most cases, dub is good.

So if you are already Japanese pop culture familiar with the previous couple of decades before 2003, sub for sure to pick up on the subtitles of the word jokes. But if you just want to enjoy a nice Slice of Life and are generally unfamiliar with the references, dub and sub are plenty comparable with translator's notes being able to assist with either one, so long as you can find the right feed.

Sorry for the essay. I believe this will be a solid answer for people of the future who hopefully come across this post, so I wanted to give it a lot of effort.

Jul 10, 8:32 AM

Kuterisu

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Nov 2019

118

The more "moe culture", the better you stay from dub. Seriously, no hate.
I normally don't care what people watch or how they watch it, but there are some shows you really have to experience in the original language to fully enjoy them. That pop culture moe voice shjt is irreplaceable.

Yeah but Lucky Star dub is good tho, so that's just my opinion.

KuterisuJul 10, 10:35 AM

Jul 10, 9:17 AM

Toadfan64

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Sep 2024

152

One of the few shows I think the sub and dub are basically equal. I do prefer the dub slightly though, the main cast is great.

Jul 10, 9:34 AM

DreamingBeats

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Nov 2011

6614

where's the "both" option? Japanese and English dubs are both great!

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For those who want to learn Japanese through anime
Resources for learning the language

Jul 10, 10:11 AM

#10

ilayia

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Jan 2024

def dub dude, way more funny and less unnatural squeeky voices, it felt way more relatable watching dub

Jul 10, 10:48 AM

#11

Derekleepeek1995

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Jul 2025

I watch both if there is a choice between the two I'll choose dub but if the only choice is sub I'll still watch it as long as it comes with subtitles

Jul 10, 11:16 AM

#12

GrumbleDango

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Mar 2019

656

Honestly the sub is not for the feint of heart on this show. There's a lot of references in the dialogue that are highly specific to Japanese culture, beyond the usual stuff we see in anime. I would not fault you for watching the dub. Maybe try the sub first and switch if you aren't getting anything out of it.

Jul 10, 1:31 PM

#13

Honeypon

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Jul 2022

The cast for this series is pretty legendary, so sub imo

Jul 10, 1:51 PM

#14

RRDeborah

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Jul 2020

of course sub! it's the only answer

Jul 10, 2:32 PM

#15

Anime_God_King

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Feb 2016

244

Whatever way you want, there is no right answer. it's funny either way.

Jul 10, 4:19 PM

#16

Akemi_Homeroom

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Apr 2018

Watch in raw 日本語。

Jul 10, 8:50 PM

#17

Whitingbolt

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Aug 2022

Both are good. Watch the first episode in both and stick with what speaks to you. I rarely say this, but I picked dub for this one. In my opinion, the jokes landed better because I'm not fluent in Japanese and there's lots of word play. Then, when I rewatched it, I did so in sub, which was equally as good. In my opinion, this is one of those rare animes that has a cult-classic, well-made dub that you can't go wrong with.

Jul 11, 9:00 AM

#18

Kostyazz

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May 2014

I find that dubbers are never able to completely copy characters' voice, emotions, intonations. A lot is lost and something extra is added.
Subs are not perfect either, but at least you hear the original voice.
Next step is learning the language =3

Jul 14, 12:57 AM

#19

Magisterka1

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Jan 2025

My w Polsce nie posiadamy dubbingu. My mamy tylko napisy do tego anime. No my to mamy pecha. Poza tym raczej u Nas rzadko można spotkać anime co najmniej z lektorem. A z dubbingiem to już w ogóle kosmos. Polska gurom!!! 🇵🇱. Choć w dubbingu jesteśmy do tyłu, ale to nie oznacza, że jesteśmy gorsi.

Jul 14, 6:43 AM

#20

FrostbitePi

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Mar 2023

Both options are phenomenal and funny in their own right. I’ll reiterate what others have said: it’s simply two different ways of experiencing a great series. People claiming one is “better” than the other are out to lunch.

Sep 4, 6:46 PM

#21

Viritveus

Offline

Dec 2012

sub gang right here

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Sub or dub?

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