Forum Settings
Forums

do you watch anime raw if there's no subs available?

New
Apr 16, 2022 3:21 PM
#1

Offline
Jun 2021
92
personally, i've done this pretty often, at least for specific episodes of old anime that haven't been subbed yet, or maybe never will be. but what are your thoughts on this? do you only watch an anime if all episodes are subtitled/able to be watched in general? or do you watch raw anime regularly?

(right now im having an internal debate on whether or not it's even worth watching the first episode of haikara-san ga tooru, when that's the only episode of the entire 1978 anime that has subtitles lmao, guess I'll just watch the 2017/2018 movies?)
Pages (2) [1] 2 »
Apr 16, 2022 3:33 PM
#2

Offline
Apr 2021
376
How many of us do you think can speak perfect Japanese……

Well, speaking for myself, I’ve never seen a show that hasn’t been subtitled so it’s not an issue for me

But I AM learning kanji rn so I can be one step closer to reading untranslated manga. I prefer my books in paper form but they don’t always get a physical English release

so that’s why I choose to take a Japanese class
My poor signature was removed because it “took up too much space”
Apr 16, 2022 3:38 PM
#3

Offline
Jan 2022
1042
Back in the day, late 1991 that's how I started out was with raw Japanese no subs for a lot of shows I was interested in, as not everything was fan subbed quite yet. So I watched the part of the second season of Ranma 1/2 that way... and I watched TRANSFORMERS VICTORY that way, and Armor Hunter Mellowlink (VOTOMS Spin off OVA) but had the "Viewers Guide" that Tim Eldred had printed up that gave a break down of what was going on, so I had a better understanding of that.
Apr 16, 2022 4:22 PM
#4

Offline
Jul 2021
11787
As long as the entire stor can be summarised as "daijobu" "itadakimas" and "baka" then sure I'll watch raw.
*:・゚✧*:・゚✧May the winds of change transform you entirely.*:・゚✧*:・゚✧
Apr 16, 2022 4:35 PM
#5

Offline
Sep 2019
3916
No, It sucks that I can't watch it but I gotta be strong and move on!
Apr 16, 2022 4:43 PM
#6
Offline
Jul 2018
559028
I've never experienced that, most anime usually airs with English subbed which is my language. Now with manga, that's a different story.
Apr 16, 2022 4:45 PM
#7
Offline
Mar 2022
361
No since I wont be able to understand it at all.
Apr 16, 2022 4:46 PM
#8

Offline
Aug 2009
11166
It all comes back to the time I watched Shitai wo Arau without subtitles.

What a ride, man. What a ride.

Apr 16, 2022 4:54 PM
#9

Offline
Sep 2018
15054
I never watch without sub or english dub because I rather watch something translated.
Apr 16, 2022 5:08 PM
Offline
Apr 2017
3
Hmm I did sometimes, but it wasn't really good experience as I can't understand Japanese that much. So I prefer to watch it with subs till I learn Japanese
Apr 16, 2022 5:27 PM

Offline
Nov 2014
207
no, i will not understand anything.


Apr 16, 2022 5:33 PM

Offline
Jun 2021
92
NotTaiga7 said:
How many of us do you think can speak perfect Japanese……


i don't believe i said that? unless you're being rhetorical
Apr 16, 2022 6:47 PM
Offline
Jan 2012
2781
I understand the desire to do so, but it just doesn't work for me, it isn't the same. Even if the dialogue is basic enough that my limited understanding could understand half of what's being said, it still annoys me not having the full picture. I know for some that's no issue, I mean people will straight up watch entire Vtuber streams without issues, but I am not one of those people, regardless of whether it's anime or Vtubing, I'd like to know what's being said or else I stop being as engaged.

If it was never going to get subs or even a dub then maybe, but never say never when it comes to subs. If subs ever came out for something I did want to watch but I've already watched it raw, then it won't be as impactful when I watch it subbed since I've already watched it.
Apr 16, 2022 6:57 PM
Offline
May 2021
1115
It's been a one time circumstance thing that happened.

I can't even remember the anime title, oh it's Golden Bat that is rumored to be raw after episode 4.

Either way it's torrent hunting time.
Apr 16, 2022 7:04 PM

Offline
Feb 2019
5508
Yes, i have watched many old anime in raw.
I don't understand 100%, i understand 80% or something.
Apr 16, 2022 7:06 PM
Playing Z-A!>v</

Offline
Jun 2017
10580
For short series, I would say it is fine, since there isn't much plot in most of them and nothing is really lost, but anything longer then 5 mins and I will have to rethink that.>:o>
Apr 16, 2022 7:07 PM

Offline
Aug 2019
5660
no it's not worth it if I don't fully understand what is going on, the only time I've done it is for a special that I could not for the life of me find subs for

granted a few months later a sub group picked it up so I rewatched it
Apr 16, 2022 7:12 PM

Offline
Sep 2008
1284
I've done it on a few instances for a few one-shot anime where there were no fansubbed or legal means of otherwise seeing them and I could at least follow things for the most part due to my limited understanding of Japanese and onscreen actions. Last time I seen something untranslated was almost two years ago with the tourism anime, Ogaki Matsuri ni Ikou yo!
Apr 16, 2022 7:23 PM
Laughing Man

Offline
Jun 2012
7203
For recaps that don't get subbed or random chibi shorts, yeah. I wouldn't watch something longer raw, though.

I'm level on MAL-Badges. View my badges.
Apr 16, 2022 7:25 PM

Offline
Feb 2021
23425
Only if I'm damn hyped for that show or for a particular episode to be adapted. I watched the entire AOT S4P2 in raw first lol.

Also, I watched the 10th episode of KNY S2 cause I knew Ufo was gonna throw some unlimited budget works episode lmao.
Apr 16, 2022 10:34 PM
🦆👑

Offline
Jan 2020
66666
Obviously. I can understand it so I'm not that desperate for subs




ManWild

Apr 16, 2022 10:38 PM

Offline
Oct 2021
1023
Oyeah, I've been learning japanese for a few years already so it's always a great opportunity to practice my listening.
Apr 16, 2022 10:49 PM

Offline
Jun 2021
92
OnionKnightRises said:
I understand the desire to do so, but it just doesn't work for me, it isn't the same. Even if the dialogue is basic enough that my limited understanding could understand half of what's being said, it still annoys me not having the full picture. I know for some that's no issue, I mean people will straight up watch entire Vtuber streams without issues, but I am not one of those people, regardless of whether it's anime or Vtubing, I'd like to know what's being said or else I stop being as engaged.

If it was never going to get subs or even a dub then maybe, but never say never when it comes to subs. If subs ever came out for something I did want to watch but I've already watched it raw, then it won't be as impactful when I watch it subbed since I've already watched it.


tbh i get that. unless its a really simple series, it can be frustrating to not know exactly whats going on. but i think with some simple series, it can be less of an issue because sometimes the visuals will convey a lot of it.
Apr 16, 2022 10:51 PM

Offline
Oct 2014
15915
I've done this more times than I truly should have. Sometimes I've watched an anime raw or in some foreign dub and then not long after it gets translated into English anyway and I beat myself up about not being more patient. If it's short then I often won't mind just watching it raw and not really caring about how much I understand, though. There's even a couple anime that I've subbed myself using my very limited Japanese.
Apr 16, 2022 11:08 PM

Offline
Jun 2017
6850
No, unless it's something simple with no plot like those old black and white anime or a short with it's story told with the visuals and not through dialogue.
My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine.

We're freaking out that we're running out of time, but to do what? Should i stop and think of that? Is there something i could do to slow it down? Live in a day for once, instead of watch it sprinting by
Apr 16, 2022 11:16 PM

Offline
Mar 2021
6726
Nah, there's no way I could do that. I barely understand any Japanese.
"Molly Ringwald" out right now - check my Linktree!


Apr 16, 2022 11:22 PM

Online
Mar 2012
8990
Apr 16, 2022 11:31 PM

Offline
Mar 2021
4787
garlicdreab said:
do you watch anime raw if there's no subs available?


Being a Western Anime Fan there was no such thing as RAW format unless you were buying straight up VHS tapes in NTSC-J before the late 90s. Being a hardcore Anime Fan was a matter of privilege before the late 90s. Unless you were watching fansubbed bootlegs, everything released on VHS was either Dubbed in English or professionally released with subtitles whether you wanted it to be or not.

Then there was the short lived VCD format which was the quality of a VHS tape with the ability to turn on and off subtitles (MPEG-1 video). I never got into this format because DVD completely overshadowed it before it even could be widely distributed on a mass scale to be even marketable in the west. No Rental stores would even carry it and there were even less places to actually buy anything on this format in the USA at the time. Mostly because even a single 2 hour movie would be split into two different discs. It was basically a gimped version of a Laser disc.

DVDs basically gave consumers unprecedented ways to enjoy their mediums. For the 1st time you could watch entire series on just a few discs where they would have the original RAW Audio with several options to turn on or off subtitles in multiple languages. Usually either in Spanish or English. By default it was always set to be played dubbed in English unless it was never dubbed in any other language to begin with. By the early 2000s region encoding became the most annoying thing when trying to get your hands on new Anime straight from Japan. I was pissed off the 1st time I bought something new that wasn't available in America yet. You would get an error code when trying to play a Japanese DVD disc on a western DVD player. Lucky for me I had a friend that knew how to hack the Xbox that was released in 2001 to play any of my DVDs I got straight from Japan.

Since then I been watching Anime mostly RAW on DVD and never turned back unless I am watching Anime with friend who don't understand the language.
ColourWheelApr 16, 2022 11:50 PM


Apr 17, 2022 12:02 AM

Offline
Aug 2018
17114
no, i don't watch anime raw. can't do it.
Apr 17, 2022 12:08 AM

Offline
Aug 2017
175
I usually watch anime with subtitles, but if the anime it's too old, impopular or it's something like recaps, shorts, CMs or similar and because of that nobody has translate it, then i dont have any problem in watching it raw (but i honestly only get like 50% of the show because i dont speak or understand japanese).
𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓪
Apr 17, 2022 12:12 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
559028
No because I can only understand the basics.
Apr 17, 2022 12:22 AM
Offline
Oct 2017
16
Please tell me where you find these untranslated anime. I'd love to watch anime raw considering I'm getting decently far into learning Japanese.
Apr 17, 2022 12:39 AM

Offline
Mar 2009
272
My knowledge of Japanese is not that good so I can only watch kids show without subs if it would be some other show it would hella bug me because I would not understand fully what is going on and well I watch anime for the story so...
Apr 17, 2022 12:41 AM

Offline
Oct 2019
262
I haven't even found an anime yet which has no English sub. Only manga. I can't speak Japanese so I can't watch it if that happens
Apr 17, 2022 12:55 AM

Offline
Sep 2008
4601
I had to watch majuu sensen like that.
I waited years for it to get subbed. turns out the subs were guesswork, and even I could do a better job.
https://myanimelist.net/anime/9043/Majuu_Sensen?q=majuu&cat=anime
what I did was read the manga then watch the last 2 eps raw.
馬鹿げた倫理 全部ガラクタで
Apr 17, 2022 12:58 AM

Offline
Oct 2013
8013
Hell no. I don't have the attention span to learn a whole language just to watch Japanese animation.
Apr 17, 2022 1:11 AM

Offline
Aug 2020
1836
yeah sure why not, in those anime it's not like it's hard to pick up the context.

Has a 8.60 mean score
Akasaka > Other Mangakas

Apr 17, 2022 1:11 AM

Offline
Mar 2021
4787
MysticBatl said:
Please tell me where you find these untranslated anime. I'd love to watch anime raw considering I'm getting decently far into learning Japanese.


If you are talking about it legally...

It's called watching Anime officially released on DVD or Blu-ray. You can turn on or off Subs even play the video with or without commentary if they made it available. Watch it subbed in multiple languages or even switch to watching it dubbed if they released dubbed versions.
ColourWheelApr 17, 2022 1:16 AM


Apr 17, 2022 1:15 AM

Offline
Feb 2020
763
Well if it's an ova or special, I might watch it yeah. If a show just started airing and only the raw is available for now, I'll wait for the subs. Haven't experienced a whole show only being available raw. However I did once watch a series halfway through with spanish subs (idk spanish) cause I hadn't found it with english subs




tysm iva-🐢💜


Apr 17, 2022 1:18 AM
Community Mod
Offline
Dec 2015
9657
When I am overhyped for anime and I don't want to wait for english/polish subs than I watch it firstly raw and later with subs. Usually I get around 50-75% of what was said in raw version (I don't speak japanesee and never pretended that I can x) ). So far there are 0 shows which I would watch raw. Except occasionall single episodes of x shows the last show which I've seen fully in raw and later with subs was Sword art Online II when it was airing.
Apr 17, 2022 1:37 AM

Offline
Jul 2021
238
I watched an episode of Gunbuster with Spanish subtitles once (did not understand a thing), that's the closest I've gotten to raw anime.

Apr 17, 2022 1:37 AM

Offline
Jul 2021
238
I watched an episode of Gunbuster with Spanish subtitles once (did not understand a thing), that's the closest I've gotten to raw anime.

Apr 17, 2022 1:42 AM

Offline
Feb 2021
5248
I find subs for all the anime I've watched up until now, but I can watch slice of life anime without subs and understand just fine.
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio-

Apr 17, 2022 1:48 AM

Offline
Jul 2021
9349
I watched any RAW for most of the seasonal anime and they're a lot more enjoyable because you can screenshot whatever image without any subtitles, also I didn't understand what they said in Japanese but in case the original source is coming from the manga or novel, I'm in good hands.
Apr 17, 2022 6:43 AM

Offline
Nov 2011
6674
ColourWheel said:
MysticBatl said:
Please tell me where you find these untranslated anime. I'd love to watch anime raw considering I'm getting decently far into learning Japanese.


If you are talking about it legally...

It's called watching Anime officially released on DVD or Blu-ray. You can turn on or off Subs even play the video with or without commentary if they made it available. Watch it subbed in multiple languages or even switch to watching it dubbed if they released dubbed versions.


Not necessarily. The official release of Is the Order a Rabbit by Sentai, for example, has ugly hard-coded subtitles. There are other ways of watching without subs: some shows on Crunchyroll/HiDive/etc have the option to disable subs (sadly, Hulu doesn't seem to have this option). Some shows are available legally on Youtube, and because they are meant to a Japanese audience, there's no subs (with few exceptions, such as D4DJ). Finally, you can always watch on Japanese streaming services like Tver using a VPN. In this case, you also get to see those unusual Japanese commercials.
You can buy lossless digital music from your favorite Japanese artists on https://ototoy.jp/.
The songs are all DRM-free and you can re-download your purchased albums as you wish.
Show your support to your favorite artist if you can!
ps. if you are looking for Japanese albums, you have to search it in Japanese (not romaji). Just copy and paste the name.

For those who want to learn Japanese through anime
Resources for learning the language
Apr 17, 2022 7:27 AM

Offline
Mar 2021
4787
DreamingBeats said:
ColourWheel said:


If you are talking about it legally...

It's called watching Anime officially released on DVD or Blu-ray. You can turn on or off Subs even play the video with or without commentary if they made it available. Watch it subbed in multiple languages or even switch to watching it dubbed if they released dubbed versions.


Not necessarily. The official release of Is the Order a Rabbit by Sentai, for example, has ugly hard-coded subtitles. There are other ways of watching without subs: some shows on Crunchyroll/HiDive/etc have the option to disable subs (sadly, Hulu doesn't seem to have this option). Some shows are available legally on Youtube, and because they are meant to a Japanese audience, there's no subs (with few exceptions, such as D4DJ). Finally, you can always watch on Japanese streaming services like Tver using a VPN. In this case, you also get to see those unusual Japanese commercials.


Wow, you are right. I just checked it out. I have never scrolled down far enough to see they let you turn off subtitles on Crunchyroll. I just always thought you could only switch to different languages. The player they use really should have added it as the top option, because the way they have it set up makes it practically hidden.
ColourWheelApr 17, 2022 7:46 AM


Apr 17, 2022 7:33 AM

Offline
Feb 2021
771
No, unless it's hentai or silent film. Otherwise that'd just defeat the purpose of watching it.
Apr 17, 2022 7:55 AM

Offline
Feb 2021
2347
If I just want to see something animated from it's source material, I probably would if I knew where to find them for free. They're not on pirated sites
Apr 17, 2022 8:47 AM
Neet Specter

Offline
Mar 2022
11173
Yes if it's something i like or the anime is popular among japanese people. Thsed days almost all anime are subbed so when this happens it's mostly old anime that I watch without subs... I mostly watch J-dramas without subs as they're fansubbed some might not get subbed at all.
But that's okay I know just enough Japanese to understand
 

Apr 17, 2022 9:13 AM
Offline
Feb 2018
6
well, i watched cencoroll when didnt had subs (and maybe still doesnt?) and i could get almost 80% of what was said.
i think watching stuff, raw anime or not, its good to test my japanese though if theres subs i would appreciate
i wanna watch the 'character' movie but cant find subs and with that one i wouldnt risk watch it raw ;-;
tonnelatisntdeadAug 26, 2024 1:44 PM
Pages (2) [1] 2 »

More topics from this board

» Is everyone who could potentially want to watch anime... already watching anime?

thewiru - Jan 24

10 by Merve2Love »»
13 minutes ago

» Character designs based on/parodying/homage of real people

SapioGalion - 10 hours ago

16 by UhOhFanOfTouhou »»
15 minutes ago

» How are you guys watching such an adequate amount of anime?!

thewiru - Jan 21

13 by Merve2Love »»
17 minutes ago

» Mature romance anime where the couple get together pretty early?

Twatin - 5 hours ago

11 by MasterTasuke »»
40 minutes ago

» Which anime universe would you want to live in if you would never be in danger no matter how many overpowered ememies there are?

MegaMan1 - 43 minutes ago

0 by MegaMan1 »»
43 minutes ago
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login