| I remember a time when dubs were looked at as inferior. As far as I could tell, this was pretty much a consensus, though honestly I never gave it much attention. They were seen as things for mainstream anime fans who would never watch more than 20 series. Nowadays, I tend to find a lot more people who exclusively watch dubbed anime, and watch quite a bit of it too. I was never interested in dubs, though I don't have anything against them or people who are, so I'm not sure when this change happened. If I had to guess, I would say around 2019-2020, due to the influx of newer anime fans at the time and since. What do you think? When do you think this increased number of dub watchers happened? What do you think caused it? Do you think there even was an increase in the social acceptability of watching dubs, and the number of people who watched them, or is this just a case of not noticing something that was there all along? |
FrosteekMar 13, 3:33 PM
| Definitely the large amount of new anime fans during COVID era who aren’t hardcore enough to watch in sub. I think also it’s just that some people are too busy or have a short attention and want anime on in the background 🤷♂️ I could never miss the amazing animation though |
| I don't know what times you remember but nobody except you elitist fucks ever looked at dubs being inferior. More than 95% of people outside of Japan watch anime dubbed and it has always been this way. You guys must live in a weird bubble if you actually believe dubs aren't popular. |
| It still hasn't been and never will be, at least not in environments inhabited by human beings. Perhaps dubbed things are accepted in the monkey section at the zoo. |
| If you're a fanboy, please don't waste my time. Watch more movies, please. Kafka, Fu Xuan, Jingliu, Topaz and Huohuo. |
| When? Since the 1970s actually if we take into account anime that were first imported outside Japan. Dubs were the majority till internet struck in the 2000s and people watched stuff that didn't get to their countries subbed. (note, this is in Spanish-speaking americas where licensing anime and dubbing industry went to a crisis in late 2000s due to the closure of ANIMAX and conflicts in dubbing industry in Mexico). Now back in 2020s we are seeing more dubbed anime like back in 90s and early 2000s, which I'm glad for. |
eblf2013Sep 13, 2023 9:48 PM
| MOKUSHI KUSHIMO SHIMOKU KUMOSHI MOSHIKU SHIKUMO. |
| I don't think it's a subject worth analysing. People with all sorts of strange and repulsive tastes exist. We should just let them be. I mean, just like I don't want to know what drives some people to literally consume shit, I am also not interested in finding out why are there so many people who prefer to watch anime in dub. Japanese language is a huge part of anime identity and making anime girls speak any other language is just weird, gross and unnatural. That's it, gotta rinse my mouth. |
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| The sub-purist/dub-hater crowd has always been a vocal minority that is over-represented in anime-centric online-spaces. Even back in the 90s, dubbed VHS tapes were sold at lower prices than the subtitled version (despite requiring more resources to produce), because they were much more popular. As I've seen over the past ~20 years of staffing and attending anime conventions in the US, dub voice actors consistently draw good crowds at convention panels and autograph sessions. While a lot of prominent 90s dubs like Sailor Moon and DBZ did receive justified criticism for editing/censorship, those problems have been a non-issue outside of children's anime since the Cowboy Bebop / Trigun / Outlaw Star days of the early 2000s. While a few broken-record outspoken critics will (likely in this very thread!) decry dub-watching as something to be relegated to blind illiterate retarded children, the actual reality is that watching dubs has been "socially acceptable" for at least two decades now, if not longer. |
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. Everything that connects to MAL |
| It started happened slowly in mid-2016, but was extremely noticeable by 2019, when they officially became dominant in the fandom. A bunch of people who had bashed us for years suddenly started "loving anime", and claimed that they were "secret weeaboos" for years, even though they still hate most anime. The only anime these people watch is stuff like Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, and of course the other popular shounen, and they watch them all dubbed. Don't forget that the furries also invaded anime and ruined the fanbase something horrible in 2019, after calling the entire anime fandom nazis for years. While there may be some nazis in this fandom, I've seen FAR more nazi furries than nazi anime fans. Furries also produced anime like Beastars and BNA (which caused anime to decline even further than it already had), and of course, harassed people to make them watch dubs too. The only times it should be acceptable to watch anime dubs is when you have absolutely no other option, like was the case with Pokemon back before around 2018. Or, if somebody has poor vision or dyslexia or something like that, I would be willing to let them watch anime dubs. |
ForgotEyeWasHereSep 13, 2023 6:00 PM
| When? Since the translation exists. Alot of movies, video games and tv series are dubbed, than anime and cartoons. Also it has nothing to do with "social acceptance" as it is all about subjective and individual liking of the method of their watching and people who have problems with it are way worse than those who just enjoy their time. If you're so against for dubs, I would like to know that since you were born you've watched everything in original, and I mean Everything. |
| Dubs still have a stigma, but some are still ok. |
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| Since the beginning of anime really. Most people don't care about the sub vs. dub "debate", only just a few elitists who like to push their preferences onto others. |
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.  |
| People found out about panty and stocking. Plain and simple. |
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| what's wrong with dub anime? it's probably just elitist who dislike dub. |
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| I think it's always been socially acceptable outside the internet since the late 90s to mid 2000s tbh. Before the internet streaming era, most people watched dubs on TV. |
| It always was seen as fine so long as the dub is decent if not actually excellent. The number of good or at least decent dubs just happened to increase over time as more people who grew up on anime got into voice acting. |
| It was always socially acceptable around here, maybe it's because I live in Brazil and the dubs here are generally good, save for a few stinkers like Hunter x Hunter '99, Naruto (moreso because it uses the shitty US localization as a basis) and Rurouni Kenshin. |
| Who are you and why do you show your hostility towards a complete stranger whom you've not once spoken with before. Are you seriously asking to get blocked? Well, if that's what your intent is; to tempt me into throwing hands with someone as lowly and insignificant as you, then i may grant your wish provided you articulate yourself a bit better when trying to spite a person of my wavelength. |
| The massive influx of new fans during Covid time is indeed a significant factor. I'd say 2015-2020 is the time frame that dub acceptability skyrocketed. As someone who came into anime during the age of fansubs, I do find it interesting how the new wave of fans seem to overwhelmingly prefer dubs. Even going as far as dub only. It makes sense when you think about the modern landscape of anime, and how we consume it now. Most people are introduced to anime in dub, myself included. Back then, if you wanted to be up to date with new anime and episodes, subs was the only way. Becoming acquainted early on was simply natural. We didn't have a choice since dubs and official translations were neither fast nor abundant. Crunchyroll didn't even exist, and other companies like Funimation weren't nearly as prolific as today. In terms of wanting to take anime more seriously, the general output didn't help either considering dubbing quality of earlier decades just wasn't there yet. It wasn't until Cowboy Bebop that the gold standard was established. Dubs are plentiful now, and pretty much every current anime gets simuldubbed, so I suppose there's little to no incentive for new-gen fans to switch. Their sheer number makes it the norm; therefore, accepted. It only becomes a problem when going for older, obscure titles. Only watching dub means you're limiting the number of anime you can experience. I dislike any such limitations. |
PyroSep 13, 2023 10:31 PM
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| Since the beginning of anime?........ |
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| Somewhere in the late 90s and early 2000s. Quite a lot of anime started getting pretty good dubs (4Kids aside). |
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| Maybe from the time when anime started airing on television in countries outside japan |
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| Okay first of all what's wrong with watching dubs? What's the problem when they try to adapt it into your language to make sure you understand the show better.It makes no sense at all. |
| After watching different people in the span of many years who kept on hating dubs in a passionate way, I came to a conclusion that seething over dubs in general has always been a trait of emotionally unstable side of the so-called anime community. Just think about it: you can like dubs or not, or like (or not) dubbing in a particular show, which is perfectly fine, but who the heck loses their time and nerves to be extremely toxic over dubbing? Even bratty kids might not be like that. What's the worst is that most of people whom I met, who represented that kind of mindset, were adults. With increasing number of anime fans, the percentage of edgy dubbing haters among the whole so-called anime community has been gradually decreasing over the years. Younger fans, or people new to the medium, don't care about rituals such as thrashing dubs on daily basis or preach how their way of watching anime is the only correct one. They just enjoy watching anime in a wau they find as entertaining. I prefer subs myself, by the way. But I don't mind watching a dubbed version. Sometimes it's more comfortable than reading subs, because you can fully focus on what is happening on the screen. Also, a lot of dubs created nowadays present really high quality. Maybe not as high as the original Japanese dubbings, but still way higher than regular dubbed shows from the past. |
| "When did dubs become socially acceptable" is a weird way to put it. If anything, I think thats backwards, at least for a while it was. Think about it. Before subs were more easily available, before anime was as wide spread as it is now, how were a lot of fans first introduced to it? Dubs. Whether that be the legendary 4 kids dubs, Toonami, or some other random anime block, people were introduced to anime through dubs. To the best of my knowlege, dubs were only seen as inferior once things like fansubs became easier to get a hold of. |
| Why is it surprising? Dubs are good, and you have to be a real weeb to actually prefer Japanese. |
 |
Reply to FanofAction
"When did dubs become socially acceptable" is a weird way to put it. If anything, I think thats backwards, at least for a while it was. Think about it. Before subs were more easily available, before anime was as wide spread as it is now, how were a lot of fans first introduced to it? Dubs. Whether that be the legendary 4 kids dubs, Toonami, or some other random anime block, people were introduced to anime through dubs. To the best of my knowlege, dubs were only seen as inferior once things like fansubs became easier to get a hold of.
| This is the key part.. FanofAction said: ..before anime was as wide spread as it is now, how were a lot of fans first introduced to it? Dubs. Not knowing back then that anime was a thing, I thought they were just cartoons with a lot of foreign names in the credits. For me, it goes all the way back to the 70's when I watched Speed Racer, and in the 80's it was Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato). As far as I'm concerned, it's always been socially acceptable to watch dubs. I think what became the "unacceptable" part was hearing the same 30-40 voices in most dubs. What took it a step further was hearing the same VA voicing multiple characters in the same show (Chris Sabat in DBZ is a perfect example). To me, that isn't much different than many of the Japanese female VAs sounding nearly identical. If you can't really tell the difference between VAs, it may as well be the same person doing all those characters. You watch anime the way you want to, and I'll watch it the way I want. If I don't care that people might think I'm weird for liking anime at my age, I sure as hell don't care if people think I'm weird for preferring dubs when available. I'm enjoying anime, and your opinion about which language it should be in, makes 0% difference to me. |
 You're never too old to watch anime. If I ever stop watching anime, check my pulse I'm likely dead. I wake up with coffee & anime, I go to sleep with coffee & anime. Sorry if my sarcasm is bad, it's not my first language. |
Reply to JaniSIr
Why is it surprising? Dubs are good, and you have to be a real weeb to actually prefer Japanese.
| @JaniSIr I resent that statement. I prefer Japanese when it comes to anime, and I don't consider myself a weeb in the slightest. |
Reply to Older_than_dirt
This is the key part..
Not knowing back then that anime was a thing, I thought they were just cartoons with a lot of foreign names in the credits.
For me, it goes all the way back to the 70's when I watched Speed Racer, and in the 80's it was Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato).
As far as I'm concerned, it's always been socially acceptable to watch dubs.
I think what became the "unacceptable" part was hearing the same 30-40 voices in most dubs.
What took it a step further was hearing the same VA voicing multiple characters in the same show (Chris Sabat in DBZ is a perfect example).
To me, that isn't much different than many of the Japanese female VAs sounding nearly identical. If you can't really tell the difference between VAs, it may as well be the same person doing all those characters.
You watch anime the way you want to, and I'll watch it the way I want.
If I don't care that people might think I'm weird for liking anime at my age, I sure as hell don't care if people think I'm weird for preferring dubs when available.
I'm enjoying anime, and your opinion about which language it should be in, makes 0% difference to me.
FanofAction said:
..before anime was as wide spread as it is now, how were a lot of fans first introduced to it? Dubs.
..before anime was as wide spread as it is now, how were a lot of fans first introduced to it? Dubs.
Not knowing back then that anime was a thing, I thought they were just cartoons with a lot of foreign names in the credits.
For me, it goes all the way back to the 70's when I watched Speed Racer, and in the 80's it was Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato).
As far as I'm concerned, it's always been socially acceptable to watch dubs.
I think what became the "unacceptable" part was hearing the same 30-40 voices in most dubs.
What took it a step further was hearing the same VA voicing multiple characters in the same show (Chris Sabat in DBZ is a perfect example).
To me, that isn't much different than many of the Japanese female VAs sounding nearly identical. If you can't really tell the difference between VAs, it may as well be the same person doing all those characters.
You watch anime the way you want to, and I'll watch it the way I want.
If I don't care that people might think I'm weird for liking anime at my age, I sure as hell don't care if people think I'm weird for preferring dubs when available.
I'm enjoying anime, and your opinion about which language it should be in, makes 0% difference to me.
| @Older_than_dirt Fair. I was going off my experience in the early 2000's, but it's true that was even more the case the further you go back. |
| Ah, the toxicity of our great fandom rears its head for the 43rd time today |
| It's always been socially acceptable. I think dub-watchers are missing out, but that's their business. |
| "When did it become socially acceptable to watch dubs?" Strange...I thought you should listen to dubs, not look at their waveforms or something. |
alshuSep 14, 2023 3:29 PM
| I'm new to anime and I really want to watch the fights and follow along with the anime. So when possible which thankfully has been most the time I watch the dub. I mean dubs aren't that bad, like I play video games and I would put the quality about equal to those. And generally video games have solid casting and directing. I do understand some people will always choose the sub, and that's okay after all it might be due to there longer investment, ability to quickly glance over the sub, like for certain voice actors and so on. I don't think the community needs to be in a constant up roar about it, seems bone headed to get mad about it one way or the other. |
Sometimes it takes a real man to be best girl. Gilgamesh is also chad.   |
| exactly when it became socially acceptable to watch anime. exactly when someone decided that visual media is background noise where you don't need to look at the screen. |
| 馬鹿げた倫理 全部ガラクタで |
| Well I don't like dubs.. One of the famous voice actresses on Twitter got a fan sub groups banned by repeatedly reporting and arguing with them about piracy.. It was not at all about piracy, she wanted to stop the subs or people would watch her dubbing roles.. Very selfish acts under the guise of social justice. |
 |
Reply to JaniSIr
Why is it surprising? Dubs are good, and you have to be a real weeb to actually prefer Japanese.
| @JaniSIr Weebs are people who glorify and worship Japan to an extreme extent, not those who prefer watching in the original language. |
  |
Frosteek said: When did it become socially acceptable to watch dubs? Anime has mostly only been available dubbed for Westerners for over two decades when it was 1st introduced outside of Japan. it wasn't till sometime after the turn of the century when I even remember seeing even close to an equal amount of Anime on DVD being sold in the west that didn't have a dubbed option. Even when Anime use to be bootlegged by western fans this only accounted for a fraction of Anime that was actually even available at the time in the west. Watching Anime subbed in the 1st place with a group of people who don't understand the spoken language makes it practically an anti-social experience to begin with because people will be to too focused on reading what the heck the characters are even saying if it's subbed. Usually when I do watch Anime with friends we are shooting pool and drinking beer in my mancave while Anime is playing as back ground ambience on a Wall mounted TV. Maybe I am an outlier here (regardless of the fact that I can actually understand Anime without subs), but I wouldn't even bother watching Anime in a social situation unless there is a dubbed option. Most of the time if I am watching Anime alone I will watch Anime RAW. It's extremely rare I will ever settle on watching Anime alone dubbed in English or with subtitles. |
ColourWheelSep 14, 2023 6:34 PM
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