| For me, it was pretty easy, even though I watched a lot of dubbed (English and Finnish) anime before. Nowadays I kinda always like to hear the original Japanese VAs. Sure there are a few exceptions, but anyway. |
 |
| Well, for the most part I never watched dubbed anime other than several dozen episodes of Pokemon on TV when I was of elementary school age, so when I started watching anime series properly with intent (I mean actually seeking a series out and watching it chronologically in order from start to finish with the purpose of seeing all of it), I just watched subbed (Japanese audio with English subtitling) from the beginning. I don't really understand what you mean when you say "watching something that you don't understand". What do you mean that you don't understand it? The spoken language? You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation (sometimes a looser one with more creative liberties taken and further localization), with the difference being that you're having the accompanying original audio just entirely omitted. I personally don't see the benefit in or enjoyment of that, unless you're someone who due to vision, cognitive, or other medical conditions cannot read or cannot do so at a sufficient pace. But I prefer watching everything in its original native language as much as humanly possible - it's not a preference just limited strictly to anime or to the Japanese language in general. It would be the same for any art and entertainment media in Lithuanian or Amharic or any other language. So even before getting into anime, I was always already watching - and had seen by that point - many many foreign films in other languages with English subtitles. To me, not hearing the original audio of the original voices would be akin to and equally or more impoverishing as not hearing the original music and having it replaced by a generic easy listening elevator music track. |
WatchTillTandavaMar 16, 10:13 PM
| I never started watching dubs Like, when I was a little bitty kid and DBZ and Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh were on, sure, but by the time I started watching anime as "anime", I started by watching it subbed I suppose it helps in my case that I turn on subtitles for everything, even shows in English, but idk, it was as natural as breathing for me |
 |
| If 11-12 year old me could do it with Digimon Savers divided into three 360p parts on YouTube, I'm pretty sure anyone can. Just make sure the subtitles are at least one finger (Horizontally, not vertically) above the bottom of the screen, and you're good to go. With time you begin associating certain words with certain translations, and can even tell when the subtitles are wrong. Besides, you ARE understanding what is being said via context, intonation, actions, etc. Here, do the following, here is what I did when I started watching anime subbed in English instead of Portuguese: Watch the whole episode and then summarize to yourself what happened in it. If you are able to do it, then you're understanding it. |
| I haven't really thought about how difficult getting into subs could really be. Reading subs is second nature to me, and has been for basically my whole life. I watched dubbed movies/cartoons/anime when I was very young, but I switched over to subtitles as soon as I could read fast enough in my native language. I think it just happened naturally, since a kid in elementary school wouldn't make a conscious decision about that. Then I moved to an English-speaking country, and as I wasn't fluent in English, I had to rely on English subtitles for everything I watched. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I still often use English subtitles today, even after decades. (I know that even native English-speakers use subtitles more and more these days, but that's a different topic) Also, I've been watching most non-anime media in their original language with subtitles. I was never at ease with characters on TV speaking a language that they obviously wouldn't be able to speak. Besides, I never got used to English voice-acting (outside of Disney movies and Spongebob) and didn't care for it that much. So when I started watching anime, I didn't even think about choosing between sub and dub: "of course I'm going to watch with subtitles." |
| I guess it depends on the person. As someone who's been watching anime on occasion since I was a kid, I never had trouble watching subs. Actually, until recently, I struggled watching any anime dubbed. I've been watching anime with my mom every so often lately and she doesn't seem to have much trouble with subs either (as long as she has her glasses) despite her having 0 experience with anime prior to me introducing her to some shows. |
| It took quite a bit of effort for me to try subtitled anime and early on my way of trying it out was weird. I knew about how inaccurate the dub was for Dragon Ball Z as I was watching the original Dragon Ball, so when Z came around I ended up watching each episode twice: Once in English and once in Japanese. For me early on I read the subtitles IN THE DUB VOICES in my head to make it an easier transition. That helped me a lot and stopped becoming necessary the more i watched in Japanese |
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.  |
Reply to WatchTillTandava
Well, for the most part I never watched dubbed anime other than several dozen episodes of Pokemon on TV when I was of elementary school age, so when I started watching anime series properly with intent (I mean actually seeking a series out and watching it chronologically in order from start to finish with the purpose of seeing all of it), I just watched subbed (Japanese audio with English subtitling) from the beginning.
I don't really understand what you mean when you say "watching something that you don't understand". What do you mean that you don't understand it? The spoken language? You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation (sometimes a looser one with more creative liberties taken and further localization), with the difference being that you're having the accompanying original audio just entirely omitted. I personally don't see the benefit in or enjoyment of that, unless you're someone who due to vision, cognitive, or other medical conditions cannot read or cannot do so at a sufficient pace.
But I prefer watching everything in its original native language as much as humanly possible - it's not a preference just limited strictly to anime or to the Japanese language in general. It would be the same for any art and entertainment media in Lithuanian or Amharic or any other language. So even before getting into anime, I was always already watching - and had seen by that point - many many foreign films in other languages with English subtitles.
To me, not hearing the original audio of the original voices would be akin to and equally or more impoverishing as not hearing the original music and having it replaced by a generic easy listening elevator music track.
I don't really understand what you mean when you say "watching something that you don't understand". What do you mean that you don't understand it? The spoken language? You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation (sometimes a looser one with more creative liberties taken and further localization), with the difference being that you're having the accompanying original audio just entirely omitted. I personally don't see the benefit in or enjoyment of that, unless you're someone who due to vision, cognitive, or other medical conditions cannot read or cannot do so at a sufficient pace.
But I prefer watching everything in its original native language as much as humanly possible - it's not a preference just limited strictly to anime or to the Japanese language in general. It would be the same for any art and entertainment media in Lithuanian or Amharic or any other language. So even before getting into anime, I was always already watching - and had seen by that point - many many foreign films in other languages with English subtitles.
To me, not hearing the original audio of the original voices would be akin to and equally or more impoverishing as not hearing the original music and having it replaced by a generic easy listening elevator music track.
WatchTillTandava said: You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation I'm also an "original native language" purist, but it occurs to me that there technically is a difference between absorbing what's being said via text versus doing it via audio. I sometimes wish that I could understand what's being said without constantly having to focus my eyes on the bottom of the screen. A dub does solve that problem, technically. Of course hearing the original Japanese audio is far more important to me than that, but it does feel like a "barrier" or an "extra step" sometimes. |
Reply to perseii
WatchTillTandava said:
You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation
You have an automatic simultaneous translation for you appearing onscreen as characters speak. With dub you're also getting a translation
I'm also an "original native language" purist, but it occurs to me that there technically is a difference between absorbing what's being said via text versus doing it via audio.
I sometimes wish that I could understand what's being said without constantly having to focus my eyes on the bottom of the screen. A dub does solve that problem, technically. Of course hearing the original Japanese audio is far more important to me than that, but it does feel like a "barrier" or an "extra step" sometimes.
| @perseii I think I heard once that, when it comes to anime, subs are a blessing in disguise so you don't notice how little animation a lot of them have. |
Reply to thewiru
@perseii
I think I heard once that, when it comes to anime, subs are a blessing in disguise so you don't notice how little animation a lot of them have.
I think I heard once that, when it comes to anime, subs are a blessing in disguise so you don't notice how little animation a lot of them have.
thewiru said: you don't notice how little animation a lot of them have. That's an optimistic way of looking at it... but I still want to actually, you know, look at the thing I'm watching. I also might miss out on good animation. Or at least split my attention between the visuals and the subtitles. But for sure, this is more of a problem with live-action stuff, where the visuals and the acting are often very subtle and quick. |
perseii said: I'm also an "original native language" purist, but it occurs to me that there technically is a difference between absorbing what's being said via text versus doing it via audio. I sometimes wish that I could understand what's being said without constantly having to focus my eyes on the bottom of the screen. A dub does solve that problem, technically. Of course hearing the original Japanese audio is far more important to me than that, but it does feel like a "barrier" or an "extra step" sometimes. Your own native language firstly and then any acquired languages to a fluency proficiency level secondarily will always be more intuitively and literally understood word for word as compared to any translation where you're always a step removed. But realistically, it's just not an option for most people who want to watch foreign films and series in the original language in which they were conceived and produced, because you won't speak most or any of those other languages unless setting about the path of studying them for years and even then fluency can be a very long journey and native level equivalence a lifelong struggle or virtually unattainable. So I think it's just something I made my peace with and never really bothered me even long before getting into anime, watching so many, as a native English language speaker, German films, French films, Italian films, Russian films, Spanish films, ones in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, etc. But of the recognized learning styles I'm also innately a verbal or linguistic learner, so reading in addition to hearing audio never came off to me like extra work or a burden, but actually a pleasure and reinforcing mechanism which helped further immerse me into the work and help it really seize my imagination and senses and solidify itself, leaving a more enduring mark. |
Reply to WatchTillTandava
perseii said:
I'm also an "original native language" purist, but it occurs to me that there technically is a difference between absorbing what's being said via text versus doing it via audio.
I sometimes wish that I could understand what's being said without constantly having to focus my eyes on the bottom of the screen. A dub does solve that problem, technically. Of course hearing the original Japanese audio is far more important to me than that, but it does feel like a "barrier" or an "extra step" sometimes.
I'm also an "original native language" purist, but it occurs to me that there technically is a difference between absorbing what's being said via text versus doing it via audio.
I sometimes wish that I could understand what's being said without constantly having to focus my eyes on the bottom of the screen. A dub does solve that problem, technically. Of course hearing the original Japanese audio is far more important to me than that, but it does feel like a "barrier" or an "extra step" sometimes.
Your own native language firstly and then any acquired languages to a fluency proficiency level secondarily will always be more intuitively and literally understood word for word as compared to any translation where you're always a step removed. But realistically, it's just not an option for most people who want to watch foreign films and series in the original language in which they were conceived and produced, because you won't speak most or any of those other languages unless setting about the path of studying them for years and even then fluency can be a very long journey and native level equivalence a lifelong struggle or virtually unattainable.
So I think it's just something I made my peace with and never really bothered me even long before getting into anime, watching so many, as a native English language speaker, German films, French films, Italian films, Russian films, Spanish films, ones in Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, etc.
But of the recognized learning styles I'm also innately a verbal or linguistic learner, so reading in addition to hearing audio never came off to me like extra work or a burden, but actually a pleasure and reinforcing mechanism which helped further immerse me into the work and help it really seize my imagination and senses and solidify itself, leaving a more enduring mark.
WatchTillTandava said: So I think it's just something I made my peace with and never really bothered me even long before getting into anime Yeah I'm basically the same, as a lifelong subtitles-user. It's just that there are some cases when it becomes a hassle, is all, and I haven't really voiced my (occasional) frustrations out loud before... Like, you still have to look away from the image, no? However brief it is. I might want to keep my eyes fully fixed on a character's face during an important moment, but I have to keep glancing downwards to understand what's being said, too. (This does happen more often with live-action media than anime, though) But as you say, the best way to deal with this would be to just learn Japanese... |
| if someone is new to a medium why their first thought would be to deny themselves of the original experience of watching sub is beyond me. like who thinks i'm going to indulge in a new type of content and medium today but no i'm not going to give it a full try but instead modify it to suit my language preferences??????? |
 The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama. Feeling half happy, half sad. Kawaii waifus and precious best girls <3333 |
| "How natural or easy is it for someone to start watching subbed anime?" I guess it's a question of where and when you grew up. For example when I was little in my country 90% of the foreign shows which weren't for kids were subbed. So it's only natural for me to prefer subs. (Not to mention most of the TV dubs in bulgarian are trash.) |
alshuMar 17, 12:33 AM
| It's easy once you noticed how much more skilled the Japanese VAs are. |
| Provided you're literate, fairly easy. |
 |
| Luckily for me, i'd gotten used to reading subtitles as a little kid, because my grandparents were hard of hearing so watching tv with the captions on was just normal for me and part of my tv watching experience. i honestly don't remember the first anime i watch subbed, but i think the transition was smooth for me. Most non 4kids anime kept the Japanese OP/ED so i would read the subtitles to get the lyrics to the songs. |
| 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 |
| Well I'm Polish, the only anime on TV I watched in my native language was Pokemon. When I got into anime, by watching Fairy Tail there was no other option than watching it with sub's, so I did. I liked to read books before and I have a quite high reading speed so I never understood the complaints about "looking down at the screen" when watching something - so yeah, sub's all the time - unless something came out with dub first [Afro Samurai]. and well I just like to hear the original and not the dub... dub's seem plastic for me, after watching anime for years. Poland also uses the same va's over and over and over again, so even when Netflix has some [not many] anime with Polish dub, it just sounds cringe to me, I can't do it. Also Poland uses Lector on TV all the time [meaning one voice talks over the original score in Polish] and this I can take, but only in movies in anime It's just meh. [But I watched Millennium Actress with Lector once and it's not that bad - still 99% anime isn't available legally with any kind of dub or lector anyway] |
[โ๐ฎโโโ๐ฒโ โ๐ฆโ โ๐ตโโ๐ทโโ๐ดโโ๐ซโโ๐ชโโ๐ธโโ๐ธโโ๐ฎโโ๐ดโโ๐ณโโ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโ โ๐ญโโ๐บโโ๐ธโโ๐งโโ๐ฆโโ๐ณโโ๐ฉโโ๐ดโ โ๐จโโ๐ดโโ๐ฑโโ๐ฑโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐นโโ๐ดโโ๐ทโ] |
| Never got seriously into watching dubs, started out with subs since that's what I grew up with in a small country where the English literacy rate is 99% anyways. Everything is subbed here except for shows for small children and I wouldn't want it any other way, always better to get the original, intended experience. |
"Most anime makers are basically autistic" - Hideaki Anno |
| I scorned dubs before I'd even heard of anime. Seeing actors saying one thing and hearing something different just seemed incredibly weird to me when you can just add subtitles. |
Reply to removed-user
@TsutanaiFuun Americans are racist and are still in their Power Rangers phase where they can't consume content unless the original is erased and butchered for their own tastes.
Never trust Americans who are a country too feminist and christian to get the first Dragonball anime so they think Dragonball started with Z !
If dubs were the norm, we would never have gotten anime like the original evangelion which can be seen in that 2000's politically correct interview from Tsurumaki about how the christian elements in Eva had no meaning and were picked for their coolness (ie we don't want to offend people so we will lie about the intent)
dubs = global audience = the death of creative anime
Never trust Americans who are a country too feminist and christian to get the first Dragonball anime so they think Dragonball started with Z !
If dubs were the norm, we would never have gotten anime like the original evangelion which can be seen in that 2000's politically correct interview from Tsurumaki about how the christian elements in Eva had no meaning and were picked for their coolness (ie we don't want to offend people so we will lie about the intent)
dubs = global audience = the death of creative anime
| @Dienen YES westernization has been the worst thing to happen to anime. just look at the subtitles of new animes. all of them are localized and westernized. we no longer get the original and exact translation of what is being said in japanese but a localised version to suit the western audience. learning japanese is the only way to not lose to these modern westerners. i'm glad i started learning already. |
The end of an era. Thank you Wit, Mappa and Isayama. Feeling half happy, half sad. Kawaii waifus and precious best girls <3333 |
| I used to watch dubbed anime back in the day when I watched anime on television tho. Then when I started watching anime online, there was not the access that people have nowadays, there was just subs and I wanted to watch anime, so I just made things do. But, it was never a problem to me because I like watching media in their own language. I watch north american movies in english, for example. |
 |
| I would imagine it being a little difficult for a newcomer. Even as someone who has watched anime for a long time, I can find subbed anime hard to follow. Sometimes you don't have enough time to read one set of subtitles before the next set appears. I have to rewind sometimes. So watching anime dubbed can be better in that regard. But I can also understand people who prefer sub since the English voice acting doesn't sound as natural as the Japanese voice acting. It can feel like the English voice actors are following a script at times. |
| Sub was a given for me when I started watching anime. I personally don't see any value in watching anything that isn't in its original language. Anyways, I imagine it's different for others. One person's experience with sub/dub is their own. |
| How easy is it to watch subbed anime? Just watch it. Problem solved. |
| I've never had a problem with it. If anything dubbed is more difficult because it takes you out of the context of the show, especially if it's a show where it's important that it's set in Japan. It's not as bad as live action shows where their lips don't move with the audio in the dub, but it's still a more pleasant experience watching it in the way it was originally intended. |
  |
fallout45 said: It's just hard finding any appeal watching something that you don't understand But I understand, thanks to the sub. I get the emotion from the voice and the meaning from the text. Maybe it's because I'm very used to subs and I read them fast, but I rarely feel like they disrupt my viewing experience. I don't feel that I'm looking down and then coming back to the visuals all the time and I don't need to focus too much on the text to understand it. The first anime I watched aware that it was an anime was subbed. And I was already starting to watch subbed things outside anime as well so it wasn't anything new. Besides, it wasn't like there were many anime dubbed in my language either when I started so it was either subbed or barely understanding the English dubs. |
| I see it as something you eventually grow into? I am aware for some the subtitles could be seen as annoying or blocking the viewing experience, but this thing is easily fixed over time |
| I'm new! |
| I don't remember having problems watching subs. I remember having trouble watching dubs, as they were too awful to sit through... There were a few anime that had an overwhelming amount of text, like Sayonara Sensei. But it wasn't a problem. Then again, when I started out watching anime subbed I watched them with English subtitles. English is my second language and when I started watching subbed anime I didn't know any English. So for about a year or so I had to pause every few seconds and look up every word in a dictionary. This is how I learned English. Still remember that I had to look up "ceiling" an awful lot when watching Evangelion. Never bothered me. I like activities that engage my brain just enough to not get exhausted. |
More topics from this board
» Old, low resolution...nirererin - 7 hours ago |
45 |
by ColourWheel
»»
2 minutes ago |
|
» Do you use anime pfp on all your accounts ?WonderWomban - Yesterday |
37 |
by DesuMaiden
»»
9 minutes ago |
|
» Do you read the source material right before the adaptation just to judge how good or accurate it is?nirererin - 51 minutes ago |
4 |
by BirdyTheMighty
»»
9 minutes ago |
|
» Do you consider your Anime Avatar to be slutty or not at all?IpreferEcchi - Apr 21 |
40 |
by zubby
»»
12 minutes ago |
|
» Anyone here from UK?KutisticKurotica - 6 hours ago |
35 |
by AnimePedestrian
»»
22 minutes ago |