Durarara English DUB vs SUB

How did you like the Durarara dub? (scale of 1-10)

Jul 14, 2011 12:36 AM

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Apr 2009

Hey, I watched Durarara twice: first in sub, and recently in dub. I really enjoyed the dub and think it's one of Aniplex's best dubbing.

This got me thinking... it would be awesome if a website could write a review for the English Dub for animes, so I wouldn't have to keep starting forum threads about it to ask. So, I took it upon myself to create such a site. I took me a while to build the site, but I finally finished that. The site's called duborsub.com, but it really doesn't have much content yet.

For my first DUB vs SUB comparison, I chose Durarara, but I want to improve my review. I though I'd ask you guys what you thought about the dub since the people here on MAL usually are helpful and have meaningful opinions.

You can check out my Durarara dub review here: http://duborsub.com/88/anime/dub-vs-sub/durarara-enlish-dub-vs-sub-comparison

ss4gojetanksJul 14, 2011 12:55 AM

Jul 23, 2011 10:22 PM

IllConstruct

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May 2009

Wow, that's a pretty cool idea for a site, dude. I'll definitely be checking it out regularly. Guess I'll throw in my two cents.

Mikado:
Probably the biggest stumbling point in the dub, IMO. I wouldn't say it's a particularly bad performance, but it's naggingly unnatural and uneven, bordering on wooden. Intentional blandness I don't have a problem with, as that's part of Mikado's unassuming guise, but the JP manages to bring across Mikado's everyday guy-ness while still maintaining a colorful performance.

Kida:
Well, Bryce Papenbrook certainly has the frightfully unfettered energy and enthusiasm down and he sounds convincing when channeling his darker side as well. I think Mamoru Miyano still edges him out, but I'd chalk that up to Miyano being a better actor in general. It's still a fine performance in English.

Anri:
Kana Hanazawa takes it here, but Michelle Ruff is no slouch. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what's wrong, however, but I guess it's just hard to sound quite as natural as HanaKana.

Celty:
Honestly, I feel like Kari Wahlgren matches Miyuki Sawashiro beat for beat, which is no surprise given the lack of lip flaps. Both voice actors give her that mysteriously aloof charm, always carrying a warm, sisterly undercurrent.

Shizuo:
Ah, Crispin Freeman. His perpetually badass baritone gives Shizuo a perpetually rougher, grittier feel, which contrasts Daisuke Ono's utterly-unique and unfailingly-entertaining suave-calmness-into-maniacal-madman transitions. It's a matter of taste, honestly--both voice actors are excellent and both interpretations of Shizuo are equally valid.

Izaya:
Yep, JYB all the freakin' way here. Hiroshi Kamiya's performance is incredible to begin with, but JYB's excessive, bordering on swooningly-seductive, smugness takes the cake. And yet even with all of that grade-A hamminess, JYB still manages to make Izaya a believable menace, whereas Hiroshi Kamiya came off as comical at times.

Shinra:
Yuri Lownethal is perfect as Shinra, giving him that unsettlingly subtle psycho vibe. It might just be me, but I feel that Jun Fukuyama sort of overacts the part and is very clearly mentally-off-kilter whereas Lowenthal reins it in and presents a perfectly pleasant and composed facade, with the barest hint of dangerous instability.

IllConstructJul 23, 2011 10:37 PM

Jul 23, 2011 11:05 PM

fauxmeo

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Mar 2009

I agree with IllConstruct's review especially about Mikado. Darrel isn't bad but by the time you get used to the sound his voice, the episode is almost over then you have to repeat again in another week. But I guess it actually matches Mikado's character in a way :D

Even so this ranks far up in my top fav dubs(which is a very small list to begin with). I actually don't mind that I missed this the first time around. English VA's seem to be getting better and better, even with pronouncing names which is my biggest pet peeve.

Jul 23, 2011 11:08 PM

Suzune-chan

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Jun 2009

15934

It was really hard in the beginning to get used to it. I didn't really like Kida or Mikado's voices very much. However, I enjoyed everyone else's voices and overtime came to enjoy Kida and Mikado.

All and it it was a pretty good dub.

Where there is no imagination there is no horror. || Arthur Conan Doyle || Happy Halloween!

Jul 23, 2011 11:23 PM

ss4gojetanks

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Apr 2009

Yeah, I agree with pretty much everything IllConstruct has to say. Especially about Shizuo - his mood is slightly altered in the dub. Different, but not worse in any way.

From pretty much everyone I talk to, people find Mikado's voice the weakest link in comparison to all the other great performances. I had the DVDs when I watched the English dub, so I got used to the voice after the first few episodes. But when you first hear it at the start of the first episode, it definitely sounds awkward.

Thanks for sharing your opinion, IllConstruct. You nicely put into words how I felt about the voices. I'm going to edit my review tomorrow morning and make it sound a bit nicer.

Jul 29, 2011 10:12 AM

Paix672

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May 2010

I've only seen one episode with subs, so can't really compare. However, the dub was pretty amazing, one of the few dubs I genuinely liked.

Aug 7, 2011 3:51 AM

animelly

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Jul 2010

10361

The dub is awesome! Although I don't really like Mikado's voice. But everyone else's voice in English was perfect!

Jul 17, 2013 10:06 PM

itsjeanniemarie

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Jul 2013

I only watched the dub and finished it recently, but I really enjoyed it. The first episode was kind of meh for me, but from then on I thought most of the performances were spot on. Michelle Ruff's squeaky voice got on my nerves after a while (which may be in part because I wasn't a fan of Anri), but other than that I liked most of it. I can understand where the VA for Mikado (who I've never heard before) would not be as great as his Japanese counterpart, but I thought he effectively did the job well.

Reading the comments though, I think next week I'll give it a rewatch with subs - I have dual audio, and I switched over a couple of times during my watch but not enough to get a feel for it. Not to mention, Miyano Mamoru is one of my favorite seiyuus and always delivers an amazing performance.

I'm glad this anime had a good VA cast - I am recently experiencing the pain of watching a show that I love get cast and dubbed, and it's tough to try and see which English actors match up to their competition so to speak.

May 18, 2014 5:49 AM

Saskee

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Oct 2013

3067

The dub is amazing.

Mar 25, 2015 7:22 PM

#10

GentlemanGamer

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Jun 2013

I generally have a bias towards watching a show in English Dub vs. Sub so this may be just that coming through when I say that overall, I thought as a whole it was pretty solid. In particular Jonny Yong Bosch, Crispin Freeman and Kari Wahlgren as Izaya, Shizuo and Celty respectively did fantastic jobs and fit their characters to a T. The only parts that stuck out to me as bad were Issac and Miria's cameos- after having their characters nailed perfectly in Baccano, the new voices just felt off- as well as Mikado... somewhat. I mean it wasn't a HORRIBLE performance by any means, but on the whole he just sounded awkward whenever he had to speak a lot in any given scene, though perhaps that was done intentionally. Overall, I can confidently give the Dub of Durarara a solid 9 out of 10; while there were some occasional oddities in the scripts, there was little that was done wrong on the part of the actors and as such, I can thoroughly recommend it. Here's hoping X2 will be as good when I get around to watching it! :)

GentlemanGamerMar 26, 2015 11:23 AM

Mar 26, 2015 3:37 PM

#11

mudri

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Aug 2013

I've only watched the sub, and I used to think that the English dub was inherently inferior for not having Kamiya Hiroshi. However, I listened to this, and I have to say that JYB filled in well. I might watch the dub when x2 gets dubbed.

Jun 7, 2015 9:48 PM

#12

LaughinOtaku

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Mar 2015

I really liked the dub, truly I did. Outstanding performances go to Kari Wahlgren and Crispin Freeman who played Celty and Shizuo respectively; and Crispin Freeman had one of my favourite lines in the series; "I really hate violence." That said though, even Crispin Freeman and Celty wasn't perfect who had a few rough lines here and there and Mikado...
Another thing that bothered me was when Isaac and Miria had a cameo appearance. I was delighted to see them in Durarara!! and also rather surprised, but when I heard the different voice actors... I just didn't like it; so honestly, I prefer to watch the Japanese dub, but again, dub was really good (and I don't like many dubs).

Jun 8, 2015 8:05 AM

#13

sleepyclouds

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Apr 2015

381

I adore the dub. I thought almost everone`s fit minus Seiji , he really sound off to me like his voice really sounded like waterdown record. But other than that I enjoy it and the rest of the voices fit especially Celty`s.

Aug 24, 2015 1:10 AM

#14

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564612

Shizuo's english voice is better than sex

Oct 15, 2016 2:16 PM

#15

iamKetranLang

GetsugaTENSHO

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Jul 2012

3959

Durarara should only be watched in DUB! I pity those that watched it SUB

張大です for 張大勇督察

May 20, 2018 11:44 PM

#16

removed-user

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Jul 2018

564612

I first watched the entire series all the way through dubbed, but it only took me watching a handful of subbed clips on YouTube to realize that the sub was far superior. The personalities of the characters just felt a lot more realized imo.

Also, I really truly hate Vorona's voice in the dub. In fact, I dislike all of the Russian voices because they are just so exaggerated and ridiculous sounding and obviously NOT voiced by actual Russian native speakers. I couldn't take any of them seriously. So, by the time Vorona was narrating her (albeit, well written) backstory, all I could think of was that I was hearing the voice of a woman from Oklahoma TRYING to sound like a Russian person...speaking English.

Well, that got ranty. But I realize now that hearing the Russian voices was the point where the dub went from being decent/good to becoming less serious and actually messing with the experience of the story. At least for me.

On a more positive note, I do feel like Mikado and Masaomi's dub VA's did a wonderful job with their final fight in the last episode. I felt so immersed in the drama that my heart broke. I also feel like it made sitting through the more confusing and less interesting arcs worth it.

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Durarara English DUB vs SUB

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