What's your opinion about dubbed anime and western VAs?

snowykevin said:
I’m going to be honest your last paragraph is a bit difficult to understand but what I’m getting from it is you’re talking about English voice actors that say something completely different from the original? like for example when the dub for JJK had Itadori say he’s into girls like Megan Thee Stallion instead of Jennifer Lawrence?

RobertBobert said:
As a big fan of seiyuu things, I find this somewhat awkward for me, as in my experience, western VA often make pandering to a western fandom, after the last they mistakenly spread it as the opinion of the official stuff.

HulkTySSJ2 said:


I think he's saying he doesn't like Woke SJW/LGBT Forced agenda pushed into dubs (Funimation).

snowykevin said:
I’m going to be honest your last paragraph is a bit difficult to understand but what I’m getting from it is you’re talking about English voice actors that say something completely different from the original? like for example when the dub for JJK had Itadori say he’s into girls like Megan Thee Stallion instead of Jennifer Lawrence?

Judevin said:
Dub VAs are great, talented people, I like a lot of them even though I don't actively watch dub.

How do you add opinions in dubs lol, I've never seen that.

Or are you talking about the VA's twitter accounts or something?

RobertBobert said:




I don't like it when VAs mislead people into thinking that this is the official position of the authors. For example, in the 00s, when discussing sexuality of characters, you would often hear "but such and such an English VA said they were gay" as an argument. When Nana Mizuki semi-seriously proposes to Fate's seiyuu, it's okay. But when Western VAs talk about how gay a normal moment of friendship between characters was, it scares me.

RobertBobert said:
As a big fan of seiyuu things, I find this somewhat awkward for me, as in my experience, western VA often make pandering to a western fandom, after the last they mistakenly spread it as the opinion of the official stuff.

RobertBobert said:
If we talk about dub in general, there were many situations where Western translators changed the text and, for example, forced characters to talk about toxic masculinity. If about individual VAs, then I am not against their personal opinion, it is their right. But I don't like that people often take their position as official.

Theo1899 said:
Most of my experience is with greek dubs and 90% of the time the rule is
Film Dub: Good
TV Dub: Bad
Vidya: Very Bad

As for english voice actors, I like them in vidya and cartoons. I have seen very few anime in english (mostly old OVAs on youtube) and they weren't all that good.

I see this brought up a lot when discussing english voice actors but I'm not familiar with the situation. Can you elaborate?

Judevin said:
Can you give an example, because I have never seen something like this before.

RobertBobert said:


There was a moment in the anime My first GAL where the characters were discussing lewd LN and they changed one of the lines to include mocking against fans of erotic titles https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/71ts8x/funimation_playing_with_the_translations_again/. Even before that, there was the Kobayashi-san scandal where they changed the innocent phrase of one of the characters to have a social context, as one of the localization stuff wanted to take that! - https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1271377-miss-kobayashis-dragon-maid

Ocat1234 said:
I think it‘s just a matter of how you‘re used to it. I only watched One Piece in German dub so the Japanese VA sound a little weird to me. The anime I started watching in Japanese sound kinda weird in other dubs at first.


But i‘ve encountered a lot of really good German and English dubs. I’m more familiar with the Japanese VAs but some of the German VAs really do a great job and I started to recognize their voice in shows.

Also due to cultural differences and for better understanding some voice lines sometimes are changed and for me this kinda brings a fresh touch to the anime. So sometimes when I finished an Anime i really like i rewatch some parts in dubs and it‘s often hilarious. People who speak German should check out the German Jujutsu Kaisen dub, it‘s awesome!

Judevin said:
I remember the Kobayashi one now, it just felt out of place because Lucoa doesn't know the human society that well. Apparently Funimation apologized for this, and this hasn't happened again so... (also the series is like 4 years old at this point.

The Hajimete no Gal one is tongue-in-cheek jokes, the whole series is garbage, so I feel like that one is on purpose lmao. I don't really find this one that awkward, it fits with the series and its tone.

I can give you another good one which really fits with the series, the new SK8 dub has a line where Adam says "Hey bitches and bros and non-binary hoes" and that fit perfectly with his character and the tone of the scene. So it was really loved by the community.

I think it has gotten MUCH better since Kobayashi debacle, considering Hajimete no Gal one and SK8 dub are both actually funny to listen to.

DinoPapiro said:
I dont like english dub. It seems like they voice every character the same way with the same type of screams and the same tone. I cant explain better, sorry, but i think think someone will understand what i mean

RobertBobert said:


So, do you think it's okay for a western dub to change the text to appeal to the LGBTQ community, or taunt the audience of the show because it's "garbage"? I remember the VA of one game justified changing the text because the "original lines are offensive" and the woke folks were protecting them, and it looks like real censorship.

RobertBobert said:


To me, most of the English dub sounds like a self-taught English audio tutorial, since most of the lines are pronounced in a very monotonous and unemotional way. Or as if you are talking to an adult who is trying to portray a child. And I find it very strange since the original English shows have no problem with it.

RobertBobert said:


I don’t know how much you are aware of this, but in the early 00s, many anime in Russia were bought through Germany. The Russian version of Sailor Moon even had a German OP, lol. So, when people discuss changes in the old translation, I always say "how was it in the German version?"

Judevin said:
Have you watched the show Hajimete no Gal? It's basically a degradation show where the MC gets taunted and gets called a virgin and a loser multiple times by women. They're just exaggerating pre-existing lines by making it even more degrading. I don't really find it awkward, as I said, fits pretty well with the series and its tone. Yeah it's exaggerated and not a direct translation, but you do realize this is the same problem with subs too right? Some jokes only land well in Japanese and not so much in direct translation.

I'll give you an example, Grand Blue was extremely funny when it was being translated by fans, but once Crunchyroll bought license to it, the comedy became mediocre because they were translating word for word. The fan translation was improvised comedy. Since then Crunchyroll has made a lot of effort to improvise and they actually have made it funny again, the most recent chapter has a line that literally reads "BOOBA" and it's hilarious. Not as funny in Japanese where it just says "OPPAI".

And they didn't change the text to appeal to lgbt in SK8 lol, they just added two words "non-binary hoes", the viewers literally loved it, it actually is funny even I watched that episode on dub just for that line and the dub is actually really good with proper comedy. I don't think this hurt anyone at all, it added to the comedy and the depth of the show.

DinoPapiro said:
Exactly, at least from the ones ive seen thats exactly what i meant. Im not sure if i find it emotionless or the same emotions over and over again with heir va. Its almost like everythig has to have a super hero tone to it

RobertBobert said:


I watched this show and it's really dumb, but that doesn't mean you can taunt the audience and change the lines to your liking. Not to mention the original text were pretty simple, there was no "too Japanese" humor.

I also remember when Crunchyroll changed "Hello, Oniichan!" To "Hello, Mr. Nice Guy" as they decided that any oniichan moe was pedophile or incestuous. It's just dumb.

That is, you want to say that the translators simply, without any purpose, added the mention of queer people to the text? I understand that in the West the audience for such shows is much more queer than the original Japanese, but don't you think it was an interference with the original content?

When Russian localizers translated the first anime like Haruhi Suzumiya in 00s, they also tried to fill it with Russian jokes and memes, and the audience literally hated it because it sounded unnatural and destroyed the characters' imagery.

Judevin said:
I understand where you're coming from, that they should keep it original, but if it is funny and it works, why not man. That's the point I'm trying to make. People watching Hajimete no Gal clearly know what they're getting into (I literally read the manga, it's basically degradation fetish manga) and I get that it's exaggerated, but it works from a comedy stand-point. Also this show came out in 2017 too, I didn't even know this show was that old already. Fucking hell.

As for SK8, I really do not see an issue, it is 2 words, it does not change the plot, it does not change the story, it changes absolutely nothing. It just validates LGBT people, I see no problem with it. Plus it really fits well with the character's writing and personality, the dub does an excellent job of making him feel as real as possible. Adding two words changes nothing in the original content. As I said direct translation would be extremely boring, that's why localization exists for translations, so that they can fit the lines to the target audience. Also my example for Grand Blue is there for a reason, if you wanted to keep Grand Blue interference-free "original", it wouldn't have 9.03 rating on MAL. Localization is important.

RobertBobert said:


So it’s funny and it works when you think the translators say “haha, this show is such shit that we added an attack on its audience to the translation”? Why then did they apologize for it and people criticize them for it? It's just prank, bro!

That is, now you almost openly admit that this was done for the LGBTQ audience, although you denied it before. Okay. Then I'll ask you a leading question. Imagine if, in a theoretical Russian translation, translators give one of the shonen characters a homophobic joke about slash shippers, because the Russian audience of such shows is homophobic and very critical of shippers. Would you find it funny, without changing the accents of the characters, etc?

Judevin said:
Yeah I actually do find it funny, it's not forced, and nobody apologized for the Hajimete translation, why? Because it fit, and even I don't see a problem with it.

Kobayashi one? Sure, it doesn't fit the characters one bit, it doesn't come off naturally, understandable that they apologized.
Hajimete one? Fits perfectly, and flows naturally. I don't see anyone outside a minority complaining about it.

For your Russian question, as long as the dialog fits the character that is delivering it, then yeah, it'll work.

In SK8, the character who says the line says it PERFECTLY like you know that character WOULD say some shit like that if he was American and he does, it flows naturally which is why nobody had a problem with it. Also it's not some sjw propaganda being forced down anyone's throat. I hate that shit as much as the next person, but neither of these examples (excluding kobayashi) were forced, they flowed super naturally and they fit the characters, I have no problems with them. And that literally is why people loved them. If they were forced like Kobayashi, people would have a problem with it, but they weren't so nobody had any complaints.

Nalusa_Falaya said:
I don't like it, Yes, Some are good, But from my experience, Most are bad, Here's why I don't like it/think it's inferior

1: There are fewer dubs than subs, And they're not as accessible, While a group of fans who happen to know both languages can take a show and translate it, Dubbing a show requires way more effort so it's rarer

2: There's way less care put, In Japan there are schools specifically for voice acting and the usual exaggerated anime voice acting that we all know and love originated there, Nearly the entire VA community revolves around learning it, While in the west, There are like 14 dubbers, It's simply a smaller industry

3: Some people say that the dubs of Bebop and Baccano work so well because they're western themed shows, But that point could be flipped on its head. Seeing characters go to temples and eat with chopsticks and then speak English just seems out of place

4: Dubbing has to follow lip flaps

And the two strongest points I have are

5: The fact that dubbers are an additional and almost separated part of the production, The original VAs can talk to the director and writer, They can change some lines and get feedback from the creators and are generally "in the team" more, So a lot of the emotion intended from the writer can be said to the VA so they can show off their talent but also have the person who knows the characters' emotions most as a guide, Dubbers know the emotions and characters from consuming the material instead of having insight from the creator,

6: The deliberate change of the script, This reason alone makes REALLY dislike dubs, Apart from things you literally can't translate like honorifics or things that'd sound really weird in English, Remove your grubby hands from the script, It doesn't matter if you think it's "funnier" or "more meaningful" this way, You're not a writer and you're disrespecting the original material, It's not like the writer barged in your studio and started voice acting.

Things like Funimation got so comfortable with changing the script to the point of having PC shit crammed in, Social distancing jokes and even just randomly failing to grasp the meaning of a certain sentence and carelessly changing it thinking it was just "another sentence", It's like having your waiter tell you "Oh here's your dessert, But don't worry, I added my secret recipe hehe" before giving you the food, It sucks, It really really sucks.

Thanks for your time

RobertBobert said:


Items 5 and 6 are exactly what I'm talking about. For example, Symphogear's main cast often talked about how, in agreement with the director, they played the characters as if they were "in love" and I understand what they mean. But when the VA's of one of the Persona characters says that his character is gay due to the gay panic subplot, but in fact the character just didn't know that he fell in love with an androgynous girl, it makes me scream "dude, you are literally voicing this character, you you know the whole plot with him, what are you talking about ?! ".

Or returning to the Russian dub, when Haruhi, a 15-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, references Soviet boomer memes from the 60s or quotes Russian sitcoms of the time. All in all it looks funny, but it is completely out of character.

Nalusa_Falaya said:

Goddamn, Do these dubbers just read the wiki page and call it a day ?

Also, The haruhi thing is bafflingly hilarious, I'd feel pretty disrespected if I was the writer tbh

RobertBobert said:


So you continue to justify the translators attacking the audience of the show by translating it? And you non-ironically think that if someone like Baku could be homophobic like a Russian, then the Easter egg with his homophobic joke about MHA fujoshi would go well with the plot? Seriously?

Um, I understand when an original joke, pun, or reference has very little meaning in your language and you add a nod to your culture to literally handle it. But when you force other people's characters to pander to certain audiences, or attack viewers by changing the text of the show they are watching, it sounds very problematic to me.

Not to mention, it is highly toxic to defend changing someone else's text to attack their audience by being “funny”. Imagine a situation where the translators of the silly yuri show inserted a homophobic mockery of lesbians into the text, and then refuse to apologize for this, saying that was funny. Now I even wonder if the author was aware that American translators attacked his audience by changing his text during translation.