Sorry to break the flow but...
I really HATE dubs. But thats because of all the bad experiences I've had. Quite often I'll come across a show that I really like that has a dub, so after watching it in japanese I'll watch the english version only to find that they have changed the script, put in pop culture references or changed the japanese humor into american humor. Now this just does not work for a show or story specifically set in Japan in my opinion.
Also quite often I find the voices being done completely wrong, I think this comes from the Western stereotype that "cartoons are for kids" so they'll often have over-dramatized / melo-dramatic voices.
The most important thing, but also the most universal thing with understanding someone is their emotions. Although now I understand more Japanese then I did when I first began watching Anime, this has never changed. I've always been able to easily pick up on the tone and subtle emotions to the way they say their words. It doesn't have to be in english to pick up emotions. Jeez even animals can figure that out without knowing human-speak :P
Finally, I prefer to see things "as they were intended". As the director had envisioned it. The Director who worked with the animators, script writer, carefully picked voice actors that fit his vision of the story. So to me replacing those actors makes it a completely different thing. Especially when the script is re-written with jokes added in that don't even sync up to the lips of a character.
For someone to say "It's easier to understand" to me translates as "I'm too lazy to bother trying to understand". I don't see why reading subtitles are that hard. Changing the language just destroys the realism in certain stories.
For example, Der Untergang (Downfall), a live-action German film set in WW2 focusing on Adolf Hitler. This film is famous for the "Hitler Rant" that gets re-subtitled constantly on YouTube where Hitler talks about different things such as getting his xbox live account banned.
Imagine that amazing and VERY realistic performance replaced with some redneck sounding american. *shivers*
If the character is german set in germany. I want him to be played by a german actor! If he is Japanese set in Japan, I want him to be played by a JAPANESE ACTOR!!! Why do so many westerners just want to replace all actors with actors from America?! [/rant]
lol... I guess maybe this is just the difference between someone who respects it as an artform to someone who sees it as just entertainment and nothing more :S
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