I think it is your own preference here. CB is widely regarded to have the greatest American dub in anime history, and the Japanese has an excellent voice cast as well.
I'm just an old fashioned cowboy
I prefer dubbed because the subtitles are awkward and ungrammatical. Subtitles have always been terrible in anime (I don't find that the case in live action) but dubs have gotten very good.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/
Other animes with great dubs: Ghost in the Shell, Kanon, Ergo Proxy, The Mars Daybreak, Vandread, Outlaw Star.
shareSamurai Champloo and Rurouni Kenshin have great dubs. Trigun is pretty good-so is Monster.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/
I'm throwing Baccano in there. I'm in love with the show, and the dub is a big reason why.
I'm just an old fashioned cowboy
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The dubs are decent but I'm a purist and always watch with subtitles, I think the voices are perfect as they are. I guess it's just person preference like others say.
shareComplete agreement here. The dub IS very good (but there are actually better dubs out there - Ghost in the Shell:SAC comes to mind), but I don't watch them dubbed unless I absolutely have to. I find the Japanese soundtracks are perfect and you don't run into the issue of them changing lines so the English (or whatever language) voice match the voice flaps that were designed for Japanese lines. They screw things up royally in some places.
That said, the only dub I willingly watch and actually like is the Cowboy Bebop movie. That one, I flip a coin when I'm going to watch it, to decide if dub or sub. Everything else is subtitled.
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
Yep good point about the soundtrack, I haven't watched a full episode in dub, I've only seen clips so this was something I missed. The soundtrack is excellent (perhaps the best). Oh I think the voices in the dubs are a little cheesy too.
shareYeah, cheesy. Pretty much all of them sound cheesy to me. I chalk that up more to style than anything else. If I'm listening to a dub and I close my eyes, I hear a saturday morning cartoon. The Japanese actors sound more like people talking or even a live action production if I close my eyes.
I've seen pretty much all of Cowboy Bebop dubbed. I was watching Toonami for a while so I did see some Ghost in the Shell SAC and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood (and a couple of other titles) dubbed. Saturday morning cartoons. GitS, not so much. I still love the Japanese actors in there, especially Kouichi Yamadera (Spike Spiegel) as Togusa and the Laughing Man. :) :) :). I love his voice way too much.
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
I haven't seen SAC yet, I didn't actually enjoy the film too much so I've kind of put it off even though I hear it's very good, plus I'm still in my early days of watching anime. I'm currently watching Berserk and then after this I'm planning to watch Trigun.
shareI always tell people who are planning to watch Trigun that you really need to watch the whole thing to get it. Many are put off by the early episodes and how goofy Vash seems, but once you get to the second half, that goofiness starts to assume a terrible meaning. It's most rewarding to do a rewatch after you get through it, because there is so much that you don't get the first time around.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/
Thanks, I have a fairly open mind but I'll bear in my what you say, I've heard Vash is a good character and I look forward to getting round to it.
shareThanks, I have a fairly open mind but I'll bear in my what you say, I've heard Vash is a good character and I look forward to getting round to it.
Ahah, thanks for not spoiling it, I'll definitely let you know what I think of it as I watch it, I'll get right on it after Berserk which I'm going through at a good pace. I'm really not interested in dubs, I don't know why but for some reason I just can't watch them.
I know what you mean about watching things through again, there's many a series or film I wish I could rewatch for the first time
[deleted]
I always tell people who are planning to watch Trigun that you really need to watch the whole thing to get it. Many are put off by the early episodes and how goofy Vash seems, but once you get to the second half, that goofiness starts to assume a terrible meaning. It's most rewarding to do a rewatch after you get through it, because there is so much that you don't get the first time around.
The problem with Trigun is that the first half of the series is so horrid that none of the revelations of the second half pack any weight, because I despised all of the characters too much by that point. That's just me though. It's an interesting idea, and Vash should have been a fascinating character, but the execution was flawed from the beginning.
I'm pretty new to anime too; I'm working my way through. I'm in the middle of FMA Brotherhood right now. It's alright. I'm early on in it now, but it's got enough of my attention to continue.
I'm just an old fashioned cowboy
LOL, I know. You like hardly anything that I like, do you? :) We have such different tastes, I'm amazed we both like Cowboy Bebop. But of course, it's Bebop! :)
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
I don't know if we have different tastes. I just don't like any of the shows you do. Or the movies you do. Or the books you do...
I'm just an old fashioned cowboy
LOL, yes. That's why I refuse to recommend anything to you any more. :) You wind up not liking it and I hate for you to have to waste your time that way.
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
Stand Alone Complex is actually very good. I was not fond of 2nd GIG though, but it's worth watching. I also have the other movies that were produced.
I haven't seen Berserk, but I love Trigun. I can recommend the anime on my list on MyAnimeList.net: nimelist.net/animelist/MrsSpooky. There are some terrific series airing now in Japan that can be seen on crunchyroll.com - at least in the US and I think in the UK. With a paid membership you can watch them an hour after they air in Japan and on internet enabled devices like roku or PS3, iPad, etc. Otherwise you have to wait 6 days and I think you get commercials. Still worth watching.
You might want to set yourself up with an account on myanimelist.net. It's a good way to keep track of what you watched and liked - and didn't like. :)
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
Yep I've heard of Animelist, I'll make one now, mine will be kind of short, especially compared with yours, all I've really seen are movies. Right, here it is, http://myanimelist.net/animelist/CoolHandLewis
I've got Trigun and Attack on Titan in my plan to watch, I heard attack on Titan is pretty good. I'm open to suggestions but a lot of modern animes seem to be centred around young girls? Yeah, I'm not too keen on that.
Thanks for the tip about Crunchy roll, I'm using anime freak at the moment, they're pretty good although I have had the odd problem.
As for Berserk, I think you should watch it, I'm currently around episode 15/25, the character development is very good and isn't dissimilar to Cowboy Bebop actually, although I did hear there was a big flaw in the series but I haven't found one yet so I guess I'll see, but it's currently a 9 or 10/10 depending on how it ends.
Just finished Berserk, wow, the last few episodes are a bit mad. I'd recommend it but the ending for me tarnished the series slightly for me. If you do watch it though pay good attention to all the details in the first episode.
I'll start watching Trigun in a few days when I've recovered from this aha.
People keep recommending Berzerk. I'm going to have to check that out (I love it when they get insane at the end :) ).
I looked at your animelist and I see you have Attack on Titan listed as a "plan to watch." IT'S REALLY GOOD. Scary too. I think this was probably the scariest anime I've seen (Death Note was a bit scary in spots though), but yeah. It's HUGE in Japan and for good reason I think. I think it's kind of shocking, at least it shocks me. Maybe I need to get out more? xD
It's currently airing so obviously it hasn't been dubbed yet, which wouldn't be a problem for you. :)
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
Yep I've heard Attack on Titan mentioned throughout the internet and it has good ratings on here and is one of the few currently airing series I might be interested in. I don't think I've ever been scared by a cartoon/anime before, is it possible, maybe I guess I'll find out.
If love insane endings maybe you'll like the ending a bit more than me, I don't know, without spoiling it wasn't the ending I disliked really it was the lack of it.
Hmmm. I wonder if they were leaving things open for another series that was never ordered. There are a couple of series from last season (fall/winter) that basically were resolved then found out that a second series had been ordered for both. Should be interesting (Accel World and Sword Art Online - two really popular shows from several months ago). I know SAO has a new season coming, and I could sear I heard that Accel World is coming back. I hope so, that would be awesome. I love that show. xD
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
That second part might as well have been in foreign aha. They are still releasing Manga for Berserk, but I believe it starts 2 years after the series ended and then the story arc for the series is a flashback (like it is in the anime). I've never read Manga before and there's like 300 chapters I heard so I think I'll give it a miss for now. They're also releasing films for the anime but it seems to be a condensed version of the series.
shareIn fact actually no, you know what, I'll give the Berserk manga a go. No idea how long it'll take me to read all those chapters but I really want more Berserk (well, Guts really). If it's not my thing then I guess I'll either watch the new movies or wait to see if they release a new series, which there are rumours of.
shareWhat if I told you that even the director of this show said the english dub is better?
share[deleted]
How does Cowboy Bebop have eastern sensibilities? The English voices make more sense. Just because it's made in Japan doesn't mean it has an eastern feel.
What if I told you that even the director of this show said the english dub is better?
I prefer the English, dubbed version, the English voices have grown on me. And I don't really know if there ever has been a Swedish dubding of it, but it would be really interesting to hear.
shareThat's an important factor when determining whether one prefers dub or sub.
I mean, if you think about the characters, there are three important elements - writing and story, artwork and the voice. A different actor providing the voice necessarily brings something different to the character and just changes everything. I mean, take an established character (one you're used to watching) and change the voice and you hardly recognise the character.
For myself, I'm used to the Japanese actors' voices. I'm a big fan of quite a few of them and have watched shows because a particular actor (or group of actors) appear in it. Watching one of those shows with other actors does diminish my enjoyment of that show, because even with everything else being the same, the voice is not the one that I've gotten attached to.
Three... two... one... Tiger & Bunny Over and Out.
http://mrsspooky.net/bebop
Dub all the way. Melissa Fahn's Ed is far too condensed by subtitles, losing her character entirely.
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If I can I'll watch an anime with dubs. Bebop, Black Lagoon, Baccano, are examples where the dub is preferable (and in the case of Lagoon, far better than the original Japanese voice acting), simple because I'm able to watch the screen and I won't miss anything by reading the subs which are often awkward and stiff.
"Edd, fetch me a block." - Jon Snow
I would say Bebop is one of the few Animes where the American Dub exceeds the original voice cast. Especially Spike. Other ones are Fullmetal Alchemist and Baccano. Unless you're a purist who has to watch everything in Japanese it's great.
sharei never understand when someone asks this; you are watching a Japanese product, with Eastern style and sensibilities. Why would anyone prefer to watch any of this stuff in English. It wasn't meant to be viewed in English. Part of the experience is hearing the Japanese language. When it gets dubbed into English things are invariably changed somehow, little nuances in the expression of the characters voices etc. Of course, watch it in Japanese, unless you are a child and can't handle subtitles. i recently got my hands on the "Speed Racer" anime, in original Japanese, and let me tell you it is a million times cooler. It is a whole new experience. you know they don't just change the voices when they dub..they also tamper with the music and sound effects.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
I don't care to listen to a language I can't understand. Some people enjoy this, and some people flatter themselves that they have learned Japanese well enough to understand all the subtleties and nuances that can only come from living for years immersed in a language, but I don't like anime subtitles. They are awkward and do not employ good grammer, they frequently don't match the action, and I positively hate the Japanese convention of having women play the roles of certain types of male characters. Nor has anyone ever been able to explain why the Japanese do this, so I have concluded it was a whim of some director at some point and continued for purely arbitrary reasons. I do not like to hear women playing men's roles, any more than I would like seeing a man play a woman's role, so the original Japanese has several problems for me.
http://thinkingoutloud-descartes.blogspot.com/
It is common that Japanese voices of little children and younger boys/men are voiced by a female; but it makes sense as a younger characters voice is not deep like an adult man. I have never heard the voice of a full grown, big man sound like a woman's voice, so I don't know what you mean there. The Japanese are not the only ones who do this either. The English language dubbing of the Italian horror film "House by the Cemetary" features a grown woman dubbing the voice of a 10 year old boy, which i did find distracting. But I find dubbing in general distracting, because the voices rarely match the characters. Also while I have seen anime subtitles that have been awful, and incoherent, like "One Thousand and One Nights" from 1969..i have also seen many subtitles that are excellent, coherent translations, such as "Elfen Lied" and the "Mach Go Go Go" fan-created subtitles. I don't think people who prefer the original language are fooling themselves into thinking they are "learning Japanese." and if you think liberties such as changing storylines are taken with subs, believe me, that practice is done even more when they change the voices.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
I have never heard the voice of a full grown, big man sound like a woman's voice, so I don't know what you mean there.On Rurouni Kenshin, the lead character, Kenshin, a twenty-nine year old man, is voiced by a female, which is quite awful and noticeable. True, Kenshin is a short delicate-looking man, but he is also a fearsome warrior and it's just ridiculous to have a woman voicing him. I have been told it is a Japanese convention to have women voice certain types of full-grown men.
The English language dubbing of the Italian horror film "House by the Cemetary" features a grown woman dubbing the voice of a 10 year old boy, which i did find distracting.Yes, it is quite common for women to voice boys, and there is a very good reason for it, especially when it is done on the stage. Peter Pan was played on Broadway by Mary Martin, and the reason is that boys grow up, their voices change, and a small woman can continue in the role for many years. For a movie, I don't think it's quite necessary, but since there is a good rational reason for women to play or voice boys, at least it makes some sense to carry that practice into a movie.
I don't think people who prefer the original language are fooling themselves into thinking they are "learning Japanese." and if you think liberties such as changing storylines are taken with subs, believe me, that practice is done even more when they change the voices.I didn't say people fool themselves into thinking they're learning Japanese. I said people fool themselves into believing they understand the Japanese much better than they really do. Without immersing oneself in a language by living among the people who speak it, it is impossible to be colloquial in that language. Fluent, yes. Colloquial, no. And there are a number of nuances in any language lost on the people who don't speak it as their primary language, whether it's their mother tongue or not. As to what is lost, I have never yet seen a good subtitled anime. Never. There is a good reason for this as well.
"you are watching a Japanese product, with Eastern style and sensibilities."
How does Cowboy Bebop have eastern sensibilities? The English voices make more sense. Just because it's made in Japan doesn't mean it has an eastern feel. Sometimes Subs are better,(Clannad, Serial Experiments Lain, Etc.) but sometimes they can be bad too.
"Of course, watch it in Japanese, unless you are a child and can't handle subtitles."
My preference for dubs has little to do with having to read. I usually watch dubs because I find the English voice actors to be better. In Cowboy Bebop's sub, not only does Spike sound monotone and dull, he also sounds exactly like Jet. Steve Blum made Spike sound like a weary young man whose past is catching up to him. Yes there will be changes in the dub, but to argue that the change is always bad is to expose your bias.
"It is a whole new experience."
Yea, it can be a whole new experience watching sub. Like a bad one (Cowboy Bebop, Black Lagoon, Etc.)
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children"
"It wasn't meant to be viewed in English"
It also wasn't meant to be read, it was meant to be heard. Hayao Miyazaki has even said he'd rather native English viewers watch his films dubbed because of this, because it means they aren't distracted from the visuals. One way or another, if it's made in Japanese and you don't speak Japanese, you're not consuming it exactly the way the director expected.
Opting for something other than subtitles isn't about an unwillingness to read, it's about things that get lost when you do so. If I have subtitles, I'm reading ahead of what the characters are saying. I'm going to miss the subtleties in their tone, such as which words are being emphasized and said in a different way. I'll still do it sometimes, regardless, but if there is a good dub available (and Bebop does have a good dub), it's worth a try.
Hearing the original language is part of the experience. Watching a Japanese production in English is like gutting the film of it's culture. And talk about things "getting lost" when you have subtitles; you do realize that when they overdub the product for other countries, they are usually changing what is actually being said, so they can cater to that certain target audience. For instance if 2 characters are talking about eating sushi, their dubbed voices might be talking about "eating pizza." The "subtleties in their tone??" but it's not THEIR tone; it's the tone of someone else, re-inventing someone else' art. That is done a lot more with overdubbing than with subtitling. And i don't understand what people mean when they talk about "missing the visuals.." If you are used to reading the titles, you realize that you don't read them the same way you read a book; you don't stare at the bottom of the screen. You only need glance at them for a fraction of a second. I guess that comes after you get used to it, because I don't miss a thing. Given a choice between reading subtitles and dubbing, I will choose getting to hear the actors voices every time..Dubbing is outdated anyway. Specifically because most people HATE it. I'm shocked that they STILL dub Hollywood movies here in Germany; it's hysterical to see Brad Pitt speaking German. It's so fake; this is why so many people here don't go to the theater and wait for the films to be released on dvd; just so we can avoid all that silliness.
Fabio Testi is GOD
Hearing the original language is part of the experience.
you do realize that when they overdub the product for other countries, they are usually changing what is actually being said, so they can cater to that certain target audience
it's the tone of someone else, re-inventing someone else' art
If you are used to reading the titles, you realize that you don't read them the same way you read a book; you don't stare at the bottom of the screen. You only need glance at them for a fraction of a second.
I'm shocked that they STILL dub Hollywood movies here in Germany
They're no more likely to do that with a dub than with a subtitle.
A translation is never going to be 100% perfect because no two languages are exactly the same.
But if they are translating the screenplay, they can translate directions on how lines are supposed to be delivered too.