TIL those 'sub only' anime streams have different voice actor takes

Was watching a new show on Crunchyroll last night. The dub felt flat so I switched to Japanese with subs. Completely different vibe. The main character sounded way more emotional. It was like watching a different scene. Has anyone else noticed big gaps between dub and sub performances like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin8162d ago

God I feel this so hard. I once watched a whole season of some shonen show where the dub made the main guy sound like he was reading a grocery list. Switched to Japanese and suddenly he was screaming like his soul was on fire. Made me wonder if I've been missing out on half the emotional impact of every anime I've ever watched. But then again I'm the guy who cried at the end of a movie about a talking dog, so maybe I'm just a mess. The difference is wild though, especially with comedic scenes where timing is everything. I think some dubs just don't capture the raw energy of the original performances, which is a shame because voices can make or break a character for me.

schmidt.willow2d ago

Yo, if you haven't tried the "three episode rule" for dubs, do it. Watch the first three episodes subbed, then three dubbed back to back. You'll hear exactly where the energy drops off. I do this with action shows especially. Like, someone's supposed to be screaming in rage and the dub sounds like they're mildly annoyed they stubbed their toe. The grocery list comparison is perfect, that's exactly how a lot of the mid tier dubs hit. If a show relies on voice acting to sell the emotion, watch the first fight scene in both languages. If the dub doesn't match the intensity, just switch and save yourself the headache. I've bailed on three shows this year alone after that test and never looked back.