Why Diss Dubs?
I know subs are better than dubs. However, that doesn't mean I hate dubs. When you can't afford subs or find the time to rent them, dubs are on T.V., free of charge and always there. Dubs are what brought most anime fans (like me) to like anime. Without dubs, most people wouldn't know anime even existed, and if they did, they would think they were just ordinary cartoons.
Of course dubs aren't as good as subs; the originals of anything are usually considered better by most people. But since the originals have inappropriate parts for most American kids (and sometimes adults . . .) and would probably engender lawsuits by parents, dubs are edited. I don't really care if they have to be "butchered" to be put on T.V.; I would rather have the original version, but if it was to happen, lawsuits would come and T.V. wouldn't air it at all. Dubs are better than having nothing at all. A true anime fan would watch it no matter what. Plus the subtitles go too fast sometimes; and when you are busy reading, you can't look at what's going on!
I got into anime by watching the dubbed version of Sailor Moon on UPN, one of the most butchered anime series' of all time along with Card Captor Sakura. I got addicted just by watching the dub. Then almost a year later I got to see the raw version of it. (Raw = pure Japanese, no English subtitles.) Most people wouldn't watch it raw, but I being a devoted fan, watched it anyway, even though I didn't understand most of which was going on. Now I've seen subtitled, dubbed, and raw, but I don't care which version I see. I mean, I would prefer to see subtitled, but if I had to settle for something else, I wouldn't mind. The dubbed version is like an entirely different show almost, aimed for younger children. But it's still fun to watch.
SO . . . don't say you're a die-hard otaku if you hate and/or refuse to watch dubs.
Copyright © November 15th, 2000. JANS INDIGO. All Rights Reserved.