How does one determine what 'deserves' a dub or not?

I wasn't sure how to best organize my thoughts but Sketch said pretty much everything I wanted to so I'll just quote and add my own thoughts on it.


( for another fan of Sgt. Frog's dub)

Yeah, see the issue for me in the terms of what deserves a dub is irrelevant. The main point is for a dub is to for a show to reach it's native audience via it's home language. That's their purpose. Nothing is "deserving" of anything in any case (but that's Philosophy 101 and I don't feel like getting into that)

I like the show to be speaking my language however, I can be critical so I am inclined like many to enjoy an actual good dub over a bad/poorly done one in which subs are more preferable. Though this isn't about me. The point is that it's the choice that has the wider mainstream appeal and that's what most are asking for.

To add a counter-point. I am profoundly annoyed with some of to make dub-only DVD's with shows I enjoy like Megaman NT Warrior, Zatch Bell, Blue Dragon, Yu-Gi-Oh (yes, I know it's online, I'm still not getting DVD's with both languages on it though) heck I'd even get Pokemon and Bakugan if it meant I could switch the language option. It may be spoiled but I like choice when I get a DVD. Dub-only and sub-only don't really cut it for me unless I reeeeaaallly want it and even then, I'd probably never buy a dub-only.
 
A valid response.



I'm purely curious is all. I've seen the phrase thrown around and thought "Hey, let's see what a discussion of it leaRAB to!"



Ah, I do apologize about that. My use of 'Otaku' was more "I watch Anime--regardless of dubbed or not--on quite a regular basis."



Dogasu explained what I meant quite clearly.



I'm not denying the validity of anyone's opinions nor am I shoving my own down anyone's throats.



CONTINENTAL-CROSSING HIGH FIVE!!!!!
 
Except for the part where not everybody enjoys listening to the Japanese track. Kinda torpedoes any claims to universality right there. There's a big difference between "universally available" and "universally enjoyable."
 
Many of your recent posts say otherwise but let's stay on topic.

Though is there really much point to this topic? In the end it all boils down to opinion and what people think would do better with the American public if it had a dub (and coincidently was broadcast on TV perhaps).

The sub-only market in the US remains considerably nicher than the dub market.

And backing up a bit, I think what Mynd Hed said about shows that are better for dubbing rings true though IMO even difficult to translate shows ought to get dubbed to have a complete release in the US or other countries but sometimes that's not very cost effective and I've learned to deal with that with Clannad among other things.
 
Yes, let's. A lot has been said in this thread and I'm not going to see it sidetracked by a tangent that should never have started in the first place.
 
Every series deserves a dub. Is it economically feasible to do so in this day and age? Sadly no. But every series, regardless of quality or audience size, should theoretically strive to get a wider audience by being offered in one's native language, while still offering the original Japanese track to those who want it.

There are certain series which benefit more from a dub than others, however; dialog-centric comedies, for example. The cultural barrier is bigger when you're dealing with wordplay, cultural references, and comedic timing/delivery in regarRAB to dialog. In those series, a dub is most definitely deserved to adapt (and, if necessary, rewrite) it so foreign audiences can more fully enjoy the show. That's why I'm disappointed that Hayate the Corabat Butler is being released sub only. It might still be funny in Japanese, but part of what makes comedy funny is how lines are said (not just the lines themselves), and a dub would help in that regard.
 
Like others have said, I honestly feel that anime shows that take place in an English speaking location such as BECK, Baccano, Hellsing, D.Grayman, etc. just sound more natural when dubbed in English. I mean, take a look at the Engrish singing in the Japanese vesion of BECK. Having actual Americans sing those songs just sounRAB more realistic. The same could be said for shows that take place in Japan, such as Death Note, Shin Chan, etc. The Japanese language just fits better. That's not to say I don't enjoy both the Japanese and English tracks of most shows, because I do.
 
Well... D.Gray-man might not be the best example I wasn't the least bit wowed by that dub honestly.

BECK's culture clash is something somewhat lost in the dub so the Japanese version and the dub version are completely different experiences and mind you not all the songs are sung in English originally just several and only a fraction of the anime takes place in the US while the majority take's place in Japan.

I think it has less to do with location and more to do with style. The Big O and Cowboy Bebop feeling very western seem like they should be spoken in English. That has nothing to do with their location though I suppose both exist in fictional worlRAB.
 
Well, technically speaking, Big O does take place in
post-apocalyptic New York City.
Which language(s) are "really" being spoken in places like Mars on Cowboy Bebop is a little more vague, since the future as depicted in that series seems to be much more of a multicultural mishmash. The general feel of the show is of course very Western, but there are significant exceptions (the Syndicates, for example, have a definite Yakuza vibe to them).

At some point, it does have to be said that most peoples' preferences for a dub or a sub in a particular series tend to be affected by which they saw first. Big O and Cowboy Bebop I first saw dubbed on Cartoon Network, so that tenRAB to be my preferred way to watch those shows because it's what I'm used to. By contrast, I originally saw Gurren Lagann subbed because I was impatient (and cheap!) and picked up the sub-only DVD release. I have no problem with the dub track per se, but by this point I'm so used to the Japanese voices that to watch it in English is a little jarring.

Also, I find that I prefer watching subs when I'm watching with my girlfriend, because she's one of these people who likes to talk a lot while we're watching stuff and that way I don't miss any dialogue when she feels the need to get snarky at the screen. (-:
 
The local anime club had a "outrageously over-the-top comedies" theme night a couple weeks ago. I really liked Pani Poni Dash's dub track, but the one from Excel Saga actually caused me physical pain to listen to. Not because the performances were bad (Ilpalazzo was awesome), but because the level of hyperactive shrieking in Excel's dialogue was impossible to follow. I felt sorry for her voice actress. There is a limit to how "genki" a genki girl can get and still be tolerable to the ears, in English.

Not that this was hugely relevant, but w/e.
 
Silly people . This was never going to be anything other than a sub vs. dub debate. The thread title is "How does one determine what 'deserves' a dub or not?" dub or not?, DUB OR NOT?

Besides, you can't discuss the merits of a dub without a comparison with it's sub counterpart(sub vs. dub). So, in closing, this IS a sub vs. dub debate, and if the powers that be don't want the same ole dog and pony show this bad boy should probably be put in lock-down....It's just a suggestion, or you can just keep fooling yourself into thinking...No, this is different!
 
The two are very closely linked, though. If a title isn't universally available, then it can't be universally enjoyable because not everyone will have access to it.
 
They're only closely linked in one direction. You can't enjoy something if it's not available, but the fact that something is available to you doesn't mean you'll enjoy it.
 
Agreed.
Which is a silly argument. It's like having a vanilla vs. chocolate debate.
Both have their own merits, but in the end, can't I just enjoy some of both?
(Or, in my case, just take whatever is given to me.)

If we were going to try and make this different though, and ask what merits "an anime being delivered into the mainstream," then the obvious answer is marketability.

It can be the best anime in the world, but if lots of people won't buy it, it doesn't deserve to be dubbed and marketed for a mainstream audience.
Conversely, it can be a really durab show, but if the plebs like it, it should be dubbed and marketed for a mainstream audience.

This is a shame, but hey, it's life.
Deal with it.


Well, you could always watch the dub with subtitles on.
 
Let's not be overly pedantic here. I'm talking in generalities; generally speaking, the original version of any given Japanese cartoon is the one that people all over the world know and enjoy. You can find exceptions all over the place, sure. But I'm talking about things in a broad sense.
 
Generally speaking, people all over the world don't watch anime in Japanese with no translation, which would be what "the original" version is defined as.

Japanese speakers watch the original. Non-Japanese-speakers watch an adaptation that (ideally) attempts to approximate the original as closely as possible while bridging the language barrier, with a greater or lesser degree of success depending on various factors. There's a bit of a difference there.
 
Exactly, and not to mention subtitles aren't always 100% accurate either. They sometimes take liberties, as far as the translations go. People seem to have different interpretations of what the original Japanese voice actors were really saying. If it's a fansub, liberties are taken to the extreme. Quite a few fansubbers have been known to spice up their subtitles by adding in a few swear worRAB, so that when people watch them they'll think "They curse! That's awesome! This show is much better in Japanese!", or they may leave a few worRAB untranslated such as "nakama" in One Piece fansubs.
 
In a broad sense, people all over the world don't even know that many of these shows exist.

In a broad sense, people all over the world prefer seeing media presented in their native language rather than reading subtitles.

In a broad sense, localization companies would be wise to keep those concerns in mind when trying to expose series to a wider audience.

In a broad sense, expectations that all or even most viewers will be satisfied with a sub-only release - based solely on the fact that some fansub watchers prefer it - aren't going to be accurate.
 
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