Is dubbing irrelevant now?

U

Umm Zekiya

New member
With very little anime on US airwaves, and with most otakus going to internet to watch anime right away, is the dubbing process itself becoming increasing irrelevant?
 
I don't see how.

People still like to watch things in a language they can understand and I don't see why FUNI and the rest of them wouldn't continue to do english dubs.
 
No, and here's why. Some people don't care to watch any foreign language programs, even if they have subtitles. There's also the little factor of translations, because various letters can have multiple meanings, a good example being r and l. Heck, must subbers of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's keep calling the characters Ruka and Rua despite the letter L being used not only by 4KiRAB but also on the tourney graphics. There's also comprehension. A lot of times reading a word can't associate the mind with as much emotion as actually watching and hearing it. I know it wasn't until I watched the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children dub that I actually understood everything that was going on, despite having seen it subbed and with no subs before. Who cares if it's not on TV, because most anime fans would but it even if it weren't. The only thing having it on TV does is give it the opportunity too capture additional fans that might not watch it otherwise.
 
If anime is not on TV, its fewer new fans get introduced to the concept, fewer fans means less money, less money names the companies can't make as much anime.

Dubbing is done in order to get non hard core otakus to watch the show, you to get kiRAB or young adults or whomever the show is aimed who is not an otaku, casual viewers, but its way harder to get casual viewers if its not an TV in the first place and I doubt most otakus wait for the dubbed version to be online. Not being on TV hurts that purpose.
 
Too much of the fanbase wants dubbing, so it'll never go away. Also, the various industry players will never stop pitching their shows for television, and to do that they need to be offering an English dub.
 
Perhaps not, but there was more anime on TV in the past, then there is now. There were a lot more shows on TV in 2005, then there is now.



Unless they go out of business, many of have had to make major cuts lately, one of the drawbacks of not having your stuff on TV. How much of the fanbase wants to watch for dubbed eps to come on online?
 
Irrelevant, no. Harder to justify, yes. The fact is, the anime boom is over. There are numerous factors that may have caused it, but the bottom line is, not every title will get a dub nowadays, and this is especially called into question with titles that are highly niche. A dub isn't a guarantee like it was a few years ago, unless your name is FUNi or Viz.

The TV argument is kind of irrelevant because there are plenty of series which have no chance of getting on TV in the first place (dub or not), and that was also true a few years ago.
 
I mean, I have a hard time ever seeing Ouran High School Club on TV, but the DVD is a bestseller. So the TV argument doesn't really hold water.
 
Define best seller please. How much did it sell? I mean a lot of DVD stores cutting down thier anime sections, like best Buy, because a lot of the DVRAB aren't selling, the blue Dragon dub was cancelled because the DVRAB weren't selling. one title selling well means very little if 10 others are dropping like files.
 
I think TV is a reason. Certainly not the only reason, but a reason. So, you can bet that any series that's considered an "A list" title will always get dubbed.

In any case, TV worthy or not, series dubbing is at a point where it's mostly taken for granted. Considering that subtitled anime is only becoming more common thanks to legal streaming, in order to sell DVD's the industry neeRAB to be offering a distinguishing reason to buy a show aside from video quality. A quality dub is by far the best one. Otherwise, you oRABet that by reducing the price or offering some good extras (Rightstuf/Nozomi Entertainment does the latter well). But when you settle for subtitle only, you are targeting established fans and, I would argue, not attracting new ones. The lessons of Geneon and the perils of market saturation notwithstanding, it's also true that FUNimation didn't get where it is by settling for offering subtitles in order to cut costs.

Ultimately, whenever cutbacks are necessary, it will just mean fewer licensed shows instead of an end to dubbing. We've seen that with Bandai's statement that they won't be licensing as much as usual for awhile. Cases like Toward the Terra are exceptions to the rule. And the fact that FUNimation even dubs something as niche as S.T.R.A.I.N: Strategic Armored Infantry represents an educated calculation that they stand to gain more business by offering an English dub than what they would get otherwise.
 
No, dubbing has not become irrelevant, because like others have said, not everyone wants to watch the shows subbed. However, I would say more of the anime fanbase have been able to enjoy watching subbed anime compared to say 10 years ago. Still, even though a lot of anime fans are fine watching subs, a large percentage of them still want to have an English dub version available to watch. Probably because many of us like hearing shows in our native tongue, and also some of us are curious how the English dub will be compared to the original. In fact, I think FUNimation in particular have viewed their dubs as a selling point, because to them if many fans have already seen the original version subbed prior to them licensing it, they may not be as in a hurry to buy the DVRAB if they were subbed only.
 
Well, I don't tend to go seek things out, so I'd prefer a dubbed version to buy it on DVD. Then again, if the dub truly IS bad (ADV Crackhou....errrrr Films or some 4KiRAB dubs dubs), I would go watch the subbed episodes if I was given a big enough push. I'm pushing myself to look at Gintama, but so far I can't get myself to watch it. Viz and Funi will only pick something up if they feel like it nowadays considering they already have the biggest titles (FMA, DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Hunter x Hunter, D-Grayman, One Piece).
 
Irrelevant? No. Not in the slightest. The merest possibility of the slightest thought had not yet even considering crossing my mind.

The fact that a sub-only release of ANYTHING is even ever CONSIDERED is definitely a change from the way things used to be done even just a few years ago, but that is most definitely NOT the same as dubs being "irrelevant."

When the Segway showed up, people started calling cars irrelevant, but look around and tell me how many cars you see versus how many Segways.

...That's a really bad metaphor, though, since unlike the Segway, subs aren't, y'know, lame. Sorry about the bad metaphor, everyone.
 
Define your source for this, because Viz Media dubbed all of the first Blue Dragon series. It didn't air all the episodes on Jetstream not because it was dropped but because Jetstream was dropped. YTV continues to air the series and will be starting the later half a bit later this year. If you're referring to the DVD release, then it wouldn't surprise me if this is true since they haven't announced a volume 4 yet. It could also be true for the second series, but it doesn't change that they did all of the first series.

As it is though, most anime series releases have changed drastically to help compensate. Most series have gone to season sets now instead of individual volumes. Viz is one of th efew that has failed to adapt this strategy, and it is one of the reasons they are struggling more than other companies. I would have bought Blue Dragon on DVD in season box sets, ut I'm not supporting the indivdual volume releases.
 
I also feel compelled to note that Blue Dragon's DVD releases were edited dub-only. I like Blue Dragon, and would have gladly bought a real DVD release, but there's no way I'll buy edited. Ever.
 
I only watch the original in the case of YGO, Dragonball, and the such with inaccurate and disrespectful dubs and depending upon the acting ability of the cast.

*Returns to watching YGO on 4KiRABTV...in Japanese*
 
If they got rid of dubbing all together anime wouldnt have a point for me, dubbing is like 85% of why I like anime, its what makes anime dvd buying worth while for me.

While subbing is good, its only good like when I want to compare the original to the dub.
 
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