Forum - View topicSubs or Dubs? (Concerning Their Accuracy)
|
Goto page 1, 2 Next |
| Author | Message | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Elahrairah
Posts: 19 |
|
||
|
OK, I am not asking which you prefer, but I have noticed something.
I take what I can get, sometimes it is dubbed, sometimes subbed and I like or dislike the program for other reasons entirely. If I had my choice, I would prefer subs except when the context gets quite deep (GITS, etc) where reading lines quickly, I can get lost, it is quicker to absorb and understand by hearing. However, as I said, I have noticed something. If you turn on English AND the subs at the same time, you get different results. In fact, rarely are they the same. The context of the point may be the same (for instance, the subs may say "he is soaked to the gills" while the speech is "he has been on quite a bender tonight"), but sometimes it is waaaayyy off (for instance, the sub may say "you are the apple of my eye" and the speech is "had a busy night?"….Whaaa?? So the question is: Which do you think is more accurate? If the subs are done by the Japanese artists, perhaps they translated wrong, but then again, perhaps the English text that is read by the actors was translated wrong. Or worse, they are both wrong and the joke is on those of us who don’t understand Japanese! I guess what I am saying is: I prefer whichever method is closest to actual dialogue. I used to say I preferred subs because I like to hear the Japanese language spoken, but if I get less accurate translations, I would have to rethink my position. So which is it? What do you think? Anybody out there who is fluent in both can give insight? Those few opportunities I can choose sub or dub, I would like to know which to choose. Thanks for your input! |
|||
|
|||
SecretAgent94
 Posts: 204 |
|
||
|
I would think subtitles would be more accurate because dubs have the disadvantage of having to match the syllables of the mouth movement while subs can give an accurate translation without that limitation.
However I usually go dubbed because (if the voices actors do a good job), then native language is always best. 
|
|||
|
|||
|
jdotaku
Posts: 32 |
|
||
|
depends on whether the dub is a good one but I am ok with dubs I suppose I do prefer subbed anime though-feels more authentic etc
|
|||
|
|||
|
PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
|
||
|
Welcome to anime, young one! You have to be new, because this realization isn't anything new to most anime fans who are seasoned.
This "tradition" of replacing Japanese culture reference with a more "North American" one dates all the way back when... anime was first introduced to us. Dubs don't have to be re-written, but to appeal to a wider audience, match audio with video (and you'd be stunned how many people can see this), and/or to clean up... er... questionable content is something we've grown accustomed to (fans of dub, that is). I will often flip between both just to see how far off it can get. 
At any rate, the best option is usually subtitle when it comes to a more accurate translation because people can't read and watch mouths at the same time.
However, understand even subtitles can be edited, or have you not realized Japanese honorifics, like "chan" and "kun", are usually not in the subtitle? Well, you will. 
|
|||
|
|||
Jessica Hart
 Posts: 219 |
|
||
|
Subs tend to be more accurate, but that can also be a fault depending on who's doing it. Sometimes it feels so 'accurate' it's unnatural. Like a sub says "Don't talk as if you've been here this whole time" but if the translators feels no one really says that in real life, so the dub might change it to "Well what the hell do you know anyway?" to make it more natural. Same thing, just different way of getting it across.
That said, most dubs these days (as long as you stay away from 4Kids, Nelvana, and ShoPro) are accurate and give the same meaning as the sub, though to be honest some series or scenes just seem plain un-dubbale. There's a clip of Clannad I saw about Mei wanting to call Okazaki 'onii-chan' (big brother) and act like his little sister, but he started to, well, 'get excited' by it, because 'onii-chan' is also a kind of a fetish thing for some guys who like to be called that. The dub kept it strictly as 'big brother', but, well, there's not really a fetish for that here so it kind of doesn't make any sense in the dub; the closest you could get is something like 'daddy' or some pet name girls call their boyfriends, but it'd be a bit weird and not make sense given she wants to be his little sister. I say go with whatever you like, though I myself always choose subs, but a lot of stuff I watch tends to never get dubs usually. |
|||
|
|||
Touma
 Posts: 2651 Location: Colorado, USA |
|
||
That is definitely the type of thing that is difficult to translate. But how did the subtitles handle it? If they left it at "onii-chan" you would still have to know about the fetish, and if you know that much you would probably understand "big brother." |
|||
|
|||
ailblentyn
 Posts: 1688 Location: body in Ohio, heart in Sydney |
|
||
|
Anything can be conveyed if the desire is there. E.g. Transcribe "onii-chan" and add a cultural note.
|
|||
|
|||
DerekTheRed
 Posts: 3544 Location: ::Points to hand:: |
|
||
|
Sometimes I watch episodes with English subtitles on, and Spanish spoken dialogue. Then I wonder to myself if the Spanish was adapted from the English translation of the Japanese, or straight from the Japanese...
|
|||
|
|||
ArsenicSteel
 Posts: 2370 |
|
||
|
The only dubs I can think of nowadays that can have such a disparagement between the subtitles and dubbed speech would be Funimation.
A lot of times people will say this was done to add flavor or American culture(dated) to the dialogue that was not there in the Japanese track which is fine but even with an explanation as to why I still feel like you, why bother rolling the dice of change over a known good script. |
|||
|
|||
EricDent
 Posts: 997 Location: Georgetown, TX |
|
||
|
Most subtitles are done by whomever the translator is on the DVD.
In the past there have been cases of what is known as "dubtitles" where instead of putting what the Japanese are actually saying they put what the English VA is saying. There are a few anime out there with a sub-track for hard of hearing people, and one for the Japanese version. Subtitles are kind of an artform, cause Japanese is a rather tricky language to translate (especially if you are trying to make sense to mostly English speaking people). |
|||
|
|||
Rathchet
 Posts: 36 Location: Melbourne, Victoria |
|
||
|
I wont watch anything without english dubs. I hate having to look down at the screen to be able to understand what im watching.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18526 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
|
||
I am highlighting this post less to pick on Rathchet than to point out what I do not want to see in this thread going forward. If all you're going to do is comment on what your sub/dub preference is or which you think is better on any criteria other than their accuracy to the original Japanese then don't post at all here, as that's not what this thread is about. This is about the accuracy of subs vs. dubs, which I feel is a fair question. (And I'm tweaking the thread title to reflect that.) Spinning off into another sub/dub rant will not be allowed. I will be policing this thread very closely, people. Further violating posts will be removed. |
|||
|
|||
|
Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7584 Location: Wales |
|
||
|
As an exercise, why not try yourself muting the sound and reading the subs out aloud? As has been pointed out, while the subs have to be edited to make them readable by the majority of the audience in the time available for them to stay on screen, the dub script also has to be edited to make it match the lip flaps as closely as possible (and allowing for the fact that some things take longer to say in one language than the other). Also, while the subs should be written so that they read 'naturally' in English they will usually be a lot more "literal" than you can get away with when actually being read aloud.
|
|||
|
|||
|
Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6902 Location: Kazune City |
|
||
|
In general, subtitles will be more accurate, although most contemporary dubs give an experience that's essentially "same show, different language." Dubs do have to make more changes for reasons others have stated, like matching lip flaps, localizing some cultural elements, and to sound better or be more entertaining in English. And some dubs will occasionally make more drastic changes to be funnier or because the writers felt like it.
But even subtitles aren't a perfect representation, either. They frequently have to rewrite or condense things because of time and space constraints, to sound better in English, and to make some elements more understandable. Official subtitles on streams/DVD/Blu-Ray are subject to approval from the Japanese producers, and have the edge in pure accuracy. They may localize things like honorifics, change the order of names, and localize elements that would need lengthy notes to fully explain. Fanmade subtitles usually strive to be more "faithful," but are more likely to suffer from misheard words, mistranslations, guesslations, or dialogue that gets intentionally rewritten "for the lulz."
|
|||
|
|||
Anymouse
 Posts: 685 |
|
||
|
With a DVD they could provide a pamphlet of notes. For certain Japanese specific words this may be the best. "Jimusho"* being a potential example, as well as others.
*Japanese music production company. Finds and hires talent, and then promotes them. Often accused of corrupting the industry, particularly Johnny's Jimusho. Simply saying "Music Production Company" is something that some would consider insufficient. |
|||
|
|||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group