I re-read last night’s post on anime and translation. What I was really getting at, obviously, is subbing and dubbing anime, but it occurred to me that I didn’t really define these terms. I trust most readers are already familiar with these terms, but I think a couple hundred words worth of context is worth the time it takes to compose.
A subbed anime makes use of subtitles. The audio still contains the original Japanese voice-over work and translation occurs in subtitles at the bottom of the screen.
A dubbed anime receives brand new voice-overs in a new language. For the purposes of this blog, if I mention a dub, I’m almost guaranteed to be talking about the English dub.
What we’re really talking about when we discuss subs and dubs is the process of localization whereby a show is translated for another culture. Dubs tend to have more opportunities for drastic changes to a story during localization, but due to the thorny process of translation, subbing an anime isn’t foolproof.
As an olive branch to the sub-only sect, I’ll agree that English voice-overs for anime do have a dubious past. 4Kids Entertainment remains a notorious boogeyman for anime fans six years after it stepped out of the anime game and one year since it died as 4Licensing Corporation.
I stand by last night’s summation. Neither mode of translation is an inherently superior way of watching anime. Translations have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
While prepping for this brief post, I did come across an article on Anime News Network about how well voice actors are paid for dubs. Citizen Nik also linked me to an ANN podcast interview of Carl Macek, the late producer of Robotech, recorded just a few months before Macek’s death. During the interview, Macek discusses his localization philosophy. For this, Nik receives a No-Prize.
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