What I like about dubs

[RepentantSky]

I've been watching some older anime lately because I dropped almost everything this season, and I came to a new conclusion about dubbed anime that I hadn't quite noticed before. I feel like I've said it, but that I haven't really understood it as well as I do now. I started with anime from way back in the early parts of anime dubbed at all until something as recent as 5 years ago, and because I got to see the progression for voice work over the years. I've said it before, but having a better understanding of it really puts into perspective, but dubbed voice acting has really improved as time has gone on. If you look at anime from say the time DBZ and even Pokemon really started to take the world by storm, and look at some of the most recent dubbed episodes for either of those series, the improvement is almost palpable. Then there are some anime whose voice acting will help it stand the test of time not only more so than it's Japanese counterpart, but may even help more than it's animation.

 

At the same token, there some anime that came out around the same time as say, Cowboy Bebop and Ruroni Kenshin that completely are ruined by dubs. For example, I love Eureka Seven, as I've mentioned a few times, but watching it dubbed is entirely ruined because JYB gets hired to play kid characters like Renton and completely ruins them, even if the rest of the voice acting is high quality and some of the best that can be expected at it's time. Even now as much I'm a fan of Yokai Watch, I cannot stand to watch it dubbed because JYB does that same voice and it ruins the whole show and Eureka Seven for me at the same time. There are other examples out there, like the Ocean dubs of DBZ, you have to wonder how anyone thought that would ever work long term, but with that in mind, I'm okay with it in a sense. Having that variation in quality and style of voices really gives everything it's own memory and uniqueness that subs, don't really seem to even aim for.

 

I don't know, maybe I'm weird but I like things to change. When they do I feel like they are more involved, and that's what I like about dubs.