What makes a dub bad?

[Greeneyes]

The question is in the title...

[awesomedude20]

Bad voice acting. As obvious as it sounds, it's kinda that simple. Anything  that you could apply to bad voice acting can be applied to make a dub bad. Hell, plenty of Japanese dub stuff also sounds pretty poor, but because most of us don't speak the language, we simply can't tell.

It's probably easier to say what makes a dub good. So long as the voice suits the character that has it, as well as conveying emotions properly and whatnot, it should be fine. Look into the Chuunibyou dub for an example of a pretty bad dub, none of the voices suit the characters. It also helps when a dub suits the show's setting, for example. FMAB takes place in Germany. Sure, a German dub would be the best bet, but English is a lot more fitting than Japanese. Same sorta deal with Gosick, which was recently dubbed. I still prefer the sub, but the dub is very passable. The spoken language of the area the show takes place in is French, as shown in written documents in the show, so a french dub would be awesome, BUT, English is a hell of a lot closer than Japanese and it's easy to make it work. This also applies to settings that have no defined location to them. Think of Gurren Lagann, they're just kinda on Earth. I highly recommend the dub for that one btw, it was fantastic.

So yeah overall, I suppose a bad dub would be comprised of a lack of proper emotions, voices that don't match the characters and their personalities, and maaaybe the setting that the show takes place in.

[Geano]

For me what makes a dub bad is the censorship be it editing violence language, or the like. Though another big thing which I tend to categorize differently is localization. A good example is in Pokemon when they cook rice balls in the later parts of the series this is changed to sandwiches. This is beyond unexceptionable to me. Its Japanese content therefore it should remain that way. I can go on, and on on this topic. I guess if I must have another reason it would be the voice acting. Though this is more of a peeve for me less of a detrimental flaw.

[RepentantSky]

For me it's mostly weird translations. This is more of a game problem, but sometimes, when something doesn't "make sense" because it's seen as "too Japanese" that becomes a problem. I lived through the 90's though, the bad voice acting doesn't bother me that much. 

Edited August 29, 2018 by RepentantSky

[Geano]

41 minutes ago, RepentantSky said:

For me it's mostly weird translations. This is more of a game problem, but sometimes, when something doesn't "make sense" because it's seen as "too Japanese" that becomes a problem. I lived through the 90's though, the bad voice doesn't bother me that much. 

Thats when I started as well the 90s was the era when anime was highly censored. I never quite understood the its to Japanese from anything other then a marketing ploy perspective.

[RepentantSky]

1 minute ago, ArchieKun said:

Thats when I started as well the 90s was the era when anime was highly censored. I never quite understood the its to Japanese from anything other then a marketing ploy perspective.

That especially doesn't make sense. Back then people were watching anime for DBZ style explosions or Sailormoon levels of story, no cared if something was too Japanese. I mean they didn't even convert Yen in Sailormoon if memory served.  

[Geano]

4 minutes ago, RepentantSky said:

That especially doesn't make sense. Back then people were watching anime for DBZ style explosions or Sailormoon levels of story, no cared if something was too Japanese. I mean they didn't even convert Yen in Sailormoon if memory served.  

Sailor Moon even more then dbz was one of the animes that truly showed the wrongful censorship, and localization that was to be in the 90s. Now I understand anime was new in general and in America it was very different to what we were use to. Though anyone who got into it enough was contacting subbers and sending their tapes that were imported to be subbed from the raws. Once the internet took off in the early 2000s then this became much easier.

Though with a lot of current series the dubs that release have basically no localization other then being translated so in that case it comes down to what one prefers. For me it is Japanese, but thats because thats what I am use to.

[piiachu]

Dubs make me cringe all the time! I feel like it lacks emotions or Idk but something is lacking in dubs! I always prefer watching in the original version with subs! 

[the_twig]

So something that really bugs us is when they don’t translate the common words that otakus will probably know. Things like Onii-chan or senpai. Why would any normal person just break into Japanese for one word of a sentence? If the character was an otaku themself, then there’s some excuse, but you see the popular girl characters doing it too. On the other hand, they shouldn’t really try to translate words that don’t have an English equivalent. Things like Tsundere or Kami (in the context of Shinto only. The Shinto Kami are not gods, they’re more like spirits). 

[leinwandname]

When they take either too much freedom in translation (unless its Ghost Stories :P) or stay too faithful to the original. You have to change stuff to make it bearable in anothe language, like above mentioned with "Onii-chan", etc... I also think it depends for who they translate - for children they have to change things so the children understand it, while translations for people familiar with anime can use some expressions or words from the original. FLCL is a good example of the latter - I'd actually suggest to watch it in english rather than in japanese.

For most anime, I'd watch it in japanese, but some can be watched in english, and some, I think, should be, like FLCL and Panty and Stockings ... and for some reason Lucky Star - can't stand the japansese voices in there.

[Geano]

2 hours ago, piiachu said:

Dubs make me cringe all the time! I feel like it lacks emotions or Idk but something is lacking in dubs! I always prefer watching in the original version with subs! 

Right you, and me both.

 

1 hour ago, the_twig said:

So something that really bugs us is when they don’t translate the common words that otakus will probably know. Things like Onii-chan or senpai. Why would any normal person just break into Japanese for one word of a sentence? If the character was an otaku themself, then there’s some excuse, but you see the popular girl characters doing it too. On the other hand, they shouldn’t really try to translate words that don’t have an English equivalent. Things like Tsundere or Kami (in the context of Shinto only. The Shinto Kami are not gods, they’re more like spirits). 

And this is such a essential part of anime so when it is removed its just so horrid almost dosen't even feel like anime anymore.

22 minutes ago, leinwandname said:

When they take either too much freedom in translation (unless its Ghost Stories ) or stay too faithful to the original. You have to change stuff to make it bearable in anothe language, like above mentioned with "Onii-chan", etc... I also think it depends for who they translate - for children they have to change things so the children understand it, while translations for people familiar with anime can use some expressions or words from the original. FLCL is a good example of the latter - I'd actually suggest to watch it in english rather than in japanese.

For most anime, I'd watch it in japanese, but some can be watched in english, and some, I think, should be, like FLCL and Panty and Stockings ... and for some reason Lucky Star - can't stand the japansese voices in there.

For me literally the only true exception to this rule is dbz and then only the orange bricks release as they are called which was translated to english, but not censored like funimation was.

[Beocat]

Too many things can go wrong with a dub.

 

My chief complaint is when the rich girl sounds extremely southern (Hollywood's version of southern that is) as if they are trying to portray her as a Southern Belle type. It never matches correctly with the personality and the mannerisms are always off (I am from the South. I would know.). I hate hate hate it!  It is actually starting to feel offensive to me when they use it because it feels like they have a rich girl must have old South accent agenda.  If I see that in an anime, I switch to Japanese or I quit the anime entirely. I won't continue talking about it much more because it really angers me.  It shows an outright lack of education and experience with Southern accents. The accent varies from state to state, even within states, because they originated from different peoples. Bah humbug to crappy dub casting. No two states even have the same accent. What a stereotype folks!  

Other than that, there are just some dubs I will never like. I understand that studios don't have a massive pool to pull from but I do wish they had a bigger variety. There are more but I digress. My biggest peeve is out there. If nothing else changes but getting rid of it in the next 5 years, I will be happy.

 

 

 

[brycec]

I cannot really explain what makes a bad dub to well, sadly. Much of what has already been discussed as above, but I will say that much of what Central Park Media did when dubbing the Yu Yu Hakusho movie that got called Plotergeist Report would be a good example here.

Audio matters a lot, and the audio in that dub was just something that does not allow me to immerse myself in the world of the series, whereas the dubs for the Yu Yu Hakusho series and FMA (both 2003 and 2009 adaptations) were actually something that I could immerse myself in.

[Decimo]

For me it's when the English translation of the script is awkward and when the delivery from the VAs themselves is just off. I'm pretty tolerant of dubs, but the Higurashi dub is atrocious.

Also, as others have said, a lot of the meaning can be altered or even lost in translation. And the fact that you hear the same VAs over and over again in different shows, speaks a lot about the talent of potential VAs in comparison lol.

The premise of and direction of the actual show plays a heavy role as well. I'd watch the dub for FMA:B and Space Dandy over the sub any day of the week, but if it's a show based on Japanese culture like Chihayafuru, Ima watch the sub.

[Geano]

7 hours ago, brycec said:

I cannot really explain what makes a bad dub to well, sadly. Much of what has already been discussed as above, but I will say that much of what Central Park Media did when dubbing the Yu Yu Hakusho movie that got called Plotergeist Report would be a good example here.

Audio matters a lot, and the audio in that dub was just something that does not allow me to immerse myself in the world of the series, whereas the dubs for the Yu Yu Hakusho series and FMA (both 2003 and 2009 adaptations) were actually something that I could immerse myself in.

It was so hard to watch those Yu Yu Hakusho movies mind you they were not nearly as good as the series even in the original, but still I see what you mean.

[Anisa Mazaki]

For me it's bad voice acting, bad dialogue cuz someone effed up the script writting, annoying voices, voices that so don't match the character and if they repeat things in the dialogue <.<

Edited September 2, 2018 by Anisa Mazaki

[Geano]

8 hours ago, Anisa Mazaki said:

For me it's bad voice acting, bad dialogue cuz someone effed up the script writting, annoying voices, voices that so don't match the character and if they repeat things in the dialogue <.<

Thats a interesting point you make regarding the script writing for most anime dubs because its something that is often fforgotten even when watching subbed. At least for me I don;t think of tv series like a set with a script until I've seen both versions of the same series, and then go wait a second. This was, and still is a hige issue with Funimation, and don't even geet me started on 4kids in the 90s eh my ears bled seeing some of those.

[Anisa Mazaki]

6 hours ago, ArchieKun said:

Thats a interesting point you make regarding the script writing for most anime dubs because its something that is often fforgotten even when watching subbed. At least for me I don;t think of tv series like a set with a script until I've seen both versions of the same series, and then go wait a second. This was, and still is a hige issue with Funimation, and don't even geet me started on 4kids in the 90s eh my ears bled seeing some of those.

Sorry ^.^" I studied Animation when I went to University when I was younger. It's a habit for me now to include things about animation in general from a studio production perspective. Half the time for dubs/English voice overs, it's not the actors' fault but the script writers - cuz they mis interpreted things and/or tried to change things to suit an American audience - (like what they did for Sailor Moon.) And then there is the english director and producer who are also at fault, cuz they approved the script and whatever other changes they made for the American audience.

Subs I can understand being mistranslated cuz it's usually just regular people on streaming sites etc doing them, but dubs are a whole nother issue. 

LOL I know right XD I tried to watch Attack on Titan in English and quit 10 mins after one episode, going back to the original lol XD  I tried to watch Sailor Moon in english and couldn't make it past 5 episodes cuz it was so english power ranger cheezey omg T.T Ranma 1/2 was the same. Tried one episode of it in english and I was like nope. (I did watch 120 episodes of that show though in sub - only because it was written by a woman - , but I stopped cuz the ecchi, perv bs was getting too far out of hand.) I lost respect for the Mangaka after that too. 

[Geano]

3 minutes ago, Anisa Mazaki said:

Sorry ^.^" I studied Animation when I went to University when I was younger. It's a habit for me now to include things about animation in general from a studio production perspective. Half the time for dubs/English voice overs, it's not the actors' fault but the script writers - cuz they mis interpreted things and/or tried to change things to suit an American audience - (like what they did for Sailor Moon.) And then there is the english director and producer who are also at fault, cuz they approved the script and whatever other changes they made for the American audience.

Subs I can understand being mistranslated cuz it's usually just regular people on streaming sites etc doing them, but dubs are a whole nother issue. 

LOL I know right XD I tried to watch Attack on Titan in English and quit 10 mins after one episode, going back to the original lol XD  I tried to watch Sailor Moon in english and couldn't make it past 5 episodes cuz it was so english power ranger cheezey omg T.T Ranma 1/2 was the same. Tried one episode of it in english and I was like nope. (I did watch 120 episodes of that show though in sub - only because it was written by a woman - , but I stopped cuz the ecchi, perv bs was getting too far out of hand.) I lost respect for the Mangaka after that too. 

Yah thats true. I wan't going to go that technical on the subject though that is very good input all the same. I know what you mean though especially the studios, and directors who push the crappy scripts on these actors without properly doing their research. I have a bit of a animation background with the adobe suite.

I think in my case I do have a relative bios towards subs as a preference though thats just me.