- Question
Should you watch anime dubbed or subbed?
Anime (Japanese animation) is a cultural phenomenon that has swept the globe since the 90’s. More and more non-Japanese speakers are becoming interested in the world of Japanese animation. Instead of learning Japanese from scratch, viewers deliberate between the controversial choices of watching dubbed (with English voiceovers replacing Japanese audio) or subbed (retaining the Japanese audio and adding subtitles) versions of anime.
Subbed anime is better
This position holds that subtitled anime is better than dubbed. It argues that subs preserve the original Japanese performances — the voice actors best suited to the medium, their acting and the nuances of Japanese speech intact — and that subbed releases come out earlier and more widely.
Dubbed anime is better
This position holds that dubbed anime is better than subtitled. It argues that hearing a show in your own language is the most straightforward, effortless way to follow it — removing the cultural barrier and freeing the viewer from having to read subtitles while watching.
It depends on the content of the anime
This position holds that whether to watch anime dubbed or subbed depends on the content. It argues some titles work better dubbed and others subbed—for instance, dubbing suits series set outside Japan, while subtitles preserve the original performance elsewhere.