Dubs Disappoint, Dutifully.

[muirae]

Most anime fans I've met (MOST, not all!) prefer subs over dubs.

I try to give dubs a chance, there are after all a few good dubbed series that I actually prefer over the Japanese language version (Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing, and anything from Sailor Moon-era, though only for the nostalgia of it.).

And if I'm with a group of people who like dubs, I'm not going to whine about it.

But every so often, something happens that makes me go "ARRRGH! I HATE DUBS!" and run around the house throwing pillows at my cat. SEE: Naruto dub, One Piece dub.

Well, apparently, when my back was turned, ADV announce the cast list for the english language version of Gurren Lagann. It is as follows:

Kamina: Brett Weaver
Yoko: Tiffany Grant
Viral: Vic Mignogna
Rossiu: Chris Patton
Kinon: Brittney Karbowski
Darry: Hilary Haag
Kittan: Jason Douglas
Kiyal: Kira Vincent-Davis
Kiyoh: Monica Rial

Most of these people I don't really have an opinion of one way or the other, some I am even kind of curiously interested about, (Brett Weaver as Kamina? Brett "Nabeshin" Weaver? Really?) but there is one VA on that list that will keep me from probably even watching the dub (not that I was going to anyway...). You can probably guess. Yes, that's right.


Vic Mignogna.

(or as I have decided to call him, Vic Manna-manna) There is something about that guy, I don't know what exactly, that just incites rage within me. Now, don't get me wrong. He's a great guy. From what I have seen of him at conventions, he's funny, friendly, and he's got a scarily loyal fanbase...............anyway. It's just, I am not really fond of his voice.

And.....as VIRAL, no less. There is only one voice actor for Viral in my mind, and that's Nobuyuki Hiyama. Damnit.

Anyway. Am I the only one who has moments like these? Or does anyone else have disappointing dub experiences they'd like to share?

[joshua]

My most disappointing dub experience was with Bible Black.

...Damn it, don't let me get near that shit again.

I COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB.

[dana]

I propose a fandub as a project?

[joshua]

Sure, I'll make a Bible Black fandub with the group. Sounds like a great idea.

[dana]

Eeeew, and now I remember who Vic Monogna is. ><

HE SLAUGHTERED EDWARD!! HE MUST DIE!!

*pulls out a hacksaw*

[muirae]

Yep, that guy. Like I said, he's a nice person, I just don't think he's suited for the roles he plays.

[lindsay]

I sometimes watch dub and i sometimes watch sub. I do agree that Naruto has crappy dubs. The one thing i do hate though is when live action Japanese films or any international films for that matter are dubbed, its just so obvious and its sometimes hard to tell whose voice belongs to who.

[dana]

Miley. Flannigan. Must. Die.

Along with whoever slaughtered Sasuke. What's his name, Yuri Lowenthal.

[muirae]

Except Yuri is great in his role on Hellsing. Which still nobody believes me when I say he IS in Hellsing, but he is. xD

[dana]

Hm, I wasn't much for the anime of Hellsing, in Japanese, either. I stick to the manga with that one, it's easier for me to follow.

[muirae]

Er, well, not the anime, the OVA, if you want to be pedantic about it. ^^;; But I wasn't sure which one you were referring to.

[cody]

When I was a kid, I didn't think anything of dubs. But after watching subs for so long, I can never really return to dubs. I have to admit though, the German dub of Sailor Moon sounded pretty good to me.

I think the main problem with dubs is that they use a bad choice of vocabulary. For one thing, I've noticed a lot of pointless cliches being used. Another thing I don't like is that they tend to cuss a lot more in dubs than they do in subs. Atleast that's the way it was with Steel Angel Kurumi.

[muirae]

My main issue with dubs in the translation choices they make, also known as "localization" - which is a good thing, because a lot of jokes just don't translate well. However it can be taken too far, or issued in pointless situations. 4kids LOVES localization. I think the CEO has been quoted as saying, about Tokyo Mew Mew I believe, "By the time we're done with it, kids don't even know it's from Japan anymore!"

...which is true. I remember having an argument with my friend's younger brother (I was 14 at the time, he was...eh...8?) about having a japanese pokemon card. He responed, "That's impossible, cause pokemon isn't japanese!" Granted, at that age, you really don't care....

But in anime that isn't kid-oriented, the changing of terms and names really bugs me. SEE: Reborn's "dying will bullet" being changed to "deathperation bullet" Bleach's "Kenny" ...wait, I like that last one. Anyway........rambling over now.

[cody]

My main issue with dubs in the translation choices they make, also known as "localization" - which is a good thing, because a lot of jokes just don't translate well. However it can be taken too far, or issued in pointless situations. 4kids LOVES localization. I think the CEO has been quoted as saying, about Tokyo Mew Mew I believe, "By the time we're done with it, kids don't even know it's from Japan anymore!"

LOL! OMG NOOOO!! That is NOT something you say to your fans (not that 4kids has any). That's almost as bad as what the VP of Sony said in an interview about the PS3 delay in Europe: "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan."

...which is true. I remember having an argument with my friend's younger brother (I was 14 at the time, he was...eh...8?) about having a japanese pokemon card. He responed, "That's impossible, cause pokemon isn't japanese!" Granted, at that age, you really don't care....

Uhh...I hope that kid was joking. Otherwise, I would've called Brian Peppers and pedobear over!

But in anime that isn't kid-oriented, the changing of terms and names really bugs me. SEE: Reborn's "dying will bullet" being changed to "deathperation bullet" Bleach's "Kenny" ...wait, I like that last one. Anyway........rambling over now.

I can understand name changes. When I was a kid, it drove me nuts seeing Japanese names and kanji in "cartoons". But these days, with me being a weeaboo, I would prefer that they leave names alone, as it creates confusion in the fan community.

I wonder if this is all a catch-22 situation? People hate dubs because they suck. But on the other hand, publishers don't seem to even bother with making good dubs because they probably know that no matter how hard they try, people will always watch subs instead.

[joshua]

Speaking of horrible dubs

Enjoy having lucky star ruined
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1smSoy-hWvc#