The Seven Seas.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Day Thirty-Six: Long Days.

Guess who still hasn't watched any anime?
I've read tons of BL manga though. (Curse you BL provider!) 

I might be opening an age old can of worms by delving into this topic. I'm running out of anime topics to cover that don't directly relate to shows. 




The first thing you have to know is what's the difference? Any long suffering anime fan will tell you that "Subs are so much better and they are the only way to watch 

anime.*flippy eye roll hair thing*" Any overzealous newb will tell you "It doesn't matter because anime is so freaking awesome!!!"  (look for them in the age range from 12-14.)  The actual facts are something you'll get to decide soon enough.
Back to the topic at hand, what do these strange words mean Hunter? I'm glad you asked.

Sub is an abbreviated word for subtitled. Commonly subtitles appear on foreign films (if you live in a primarily English speaking country, like America.) and they'll often show up on anime. Subtitles allow the original words to be translated into another language and transcribed, so those with hearing disabilities can still enjoy the media. Subtitles are often seen as scary by people who are not familiar with them, and depending on the show, they can run a little fast. ( I attribute my ability to read 200 words a minute to watching anime and foreign films as a child.) Subs also allow quirks in language to be displayed for the audience. 
I mention the 90's Sailor Moon a lot.
Sailor Uranus was dating Sailor
Neptune. When they re-dubbed it
they totally erased they're relationship.
Because two girls being in a relationship
was totally impossible, right??! (Sarcasm)
Dubs are actually misnamed. The process of adding voice to a type of media in post is called dubbing. When people are talking about an anime that's been "dubbed" in English, they're actually talking about an anime that has been re-dubbed in English. At it's core a dub is a type of media that has been taken from it's original language into a new language with new voice actors. My favorite instance of a re-dub is Snape from the Spanish Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Dubbing has many perks such as getting to hear a new performance of your favorite characters, not having to read while trying to focus on the action, and funny mistranslations. 
More often than not you get a bad dub. (Looking at you 90's Sailor Moon, The original Full Metal Alchemist, and you Naruto.) When the dub is so awful it actually changes the storyline or causes a lot more confusion than needed.
What's my opinion? I tend to watch more subs than I watch dubs. I like being able to appreciate the actors performance with the original creators intent. You never really know how involved the original creators are in the making of a dub. I also find it distracting when the animation doesn't sync up with the English dialog. That's just my personal preference. While I'll watch most of my anime subbed, I love the Host Club dub. 

Hopefully I haven't polarized my audience that hard and you're still with me by the end of this. Special thanks to Tv Tropes for having an amazing, detailed article on the age old argument. (Link to said article here
I've gotten the okay from Brian on Log Horizon. I will definitely be watching the show soon, but I want to get through some of the other anime on my list before I tackle it. Edwards has highly recommended Toradora for anyone looking for something to watch this weekend. The twenty-five or so episodes are a quick watch, so said she. It's on my list.

Have fun and get watching.
\\.Jukebox.//
Cute things make me feel better when I'm sick.

\\.Soapbox.//
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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