Dub quality discussion (contains Free!)

[thedoctor2016]

Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

I already think broadcast dubs are a crap idea, dubs should take time to write the script and record it. Rushing the process isn't that good of an idea

 

[Buzz201]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

I already think broadcast dubs are a crap idea, dubs should take time to write the script and record it. Rushing the process isn't that good of an idea

Have you heard any? The broadcast dubs for Assassination Classroom and Blood Blockade Battlefront were excellent. I'm not sure how well they'd be able to pull off a lot of them in one season though.

 

[thedoctor2016]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

No because FUNi lost all hope for dubs with Free!, so I won't listen to there dubs and they don't make them legally available here.

 

[Buzz201]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

No because FUNi lost all hope for dubs with Free!, so I won't listen to there dubs and they don't make them legally available here.

Why? Because they knew who the target market for Free! was and sold it to them?

Free! is a show that seemingly has an audience that consists of 90% tumblr-reading fan fic-writing teenage girls. Hence the dumb almost kissing moments and the fact nobody seems to have a top on in any of the promo material. So quite frankly, it makes sense that FUNi would do a dub with all the subtlety of being repeatedly bricked in the face. Although as somebody who has only seen a brief clip of the dub, I watched half-horrified half-amazed at the sheer lack of subtlety in it.

 

[thedoctor2016]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

No because FUNi lost all hope for dubs with Free!, so I won't listen to there dubs and they don't make them legally available here.

Why? Because they knew who the target market for Free! was and sold it to them?

Free! is a show that seemingly has an audience that consists of 90% tumblr-reading fan fic-writing teenage girls. Hence the dumb almost kissing moments and the fact nobody seems to have a top on in any of the promo material. So quite frankly, it makes sense that FUNi would do a dub with all the subtlety of being repeatedly bricked in the face. Although as somebody who has only seen a brief clip of the dub, I watched half-horrified half-amazed at the sheer lack of subtlety in it.

Um your very wrong there as they actually remove a lot of the friendly banter between Makoto and Haru for example them calling each other -chan and change to Bro and make it cringly bad. And calling a lot of fans i know Tumblr reading fan fic girls isn't very nice.

 

[IncendiaryLemon]

One bad dub doesn't make them all bad. The only broadcast dub I've heard is Psycho Pass 2's and that was also really good. Also, I think he probably has a point about the audience, it makes sense for a dub to pander to its demographic and, like it or not, Buzz is likely right. Free just screams Yaoi fan art and fan fics. Doesn't mean everyone who likes the show is into that but I imgime a good amount are.

 

[thedoctor2016]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

Well I l know a lot shows that scream Yuri fan fix but I dont shout it out as I dont care it doesnt change the show, and I heard a few other bad ones but Free! was the last straw.

 

[Buzz201]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

Um your very wrong there as they actually remove a lot of the friendly banter between Makoto and Haru for example them calling each other -chan and change to Bro and make it cringly bad. And calling a lot of fans i know Tumblr reading fan fic girls isn't very nice.

Calling each other "-chan" wouldn't work in English, it's a joke that does not translate and won't translate into English, and "bro" is probably the closest replacement. The idea of a dub is to make it more accessible, using Japanese honorifics would not do that, and just because it isn't 100% accurate, doesn't mean it isn't good. The Blood Blockade Battlefront dub has way more swearing and a fair amount more banter between Leo and Zapp, it still captures the tone of the original, whilst making it way more accessible.

Anecdotal evidence might suggest otherwise, but it's widely acknowledged that fujoshi keep sports anime alive, especially Free!.

 

[thedoctor2016]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

Um your very wrong there as they actually remove a lot of the friendly banter between Makoto and Haru for example them calling each other -chan and change to Bro and make it cringly bad. And calling a lot of fans i know Tumblr reading fan fic girls isn't very nice.

Calling each other "-chan" wouldn't work in English, it's a joke that does not translate and won't translate into English, and "bro" is probably the closest replacement. The idea of a dub is to make it more accessible, using Japanese honorifics would not do that, and just because it isn't 100% accurate, doesn't mean it isn't good. The Blood Blockade Battlefront dub has way more swearing and a fair amount more banter between Leo and Zapp, it still captures the tone of the original, whilst making it way more accessible.

Anecdotal evidence might suggest otherwise, but it's widely acknowledged that fujoshi keep sports anime alive, especially Free!.

I've watched dubs that have -Chan,-kun etc in them so I don't know why free had to remove it

 

[Buzz201]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

I've watched dubs that have -Chan,-kun etc in them so I don't know why free had to remove it

I've not heard any recent dubs with honorifics in, and the primary target market is people who probably won't know what the honorifics mean, hence the joke is lost and they're sat there wondering what those weird words people keep using at the end of names are...

Personally, my feeling is that including honorifics in English is a big no, I cringe every time I hear the phrase "Miyazaki-senpai" or "Kojima-san" in the middle of an English conversation, not only is it unnecessary, it's horrifically pretentious and god only knows how offputting it would be to somebody who wasn't familiar with it (especially in the case of Free! where it's being used as part of jokey banter), hence why it's generally excluded from dubs.

FUNimation said Dimension W would get a simulcast "across the world". I was hoping maybe for something you know that came even vaguely close to that description...

The most likely scenario from them for actually "worldwide" is putting it on YouTube unlocked.

I think the most likely scenario is FUNi having a questionable understanding of the phrase "across the world" and it only being simulcast in North America and Oceania...

 

[ilmaestro]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

English people saying "chan" in basically any scenario should be taken out back and shot. If you want to hear people saying honorifics out loud, watch the show in Japanese.

 

[thedoctor2016]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

English people saying "chan" in basically any scenario should be taken out back and shot. If you want to hear people saying honorifics out loud, watch the show in Japanese.

Yeah its like the first error in a whole catalogue, theres the backstroke for days crap aswell.

 

[Buzz201]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

Yeah its like the first error in a whole catalogue, theres the backstroke for days crap aswell.

Except it's not an error. Dubs are designed to make the work accessible, using honorifics achieve the exact opposite and makes it sound stupid, hence removing them is not an error. And pandering to teenage girls is not an error either, it's an intentional marketing decision based on the target audience of that work. Just because you like the sports element, doesn't mean everyone else does, and judging by sheer volume alone I'd suggest the vast majority are watching for completely different reasons.

 

[ilmaestro]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

English people saying "chan" in basically any scenario should be taken out back and shot. If you want to hear people saying honorifics out loud, watch the show in Japanese.

Yeah its like the first error in a whole catalogue

Weren't you saying it *should* have that?!

 

[thedoctor2016]

Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

English people saying "chan" in basically any scenario should be taken out back and shot. If you want to hear people saying honorifics out loud, watch the show in Japanese.

Yeah its like the first error in a whole catalogue

Weren't you saying it *should* have that?!

I meant its the first bad change in a book of bad changes

 

[Rui]

Disclaimer: I dislike watching dubs so please feel free to dismiss my opinions on that basis. I'm giving my opinions anyway though since I had to go to the trouble of splitting and rebuilding this thread from the poor streaming topic.

I completely agree that dubs shouldn't be a word-for-word remake of the original with inferior Japanese pronunciation. I can see a case for '-san' or '-sensei' in highly specific shows as those are somewhat well-known, but any other honorifics are meaningless to the average English speaker. While I agree that 'bro' is an annoying alternative, anything which requires explanatory subtitles has sort of failed at the whole idea of being a dub right from the outset. If I don't want to be annoyed by character rewrites I'd avoid watching dubs. As has been said, they're targeting a specific audience which is presumed to enjoy series where everyone talks like daft surfer dudes instead of a bunch of sweeties who happen to be swimming freaks.

(Best terrible English adaptation of an honorific is still 'danna' turning into 'guv' in an Udon book. Nothing can top that. Ever.)

R

 

[ilmaestro]

Guv. :lol: Absolutely love it. :lol:

 

[HdE]

This whole discussion begins and ends with ONE simple phrase:

"I'll put a fiver on the bird in the bikini!"

 

[Mangaranga]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

Have you heard any? The broadcast dubs for Assassination Classroom and Blood Blockade Battlefront were excellent. I'm not sure how well they'd be able to pull off a lot of them in one season though.

Huh, I forgot BBB was a "simuldub". I'll give you that, the dub for that show was pretty good from the 8 or 9 episodes I watched (I never thought Klaus sounded right though).

No because FUNi lost all hope for dubs with Free!, so I won't listen to there dubs and they don't make them legally available here.

You seem to be very attached to Free, but I do agree with everyone else. Funi are aiming squarely at the main target market - the "90% tumblr-reading fan fic-writing teenage girls" if you will, and I have no doubts that it will pay off very well for them. As a straight male who liked the show because f'n Kyoani, I'll probably buy the series and enjoy the dub for what it is considering the strong dub cast. Failing that there's always the (almost universally better) JP Dub to fall back on.

I've not heard any recent dubs with honorifics in, and the primary target market is people who probably won't know what the honorifics mean, hence the joke is lost and they're sat there wondering what those weird words people keep using at the end of names are...

You clearly don't watch any Sentai dubs. If the awful voice acting doesn't ruin the experience for you, then the constant cringe worthy honorifics - made even worse by awful pronunciation (Chan -> Chaaarn) - will.

 

[ayase]

Re: Winter 2016 Legal Anime Streaming Thread

English people saying "chan" in basically any scenario should be taken out back and shot.

Not a fan of Jackie Chan then?

I'm on the fence about honorifics. It can sound awkward (though I think that's more down to bad voice acting) but I recently read a French comic translated into English, where Monsieur, Madam and Mademoiselle were still used rather than Mr, Mrs and Miss. But the story was set in France just like most anime is set in Japan, and I do think such inclusions perhaps help retain a sense of setting and nationality of the characters for people reading / watching in English.