Japanese Prefer Subs to Dubs – 49% vs 47%
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Feb 22, 2010 20:18 JST
- Tags: FPS, Marketing, PS3, RPG, Statistics, Translation, Xbox 360
Japanese polled as to whether they prefer subbing or dubbing in their games have by a narrow margin indicated a preference for subs.
The survey, running from 2007-2009 and taking in 6,656 participants, was run both online and in game packaging, quizzed gamers over their preferences for game localisation.
It emerged that 49% of the total preferred subs, whilst 47% opted for dubs of translated titles.
4% mysteriously picked “other” – just how they wanted titles localised is something of a mystery, pictographs are one possibility.
Different genres of games attracted results appropriate to their characteristics – FPS and action gamers preferred dubs to reading text in the heat of the action, whilst RPGs tended to be preferred in sub format.
Interestingly, PS3 gamers preferred dubs by a significant margin, whereas Xbox 360 gamers preferred subs by a similar margin.
In other media, both subs and dubs are common; however, the proportion of movies being shown in theatres subbed is apparently declining – young Japanese movie-goers, it is said, simply cannot read them properly any more.
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Dubs are only good when you have good suitable voice actors/actresses, which in most cases(100%) fails.
Dubs destroy the anime completely.
Dubs are for retards.
Dubs are a waste of time, money and humanity.
Dubs are for japanese haters.
Dubs are obsolete.
Dubs are rub' a dub dub. Your friend in the tub.
+ 5/0, YES I DIVIDED BY 0!... and I found out that the numbers of answers are infinite, and thus I agree with this guy! Dubs are for l00sers.
There are English dubs that are better than their Japanese counter-part. Mononoke. Berserk (close margin/arguable). Street Fighter.
I'd argue that Ghost in the Shell was a great dub and Cowboy Bebop was a better dub than the japanese. Great dubs are extremely rare cases, good dubs are rare cases, ok dubs are getting to be more common... but still the people who translate these things into scripts for the dubbers should all be fired they have no idea how to make a conversation sound even remotely like the original one did for the most part.
Dubs butcher the original content, I definitely prefer subs.
I feel watching something as close to the original as possible is best, so as little as possible is lost in translation.
For english series, this means no dubs and subs only if speech is truly incomprehensible due to background noise etc.
For anime, my current preference is subs complemented with listening a little, but I'm working hard on being able to understand and read japanese to be able to scrap the english subs entirely.
Dubbing is the worst in my opinion, subs at least have a chance at being translated relatively close to original meaning and you can listen to the speech to try to fill in the gaps. Trying to translate nuances of voice, tone and emotion of a character is truly hard. Even the best of dubs are in my opinion only good re-interpretations of the original content.
"...subs at least have a chance at being translated relatively close to original meaning and you can listen to the speech to try to fill in the gaps."
^This
is what I think too.
That depends. The problem with that train of thought is it still isn't the original meaning. This is a bad argument. If it's so important, then learn Japanese.
any form of english dub sucks, save us the torture and just stick to subs
Hellsing and Cowboy Bebop want to talk to you.
YES, SUBS WINS DUBS SUCKS!!!! THAT'S FOR SURE!!!!!!
I can relate to that.
I'm a purist myself.
Original audio, regardless of coutry of origin, always wins.
I usually have the subtitles on. I just have a tendency to read everything. Even while I'm listening to the dub, my eyes are still scrolling through the subs. Also helps to make sure I catch everything that the character says just in case it's important.
RAMIREZ, DO EVERYTHING
I wanna hear that in Japanese.
who wants to watch house in japanese lmao
*gasp* So its not only Japanophobes that prefer subs. Fact being hearing content in its original language is best. I mean who the heck would want to hear Marcus speaking Japanese. Thing is people don't understand why, and brand you.
lol how is that a fact
Just according to keikaku (keikaku means plan).
I almost can't believe those caps, is it a fansub or an official release? hope it's the former.
no matter whats the language i still preffer subs i mean i think its the best to hear either anime or games or movies with the original actors voice. besides most of the times dub get wrong translations therefor sometimes u get the wrong idea of the scene. im portuguese and i played a game called STALKER:Shadow of Chernobil and the original voice is russian at least most part is, rather play it that way than play my Max Payne game witch is dub in brazilian/portuguese, the narration sucks and doesnt give the tention that the game offers.
I saw Romeo X Juliet in subs once. I shut it off for false advertisement.
This Kisama guy sounds to me like a real bastard.
>:3
... kisama is bastard in japanese so the term kisama is also a japanese cus word so yea
sub all the way
even english movie i watch it with sub (hearing impaired)
japanese wording in english subbing.... wow amateur subbing techniques
I'm actually glad all you weeaboos can't actually speak Japanese and will mostly never live in Japan. Dubs aren't automatically bad, they are sometimes a vast improvement.
The post is: Japanese prefer Subs.
i.e. they are learning new cultures
and languages while being entertained.
follow suit! ya complacent american bums!
err... i mean, f a n s .
the lazy excuse of not reading...
Bah! there's barely any dialogue during
action sequences!
if you're too attention
deficit to read subs
or press pause then
Stick to pseudo-anime
like Teen Titans!
You're no traveler,
you're fast food tourists!
Teen Titans is awesome.
Kisamaは訳せないのか？
I prefer subs ! Coz the dubs nowadays sucks !! And the only dubs anime that I liked was pokemon !!!
Subs are better
But i can tolerate english dubbing for american/english characters
I knew it! Subs win!
KISAMA
YATSU
prefer subs , but a few dubs arnt to bad
TV-Nihon's Zeta Gundam movie subtitles are bar none the worst fucking subs I've ever read. KISAMA-TEMEE-YATSU-ONEE-SAN-TACHI! I'M GONNA VIOLATE YOU!
I prefer subs... Those English voice actors sometimes dont even match up to their characters
Same is true for Japanese, though.
I know what you mean, hate it when that cute loli is voiced by some creepy old man XD
That part of Fallout 3 was intentional,
or a big manly orc sounds like a cute little loli.
Ocelot in MGS3
eww
Are you talking about the english or the japanese voice.
in mgs3 yeah...but in mgs2 and4 he was perfect.
right BRRRRRRRRROTHER?!?!
haha.damn the subs really make me lol literally.but i think sub is the best,if they r translated in good quality
You can't really compare the subbing from then and now. Those times are long gone.
Last time; subbers wondered if it was good enough for everyone to view.
Now you have subbers who don't give a hoot on what you think like ** and ****** but we still dwl them.
Either way, subs win! ^^
There are starving people in Haiti, you know?
for subs?
I prefer subs for games and Animes...
English Seiyuus sound awkward...
Exactly! It's always wonders me, why pretty melodious English language sounds so horribly incongruous in anime?
the use of the word 'awkward' is really sugar coating it with extra chocolate icing on top!
Monotonous as well.
i keep avoiding dubs like poison. too bad some of my mates are part of the "can't read subs quickly enough" demographic... and german dubs are usually exceptionally bad. i can't imagine english ones living up to that.
luckily i'm living in a place where most flicks are shown subbed in cinemas. would prefer untranslated versions though, at least as long as i understand the language.
Ever tried watching Hellsing Ultimate in English?
shut up, KISAMA
Subs rule. Dubs don't.
Your mates are stupid and gay. Though your avatar leads me to believe you are a virgin so...
There were/are times, when I wish I were a girl, living in a rich family, be a lesbo, because I do find cocks are disgusting... =/
Virgin forever, yeah right. Just wait for a few more years, then we'll see if you would repeat what you said.
i didn't want to say it cause they're still my mates. but you got a point.
and yes, i will stay a virgin forever! cocks are disgusting!