Sub or Dub???

Hi all.

Just wondering what the general consensus was on viewing Ghibli Films. Do you prefer watching with Subtitles or Dubbed? For those of us who cannot yet speak Japanese!

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I like both. I always watch both the dubbed and subbed version. But as to which one is better I think It depends on which movie your watching. For example I like the Dubbed Howl's better, but I like the Subbed Wispers of the Heart better.

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I have to say dub because i havent seen sub ghibli films i can read subs but i just havent seen any ghibli ones in jappanese for sale which i dont have dubbed XP

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I like having both, and I love that people like Patrick Stewart, Christian Bale, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Micheal Keaton, Lauren Bacall, Kirsten Dunst et al have been involved in Ghibli dubs because it raises interest and is great for publicity, but for me it's subtitles every time until I've seen it enough to just turn them off and know what's going on anyway.

One of the reasons I like Ghibli films is that they aren't like any Western films, and having an American voice over the top of it kind of spoils that aspect of it for me.

That said, the first Ghibli films I ever saw were all dubs and I still became obsessed from that. So it's not that I mind that much I guess, but I do have a clear preference for the original Japanese soundtrack.

Also, this is just subjective taste again, but I LOVE the opening and closing songs on Kiki's Delivery Service in the original Japanese soundtrack, and LOATHE the (to me) cheesey replacements in the Disney dub. I think if dubs are done they should try to be faithful to the original, and certainly not mess about stuff like music.

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I recommend the subbed version unless the viewer is too young to read.

I am like dballred except I would prefer all young children, not just the ones who can't read, to watch the dubs as at a young age, they will not be fast readers and the entire film will mostly likely be spoiled by having them try to watch a subtitled film. I'd just allow them to enjoy the film. From preteens-up, subtitles should be fine.

My preference for subtitles is purely from an artistic standpoint - the preference to hear the "work" in its original form, as the creator intended it.

This raises another issue, which is that the director didn't intend for the screen to be plastered with subtitles and to have the viewer's eye be distracted from the main image every couple of seconds.

Regardless, I think the subtitled route is still less intrusive than an entire re-dubbing (and therefore voice direction) of the audio track...

I agree with theowne in that dubbed versions mean you don't get as distracted as you do with subs.

I only prefer subs when they hire someone particularly annoying to do it like Sheeta's character in the English Laputa!

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I typically watch dubs - but that's only because that was the way that I originally saw all the movies. Normally, I watch the subbed versions of animes, but with Ghibli, oddly enough, it's rather different... I want to watch them in subs sometime - I just haven't done it yet. I probably couldn't ever stand to watch Kiki in subbed format - simply because I have become so attatched to the dubbed format! Probably because of the fact that I watched the filk mearly every day as a kid.

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Also, this is just subjective taste again, but I LOVE the opening and closing songs on Kiki's Delivery Service in the original Japanese soundtrack, and LOATHE the (to me) cheesey replacements in the Disney dub. I think if dubs are done they should try to be faithful to the original, and certainly not mess about stuff like music.

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Waah, I love their songs... again, probably because I'm so attached to them. I can sing along... xD Yay! ^.^

lol, you have to take the remote to the DVD away from me and throw out the batteries when watching Ghibli films, because I'll switch between every language on the disc. XD I don't mind dubs or subs for Ghibli, but I never usually watch subs and just put it in Japanese and that's it. I don't even watch anime subbed anymore. XD Unless I have to, I pay attention to how the Japanese words go more either way. I usually watch it without to test myself. Watching HOLiC with subs and finding I translated it oddly is fun. XD < Feeble minded, I'm not fluent just trying to make sense of something.. I can't even speak English properly... only to an extent..

We were singing the songs from the dub of Kiki at Katie's. ^^ I actually love those songs because I've what, been listening to them since I was four? My addiction to anime of any kind was really young, mainly due to my love of art. I thank my past self for being so in love with the art of everything for this or I'd be like everyone else. XD Blame art for how I am today.

You've been singing to them since you were four too? YAY!

That was when I went around with a kiki bow all the time. And my favorite dress was dark-colored... YAY!

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Originally posted by turniphead1
I agree with theowne in that dubbed versions mean you don't get as distracted as you do with subs.

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I would say they are far from distracting, yet noticeable. I tend to run into them more than i want to because if i ever want to take a screen shot I have to either turn them off, or find a version where they arent there for any sort of photoshop projects.

It is weird that after a while, you get used to the original voices, and then english or whatever your home-tongue is never fits as well.

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I perfer subs. The voice acting is much better in japan, and the words fit the mouth accurately.

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The only way to watch for me is in Japanese without subtitles. Usually, of course, I have to watch it with subs a couple times until I know the basic gist of the dialogue, but otherwise I think subtitles distract too much from the images (which, with animation, is pretty much the point).

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Originally posted by Orphic Okapi
The only way to watch for me is in Japanese without subtitles. Usually, of course, I have to watch it with subs a couple times until I know the basic gist of the dialogue, but otherwise I think subtitles distract too much from the images (which, with animation, is pretty much the point).

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Originally posted by Orphic Okapi
The only way to watch for me is in Japanese without subtitles. Usually, of course, I have to watch it with subs a couple times until I know the basic gist of the dialogue, but otherwise I think subtitles distract too much from the images (which, with animation, is pretty much the point).

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Ooh, yes! I started learning random Japanese words from watching anime when I watched a lot of it - and it made learning Japanese in school twice as simple. ^.^ It sorta clicked. Yay!

The familiarity factor is definitely a part of it.

People who are anime fans find it jarring to watch dubbed anime because they are so accustomed to the connection between the Japanese animation style and the Japanese language.

This applies to me as well.

Depends on what I'm watching... usually subs.

I think that watching Japanese anime with american dubs just ruins it - like when i want to put on an anime dvd I ALWAYS put it to japanese with english subs -
gives it origanality and you can use your imagination and feel like you can actually understand Japanese

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