Subs or Dubs?

The controversy between subtitles or dubbed anime has been around for a long time. With all the arguments out there, there is little hope that a universal agreement can be acheived. I believe that subtitles or dubbed language track is a preference, an aesthetic of each individual. Whether one prefers subtitled over dubbed, or vice-versa, is really a matter of principle. Remember that subtitling does not remove anything from the original work. However, dubbing does. But in retrospect, both are neither perfect. Subtitles are the closest alternative to perfect; it is the closest that a non-Japanese native can get to the original, hence without any subtitles or dubbing involved.

Personally, I prefer subtitled versions as opposed to dubbed for many reasons. Let me explain. It's really not a matter of watching a good dubbed movie or a bad one, it just ruins the feel of the original movie. I think that fans who argue that they have difficulties watching subtitled anime are just ridiculous. Sure it may be hard at first for some, but you learn to adjust. As for me, I barely notice myself reading the subtitles and I find that my Japanese has steadily gotten better, to the point that I don't need to look down when it comes to basic sentences. I have made my share of attempts at watching dubbed anime, even the ones whom people say is really good dubbing, but truth be told, I couldn't get through even one episode. It just made me cringe. Even the best dub takes away from the original piece -- it is simply unnecessary.

Opinions also sway from Japanese industry, representing both sides of the argument. Some are okay with the concept of dubbing, while others totally reject them. Dubbing also produces other consequences. For one, it is expensive to dub anime. From hiring voice actors to animators that alter the work accordingly, a lot of money has to go in that process. In addition, fans overseas (outside Japan) have to wait until each episode is completed before the DVDs go on sale. And since it's almost impossible to complete the dubbing process of 26 episodes in a short amount of time and a secure bank account, the time between the original release of the work to the time the DVDs reach American shelves is extremely long. Instead, we get stuck with the release of separate volumes every 1 or 2 months, anxiously waiting for the next installment.

So my question is, wouldn't it be great if the time between the original release and the American release were as short possible? And wouldn't it be great if you could get the whole series in one fell swoop? If you answered no, well then I guess you should stick to your dubbing version. But if you're like me, you wouldn't want any unnecessary delays or alterations.

Some may argue that fans of subtitles shouldn't complain because most DVDs today come with bilingual features - a japanese language track with the option of english subtitles and an English dubbed version. I would agree that this is the best we can do to compromise, however, the fact that dubbing still exists, does not deter the problem of the long wait of DVD releases and the sectioning of episodes. It would be a good move, financially, to get rid of dubbing - the voice actors, re-animators, etc., to both industries and the consumer. For the consumer, this may result in cheaper costs for your anime.

I remember back in the day when Anime fans were scarce, maybe almost 10 years ago, back when VHS' were your source of anime. There would always be a version of English Dubbed and Original Japanese Track w/ subtitles. What's more, it really pissed me off when the original would cost a little more than the English version. Mind you, that didn't stop me from getting my hands on the subtitled version. I imagine that the price difference was mainly based on the thought that there would be a higher market for the dubbed version as opposed to the subtitled version.

But anyways, my argument on dubbing and its effect on delaying release and partitioning volumes is not entirely because I may be impatient. I just think that any waiting should be due to good reasons, not reasons of money, etc. due to the dubbing process. Despite the higher cost, I'd much rather buy the import versions to get away from all that.