Ask John: Is Dubbing a Superior Translation Format than Subtitling?

Question:
After playing a couple DVDs with both the English language and subtitles turned on, I noticed that the info in the subtitles is much more limited than what I heard from the voice actors. Some “purists” I know insist that subtitles are the only way to view anime, but I’m thinking you actually miss quite a bit of extra detail in doing so. Do you think the subtitle format is inherently “superior” to the English-language version?

Answer:
Typically subtitle translations are always recognized as a more accurate and faithful transcription of the original Japanese script than English dubs. Subtitles are free to literally translate the Japanese dialogue while English dubs are forced to compromise by altering the dialogue to match the mouth movements on screen and the timing of the speech.

In some cases, such as the English dub of Spirited Away, the dub script was altered and expanded to include dialogue not found in the original Japanese version in order to make subtle points more obvious for English speakers. This can be interpreted as serving the film by making the story less difficult for English speaking viewers. Or it can be interpreted as ruining the intended tone of the film by making intentional subtleties and nuances in the Japanese version less ambiguous. In other cases, such as the English dub of Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, the English dub is virtually not a translation at all. It’s an English re-write loosely based on the original Japanese script.

I can’t deny that an English dub may be better capable of conveying dialogue and story to a native English speaker. But I can’t agree with the theory that a voice-over version of a film is superior to the version its original creators made. I’ve heard it argued that anime creators intend their films to convey dialogue to viewers, and never intended viewers to split their attention between the action on screen and subtitles at the bottom of the screen. While this may sound logical at first, I don’t believe that it makes sense in application. A subtitle translation literally conveys exactly what the artists wanted to convey. A dub removes part of the original art. With America’s increasing interest in DVD “director’s cuts” and extended editions and uncut versions of films, I find it ironic that anime fans seem to often prefer the opposite – foreign film with the “foreign” removed.

Much of the preference between subtitled and dubbed translation is determined by personal preference over ease of comprehension versus respect for artistic integrity. It’s logical to assume that native English speakers will be able to understand an anime better when it’s been tailored specifically to appeal to them. On the other hand, it’s reasonable to expect someone watching a Japanese film to respect all of its original characteristics, including original Japanese language. As critics and translators such as Fred Schodt have stated, Japanese is an ambiguous language. When a dub contains details or dialogue not found in the subtitles, it’s probably not because the subtitles are lacking. It’s because the dub script is not an accurate, literal translation of the Japanese script.