Ask John: Why Are Subs More Expensive?

Question:
I have been puzzling over a concept that I have still not found the answer to, and thought maybe you would know. Why is subtitled anime more expensive then dubbed? I would think it would be a lot cheaper to just add in subtitles of the translated dialogue then to hire a whole new group of English voice actors, modify the script so it fits with the movements of the mouth, and remix it all. Why is this?

Answer:
While I work in anime retail, I’m not involved in anime licensing and translation, so there may be factors involved that I’m not aware of, but I do know for certain that, as you’ve guessed, subtitling anime is cheaper than dubbing anime. The fact that many private anime fans subtitle their own anime as a non-profit hobby should be evidence enough that subtitling anime is relatively inexpensive enough in and of itself. Based on what I know, and statements made by The Right Stuf International several years ago in their print catalog, many American anime translating companies choose to charge more for their subtitled VHS releases than their dubbed releases because they know they can get it. Essentially, many Anime companies know that die-hard anime fans are willing to pay more to get an accurate translation and a version of their favorite shows that’s as close as possible to the Japanese creators’ original artistic vision.

It’s not my intention to vilify the translating companies here, though. It’s natural that dubbed versions can and should be priced as cheap as possible. Dubbed anime is intended for mass-market consumption, so it naturally should be priced accordingly to make it more accessible and available to new fans and viewers that are not familiar with anime and would otherwise not discover anime.

It is questionable, though, why some series, like Slayers, Jungle de Ikou and Amazing Nurse Nanako have the same price for both subtitled and dubbed versions while it’s common for most subtitled series to cost $5 to $10 more than their dubbed counterparts. I honestly don’t know if this is a marketing decision or if some particular series simply cost significantly less to license and distribute than others. My recommendation is that you contact your favorite anime translating company, whether it be AD Vision or Pioneer, Central Park Media or Urban Vision or any of the other distributors, and let them know what you think. Let them know that you’re happy with their pricing schemes, or make suggestions for change. If nothing is said, nothing is done.