Ask John: Why Doesn’t John Watch Dubs?

Question:
You have stated several times that that you do not watch any dubbed anime. Why is That? Is it because you feel it is untrue to the series? I think you should watch the dubbed “Cowboy Bebop,” which is considered by many to be better than the original Japanese.

Answer:
On principle, I dislike watching films that are not in the language they were made in. This personal preference applies to Japanese animation, Italian horror, French comedy, Chinese martial arts, Indian musicals, and every other type of film or video I watch. From a purely ethical standpoint, I personally think that dubbing is disrespectful to the artists and film-makers that created the cinema I’m watching. Especially in the case of anime, shows that the creators specifically wanted to have English dialogue do have English dialogue- for example, Vampire Hunter D (2000), Armitage the III Polymatrix, and Astroboy Tetsuwan Atom (2003) were all made with and released in Japan with English dialogue. In my personal opinion, removing the original language from a film and replacing it with another language is to remove a third of the artistic integrity of the film itself (the other two thirds being the video footage and the audio/music track). Japanese, Chinese, French, German, etc. films were made to be seen in their native languages. By watching the film dubbed, you’re not hearing the art the creators intended viewers to hear. On a side note, some critics have argued that subtitles are equally guilty of corrupting original cinematic art, but I refute this claim because subtitles do not remove any of the film’s original content the way dubbing does. Subtitles are not a replacement of any original content; they are purely an addition to the original content.

On a more subjective level, I prefer the sound of Japanese language in anime. It’s interesting that you bring up the Cowboy Bebop English language dub because I recently experienced it for the first time when I saw the Cowboy Bebop movie in a local theater. Regretfully I have to disagree with the numerous people who argue that Cowboy Bebop is better in English. I believe that Japanese voice acting is carefully directed to create an aural atmosphere and mood. English dubbing is directed to convey story, with tone and atmosphere being only a distant secondary concern, if it’s a concern at all. In its original Japanese language, the Cowboy Bebop movie creates a tone of despair. The film is about two living dead men whose ideals clash. The dialogue and its delivery emphasize that Spike and Vincent are similar. Both are men who survived tragedies that should have killed them. Both are men who continue to live on willpower and determination alone, devoid of hope. Vincent embraces his nihilism. Spike disguises his with a superficial jovial facade. Unfortunately, none of this comes through clearly in the English voice-over. In English, Vincent is simply a madman bent on apocalypse. His dialogue says that he’s seeking redemption, but his English voice expresses none of the haunting regret and sadness that’s in his original Japanese voice. In English, Spike is a carefree playboy. His taunts that he doesn’t care about others or the fate of the world come across as casual off-the-cuff bluffs, unlike his weighty, solemn statements in the Japanese version which dare his opponent to call the bluff that partially isn’t a bluff. The difference in vocal performance is also extremely apparent in the voice of Jet Black. In the original Japanese, Jet is a weary grandfather figure concerned about the well being of his charges, but also prepared to let them make their own choices and experience their own failures. His English voice, in my ears, comes across as whiney and jealous for lack of attention. The original Japanese language Cowboy Bebop movie uses its audio to create an ever constricting atmosphere of impending tragedy. Lines of dialogue get heavier and more carefully spoken as the film progresses. In my opinion, the English language Cowboy Bebop movie has no continuity and no evolving feel of events becoming more significant and dangerous. Even at its climax, the English dubbed Cowboy Bebop has a whimsical tone that never creates a sense of fear or dread the way the Japanese version does. The Japanese Cowboy Bebop movie is deadly serious and dramatic. The English language version simply is not so. Since the video footage is identical, the only explanation is the fact that the English voice over just doesn’t convey the raw emotion and serious tone that the movie’s creators designed the film to express.

I’m aware that I may be reading too much into the Japanese vocal performances, or not adequately recognizing the quality of the English dub, but if that’s the case, there’s nothing wrong with doing so. Ultimately, I like what I like, and I believe that all anime viewers should prefer what they prefer. However, I have yet to see an English dubbed anime that created an atmosphere that enveloped my senses, and made me believe in what I was watching as effectively as the original Japanese language version did.