How to watch anime correctly?

Typical often-asked question, I know, but I'm honestly split between the different versions...

I started watching anime movies with the original japanese language audio track, and found myself missing out on lots of the great visuals while having to read subtitles in the bottom of the screen.
I then chose to watch anime with english audio, but then I began to feel I missed some of the magic and atmosphere that the original audio track gave me as that felt a lot more right for the type of movie and as the way it was intended.

So what to do? I know it's mostly up to personal preference and your own opinion, but I really don't know what to choose.

Eyes closed, preferable with the tv off.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Only original Japanese audio track with subtitles.

Any other way is not LEGIT.

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

It's not insignificant to point out though that the difference in the Japanese dubbing (because every version is really a dubbed one) and English dubbing is far from minor. Watching anime in Japanese is much more like watching a foreign film because not only are you reading subtitles and don't speak the language, but the acting is in a completely different style than we're accustomed to.

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Mubi

Yeah, I wanted to watch Kiki, but turns out I got it with English dubbing. I only shrugged and turned it off.

Agree.

Actually always go subtitles over dubbing lest you like movies being narrated to you by campy bad acting idiots. The difference is monumental. If I ever tried watching The Seven Samurai with dubbing I'd be having a conniption fit.

I defiantly agree with live action movies. I ALWAYS go for original intended language when watching those.

But since animated movies (especially Mayazaki films) are so beautiful and well drawn, it's a bummer to miss the full experience when reading subtitles in the bottom of the screen throughout. BUT I agree a lot with you bluedeed,
And this is mainly the reason why I do prefer the original language. I was split because I wanted the full experience, but english does take way to much of it away than reading subtitles actually does. And I agree with TONGO that the english versions often feel like a narrated bad acted version of the original - even with talented voice actors.

It's not like when you read subtitles you miss that much. Just watch a bunch of films and you will get used to it.

This.

But, I mean, personally I think you should learn to speak Japanese before you watch any anime

Yeah I know. Since I'm from Denmark I always used to have subtitles on my movies back in the day, but now I never do it because I realized how much of the movie (especially the cinematography) I was missing out on because of it. Not that it completely ruins the movie, and I do of course have subtitles on foreign language movies and never watch a foreign movie in anything but the original language, I guess I just have to transfer that to anime. Since I am fairly new to Mayazaki and anime films I never really found my standing ground, but from now on subs and original language track is the way to go.

Thanks to everybody for convincing me, although I think all I needed was some sort of confirmation on what I already knew I preferred.

I'm honestly usually fine with dubbed dialog in animated films / series, since the lips rarely match the dialog anyway (in Japan, dialog is recorded after the animation is complete and less mouth movements are used than in he US).

It is kind of a mixed bag, though. With the exception of Kyube, I actively prefer the English dubbing of Madoka to the original Japanese (I feel that the voices - especially the softer, more effeminant voice of Madoka) are better-suited to the characters. The dubbing for Attack on Titan is terrible. They managed to change "intense" to "whiny" and even of the poor-quality cast they chose, voices are mismatched (despite still being terrible, Armin's voice would be better suited to Erin)

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Depends on which movie or series, but personally I always find the japanese ''original'' track better because voice actors in Japan is a different job then here. I mean, it's kind of prestigious and want to do that for a living. Here it's normal actors that are doing the dubbing. Also, the japanese voice actors work with the director and that way the japanese version is truer to the director's vision

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I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages

I just can't do the dubs. I tend to watch the flick once to read it all very closely, then I fire it up again a few days later to enjoy the visuals. I use the extra time saved from not having to read through again to burn Honeykid in effigy.

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Hahaha, yeah I mean...wtf?

I generally watch around half an hour of a movie or TV show in Japanese then start it from the beginning with the English dub playing. That way I can tell anime purists that I did give the original dub a chance and that I don’t think some minor changes in the dialogue ruined the entire film/show.

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Iroh

The issue for me is that with the original language you get the lines delivered the way the director intended. It's not the words - it's the performances. My understanding is that the original director is not involved in the dubbing into English so therefore what you are presented with is not their film.

Having said that, it is possible for the people doing the dub to get it right - or at least give performances with enough meaning. I have watched one dubbed Ghibli film which I think worked fine.

Some I will watch in Japanese with subtitles, some I watch either one depending on my mood, some like Cowboy Bebop I will watch the dub only.

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What about English dubbing AND Japanese subtitles?

I've watched a few anime in both formats, English and Japanese with subs...


First experience was Akira. I watched it in Japanese with subs and thought it was great. Then it was on TV a while later and was the edited English version and I thought it sucked.


I say, always watch a movie, anime or not, in the language it was created in.


Watching Ghostbusters in German is funny though, "Er mich schlimed"

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