Dimension W English Dub Quality Falls Far Short of Japanese Sub
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Granted; this can be considered "subjective" by some, nonetheless the English of Dimension W is not worth watching. Much of the original intent by the Japanese creators, such as character development, is completely lost with this VA casting. This is a shame given how Funimation has been doing recently with dubs… nonetheless the quality of the VA compared to Japanese falls far short.
The characters, including/especially main character "Mira" (the girl robot), doesn't have any of the emotional appeal (bouncy; happy voice) of the Japanese version. The main characters appear "subdued" (voice intonation(changes from low/high pitch) is neutral); which in classic Adult Swim style, when compared to Japanese type. The secondary characters also lack emotional appeal in their voice. Furthermore. the lipsync doesn't match well. If the characters have an expression on their face (such as changing from happy to sad as a result of the conversation) there is a clear visual delay/lag that usually a good dub gets around.
Finally, the secondary audio tracks; such as the background sounds (ambient track) of vehicles, air, whatever, appears to be muted when compared to Japanese.
Look: Many of you may disagree with this characterization and that is fine... nonetheless the resulting situation is that I ended up highly disappointed vs being neutral this time therefore I decided to post this thread for the record. At least I can enjoy the Japanese Sub release every Sunday with my sub nonetheless.
EDIT: Some further analysis based upon my posts below, in summary.
Another way to is to describe the English dub is being "sleepy". The characters, after watching it, kind of put you to sleep. No real excitement or otherwise emotion discharge when compared to Japanese version.
Now although I will admit the main character Kyoma Mabuchi is probably "the best" of the English VA… the Japanese is still better. This is because there is more, I guess one can say, "grunting" or otherwise hard sounds in the Japanese version. Having a heavier voice makes the character more mysterious and more importantly "angry" then the rather subdued English one by comparison. He is portrayed in Japanese as a angry man with the world (for good reason), such as always yelling at Mira calling and her "trash", and this anger in his voice is lost with the English mode.
Another example is the secondary character "Albert" (the blond hair, former Grendel project warrior, and commander in New Tesla Energy). Now I am very partial to the Japanese VA because who he is (was voice of "Xellos" in Slayers). In this case… being well skilled he is able to deliver his lines with right amount of "passive-aggressive" which is legendary. Increasing pitch and lowering it at right points increases the "sassy-ness" or something of the sort. The English one here is just flat-voiced... losing all of these nuances. This is true with most of the secondary characters actually.
In terms of the Japanese "MIra" (the robot) the female voice is fluctuating between high/low pitches all the time… sort of a "kuwaii/cute" appeal. The English voice is more static... likewise of any regular action anime character. Because the intention of the Japanese version is to create a "cutesy robot"... that concept is lost in English. Instead it is more formal in nature.
The development of Mira and her AI: The point of her "bounciness" as I described above was designed to highlight her unique Artificial Intelligence program. If she behaves like "any other robot in any other random anime", as is more suggested by English, the subtext behind her character development is lost to the English audience.
The Japanese version is trying to convey that the robot "is human". As a result the emotion attachment you may have if watching the Japanese version is lost to the audience. This is important because this is the key plot point for her character, and of the series as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosody_(linguistics)
The problem is the subtext: How the line is delivered. You can say a line in Japanese, and the English translation; the words may mean the same, but how it is delivered is the core purpose of verbal communication. This is how typing on a computer like this (like Twitter) or using translation software misses key elements of language. The problem with the English cast here is that lots of the subtext is lost. With the Robot Girl "Mira" for instance, the English version sounds more neutral then Japanese: She doesn't sound "as alive" in English as it were.
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I can't say either way. The first episode is not bad but, at least in my opinion, the show sort of changes with the later episodes. There really wasn't a chance to get personality that much with the first episode. Will reserve judgment unitl the 2nd episode.
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I can't say either way. The first episode is not bad but, at least in my opinion, the show sort of changes with the later episodes. There really wasn't a chance to get personality that much with the first episode. Will reserve judgment unitl the 2nd episode.
I am simply talking about the voice acting itself… if you listen for instance to Japanese "MIra" (the robot) the female voice is fluctuating between high/low pitches all the time... sort of a "kuwaii/cute" appeal. The English voice is more static... likewise of any regular action anime character.
Because the intention of the Japanese version is to create a "cutesy robot"... that concept is lost in English. Instead it is more formal in nature.
Another example is the secondary character "Albert" (the blond hair, former Grendel project warrior, and commander in New Tesla Energy). Now I am very partial to the Japanese VA because who he is (was voice of "Xellos" in Slayers). In this case... being well skilled he is able to deliver his lines with right amount of "passive-aggressive" which is legendary. Increasing pitch and lowering it at right points increases the "sassy-ness" or something of the sort. The English one here is just flat-voiced... losing all of these nuances. This is true with most of the secondary characters actually.
One last note... the background/ambient sounds appear to be muted on English as well.
Indeed... you don't have to have Japanese language skills to appreciate this at all: As long as you can read subtitles/pay attention at same time you can usually follow the emotional appeals along. I know this can be a hard thing to do, alas if one can pick up on such subtleties, the Anime experience can be greatly enhanced nonetheless.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdd6_ZxX8c
I mean hell you're allowed to like the sub more than the dub and have criticisms of the actual dub itself is fine. I just really don't think I'd say it's not worth watching at all. I typically give it like 3 or 4 episodes to get an opinion on a cast as there's lot of other situations said characters can and will be presented with. But hey. Opinions and all. It's all good.
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The changes in VA you have mentioned could have been intentional changes that the VA director and other staff made.
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The changes in VA you have mentioned could have been intentional changes that the VA director and other staff made.
Yes, and likely given that Adult Swim had likely a say. Everything on that Toonami block is generally "subdued" in nature.
However that doesn't mean it is good or otherwise better then Japanese in this case. If you have access to Jap Sub you will be far better off. Otherwise some of the original intent by Japanese creators will be lost. One example is the development of Mira and her AI: The point of her "bounciness" as I described above was designed to highlight her unique Artificial Intelligence program. If she behaves like "any other robot" as is more suggested by English, the subtext behind her character development is lost to the English audience.
Although I do sometimes agree with the direction American VA Directors take and sometimes it greatly enhances the anime; an example is how "Grimgar of Fantasy/Ash" English (although storywise still horrible) is far better then Japanese, nonetheless they get it wrong more often then not and thus I consider this time an /epicfail. Alas all a rather long story nonetheless…
I just really don't think I'd say it's not worth watching at all.
Well it is more like; if you only have time to watch one or the other, or rather don't' want to waste time on both, go Japanese this time. The point of this thread is to "educate" the people so that they don't fall into the trap of potentially being disappointed and /ragequit . Not everyone is as forgiving.
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Still don't feel like there was enough to judge it off of in the first episode. Never did get much from each character in the first episode.
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Well…. I wouldn't say "far" short...
Mabuchi's voice (main character) actually is pretty good. Not the same... but definitely on par and fitting. Its got a good edge on him.
But you're right about the little android girl... the voice actress for her is good and works...... but the JP voice is just way cuter... I don't really know how to explain it, but its softer, more tentative, and doesn't have the harder edge on it. So it makes Mura come off as this semi shy little cutie.
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Im enjoying the VA. I just watched episode 2 and it was quite good. I haven't seen the sub so I cannot speak to that, but I feel like the voices fit the characters well.
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You're right Nub, honestly if you've never seen the JP version you wouldn't be able to see that.
Honestly the Mabuchi voice competes very well with the JP version. He sounds like a bad ass that he's supposed to be. He could stand up next to the JP actor and even though the voices were different you'd have a hard time deciding who the best Mabuchi is.
The Voice Actor for Mura is actually really good. I recognize her from some of my other favorites like Sena from Haganai, and Suzuka Dairengi from Tokyo Ravens. And if you've never seen the SUB version of DW…. she still does a good job with it.
BUT the JP voice actress just sounds so much softer, nicer, and cuter and fits the character better, and yes generally the JP girl voices really do come off this way.
Don't get me wrong here either... I'm not stuck on the JP only crap you hear about sometimes.
Honestly the reason I bought Beyond the Boundary, (even though its got spectacular art style and great story)... was just to listen to all the little cutie voices packed into one large Anime. They threw in Monica Rial, Brittany Karbowski, and Krystal LaPorte... who rarely does this type of voice, but nailed Murai Kuriyama so perfectly, its just this smorgasbord of little cutie voices,
And this new girl they have, the one who voices Shihoru in Grimgar? She's another one... I caught her little clip in Shomin Sample her little "BARK!" line is so frigging cute I could sit and listen to her all day. "Shut up and smooch me!!".... lol
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Granted; this can be considered "subjective" by some, nonetheless the English of Dimension W is not worth watching. This is a shame given how Funimation has been doing recently with dubs… nonetheless the quality of the VA compared to Japanese falls far short.
The characters, including/especially main character "Mira" (the girl robot), doesn't have any of the emotional appeal (bouncy; happy voice) of the Japanese version. The main characters appear "subdued" (voice intonation(changes from low/high pitch) is neutral); which in classic Adult Swim style, when compared to Japanese type. The secondary characters also lack emotional appeal in their voice. Furthermore. the lipsync doesn't match well. If the characters have an expression on their face (such as changing from happy to sad as a result of the conversation) there is a clear visual delay/lag that usually a good dub gets around.
EDIT: Another way to is to describe the English dub is being "sleepy". The characters, after watching it, kind of put you to sleep. No real excitement or otherwise emotion discharge when compared to Japanese version.
Finally… the secondary audio tracks..., such as the background sounds (ambient track) of vehicles, air, whatever, appears to be muted when compared to Japanese.
Look... many of you may disagree with this characterization and that is fine... nonetheless the fact I was such highly disappointed vs being neutral this time I decided to post for the record. At least I can enjoy the Japanese Sub release every Sunday with my sub nonetheless.
OMG are you like joking!? There only like on 2 episode right now that air on Toonami! And you already saying it suck!? Who care the voice don't like Japanese voices!? We live in American the English 9 times out 10 DON'T SOUND like there Japanese counter part… Get over yourself either watch English Dub on Toonami and enjoy the dub like all of American Anime Dub Fan will or just go watch the dam subs! I going enjoy dub thank you very much...
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^ Gohan, I've already warned you. Watch it with that temper of yours. -_-
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^ Gohan, I've already warned you. Watch it with that temper of yours. -_-
He or she was bashing the dub though with only 2 episode that had aired… -_-
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He or she was bashing the dub though with only 2 episode that had aired… -_-
He wasn't really "bashing" it as much as he was sharing a negative opinion about it. Granted, it is fairly short-sighted to draw up such a conclusion on only two episodes, but he's free to have such an opinion nonetheless. And you are free to disagree with it. What's NOT okay is angrily flying off the handle at him like you did and telling him to "get over himself" as if you're trying to start a fight.
It's okay to disagree with someone else's opinion, as long as you do so civilly. When you start getting confrontational about it and hurling insults at people just because you don't agree with them, that's when I have to bring out the paddle.
So again, WATCH YOUR TEMPER. -_-
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He wasn't really "bashing" it as much as he was sharing a negative opinion about it. Granted, it is fairly short-sighted to draw up such a conclusion on only two episodes, but he's free to have such an opinion nonetheless. And you are free to disagree with it. What's NOT okay is angrily flying off the handle at him like you did and telling him to "get over himself" as if you're trying to start a fight.
It's okay to disagree with someone else's opinion, as long as you do so civilly. When you start getting confrontational about it and hurling insults at people just because you don't agree with them, that's when I have to bring out the paddle.
So again, WATCH YOUR TEMPER. -_-
Oh I sorry if you though I was yelling at him… I was just upset that he or she is basicly basing the show on just 2 episodes that all...
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OMG are you like joking!? There only like on 2 episode right now that air on Toonami! And you already saying it suck!?
My statements above is a technical analysis… it is like judging anything else. It can be done with as little as a single sentence. It is like gravity... you don't have to drop a ball 100000000 times to know that something is pulling the ball down.
Technically the voice in English isn't as good as Japanese. Now in theory, could they revise future episodes and correct it? Maybe.... but technically it is different. As someome stated above, it is likely they went this direction intentionally... to give it a more "darker" appeal then having a bouncy-Mira for instance... the same for other characters.
So yes... one can judge after only 1 episode... the technical analysis thereof.
We live in American the English 9 times out 10 DON'T SOUND like there Japanese counter part…
Not true… as I stated in a previous thread ever since 2006 or so the English started to get better. Now I would say at least 50% if not more like 80% of English (especially Funimation) are == or better then Japanese.
Get over yourself either watch English Dub on Toonami and enjoy the dub like all of American Anime Dub Fan will or just go watch the dam subs! I going enjoy dub thank you very much…
Its fine… if you like the English one it is fine with me. However my thread is designed to provide a technical distinction between the two as I indicated above. Furthermore the intention of the thread is to ensure that people, after watching English and thinking that "it sucks", don't /ragequit the series without being advised of possible alternatives.
In other words, if someone watched Toonami; thinks the show sucks because of bad VA, I don't want them to quit until they watch the Japanese at least.
It's okay to disagree with someone else's opinion, as long as you do so civilly. When you start getting confrontational about it and hurling insults at people just because you don't agree with them, that's when I have to bring out the paddle.
Although I appreciate the well argued defense Mr. Spaceman; no worries mates, I can handle this guy. If I can "dish" it out on a regular basis with my thread and others… I should be able to take it. I should be able to explain myself even to the most skeptical nonetheless...
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This post is deleted!
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You're right Nub, honestly if you've never seen the JP version you wouldn't be able to see that.
Yea that's my point… lots content is being lost to the American audience. They are left with "a darker impression" of the series then intended... one of the problems with anything that makes it on Adult Swim. Also Mira's character is being lost as well... see below.
Honestly the Mabuchi voice competes very well with the JP version. He sounds like a bad ass that he's supposed to be. He could stand up next to the JP actor and even though the voices were different you'd have a hard time deciding who the best Mabuchi is.
Now although I will admit the main character is "better" then the other English voices… the Japanese is still better. This is because there is more, I guess one can say, "grunting" or otherwise hard sounds in the Japanese version. Having a heavier voice makes the character more mysterious and more importantly "angry" then the rather subdued English one by comparison. He is portrayed in Japanese as a angry man with the world (for good reason), such as always yelling at Mira calling and her "trash", and this anger in his voice is lost with English mode.
At least this English VA is the best in the series so at least that is worth something.... just not as good as Japanese this time.
The Voice Actor for Mura is actually really good. I recognize her from some of my other favorites like Sena from Haganai, and Suzuka Dairengi from Tokyo Ravens. And if you've never seen the SUB version of DW…. she still does a good job with it. l
This one I have to fully disagree with. She completely subdued in this one. As a result her character is completely different. The Japanese one is trying to convey a "happy robot confused with the world" kind of approach. Because the English is more "neutral" or otherwise "robot" in sounding… the character is portrayed as "just another robot".
This is important because the Japanese version is trying to convey that the robot "is human". The English version makes her sound just like "another robot you see in a random Anime". As a result the emotion attachment you may have if watching the Japanese version is lost to the audience. This is important because this is the key plot point for her character, and of the series as well.
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My statements above is a technical analysis… it is like judging anything else. It can be done with as little as a single sentence. It is like gravity... you don't have to drop a ball 100000000 times to know that something is pulling the ball down.
Technically the voice in English isn't as good as Japanese. Now in theory, could they revise future episodes and correct it? Maybe.... but technically it is different. As someome stated above, it is likely they went this direction intentionally... to give it a more "darker" appeal then having a bouncy-Mira for instance... the same for other characters.
So yes... one can judge after only 1 episode... the technical analysis thereof.
Not true... as I stated in a previous thread ever since 2006 or so the English started to get better. Now I would say at least 50% if not more like 80% of English (especially Funimation) are == or better then Japanese.
Its fine... if you like the English one it is fine with me. However my thread is designed to provide a technical distinction between the two as I indicated above. Furthermore the intention of the thread is to ensure that people, after watching English and thinking that "it sucks", don't /ragequit the series without being advised of possible alternatives.
In other words, if someone watched Toonami; thinks the show sucks because of bad VA, I don't want them to quit until they watch the Japanese at least.
Although I appreciate the well argued defense Mr. Spaceman; no worries mates, I can handle this guy. If I can "dish" it out on a regular basis with my thread and others... I should be able to take it. I should be able to explain myself even to the most skeptical nonetheless...
WOW! You really don't know how English Dubbing works do you? By that Logic Goku my favorites character of ALL time you sound like a girl!? LMFAO… English Dub is just that an English it suppose to connect with the English people watching it... Japanese Voices and English Voices SOUND DIFFERENT 9 times out of 10... And that a fact even voices actor will tell this "It going to be your voices that going to being doing the dub... And no the English Dub are WAYYYYY better then the Japanese Voices! Why the hell would anyone would wanted Goku to sound like a girl? I mean it WORKS if your a kid being voices by a woman but it DOES not as an adult... Unless you a monster like Frieza who was voice by Linda she the ONLY woman who could have pull that roll off YES SHE BETTER THEN CHRIS AS FRIEZA! I don't watch sub title I can't READ that fast... It give me headache and there just too fast in talking for me to keep up with them... I don't know how people can handled subtitle? I Learning Disable so again I can't read that fast... But I can't see how anyone would watch sub over dub... DUB are wayyy better b/c it in YOUR languages you can understand it... There being done for voices to FIT the English audience... There not going to to be at the level the Japan voices are b/c there suppose to fit the English audience, Now I said this again nicely if you don't like the dub go watch the sub b/c the dub is good and its NOT changing... And to basic it on 2 episode in my opinion (key word) is dumb...
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WOW! You really don't know how English Dubbing works do you? By that Logic Goku my favorites character of ALL time you sound like a girl!? LMFAO… English Dub is just that an English it suppose to connect with the English people watching it... But I can't see how anyone would watch sub over dub... DUB are wayyy better b/c it in YOUR languages you can understand it... There being done for voices to FIT the English audience... There not going to to be at the level the Japan voices are b/c there suppose to fit the English audience,
Hmmm… based upon your report it appears you are missing the context of my posts. I don't care whether English one sounds different then Japanese... English Language is different the Japanese of course. Whether someone "sounds like a girl" in Japanese vs English isn't the problem.
The problem is the subtext: How the line is delivered. You can say a line in Japanese, and the English translation; the words may mean the same, but how it is delivered is the core purpose of verbal communication. This is how typing on a computer like this (Twitter) or using translation software misses key elements of language.
Wikipedia time…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosody_(linguistics)
If you read this and get it, granted it is very hard to read this, you should understand. Basically the point is that how someone talks has meaning/information. If someone reads a sentence bland and monotonous like a typical robot (or Apple's Siri voice software for instance) it doesn't sound "alive" nor emotional. Also what the speaker is trying to say vs what they are saying is lost.
The problem with the English cast here is that lots of the subtext is lost. With the Robot Girl "Mira" for instance, the English version sounds more neutral then Japanese: She doesn't sound "as alive" in English as it were. As being one of the core plot developments (as you begin to understand with the most recent episode 9) this point is key.
Basically what I am saying is that the characters here "are bland-sounding". As a result a lot of the core comprehension, the "12+ grade reading" level" if you will, is lost. If you are a young kid and don't know how to read hard books for instance, you will fail to understand the point of the author/speaker.
This isn't my only problem with the English VA nonetheless it is the most important/"biggest problem". Granted this is all hard stuff to explain here alas if you need more explanation I can provide it nonetheless.
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Hmmm… based upon your report it appears you are missing the context of my posts. I don't care whether English one sounds different then Japanese... English Language is different the Japanese of course. Whether someone "sounds like a girl" in Japanese vs English isn't the problem.
The problem is the subtext: How the line is delivered. You can say a line in Japanese, and the English translation; the words may mean the same, but how it is delivered is the core purpose of verbal communication. This is how typing on a computer like this (Twitter) or using translation software misses key elements of language.
Wikipedia time…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosody_(linguistics)
If you read this and get it, granted it is very hard to read this, you should understand. Basically the point is that how someone talks has meaning/information. If someone reads a sentence bland and monotonous like a typical robot (or Apple's Siri voice software for instance) it doesn't sound "alive" nor emotional. Also what the speaker is trying to say vs what they are saying is lost.
The problem with the English cast here is that lots of the subtext is lost. With the Robot Girl "Mira" for instance, the English version sounds more neutral then Japanese: She doesn't sound "as alive" in English as it were. As being one of the core plot developments (as you begin to understand with the most recent episode 9) this point is key.
Basically what I am saying is that the characters here "are bland-sounding". As a result a lot of the core comprehension, the "12+ grade reading" level" if you will, is lost. If you are a young kid and don't know how to read hard books for instance, you will fail to understand the point of the author/speaker.
This isn't my only problem with the English VA nonetheless it is the most important/"biggest problem". Granted this is all hard stuff to explain here alas if you need more explanation I can provide it nonetheless.
I am 24 first of all… How is the "delivered" bad? Mistranslations happen all the time and they're just find the way they are... WHO CARES? Alot mistranslation are GREAT AND EPIC... In my opinion the greatest mistranslation quote in fiction was created "I Am The Hope Of The Universe! I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace! I am protector of the innocent, I am the light in the darkness! I am truth. Ally to good, nightmare to YOU!" Goku... STILL LOVE THAT QUOTE #GOKUCHILDHOODSUPERHERO :)... Also another good one was"ITS OVER 9000!" So again I don't see you point at ALL! Another was "Meatballhead" in Sailor Moon... Point is the delivered does not change it just because something is "mistranslation" is a different word... I don't read that much b/c not good... I used to read some Shoen Jump Manga back when that still made them but after that Digital only I stop... But again English Voices is for the English audience so that what there doing which FIT the English audience...
