by Christopher Kamp

Created on: May 30, 2009

In writing an article explaining why I prefer dubbed films to subtitles, I very much expect to be in the outnumbered. That is not to say that I think that those who prefer subtitles are a majority, but rather that they are a more vocal minority. Before explaining why I believe this to be the case, I should acknowledge that the title of this topic asks, "which is better?" Strictly speaking, of course, neither is 'better' and it is entirely a matter of preference. All I can do is explain my own, personal preference and give a few general thoughts of the matter.

Now, particularly within what might be referred to as the Western anime community or culture, a large number of people quite vehemently claim that subtitles are better than dubbing. While I'm sure that some geuinely do feel this way, simply preferring subtitles, I also doubt that they are the most vocal about it. Rather, it has become a kind of elitism. It's a little like an indie-rock fan such as myself claiming that we liked a band 'before they were popular'. It has simply become accepted within this community that subtitles are 'better'.

Why is this the case? Well, the most common argument for the use of subtitles over dubbing is that subtitles preserve the quality of the original voice acting. This is a perfectly reasonable argument, for those who actually believe it. As I said, I'm sure that many of its proponents are simply jumping on the bandwagon, much like those who automatically prefer the original to the remake and the live version over the studio album.

For myself, however, I find that the convenience of being able to listen to and understand a movie usually outweighs any loss of meaning and expression through dubbing. Generally speaking, I watch movies for relaxation and entertainment, and I tend to find far less of both if I have to read the dialogue off the screen.

Don't get me wrong, there are some terrible dubs out there. There are also some philosophical or arthouse films in which the meaning is more important than the entertainment value. In these cases, I would by all means choose the subbed version. Nonetheless, I find most dubs to be passable, and the films I watch most frequently are not intellectually challenging to the point that they require text to convey the nuances of meaning.

On the whole, essentially: to each their own. Those who genuinely prefer subtitles and those who genuinely prefer dubs can each continue to do so without needing to justify their choice. As far as I'm concerned, though, arguments that either one is somehow objectively better all the time will continue to fall on deaf ears.

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