Xenophobia: How does it impact the DragonBall fanbase?

[Olivier Hague]

If you take, say, Die Hard, mute the voices, and hand it to FUNimation along with a script and tell them to add voices to the movie, would the end result give the same viewing experience? And would anyone want to watch this dub over the original?

Very very bad example.
1, Why would an English dubbing company dub an English movie.

Come on, it's just an example. Roll with it...

If there was a truly effective way to dub live action, Power Rangers would not exist.

lolwut

[The Tori-bot]

I know it's extremely rare but sometimes a dub can be just as good if not better than the original. Just look at shows like Cowboy Bebop, FLCL, and Death Note.

Did you just compare Alessandro Juliani to Kappei Yamaguchi? My Yamaguchi-kun?!

Brad Swaile is okay, but he's not great. And most of the members of the task force (except Matsuda and maybe Soichiro) are devoid of personality or acting skillls.

Wait, what was that now? This is a Dragon Ball message board, you say?! Preposterous!

[Victator Supreme]

If you take, say, Die Hard, mute the voices, and hand it to FUNimation along with a script and tell them to add voices to the movie, would the end result give the same viewing experience? And would anyone want to watch this dub over the original?

Very very bad example.
1, Why would an English dubbing company dub an English movie.

Come on, it's just an example. Roll with it...

If there was a truly effective way to dub live action, Power Rangers would not exist.

lolwut

You are being intentionally obtuse. If you could dub live action without it looking like shit. Super Sentai would of hit the United States before 1993.

[Olivier Hague]

Did you just compare Alessando Juliana to Kappei Yamaguchi? My Yamaguchi-kun?!

By the way, I thought it was funny/nice how all three Wammy's kids were dubbed by veteran voice actors.

(no, I didn't include you, Matt... sorry, dude)

If you could dub live action without it looking like shit. Super Sentai would of hit the United States before 1993.

If you really think that's why they made Power Rangers, you're seriously deluded, man. Sorry, but hey. ^__^;
They made Power Rangers because "our WASP kids won't care about Japanese people... but they sure like Saved by the Bell!". That's it.

And newsflash, by the way: yes, you can dub live action movies without it looking like shit. It's been done. Again, and again and again.

[Adamant]

You are being intentionally obtuse. If you could dub live action without it looking like shit. Super Sentai would of hit the United States before 1993.

You're going with the "the way it's done here is the best one because otherwise they wouldn't do it like that here" mindset.

In Germany, they dub live action movies, and apparantly people don't think it looks like complete shit over there, since they want it done.

Over here, cartoons aimed at an older audience than 10 are not dubbed, because people capable of reading don't want dubs over original versions.

Also, a dub script simply CAN'T be 100% faithful, because no matter what, each line needs to fill as much time as the original line did. Subtitles don't have to do that, and can thus translate the original line properly, instead of going with the best translation they're able to fit into the alotted time.

The same is true with video games too, especially older ones, where the translation can't take up more space in the text box than the original line did. It's not a matter of simply translating, it's translating and making it fit where it has to be placed.

[Olivier Hague]

Also, a dub script simply CAN'T be 100% faithful, because no matter what, each line needs to fill as much time as the original line did. Subtitles don't have to do that, and can thus translate the original line properly, instead of going with the best translation they're able to fit into the alotted time.

As a caveat, it should be noted that subtitles (professional ones, anyway) have a really similar restriction: subtitles that appear for a short amount of time need to be short (I'm talking about the number of characters, here) for the sake of legibility.
It may sound like nothing put like that, but believe me (I've been there), it can become HELL very fast. For example, if a character speaks really quickly, you're screwed (whereas that wouldn't necessarily be a problem for a dub... these things aren't that simple).

[jjgp1112]

Ok regardless of its origin my background is the English Language. Therefore its only natural that I would want to listen to the dialog in English. Sure Dragonball has its roots in Japan and I respect that but Id prefer to hear the dialog in English. Just like any other person out their in the world, I'd prefer things to be in my native tongue so I can understand them easily.

Far from it. I can walk over to my window, look out, and tell you that, without doubt, I'm not seeing a single person over the age of 10 that would want to watch a dub of something foreign over a subtitled version in the original language. Why? Because these are normal people, and dubs are solely made for children who either can't read or are too slow readers to follow subtitles. When one grows up, one switches to subtitles, so one can enjoy the real version of the series/movie rather than some quick localisation done for the convenience of children.

Not everyone's a purist.

Look, not wanting to watch a show with subs has nothing to do with maturity level. I just want to watch something in my own language. I don't want to have to read to understand a TV show. If I wanted to read to understand the plot, I'd grab the manga. But reading subtitles completely takes me out of the experience when viewing a TV show.

I mean, you just sound really condescending here. If you prefer to watch dubs, you're immature or not normal?!

[Olivier Hague]

I can walk over to my window, look out, and tell you that, without doubt, I'm not seeing a single person over the age of 10 that would want to watch a dub of something foreign over a subtitled version in the original language. Why? Because these are normal people, and dubs are solely made for children who either can't read or are too slow readers to follow subtitles. When one grows up, one switches to subtitles, so one can enjoy the real version of the series/movie rather than some quick localisation done for the convenience of children.

Not everyone's a purist.

Where do you live, Adamant? I think this might be somewhat relevant, here. ^^

[Wojak]

I can walk over to my window, look out, and tell you that, without doubt, I'm not seeing a single person over the age of 10 that would want to watch a dub of something foreign over a subtitled version in the original language. Why? Because these are normal people, and dubs are solely made for children who either can't read or are too slow readers to follow subtitles. When one grows up, one switches to subtitles, so one can enjoy the real version of the series/movie rather than some quick localisation done for the convenience of children.

Not everyone's a purist.

Where do you live, Adamant? I think this might be somewhat relevant, here. ^^

In the Scandinavia, just like me!

[Olivier Hague]

And subs are very common, there, right?

[Adamant]

Yes, everything intended for, or considered to have a sizable fanbase consisting of people over than 10 is subtitled. Dubs are solely done for children, and solely because of illiteracy or slow reading.
Studio Ghibli, Disney movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and similiar material which has fans of all ages get both a dubbed and subtitled release, so everyone can enjoy them. There was a massive outcry towards the recent Ninja Turtles movie getting a dub-only release due to the distributor failing to realize the movie had a large potential audience of nostalgics in their late teens/twenties, none of which would want to watch a dub, and the desicion to dub the recent Rocky TV series (the dog, not the boxer) was unanimously negative (Seriously, what the hell were they thinking? Rocky is absolutely not aimed at an audience too young to read subs).

[jjgp1112]

Yes, everything intended for, or considered to have a sizable fanbase consisting of people over than 10 is subtitled. Dubs are solely done for children, and solely because of illiteracy or slow reading.
Studio Ghibli, Disney movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and similiar material which has fans of all ages get both a dubbed and subtitled release, so everyone can enjoy them. There was a massive outcry towards the recent Ninja Turtles movie getting a dub-only release due to the distributor failing to realize the movie had a large potential audience of nostalgics in their late teens/twenties, none of which would want to watch a dub, and the desicion to dub the recent Rocky TV series (the dog, not the boxer) was unanimously negative (Seriously, what the hell were they thinking? Rocky is absolutely not aimed at an audience too young to read subs).

What does that say about people like me, the? You know - over 10, literate, but still don't like the idea of reading subs?

[Olivier Hague]

What does that say about people like me, the? You know - over 10, literate, but still don't like the idea of reading subs?

Well, where are you from?

[jjgp1112]

What does that say about people like me, the? You know - over 10, literate, but still don't like the idea of reading subs?

Well, where are you from?

U.S.A.

[Olivier Hague]

Well, where are you from?

U.S.A.

This might just explain that.
I think it's mostly a matter of habit... but reading subtitles is a habit most people in the States never get, for obvious reasons. The exposure to subs (not just the availability of subs, but the sheer exposure) varies greatly from country to country.

[Adamant]

Please note, I'm not trying to be mean here, just stating the truth.

I mean, you just sound really condescending here. If you prefer to watch dubs, you're immature or not normal?!

You would be considered immature, xenophobic and dim-witted, yes. As for the "not normal" part... yeah, you'd be about as normal as someone who runs around in public yelling and waving his hands around just because it's fun to do so. Preferring to watch something dubbed ISN'T normal.

It should also be noted than The US and Germany's (and technically other countries too, but they are rarely brought up) general preferrance to want everything foreign dubbed over in their own language is regularly mocked and insulted (the Rocky dub I definitely remember getting comments like "Are we turning into fucking America now?"), and the stereotypical American is indeed a stupid, fat lazy xenophobe who doesn't know there's a world outside his own country.

[jjgp1112]

Please note, I'm not trying to be mean here, just stating the truth.

I mean, you just sound really condescending here. If you prefer to watch dubs, you're immature or not normal?!

You would be considered immature, xenophobic and dim-witted, yes. As for the "not normal" part... yeah, you'd be about as normal as someone who runs around in public yelling and waving his hands around just because it's fun to do so. Preferring to watch something dubbed ISN'T normal.

It should also be noted than The US and Germany's (and technically other countries too, but they are rarely brought up) general preferrance to want everything foreign dubbed over in their own language is regularly mocked and insulted (the Rocky dub I definitely remember getting comments like "Are we turning into fucking America now?"), and the stereotypical American is indeed a stupid, fat lazy xenophobe who doesn't know there's a world outside his own country.

Sterotypes.

Ugh. Whatever.

[Adamant]

Well, to be perfectly blunt, America is generally stereotyped as "the country of Hollywood movies, shitty fastfood, and dumb fucks we don't like".

It's okay, I'm sure you'd have nasty stereotypes of us too, if you knew we existed.
(hell, what is it anyway? "Caveman level of technology, lefse and polar bears in the street"?)

[NeptuneKai]

"the country of Hollywood movies, shitty fastfood, and dumb fucks we don't like".

This is pretty accurate.

[Olivier Hague]

Well, to be perfectly blunt, America is generally stereotyped as "the country of Hollywood movies, shitty fastfood, and dumb fucks we don't like".
It's okay, I'm sure you'd have nasty stereotypes of us too, if you knew we existed.

Yeah, don't surrender, jjgp1112! I'm French, you can't set a precedent like that! ^^

They're just stereotypes, man...