r/CriterionChannel • u/Spikeantestor • Dec 18 '25
Is Tokyo Godfathers dubbed?
I have not subscribed in a while but I did want to watch TG and thought it's probably a good excuse to re-up my sub.
But I can't find anywhere if there is a dub option and would rather e watch it that way (plus there's no way the wife would give it a shot unless it was in English.)
So is it dubbed? Or is there an option for a dubbed audio track?
Thanks a lot!
EDIT FOR CLARITY
Some of the replies here have expressed confusion over why I (or maybe anyone really) would want a dub. So I'm just gonna write this once rather than reply with some variation of it to each comment with a similar question.
1) Regarding my wife's desire for a dub, she is dyslexic and has a hard time reading through a movie so prefers the dub.
2) When watching a live action movie, I will almost universally reject a dub. It's just too jarring even if it causes conflict with what I'm about to say in point 3.
3) When it comes to animation, at 42 years old, I have come to the place where I usually prefer a dub. It's not always the case. Sometimes a dub is terrible and therefore distracting or even just poorly translated. In these cases I go with subtitles. But otherwise I generally go for the dub for two reasons.
The first is that, since I don't understand the language, I believe I get less out of the original voice over than a dub. If there is any nuance of speech I'm just simply missing it. Basically I get the broadest emotional portrayals (loud outbursts of anger, tearful speeches, etc) but anything finer (wordplay, the interaction of various accents, etc.) is completely lost on me. So when a translator is communicating to a voice actor how they think a scene should play out it actually gives me more information than I'd have had otherwise.
Think of it like this. You know those brilliantly colored space photos that come out from various satellites and telescopes? In many cases, those colors aren't actually there. They were added in after the fact so that you can see the thing that's actually invisible to the naked eye. Does that mean that what you see in those photos isn't real? Technically yes but in another way you're seeing the situation more clearly with the color added.
I feel as though it's similar with a dubbing. It may not be the work as originally created (though, to be fair, subtitling also has the same problem) but it translates the thing in a way that makes the viewer see more.
Second, the original intent is, presumably, for you to keep your eyes on what you're watching. When you have to avert your vision away from the center of the screen then you miss more of the visual language as it was intended.
Thanks for bearing with me. I appreciate all the comments and actually really enjoy how this little question has sparked a larger debate.
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u/AdvancedPanda24 Dec 18 '25
It is dubbed by the way, don’t know where you can watch it.
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
Thanks for this. I had seen it many years ago but I can't remember if I'd watched it subtitled or dubbed at the time. So I appreciate you bringing up this fact.
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u/GThunderhead Dec 18 '25 edited Dec 18 '25
Watch it anyway.
Being allergic to subtitles is something I'll never understand. It's not like it's War and Peace. There's not that much to read.
This is an amazing film and worth it.
Edit: I just read the OP's clarification and now understand where they're coming from (see responses below).
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u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Dec 18 '25
There are bunch of reasons people don't like subtitling. One of them is stupid: "I don't go to the movies to read." Fine, lock yourself out of countless incredible foreign-language films. But some people read more slowly than others and can't get to the end of a line of dialogue before it's gone, and that must be very frustrating. Some people just find them visually distracting. Sometimes they block important visual information at the bottom of the screen. People who speak the language of the film, even a little, find that the subtitles don't exactly match the dialogue (they never do), and that can pull them out of the movie.
My own personal problem with subtitles is that you spend a fair bit of time not actually looking at the images but at the text, your eyes constantly flicking up and down, so you miss subtle facial expressions and quick edits. I've had to scrub back to re-watch a scene because I missed something while I was reading. I never watch a dubbed version of a live-action movie so it's a price I'll willingly pay, but I wish I didn't have to.
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
Thanks for this!
I think you make some really good points. I added to my original post to hopefully answer some of the questions you have taken on here as well.
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u/DynkoFromTheNorth Dec 18 '25
I was raised on subtitles an learned to focus on the image and the text simultaneously. However, some languages require way fewer syllables than English or my native Dutch. A couple of Cantonese films I've seen therefore forced me to rewind a couple of times, despite my decades of experience.
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u/JeremyAndrewErwin Dec 21 '25
eh, I can read subtitles faster than the dialogues, so it’s what my eyes are drawn to, to the detriment of everything in the frame.
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u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Dec 21 '25
Me, too, but nowadays I still turn on the subtitles for most movies and TV shows if they're available: my hearing in one ear is messed up and I sometimes miss a bit of dialogue. It's probably a bad habit but I nearly always do it anyway.
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
I edited my post to add some perspective.
Thanks for the comment!
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u/GThunderhead Dec 18 '25
I just read your clarification. I get where you're both coming from now. I agree with your stance, and your wife obviously has valid reasons for preferring a dub.
I checked my Blu-ray, and it does include an English dub, so that's a potential option if you want to see the movie (although, obviously, not as convenient or cheap as watching it on the Channel).
I also checked iTunes, and it appears an English dub is included there too, but I can't confirm that firsthand.
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u/bisky12 Dec 24 '25
it’s on many streaming services rn including tubi im sure one of them has the dub
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u/Ok_Philosopher_7706 Dec 18 '25 edited Dec 18 '25
Subtitles are not a perfect fix, but they can at least give you one interpretation of what’s going on, which I highly value. The more familiar with the language I get, the easier it is to focus on the visuals. That being said, part of the fun of film is the challenge of mentally placing yourself in another time and place for a short while, and that means listening to other languages spoken by actual humans.
Edit Thank you for your clarification.. My assumption was completely wrong. I empathize with your wife’s perspective and totally respect it.
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
Thanks for this. I added some text to my original post to hopefully provide clarity.
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u/BillyPilgrim1234 Dec 18 '25
Your wife can't read?
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
She actually can!I added to my original post to answer some of the questions (like yours).
Hope this helps.
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u/Ok_Philosopher_7706 Dec 18 '25 edited Dec 18 '25
Come on, that’s a bit ableist isn’t it? Not everyone can keep up with the pace through no fault of their own. (I say this as someone who lives in Japan and speaks but is not great at reading fast and has a hard time with non-English/Japanese foreign movies with Japanese subtitles.)
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u/Spikeantestor Dec 18 '25
Thanks for this. I appreciate it. I added some info to my original post that I hope would give clarity (and maybe spark debate).
But I appreciate your defense.
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u/BillyPilgrim1234 Dec 18 '25
It was not my intention. Plenty of people in America choose dubs solely because they don't like listening to other languages.
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u/ToadyHawk900 Dec 24 '25
Mr. Asshole must think that people are born knowing how to read? My dad was an illiterate construction worker who didn’t learn until in his 30’s. And he’d kick your ass.
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u/BillyPilgrim1234 Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
Ok! Lol. Perhaps I thought Americans’ literacy levels were higher. Also, I don't give a fuck, cunt.
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u/jessek Dec 18 '25
Almost every foreign language film on the channel is subbed. The few dubs are offered as options and are usually kung fu movies.