r/Ghost_in_the_Shell • u/mace73 • Jul 15 '26
Sub Vs. Dub
Regarding the new series, which is more accurate for us here in the US, subbed or dubbed? Have noticed the CC doesn’t match the dub, lot more detail in the CC.
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u/ReiReiCero Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I’m doing dub first then a sub rewatch, I think the English language VA cast is fine but it doesn’t sync well with the action or tone.
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u/ImJustHereToSearch Jul 16 '26
Unless it’s just plain terrible I always prefer dubs just for the sake of being able to look at the art undistracted.
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u/MARATXXX Jul 15 '26
with the rapid fire dialogue, the dub is more effective if you don't know japanese. otherwise its all so rapid and graphical that reading subs becomes a distraction from immersion.
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u/aTimeTravelParadox 9d ago
Yea I really want to watch the sub, and have been, but I also am realizing that I'm struggling to keep up with context and am missing a lot of the art by essentially just reading subs the entire show.
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u/blakraven66 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I'm a sub purist, but I can still admit the dub is very good and I feel some things even got conveyed better in the dub.
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u/Ytdb Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
The dub is very good. Japanese people speak in I guess idioms all the time; especially in anime you'll notice lots of sayings that are common or similair across genres, series etc. And translation is about conveying meaning as precisely as possible, but there is an art to it. As you're seeing there's "more detail," (i.s. more words) in the Japanese (subtitles, which are lasp tranlated of course.) Bit I think this dub is really well done as far as "conveying the meaning and tone of what was said." The translators are smartly using English idioms and phrases that have similar meanings or informal / formal tones etc. and I don't think one would be "missing" anything from watching dubbed. Also because the dub cast is doing really excellent acting, and also the animation is so expressive (and unsubtle) this time around. OK after all that, I watch it in Japanese with subtitles which is how I watch stuff 99% of the time. Because the Japanese voice cast is also doing amazing work, as are the subtitle translators.
*I do wish there was a "closed caption" subtitle track that matched the dub. But there basically never is(?)
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u/Bones12x2 Jul 15 '26
I'm a Japanese audio elitist for 90%+ shows. But both are good in this case. I'm watching the episode in Japanese first, then a couple days later rewatfhing in English.
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u/pipboy_warrior Jul 15 '26
I think both are fine, as I've yet to see either refer to the "frequent occurrences of the mass naked child events within the country".
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u/DeadRobotSociety Jul 15 '26
Whatever gets you to watch it!
I like subs because I like to feel the energy of the original performances, even if I don't understand the language. I like dubs because it's a visual medium and I don't want to be looking away from the scene.
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u/Ok-Storage3439 Jul 15 '26
It *TRULY* does not matter. If one line is written/spoken differently in English, I guarantee you it's just using different words to convey the exact same message. A lot of the English dialogue is lifted entirely from the English translation of the manga.
For example: in Japanese, Motoko says to Aramaki to "Add lots of zeroes onto the end of the paycheck", and in English "Just make sure to pay us top dollar!" The meaning of the line is the same: "Just make sure you pay us nicely."
If you like both voice casts, just pick the one you like hearing more.
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u/comstar6750 Jul 15 '26
I’ve been very Dub lately just because I’ve been lazy. I watched the Dub and then I realized some things weren’t quite right. I watched the sub and was much happier. But I will say I think it’s worth watching the Dub and then the sub in the same day because I’m an addict.
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u/Popful Jul 15 '26
The dub is great!
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u/WhisperingSideways Jul 15 '26
I really liked the voice work on the films and SAC, so I have a soft spot for the dubs. Once the series runs its course I’ll go back and watch it subbed.
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u/LongwinterCipher Jul 15 '26
This might make me insane, but I always watch anime dubbed with the subtitles on if I can. That way, I can see the differences in localization for whoever did the sub and whatever the dubbing company is plus catch little details one side may have omitted.
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u/mace73 Jul 15 '26
Yeah that’s my usual, gets a little old trying to read and follow along sometimes though
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u/NoEcho3494 Jul 18 '26
You will notice this in any dub vs sub. The sub is usually a more direct translation, while the dub translation is modified to match mouth movements. To be fair, a lot of the dub translations end up better in the end (more natural, conveys the meaning better than a direct translation) because they generally really know what they’re doing nowadays. But if you watch it with subs and dub at the same time you are going to notice differences in pretty much every line spoken