Revisiting the Sub vs. Dub Debate
Buy Toradora! You don't wanna make Taiga angry.
When I last touched this topic, I was still very angry and bitter at companies like Sentai Filmworks and Bandai for not dubbing anime titles that I personally felt deserved a dub (specifically Clannad, Hayate the Combat Butler, Kannagi, and some others). To me, it looked like these companies just “didn’t care anymore” and “weren’t listening to their fans.”
Truth be told, I’ve never really been a big fan of dubs. There are many dubs that I absolutely abhor. However, there are many out there who love dubs, and hate the fact that companies are steering away from them. The problem with this is that many of these people will openly state their refusal to buy a series simply because there’s no dub. Which brings me to…
Refusing to Buy Undubbed Anime
Dub fans, it’s time to accept the truth, and that truth is that dubs aren’t exactly the top priority for anime companies anymore. Time and time again, I hear about people ranting over the fact that Sentai Filmworks licensed a series and is not dubbing it. As a result, these people will openly state their refusal to buy the series, and will stick to the fansub — simply because the company is not dubbing it! The problem with this, aside from the obvious illegality of fansubs, is the fact that these fans are not supporting the shows they love.
Yeah, it sucks that Toradora! is not getting a dub. But, should we really be expecting the anime companies to release their shows with a dub? In these economic times, US anime companies are doing everything they can to stay on their feet. If they have to limit their expenses in order to do that, I say let them. If you refuse to buy a series simply because it wasn’t released with a dub, then that does nothing to help the situation. However, by buying such shows, that gives the companies more funds and more incentive to do better releases in the future. If a previously undubbed series sells well enough, they may even go back and re-release it with a dub (it happened with Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan, Clannad, Ghost Hound, Tears to Tiara, and more!).
The “Sentai Stole it from FUNimation” Mentality
I use Sentai Filmworks as the prime example here, because they’re the ones most infamous for not doing dubs. Whenever Sentai announces they have licensed a show, this is another argument that angry dub fans come up with. “Now that Sentai has licensed it, it’s not gonna get a dub; Sentai ‘stole’ it from FUNimation, and they would be dubbing it!”
What’s wrong with this? Well, as you may very well know, FUNimation is currently the leader in the US anime industry. As a result, they get the first pick at what shows they want to license. If someone other than FUNimation licenses a show, it means that FUNi didn’t even want the show to begin with! NIS America even stated on the recent ANNCast episode they were on, that there was no competition for the license to Toradora! So, before you start accusing companies like Sentai or NIS America of “stealing” shows, keep this in mind.
“Anime Costs Too Much”
No, it doesn’t. Do you know how much a single DVD with 4 anime episodes costs in Japan? If you don’t then I suggest you click that link and find out. US anime fans have it easy.
Using Toradora! as an example again, people are now complaining that NIS America’s price tag of $59.99 MSRP ($47.99 actual price) for 13 episodes is too much. Anime is constantly getting cheaper, and yet people are still complaining that it’s too expensive. No more than 5 years ago, in the US, a single DVD with 3-4 episodes on it cost about $25-$30. Considering that, the price that NIS America is asking for Toradora! is not bad at all.
Support What You Love!
If you’re an anime fan, you should feel obligated to play your part and support official anime releases. Don’t stick with fansubs, because that does nothing to help. Rather than complaining about how a company isn’t dubbing one of your favorite titles, you should instead be glad that they’re even releasing the show at all! As I’ve said before, if a series is legally available, it should be obtained through legal means. If not buying official releases and watching fansubs is your way of saying “Screw you!” to the anime companies, the you’re just gonna get that right back from them with the continuance of sub-only releases and cheap DVD cases with no fancy goodies or art boxes.
BUY YOUR ANIME. That’s the best way to tell companies that you want high-quality releases.
Posted on 2010-03-19, in Editorial and tagged adv, bandai, bang zoom, funimation, nis america, rant, sentai filmworks, toradora. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Janai
Antz
OtakuAnthony
jaysteevee
vtine
matty
machineslife
Nyanman
I’m not really a dub hater, but English dubs (or a lack thereof) are absolutely not a dealbreaker for me — frankly, in the current climate, they are a luxury. If sub-only releases enable more companies to be competitive in a tough industry, then I’m all for them. I don’t have a problem watching foreign movies with subtitles, and I sure as hell don’t have a problem watching anime with subtitles, even if that is my only option.
I used to be one of the “Anime is too expensive!!” crowd, and I still think $48 for half a series is a bit rough … but, really, that is probably because I am spoiled, haha. For a series like Toradora! I am willing to bite the bullet.
As with gas prices, we R1 customers can bitch all we want but yes — the Japanese are getting seriously boned for DVDs while we have our nice little $40 box sets. And it sure beats the days of going into Suncoast and paying $20 for a 3-episode, dub-only VHS.
The bidding wars are pretty much over — as you said, Funimation holds the crown — but it’s still hard for other companies to fork over the money necessary to get a license. Add a dub cost, and it’s prohibitive. [Side note: listen to ADV's DVD commentary on Evangelion for a chronicle of how dubs became so bad. tl;dr they paid so much money they couldn't afford a dub so they hired an actor or two and filled it out with whoever was in the room]
So with Funi and Viz gobbling up the mainstream titles, other companies hedge their bets with more “niche” titles. That further reduces their chances of making enough money off the thing to finance a dub.
Your argument that buying the release even though you’re a dub fan because “someday it might get re-released as a dub” is technically true, but I do think that’s a bit much to ask of fans. They have to make two purchases for one product, and the original release now completely lacks resale value so recouping is out of the question. Ultimately, it’s not our responsibility to “support the companies,” it’s the companies’ job to give us a product we like at a fair price. If you’re a dub fan and you’re not getting a dub, you’re kinda being sold a product you don’t want. Yes, supporting anime is a worthwhile cause. I don’t want it to go away either. But I’m wary of a mentality that puts the licensing companies in the victims’ roles (especially when they largely did it to themselves).
All of this said, I am not a dub fan and I am strongly in favor of paying less money for a product that lacks a feature that I don’t use, so these developments are fine by me.
I just view the sub only anime as Animeigo style releases. They released KOR, Otaku no Video, Urusei Yatsura, Macross and other titles sub only and no one really complained. Yeah they were older titles like Nozomi’s upcoming Dirty Pair but because of Geneon’s poor selling moé titles I think some companies view moé as risky or perhaps MORE risky than an older title.
Also, I don’t believe the Funimation gets “the first pick at what shows they want to license”. For example, why would they license fanservice heavy shows like Strike Witches and Vampire Bund while letting Media Blasters get the superior (in terms of fanservice) Kanokon, Queen’s Blade and Ikkitousen?
@iyaaaanitsFuku
The ANN article I linked to pretty much confirms that FUNimation does get the first pick. As for Strike Witches, I would say it has a much larger fanbase and can appeal to a wider crowd than a show like Kanokon. Contrary to popular belief, SW isn’t all about fanservice. =P
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