If my trip to Otakon has taught me anything, it’s that English localizations don’t always suck!
Being the totally awesome self-righteous fanboys/fangirls/weeaboos that we are, many of us tend to disregard English dubs entirely; more often than not, though, this is only rightfully so. Some argue that the English language cannot fully capture some of the nuances and connotations that come packed with the Japanese language, thereby misinterpreting some of the dialogue. The Japanese language, after all, is pretty vague, and certain words and phrases can’t be directly translated into English without sounding a little awkward (ie: “It can’t be helped.” Who the hell says that?).
So in the same vein of whether fansubbers should include honorifics in their subtitles (-chan, -san), here’s a list of some Anime that is comparably good, if not better, than their subbed counterparts.
1) Black Lagoon (pictured above)
A general rule of thumb can be made that any given show featuring Western characters with Western qualities is likely to succeed in dub format. Maybe it’s the smoother inflections in speech or the show’s characterization. Whatever it is, it just works. Case in point, the following video from Black Lagoon: (Skip ahead to about 2 minutes and 45 seconds)
The dub for Black Lagoon is exemplary. There’s just so much more emotion charged into these scenes that it makes the acrimony a lot more palpable. Not that the original voice acting wasn’t great on its own, but these new voices help the characters shed a little bit of their meekness. Go ahead and pull up the subbed version of this scene, and I’m sure you’ll see that it’s no contest. The show is also known for its swearing, which hits the right tone and isn’t childishly played to in excess.
2) Golden Boy
We all know the premise of the original 6-part OVA:
“Kintaro Oe, age 25. After studying law at Tokyo University, he left the school before graduation. Curiously enough, however, he had already finished all the courses required for his degree. Since that time, he has roamed the land, changing jobs frequently as he studies the world around him. Riding his favorite bike, the Mikazuki 5, he keeps moving forward, always on the lookout for new knowledge and adventure. And who knows? Perhaps some day, he may even save the world.”
-Narrator / Episode 1
Golden Boy is likened to being the ‘American Pie’ of Japanese Anime, except it’s actually funny. It follows the trials of the lewd freeter Kintaro as he takes on a number of part-time jobs while traveling all across Japan in his endless pursuit of knowledge (”Life is study”). While a little on the clumsy side, Kintaro is kind-hearted and considerate, and always leaves his workplace in a better condition than when he started.
The main reason why the show works better in dub format is because the original voice acting is just boring. Kintaro is supposed to come off as a highly quixotic character, something that the original voice actor comes short of. The English voice actor is able to convey someone who’s simultaneously perverted, manly, slovenly and dorky, working with the exaggerated expressions that we love so much. The writing is so off-the-wall and outrageous that it’s bound to squeeze a few guilty chuckles here and there.
3) Baccano!
An Anime with intersecting plots about immortality and gangsters during the Prohibition. As I said before with Black Lagoon, having them speak in English is more suitable because everything just clicks, especially since they even took the liberty of fitting them with New York accents. I personally can’t stand the English voice actors for the robber duo Isaac and Miria, who happen to be two of my favorite characters in any Anime. But other than them, it’s a solid release.
4) The Big O
A cursory glance of the above screenshot and the first thing I thought of was how Roger is the spitting image of Bruce Wayne from those old Batman cartoons.
I think it’s the face structure, or the burly build, or the slicked-back haircut. In any case, The Big O works better in dub because it just doesn’t feel like an Anime series. It incorporates a lot of the grittiness of film noir in a futuristic sci-fi realm, employing the same mechanics of late 90s comic books without all of the stilted delays that come with translations.
5) Romeo X Juliet
So the Anime wasn’t a faithful adaptation of the classical romantic Shakespearean tragedy, what with their flying steeds, technological anachronisms, and Juliet’s role as the masked vigilante. But hey, the writing for the English script is solid, incorporating all of the flowery and ornate prose that comes with something appended to a centuries-old love story.
I’m running out of fuel here.
So can you think of any other shows with a praiseworthy dub?
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