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What makes your preferred version your preferred version?

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan
Pretty much the same for me. The dub isn't perfect, heck it has alot of issues imo, but I feel it's easier to understand what's going on than reading subtitles
You guys have both made me so happy in saying this that I'm going to put it in my signature so people can get why I like the dub. I've never been able to explain it so well myself before, and you've honestly made me understand myself better too lol.
 

Victorian Rush

Weather Manipulator
What I really don't get is when people say they think the Japanese version has better voice acting, but they don't understand Japanese themselves. What does the voice acting matter if you can't actually understand what's being said?

For me, the main reason why I do not watch the dub has a little bit to do with the voice acting but it is not the only reason why. It is a lot better than it was at first, I give it that much. But, I just find the Japanese voice acting to be more lively than the dub.

The reason why I dislike the dub is because of the fact that I do not like the fact that the dub changes the music in every episode, that is what ruined the dub for me and made me stop watching. A lot of the music I found to be unfitting and does not fit the situation in the episode. It is disappointed. While I do think the dub now is ten time sbetter than 4Kids, at least 4Kids didn’t change the music like TCPI does.
 

keepitsimple

site of lies
When I watched the anime I would watch the japanese version because that's the one that always airs first

Literally no other reason
 

Bguy7

The Dragon Lord
The reason why I dislike the dub is because of the fact that I do not like the fact that the dub changes the music in every episode, that is what ruined the dub for me and made me stop watching. A lot of the music I found to be unfitting and does not fit the situation in the episode. It is disappointed. While I do think the dub now is ten time sbetter than 4Kids, at least 4Kids didn’t change the music like TCPI does.

I just want to point out something for your consideration, make what you'd like of it. I know the music is changed, and from what I've heard about the Japanese using more game-based music than the dub, I can agree that it's probably better. However, never once have I watched an episode of the dub and thought, "Wow, this music sucks," or "This music really does not fit this situation, and now the episode is ruined because of it." Admittedly, I have never seriously watched the Japanese version, so I have no idea what the original music is like, and how much has really changed, but maybe that makes me a good unbiased judge of the music. What I'm trying to say is that maybe your problem isn't with the music itself, but the fact that the music was changed from what you know and expect. Just because it's worse, doesn't mean it's bad. Once again, take this however you like. I just wanted to throw it out there.
 

LilligantLewis

Bonnie stan
When I watched the anime I would watch the japanese version because that's the one that always airs first

Literally no other reason

When the first two episodes of XY aired in the dub just 2 days after the original, then did you watch the dub first?
 

Zyar

Unknown Member
What I really don't get is when people say they think the Japanese version has better voice acting, but they don't understand Japanese themselves. What does the voice acting matter if you can't actually understand what's being said?

I don't think you NEED to understand what they say to realize how much emotion a voice actor puts in their performance; for me, voice actors in the japanese version are able to transmit the feelings they give their characters by the tone of their voices alone. How they're capable of sounding sad, hurt, mad, excited, amused, scared, nervous... I don't need to understand what the words they're saying mean to notice those emotions in their voices. Just my opinion, but I totally respect yours.

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As for me, I like both the japanese and the spanish (latinamerican) version of Pokémon, but I hold the japanese version in higher regard for reasons already stated by other users (voice acting, music, dialogue). But what the latinamerican version has going for it is that it ALSO has good voice acting and they try to keep consistency in this aspect. Team Rocket still have the same voices they've had since episode 2 of the original series and Brock and Ash's voices weren't changed until Diamond and Pearl. I switched to the japanese version starting Best Wishes cause it was available with subtitles and I like seeing shows in their original versions, I find it more trustworthy.
 

Bguy7

The Dragon Lord
I don't think you NEED to understand what they say to realize how much emotion a voice actor puts in their performance; for me, voice actors in the japanese version are able to transmit the feelings they give their characters by the tone of their voices alone. How they're capable of sounding sad, hurt, mad, excited, amused, scared, nervous... I don't need to understand what the words they're saying mean to notice those emotions in their voices. Just my opinion, but I totally respect yours.

My personal experience is quite the opposite. When I can't understand what's being verbally said, then I fail to pick up on the emotion altogether. For example, I once took a class that required me to watch a Vietnamese movie with subtitles, which had a plot largely based around a love triangle, but I had an impossible time judging anyone's emotions at any one given time just because I couldn't understand what they were saying. Since the movie was largely based on these emotions, I had no idea what to think about what was going on at any time. Of course, that's just my experience, but it leads to not be able to understand how others manage.
 

keepitsimple

site of lies
When the first two episodes of XY aired in the dub just 2 days after the original, then did you watch the dub first?
to be honest I can't remember since that was 5 years ago.

I probably should have clarified that if I'm behind on the anime and both versions are out by the time I get around to watching the episode, I'll go with the dub. Same with if I'm rewatching an episode that I remember liking.
 

Sceptile Leaf Blade

Nighttime Guardian
It's just what you're used to. I assume that if you grew up in the US or another English-speaking country you don't grow up with subbed shows. Everything you watch is voiced in your native language. I grew up in the Netherlands and from the age of 7 or 8 or so most shows I watched were English voiced with Dutch subtitles. TV networks like Cartoon Network broadcast everything subbed, they didn't redub anything. And it's the same with movies. Most movies, especially live-action, don't get a Dutch redub, they just get subtitles. And if they do get a redub it's usually horrible with the mouth movements not matching the language at all. Reading subtitles doesn't distract me at all, it's second nature.
 

Ryu Taylor

Unwavering beliefs. Richter Taylor is my name now.
I will defend the dub version as being far from the garbage some make it out to be.

As will I. And in fact, it was that "DUB IS GARBAGE BECAUSE [insert whatever nitpick here]" attitude that got me thinking the JP version would be awesome. Boy did that backfire on all involved including myself.
 

jskylinegtr

Sabine Cerrado and Angela Ken Rojas fan.
I always watch the English dub version, because it is what the English version games are based on, the voice acting is much better in the English version.
 

Dragalge

"Orange" Magical Girl
Imo the last series that was good at keeping the original music and dub-only tracks was BW - BW2. Of course I prefer the original BGM kept over the dub tracks but even then they were at least tolerable compared to the dub music done in XY and SM (XY more so) imo. In terms of VAs, BW was where Sarah Natochenny started to improve and now in SM, she has shown how far she has come since her first days voicing Ash! I also like the voices of Cilan, Stephan, Trip, and some others too. I can't find any particular dub voice I like in XY however. Alan in particular was so emotionless lol. I guess Clemont was decent but that's all that I can think of. : /

SM is a step in the right direction though imo. Music wise they're hardly better but voice acting wise, there's dub voices that I actually like again. I personally like Kiawe, Lana, Professor Kukui, and Rotom Dex are my favorites while Mallow, Lillie, and Sophocles are OK. Samson Oak is the only one that I don't like from the cast and Team Rocket...will they ever have good voices again? Jessie and Meowth in particular.

In the end, I suppose I prefer both but I watch the Japanese first since I can see the episodes quicker rather than waiting until the dub comes.
 
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