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I start this post with affirming that I am a fan of subtitles. This is not because I am some elitist otaku(far from it; I am not well-versed in anime at all!), but because I have seen what translation and dubbing does to anime. I will, however, address the other side in defense of dubbing.
The biggest conundrums with dubbing are translation and censorship. We receive anime in the United States that has to be tailored to fit the laws that apply here. Such censorship laws mean that we do not receive the original product, although most try to be as true as possible. There have been some cases, such as with Dragonball Z, that we are exempt from full episodes because there is so much explicit content in the episodes. This can take away integral parts of the storyline or perhaps cause some confusion if referred back to in later episodes.
The translations that some of the words and names receive in the dubs are sometimes way off. Take Serial Experiments Lain for an example. This is my favourite anime, but they changed a few things about it that irked me. They changed the name of her parents, her sister's name, and a few other parts that were not too large but still removed some of the originality of the anime. I can see how this would make some people angry, but I simply saw it as a translation flaw.
As for the defense for the dubbing, it makes watching anime a lot easier. This helps with the understanding of some parts especially if the characters in the anime speak quickly. Dubbed anime is generally cheaper as you do not have to import it. (I had to import my Lain boxed set from Hong Kong, so it cost me about ninety dollars.)
Also, you have to think about it this way. If you are buying anime on DVD and receive the version with English dialogue/Japanese subtitles and Japanese dialogue/English subtitles, do you not think that the people who translated the subtitles are giving the same script used for the subtitles to the voice actors doing the dub? The outcome with that situation will be the same except that one will be audible while the other is text on the screen. The only way to really get the anime in it's entirety would be to understand spoken Japanese well enough to watch it without subtitles and without dubbing. (Albeit some subtitles are better than others.)
I think all-in-all it is a matter of preference. If you can read fast enough, I would recommend the subtitles. If you would rather enjoy the art and listen, go for the dubbed version of anime. There might be a little lost, but the main point usually comes across regardless.
~JncoDragon
The biggest conundrums with dubbing are translation and censorship. We receive anime in the United States that has to be tailored to fit the laws that apply here. Such censorship laws mean that we do not receive the original product, although most try to be as true as possible. There have been some cases, such as with Dragonball Z, that we are exempt from full episodes because there is so much explicit content in the episodes. This can take away integral parts of the storyline or perhaps cause some confusion if referred back to in later episodes.
The translations that some of the words and names receive in the dubs are sometimes way off. Take Serial Experiments Lain for an example. This is my favourite anime, but they changed a few things about it that irked me. They changed the name of her parents, her sister's name, and a few other parts that were not too large but still removed some of the originality of the anime. I can see how this would make some people angry, but I simply saw it as a translation flaw.
As for the defense for the dubbing, it makes watching anime a lot easier. This helps with the understanding of some parts especially if the characters in the anime speak quickly. Dubbed anime is generally cheaper as you do not have to import it. (I had to import my Lain boxed set from Hong Kong, so it cost me about ninety dollars.)
Also, you have to think about it this way. If you are buying anime on DVD and receive the version with English dialogue/Japanese subtitles and Japanese dialogue/English subtitles, do you not think that the people who translated the subtitles are giving the same script used for the subtitles to the voice actors doing the dub? The outcome with that situation will be the same except that one will be audible while the other is text on the screen. The only way to really get the anime in it's entirety would be to understand spoken Japanese well enough to watch it without subtitles and without dubbing. (Albeit some subtitles are better than others.)
I think all-in-all it is a matter of preference. If you can read fast enough, I would recommend the subtitles. If you would rather enjoy the art and listen, go for the dubbed version of anime. There might be a little lost, but the main point usually comes across regardless.
~JncoDragon
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