While Karas may have some weaknesses in it’s plot, it’s still a really fun time and at 6 episodes, it’s well worth it.
Got my DVD in the mail today and finished the series. No huge complaints, it was a fun ride. But having the English dub with the Japanese dub to compare with…I found an excellent example of the difference between them.
I apologise in advance if I start up a “sub-vs-dub” debate again. I am one who used to feel that whichever you encounter *first* usually ends up your favourite, but I am slowly coming to believe that Japanese actors/actresses are trying harder — and here’s why.
There are crowd scenes, of people running and screaming to get away from a Mikura. If you have the R1 DVD, switch between the English and Japanese at that point. It’s amazing the difference. In the English, the crowd sounds like they’re riding the log flume ride at the park. In the Japanese the crowd sounds like they’re in mortal fear of being eaten by a monster. There’s just no comparison between them. It’s like the difference between “Aaah. Oh dear oh dear, I might break a nail.” and “AAAAAGH!!! IT’S A FREEKEN DEMON, I’M GONNA DIE!!!!!” Listen to the actress playing Yoshiko (Chiba Saeko and Dorothy Fahn) after that point. Fahn *squeals*, I kid you not. Chiba sounds like she tore her vocal chords. She sounds like someone in actual fear for her life.
This, boys and girls, is what’s known as *believability* in acting, and it’s by far and away the biggest thing an actor/actress needs. It’s their stock-in-trade. If they’re not believable, then either, a) they’re not very good at their job or b) they’re being hamstrung by the Director. Are there good English anime dubs? Sure there are. I was always fairly impressed with the dub for Ghost in the Shell — although to be honest, not a whole lot of acting was required for Motoko or Batou. There are other good examples, though.
Not too long ago, Roger Ebert, in a review of a foreign film, remarked that watching a foreign movie dubbed in English took half of the actor’s performance away from him or her. Half of what they do is their voice, the timbre, the intonation, the inflexion. Why take that away from them? And think about this: when any movie is dubbed, the script is completely re-written so that the words in English the dubbing actors are saying match the movements of the mouth of the actor on screen. That means correct translation goes right out the window and you’re left with whatever fits. And that sucks.
Sure, there are timing and length considerations in a subtitle. But not as much. I also keep hearing that “I don’t wanna read when I’m trying to enjoy a movie.” or “I have to read it once, then watch it again, to watch the movie.” Perhaps this is true. I know that not everyone is as fast a reader as I am. But you are still denying yourself something by not making the effort. Remember, easier is always worse.
I guess what I’m saying is, ANYTIME an existing product is re-dubbed for a new audience, things are lost. Dubs of French films, whatever. Please, people, do yourselves a favour and watch anime in it’s originally intended way. A little reading won’t kill you. Oh, you don’t want to mess up the experience by having to look down from the action and scenery to read? Well, why deny the figures onscreen half of their instrument? And with anime, ALL of it.
