Manga or Anime?/Dubs or Subs?

[Graham Cracked]

Recently (and quite obviously), I've been getting back into watching anime, primarily Lupin The Third, with some others like Attack on Titan and Karin in the near future. I've also been going back to reading manga like Higurashi, Soul Eater, March Story and Yotsuba&!.

Since there are a few other anime fans here, I was wondering what everyone else preferred. Do you rather like reading the manga or watching the anime of a series? And if anime, do you like the English dubbed version or the Japanese VA w/English subtitled? As for me, it really depends on the series. I used to have a giant manga collection, but certain ones look better acted out than on paper. Then again, there are certain shows where the English voices work, but then other times, I can't listen to how their character sounds half the time. >.<

[Jorm]

I don't much of a preference when it comes to manag vs anime, like you, it often depends on the specific story in question for me. When it comes to anime though, I am very much in the subs camp. There are some exceptions where I think the American VAs did an excellent job, but most of the time dubs make me cringe and I would much, much rather watch the original with English subs.

[Arty]

For manga vs.Anime it depends....like i prefer the manga to both oruan host club and fruit baskets to.its anime parts because the anime took out a lot of stuff. So it depends. As for subbed and dubbed stuff, again it depends...like for the anime yu yu hakusho i like both because the voices are great. But for ex: when the main character screams in the dubbed (justin cook) it sounds painful. But in the subbed it sounds fake. Deathnote...well i prefer the dubbed....like for L his dubbed voice is SMEXY!!!!! Ugh!!!! And Misa sounds smarter in the dubbed. For light i do prefer his subbed...idk his dubbed is ok but to me it sounds feminine....so it depends...

[Bondi]

Manga vs. Anime: Generally I'd have to go with anime for the convenience and price factor. Buying an entire anime series (at least the animes that I tend to like, which are usually (though not always) 26 episodes or less) is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a 30+ manga series at $10 - $15 a pop and it's a lot easier to store anime (at least with the current packaging, not so much with the packaging they used to use when I first got into it back in 2006) than it is to store a long manga series. Basically, if I'm going to own a manga, it better be fucking awesome...average and forgettable manga just won't cut it for me for these reasons. On the other hand, a lot of times the manga is usually better. The only advantage that the Berserk anime has over the manga, in my opinion, is that it's in color. Otherwise, fuck the anime, I'm going with the manga. Same thing with Akira: Why would I want to watch the movie, which amounts to a two-hour clipshow that barely makes any sense when I can read the manga, which is superior in every conceivable way?

Subs vs. Dubs: Most of the time, I like newer anime in English and older anime in Japanese. Stuff like Black Lagoon, Texhnolyze, Blue Gender, and Cowboy Bebop, I'm going to watch in English every time. Now and then Here and There, the dub might be okay, but the voices don't feel right to me, so I have to go with subs. Most stuff in the 80s and early 90s, I won't touch the dub with a stick.

[Blah!?]

I don't feel I really have a preference for manga vs anime. I've definitely watched more anime, but that doesn't necessarily mean I think it's better. I probably find it easier to watch than to read, but I enjoy them about the same.

As for dubs vs subs, I'm going to paint a target on myself and say that for the most part, I actually really like dubs. Sure, there are plenty that suck, but I usually either like or at least don't mind ones that a lot of other people hate. I don't necessarily think dubs are better than the original voice acting, but I don't think they're inherently worse either. In this case, I definitely find it easier to watch dubbed anime than subbed. There have been a few times where I've either missed what's going on while I'm reading the subtitles or I've actually had to pause the whole thing because they just go on for too long. Again, the original voice acting is fine, but having to miss out on the visuals to understand what's being said is deal breaker for me in most cases. That and I've actually gotten to meet some English voice actors at conventions and stuff, so they have me on brand loyalty if nothing else.

[Jorm]

Manga vs. Anime: Generally I'd have to go with anime for the convenience and price factor. Buying an entire anime series (at least the animes that I tend to like, which are usually (though not always) 26 episodes or less) is a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a 30+ manga series at $10 - $15 a pop

This is really the only factor that affects my preference as far as Manga vs. Anime goes. I'm much more likely to get into an Anime than a Manga because I can actually afford it. Especially with more and more stuff being available through Netflix. Generally speaking I think Manga versions are probably better quality, merely by virtue of being the original format. It's the same way I feel about any book to video adaptation, the original is almost always a better story because adaptations to video require major editing. But the cost of a whole manga series is just too high for me to risk starting a new series in that format. If I start watching an anime and really enjoy it I usually start looking for the manga though.

I definitely find it easier to watch dubbed anime than subbed. There have been a few times where I've either missed what's going on while I'm reading the subtitles or I've actually had to pause the whole thing because they just go on for too long.

I think is totally legit. I personally only have trouble with subs very rarely, but I know a lot of people find it difficult to pay attention to the animation and the subs at the same time. And hey, if the voice acting doesn't bother you, more power to you! I wish it didn't bother me as much as it does.

[YoriYori]

I like some manga art, but I don't like to read them much. Sometimes the story feels too choppy to me. But then as anime, the stories are usually too drawn out with too much filler.

As for sub/dub issue-

It's hard to say. When I was younger I used to see dubs a lot on TV. The voice work was pretty bad. Also, the way to fill all the extra lip movements with all the para language was horrible. However, the voices were usually less screechy which I appreciate. Save for very short clips, I haven't seen newer anime in dub, but with the increasing popularity I think probably it has gotten better. A few Japanese video games I played that had voice work dubbed into English also seemed pretty well done.

Since I don't have a TV my boyfriend is usually watching anime at my place on the internet so it's always Japanese and sometimes I see it. If it's a good story I'll watch! He likes to watch it to see how stories differ from the manga or remember parts he forgot of long running series (he prefers manga over anime though). One thing I don't like is the screechy voices. It's so hard to sleep when he's still watching and those are piercing my ears. They just seem screechier in Japanese. Especially the cutesy female characters. Or, female voices in general. They're so fake. But that's not just anime... regular adverts and radio programmes have a lot of that too-saccharine-feminine voice too. However, since it's in the native language all the fillers words and flow of speech fit naturally which is less annoying than dubs that have to add extra words or strange word arrangement to fit the lips.

Sooooooo in summary I suppose for me a "good dub" would probably be the same as a regular Japanese version . If bad dub, then Japanese version wins.

[a red nine]

I read a lot of manga when I was in middle school and early high school, but in my sophomore year I switched over to mainly watching anime. The animation can often be really stunning, though the manga has a tendency to develop the story more, if it came out first. If I really enjoy a series, I'll probably pay attention to both.

Sooooooo in summary I suppose for me a "good dub" would probably be the same as a regular Japanese version . If bad dub, then Japanese version wins.

That's basically how I feel about it. Sometimes I can't take a dub seriously, though subs means I have to pay attention more closely, so if the dub is good I'm definitely going to watch that. I usually like best whatever I hear first. But I'm no die-hard fan for the original voice cast, and I'm perfectly happy watching either.

[March Hare]

ALWAYS the subs. You wouldn't believe how dumb the dubbed voices in Weiss Kreuz sound, to name just one example.

When it comes to Saiyuki, I very much prefer the manga, because it's much better-drawn; but I prefer Trigun anime to Trigun manga. I think, because I haven't read much of the manga yet.

[VoOs]

Only anime, and always subs. Sometimes I like to check out a couple of dubs in other languages after I've watched a show with its original cast, just to compare the voices (yes, hello, I'm a voice-acting geek), but I always start out watching in Japanese.

[Jorm]

You wouldn't believe how dumb the dubbed voices in Weiss Kreuz sound, to name just one example.

SO bad, omg.

[Azrael]

i have tons of manga and anime...in some cases reading the manga is better than the anime versions of it....because sometimes...if not MOST of the time, something in the anime is changed, or things are switched around. i also like how mangas read, theyre pretty neat.

in terms of subbed or dubbed...i usually watch the enlish versions of anime, simply because i dont want to be bothered with having to pay most of my attention to the subtitles. lol and yes, i agree some dubs sound really stupid, but ehhh..i still prefer watching something in a language i know. theres only one anime dvd i have thats all japanese only, and its a rated X one...ive only watched it once

[Vongola Undicesimo]

I usually try to read the manga first, but I collect the volumes, so it's a little hard. If I've already seen the anime, then I'll probably go back and read the manga. As to which I prefer, I find the art is usually better in manga, so I like to stare at the pretty pictures. Also manga has better story lines. But I feel like watching anime takes less time.

And it really depends on the dub. An anime that came out a few years ago and has already been dubbed I'll usually watch the dub. But, if I've already seen the anime in sub, when the dub comes out, I'll usually re-watch it. I think we're all a little biased because I can't think of one sub where the voice acting is bad. On the contrary, everyone knows a long, long list of bad dubs.

[Mash]

Anime for me. I'll never be good at reading manga.

As for sub vs dub, sub all the way.

I can recognize bad English voice actors so much easier than I can bad Japanese voice actors. Plus, it's like they don't even bother telling them how to pronounce anything. It makes me want to slice my ears off.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Mash