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Hello guys,
i am a completely new user of this site.I just happen to be acquainted with studio ghibli and hayao miyazaki just this week.His and the movies of his studio will never be available in my country.And the DVDs of studio ghibli are very rare too.It is because of the internet[internet is something like a alladins lamp to me] and IMDb that i have known that such director of excellence was unknown to me[as i am a movie lover and watch movies of all countries] when i saw spirited away was number 2 in top 50 animations i was thinking how could i not see the movie[because 25 titles was seen by me in top 50].so i saw the movie and i was stunned for at least 2 minutes after the movie was finished.but i didn't know there was more.when searched i saw at least 7 of his movies were in top 50 and all of them were in the list 250 movies of all time!
i was astonished because there is no director in the world who have seven titles in top 50 in any department[check it].so i watched all of his movies within 3 days.i just cannot express my felling after seeing his movies.it was a experience i have never had before it was like dream!specially nausicaa of the valley of the wind and princess mononoke.

the reason i started this thread is because

1. to express my feelings
2.the question i asked in the thread.

now in many forums [a lot and lot of] i saw the complain of watching ghibli movies dubbed.many people think that dubbing makes the movies uninteresting while the others think that dubbing is useful.

the question of dubbing also came out because of the cut version of nausicaa of the valley of the wind.which was renamed warrior of wind was 26 minutes smaller[was a rubbish according to majority viewers] but the Disney dub seemed very very good to me and it was better than subtitles[in subtitles you can not understand feelings at all and in Japanese language fellings is a little harder to find](i am not a anime fan so i am not very sure)(only dragonball,doraemon and fullmetal alchemist is my favourite). but the miramax disney dubb of princess mononoke is fantastic.

So why everybody hates disney for the dubs?
i am telling this because miyazaki whenever was asked said that watchers should watch his movies in their own language.[after becoming his fan i have been doing a lot of research on him]

he also said that 10-20% of the movie is lost if you see the subtitles.

so please tell me how do you like to watch the movies?and why?

PLEASE DO NOT EXPRESS YOUR HATRED TOWARDS ANY STUDIO.

ONE OF THE USER HERE SAID THAT WHO ,WHO WATCHED HAYAO MIYAZAKI MOVIES,INSPIRED HIM TO BE A BETTER MAN.IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MASSAGE OF HAYAO MIYAZAKI.DO NOT FORGET THAT.

this thread can be asset to all the anime lovers and all forums to understand different languages.

special request: please rate nausicaa of the valley of the wind in imdb. it is in 244 in top 250.if you did not like the movie very much then watch the disney dubb and rate it.before it dissappears from the list.it is the best movie of miyazaki.[believe me the list is a very very important thing and spread this massage to your friends and other forums you are involved in

[EDIT: Changed your title to not be so long-winded and de-bolded your special request because it doesn't really need to be. Other than that, I appreciate your effort in the lengthy opening post. -TK]

I think Disney actually does a great job dubbing their Ghibli releases. I mean, animated films are what they're famous for. Of course they know what they are doing.
I was under the impression that Miyazaki had some kind of influence over the English dub. I've read that he actually has to approve of all the voice actors cast.

Last edited by Ikari1 on Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

The Ghibli Dubs are some of the only dubs that I actually like. I thought that Nausica and spirited away were particularly good. Theres nothing over the top and forced about them and they fit the characters really well in most cases. There always seems to be that extra due care and attention paid to Ghibli dub performances.

Of course I preferred Nausica subbed over all but I thought Nausica's Dub wasnt all that bad.

The Studio Ghibli dubs are fine. There is nothing wrong with any of them. They aren't perfect, but are they unbearable? Not at all; Disney has done nothing but great jobs with them, and there is nothing wrong with watching them in English.

Of course there will always be purists who will try to convince you that you are wrong and that Japanese is the only way to see them and that the dubs are horrible, but both of these arguments are absolutely bogus. It's simply a personal preference turned into a nagging push onto others. And it gets very annoying. Usually the excuses against them are: so-and-so actor ruined this role, therefore the dub sucks, or the dialogue is not the same, so it sucks, or Disney should not dub them, period, the OLDER non-Disney dubs are PERFECT and BETTER and you should only watch them, therefore Disney's dubs are wrong and bad and terrible, period.

None of these arguments are reasonable or even remotely fair ones in any way. It's not even constructive criticism. It's just BS. All of it. The Studio Ghibli Blog is also a place I'd recommend staying away from, because the owner of the site HATES all the Disney Ghibli dubs except PONYO, SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL, and TOTORO. Who wants to hang around a site like that?

I watch the movies dubbed because I prefer listening to dubs, unless I find a reason not to like a particular dub.
So far I have enjoyed the scripts and voices for all of the Ghibli movies so I have no reason to not listen to the dubs.

I've watched some Ghibli stuff dubbed, and some subbed, and I enjoyed both formats. I do think the dubs are some of the better anime dubs out there. They're not overly American, which is always a bugbear for me and they seem fairly accurately translated. Bottom line is, I don't really have a preference; I'll happily watch either depending on my mood, i.e. whether or not I can be bothered to read the subtitles or not. I'm trying to learn Japanese, so in some respects I prefer the subtitles for helping me to learn, but that's nothing to detract from the English dub.

Last edited by TurnerJ on Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:11 pm; edited 1 time in total

Just to follow-up on my post, here's my thoughts on each and every one of them.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind — Only weakness is Shia LaBeouf's Asbel, but otherwise it's great, especially Patrick Stewart. Alison Lohman is also good in the title role.

Castle in the Sky — One of my favorite dubs to listen to, mainly for Cloris Leachman and Mark Hamill, both of who are absolutely perfect for their parts. The supporting cast is also great as is the writing (the sole exception being one line change toward the end I could have done wouthout) and Joe Hisaishi's extra music. The leads do sound more like teenagers and are probably the least excellent (but still competent overall) and some extra lines are overdone, but otherwise this is a great dub and is absolutely worth listening to.
On the other hand, AVOID the '80s Streamline/JAL dub. It's horrible, stilted, and painfully lifeless. Don't believe anyone who tells you it's better. Trust me, it's not.

My Neighbor Totoro — Like Castle, this is a hotly debated dub; either it is detested, mixed, or liked. Personally, I think the Disney dub is fine; Dakota and Elle Fanning are great as Satsuki and Mei, Elle especially; she gets the juiciest moments in the film, and the rest of the VAs are spot-on. Only weakness is the OP/ED song, which is a bit more off-color than it should be, but elsewise it's fine and listenable.
There was a previous dub for this released on FOX video by Streamline. It's actually quite good, but I wouldn't say it's superior to Disney's dub; only different. I AM very fond of it, but that doesn't mean I don't like Disney's dub. On the contrary.

Kiki's Delivery Service — This is also hotly debated, although like the above-two, it also has its fans. Kirsten Dunst is very good as Kiki, and the other voices are fine, but it's Phil Hartman who really steals the show as Jiji the cat. He is pricelessly funny. OK, so he's different from the Japanese version, but so what? He's entertaining.
A dub distributed by Streamline is also good, roughly on par with that of "Totoro", although not easily found. Personally, I think the Disney dub is fine.

Porco Rosso — Michael Keaton is a strange choice to play the title character, but he does it surprisingly well. Susan Egan is great as Gina, and Cary Elwes is a hoot as Curtis. But Kimberly Williams-Paisley is my favorite voice in the dub. She's spot-on as Fio, and I loved the chemistry between her and Keaton.
There was a previous dub for this distributed by Streamline. I haven't heard it, but I've heard very bad things about it. If it's as bad as the JAL dub of Laputa, then I'm glad I didn't see it.

Pom Poko — An obviously difficult movie to translate, but they pull it off rather well. The only Ghibli dub not to use any celebrities (unless you count Jonathan Taylor Thomas).

Whisper of the Heart — Also one of my favorites. It is a wonderful effort all around; the performances are great (especially Elliot Gould and Cary Elwes), and the translation is handled very well. Definitely a watchable dub.

Princess Mononoke — I simply ADORE this dub. Every second of it. Like Kiki and Castle in the Sky, it's difficult for me to watch this movie in Japanese because it really is that good. Neil Gaiman's script is spot-on, and the performances are great: Billy Bob Thornton's Jigo has struck some as out of place, but I personally liked him. Claire Danes has a few iffy moments as San but otherwise is solid. All in all, a must listen.

My Neighbors the Yamadas — This is another well cast dub, but the translation doesn't always work; some of the jokes felt lost to me, but considering that this film is based in Japanese humor, it would have been difficult to do either way.

Spirited Away — A lot of people have already mentioned this dub as a watchable one. I mostly agree, except I found Chihiro just a bit too shrill. Still, Suzanne Pleshette cancels out that flaw. It's not my favorite Ghibli dub, but it's worth watching.

The Cat Returns — One of my least favorite Ghibli films and dubs, but that's not to say it's bad. It's good and genuinely entertaining, particularly Cary Elwes as the Baron, but I was a bit iffy about Tim Curry's the Cat King and Anne Hathaway's Haru was occasionally over-the-top. Still, it's watchable.

Howl's Moving Castle — This is another popular one, but it's also one of my least favorites. Don't get me wrong, though, it's a good dub; Billy Crystal is especially fun as Calcifer, although I was 50/50 about Christian Bale's take on Howl. I liked him best during the tantrum scene, but I wish he had put more emotion into some other scenes. The differing accents for Sophie were a little irksome as well. Other than that, it's still solid.

Tales from Earthsea — Probably the weakest of the Ghibli dubs, but that is on no account of the voice actors or the staff—the problem lies mainly due to the source material, which is confusing and sometimes unsatisfying to begin with. Still, it's worth watching for Timothy Dalton as Ged and definitely Cheech Marin as Hare—he's arguably the best voice in the whole dub. Arren is also good, but I wasn't so sold on Therru (she sings her song well though), and I was iffy about Willem Dafoe's Cob. Don't take this as a sign that it's a bad dub; on the contrary. It's still good, it just has some imperfections.

Ponyo — Don't be put off by noticing the presence of Jonas or Cyrus in the cast or the pop song over the second half of the closing credits; this is still a very solid dub. Tina Fey is my favorite voice in the dub, and I have to say I was surprised by Frankie Jonas as Sosuke; he did a great job, and I think he should do more voice acting.

The Secret World of Arrietty — What can I say? I loved it. There's nothing particularly bad about any of the performances (David Henrie's Shawn is considerably more mature, but like the leads in Laputa, once you get past that, it's easier to appreciate the warmth he provides to the character)—Carol Burnett is terrific as Hara, and the dialogue flows smoothly too. Only drawbacks: occasionally mistimed lines and a misplaced pop song over the second half of the closing credits. Other than that, it's another great dub.

So in truth, all the Disney Ghibli dubs are quality stuff. I honestly can't watch these movies in Japanese anymore; they all have great vocal performances. Disney and Ghibli = TOP-NOTCH dubbing.

There are very small issues with the Disney dubs, but they're only problematic to sticklers. The dubs make for good movies, with very slight changes.

The Disney dubs have a tendency to fill up just about any silent moment. They ad-lib the occasional line- explain something that isn't explained in the sub (ie- In the Spirited Away Sen/Chihiro exclaims "That's Haku!" the first time she sees him in his dragon form)

Here are three instances where the changes alter the story ever so slightly:

Kiki's Delivery Service: In the sub- Jiji's doesn't have a line at the end of the film. It's a tiny change but carries a slightly different implication. Interestingly, Disney erased this line and a few other lines in their recent re-release.
Secret World of Arrietty: Adds a voice over epilogue not in the Japanese version. Personally I'm fine with that addition as it enforces what I believe happened anyway (I believe this is enforced by the further books in the source series) but others like the more ambiguous finale.
Whisper of the Heart: The one I personally have the biggest problem with- In the dub Seiji tells Shizuku the story about the two statues before she writes the story- erasing the magical bit of serendipity when she apparently intuits the existence of a mate to the Baron and writes one into her story without prior knowledge.

But mostly I have always been happy with the casting and the dubs and their practice of filling the dubs with actors from their Disney Channel shows brings in an audience that might have passed the films over otherwise.

I'll end up watching both but mostly gravitate towards the sub versions. on rewatches.

Quote:

he also said that 10-20% of the movie is lost if you see the subtitles.

By movie he must mean only the picture because almost no story or character relevant content takes place on the bottom of the screen. Is the 10-20% gone forever or can it be made up by re-watching.

I wonder what percentage of movies will be missed by eating movie confections. Surely Miyazaki will make up a number. I have nothing against the guy, he does great films, but his ideas outside anime tend to be kooky.

For me...subbed. For two very crucial reasons...

1) It comes out like years earlier...

2) Ages of voice actors(well, the age they can pull off, not actual age). Sousuke is a 5 year old in Ponyo...the voice actor who did him sound 30. Similar problem goes for Sho in Arriety. Sho is still a kid, but his voice in english sounds like a stoned college student.

Oh, and a few changes here and there does kind of bug me. They're not Funimation or 4Kids level of changes, but still.

Gon*Gon wrote:

2) Ages of voice actors(well, the age they can pull off, not actual age). Sousuke is a 5 year old in Ponyo...the voice actor who did him sound 30.

???
Do you mean this 30 year old?
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2732114/

Stupid 7-8 year old (at filming), way too old! Wink

Last edited by TurnerJ on Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:13 pm; edited 2 times in total

Furthermore, Gon*Gon, you've quoted the wrong actor. Sosuke in Ponyo was done by an actual child, Frankie Jonas. Now granted Pazu in Castle in the Sky was voiced by a considerably more mature-sounding James van der Beek, but he was only 21 when he did the role, and the character in question was roughly around 13-14 anyway. Furthermore, boys' voices do tend to hit puberty at varying ages, so it wasn't a big deal for me.

As for Shawn, I never would have known he was supposed to be twelve because he didn't look like a twelve-year-old to me. I wasn't offended by that.

EDIT: Done to make it clear that I was responding to Gon Gon, not Spastic Marrow.

ArsenicSteel wrote:

By movie he must mean only the picture because almost no story or character relevant content takes place on the bottom of the screen. Is the 10-20% gone forever or can it be made up by re-watching.

I wonder what percentage of movies will be missed by eating movie confections. Surely Miyazaki will make up a number. I have nothing against the guy, he does great films, but his ideas outside anime tend to be kooky.

Pretty much. I imagine the crunching of popcorn would drown out the music or voice acting. And while we're at it, seeing it in a theater gives the chance of crying babies and people blocking your view and other non-sense distract you, but if you watch it at home, you miss out on the big sound system and picture. No matter what you do I guess you're screwed. And if we're name dropping, Satoshi Kon apparently doesn't like his work dubbed and people should watch his stuff in Japanese.

Anyway, subbed for me, like I watch all my foreign films and shows. Even more so since Disney likes to change the music and script and names around, adding in music/dialog when there's silence in the original, and so forth. Basically the kind of stuff 4Kids does, though not on a quite silly digital paint binge scale.

The only time they did any actual music changes was in Kiki and in Laputa. But on the other hand, both had to be approved by Ghibli in the first place. In particular, the latter was a rescore contributed by Joe Hisaishi himself.

As for any dialogue changes/additions, I don't consider it the same as cutting out a second of the film. But to say that Disney's dubs are the equivalent of 4Kids seems a bit much.

[EDIT: No need to quote an entire post if your reply is going to appear right underneath it. Please save quoting for either very specific replies (like to a part of text) or for really crowded threads (for example, if you're replying to a user further up or on another page). -TK]

I have the VHS of Kiki's Delivery Service and I loved it as a young child; that's before I knew of anime. So obviously, I watched that as a dub. I also saw Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind on Toonami years later (also dubbed), and was the first time I heard Miyazaki's name mentioned. Then a few years after that, my older cousin showed me Spirited Away (also dubbed).

So I'd say from my experience, that a lot of people are introduced to anime through dubs and if they're done right (like Ghibli's dubs), sub/dub hardly matters. Since then I've watched them all in Japanese at one point or another (along with the rest of the Ghibli films), and can't really say that "<insert> is clearly better for a Ghibli film."

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Studio Ghibli anime: subbed or dubbed, and why?