吹き替えfukikae
Quick definition:A dub is a version of an anime or film in which the original spoken dialogue is replaced by a new recording in another language, performed by voice actors.
Meaning
A dub is an anime that has been translated into another language and re-voiced. The original Japanese dialogue is replaced by new performances, usually recorded by a dub cast in a dubbing studio, with a script adapted to fit the lip movements and timing of the picture. English dubs are the best known, but many languages have their own.
Dubs are popular with viewers who prefer not to read subtitles, including children, people who want to watch while doing something else and those who find reading hard. The quality of a dub depends on the translation, direction and cast, and fans often debate whether the original or the dub is better, as the same series can feel different in each version.
Some dubs have become classics in their own right, with fans remembering the voices of favourite characters. Studios now often release a dub close to the Japanese broadcast, so viewers can choose. Others still prefer the Japanese original, which they call the sub, and many are happy to switch between versions.
Origin:Dub is short for dubbing, a film term for replacing one soundtrack with another. In Japanese the equivalent is fukikae, which means substitution, and it is used for foreign works voiced in Japanese. Anime fans adopted dub to refer to foreign-language versions of Japanese series, and the cast who record them is called the dub cast.
Example:A family sits down to watch a magical adventure on television. The dialogue is in English, performed by a cast hired for the dub, and the children follow the story easily. Later an older sibling watches the same episode in Japanese with subtitles, noticing small differences in the way the lines are spoken.
Did you know?Dubbing a series is a team effort, involving translators, script adapters, directors, sound engineers and actors. Because words must fit the mouth movements and timing of the original animation, the final dialogue can differ from a direct translation, which is one reason fans sometimes disagree about the best version.
