(no subject)

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

A lot of people are complaining over how the Japanese words are pronounced in the dub, when they really have no reason to.

I could understand the cause for complaints if Hokage was pronounced Ho-cage, or if Sasuke was pronounced Sa-SOO-kay, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Though I haven't actually viewed the dub, most of the complaints seem to be centered more on incorrectly stressed syllables, which is a moot point.

Though my experience in Japanese is limited, I've observed that most Japanese words stress on the first syllable. On the other hand, many English words stress on the second syllable, especially when the word has three syllables in all. Hence, the pronunciation of Na-ROO-to.

Though many people may not realize it, it takes a considerable amount of conditioning for most Americans to naturally stress syllables in a different way, even with foreign words.

As long as they generally pronounce the Japanese terms correctly, I don't see what the big deal is. It's silly to expect the English VAs to pronounce the Japanese words without some sort of accent.

Sorry to bog down all of your Friends Lists with more Dub garbage, but hopefully this post will help quell at least some of the complaints.

Comments

[cains-underoos.livejournal.com]

It wasn't that bad. They did roll Rs occasionally, but its a lot better than what I have seen over the years.

My favorite mispronounciation was "Gheynin" by Iruka VA. I demand a "Gheynin" icon now!

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

Gheynin? As in... GAYnin?

Holy crap, stressed syllables can't save that one. I actually prefer it that way. GAYnin!

[narutomonkey.livejournal.com]

I actually don't give a hoot on how everything's pronounced. It's anime. Fictional.

entertainment.

[rejectedstalker.livejournal.com]

Your intentions are honorable, but I assure you your attempt will be rendered meaningless within 24 hours.

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

Unrelated to your comment, but I must say, your icon is sexy. So sexy that I would sleep with it, if I could. ;)

[ec-chan.livejournal.com]

i dun really care what they pronounce rite or wrong... but the way they pronounced naruto bugged the hell out of me... it's crazy that they can't pronounce that but can pronounce konohamaru XDD... but yeah i understand what u mean about the american part =.=; but they just sounded like they were trying too hard not to pronounce it wrong and they needed to just speed it up =.=;

[hangookmoongurl.livejournal.com]

Thank you for making a post about that. I've been trying to point this out to all my friends and mentioned it on this community via comment but no one seemed to pay attention to it.

Stop being elitist punks! :[

[jasiri.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's been said, but again I'll say my point. If your job is to say words, say them right.

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

My point is that mispronunciation isn't the case at hand, for the most part. It's more a difference in languages, which can't really be helped.

It would be just as valid to complain over the English VAs not pronouncing R's The Japanese Way. Of course, most fans don't complain, because they themselves can't naturally pronounce R's correctly.

As I've stated in my post, as long as the pronunciations are generally correct, I don't see what the big deal is.

Also, as others have pointed out, if the VAs emphasize on correctly pronouncing words, it could worsen the actual delivery of their lines, which I believe is slightly more important.

Elite = bad.

[ilabb.livejournal.com]

But then again, who says what is right or not in pronounciation of a JAPANESE WORD by an ENGLISH CAST. Is it honestly too much to ask for people not to throw a hissy when a word is pronounced differently than what they're used to? Phonically, they're right in pronounciation because they're speaking ENGLISH. Would you prefer an all Japanese cast who can't pronounce any English words right but can still do all the Japanese ones fine?

When you expect too much, you just end up more dissapointed.

[rasenth.livejournal.com]

I agreeee!!!

And I bet most of the people complaining can't pronounce it correctly themselves. x_X
And I doubt anybody here can pronounce "yaoi" correctly. Har.

Ah well. If you had a solid bias about something, I guess you would be incredibly nitpicky too. =_= Oh the horror of this incessant friggin BITCHING!

[memoriez-lost.livejournal.com]

Word.

Erm.. how exactly is "yaoi" supposed to be pronounced? I have no idea. Seriously. XD

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

Actually, I don't think there has been a lot of bitching; I have read more people saying it's OK than not! ^^ I am looking forward to it now. :)

[larka-14.livejournal.com]

lol my pronunciation of yaoi is probaly the worst. I pronounce it Yay-oh. I donno...it sounds gay to me XD XD XD

[cutemew.livejournal.com]

hear, hear! props to you :D

[pdutogepi.livejournal.com]

I agree! I haven't seen the dub yet either (*Sucks to live in the UK*) but I heard how they were pronounced on Viz's website trailer and although it amused me to how they were pronounced I know it's not a big deal, after all lets just be glad they actually KEPT the Japanese names and the terms and like it's been said, we can't expect them to pronounce them all like in the Japanese show, hell I have problems pronouncing some of them right XD;;
So it's livable with *nods*

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

lets just be glad they actually KEPT the Japanese names and the terms

Cardcaptor Sakura, anyone? Sailor Moon? Don't make me start on Escaflowne.

Truly, the dark days of anime dubs are over.

[emlan.livejournal.com]

I never understand why people insist on proununcing the names all japanese when they are speaking in their own language. I mean, when my english friends call me Emily I don't glare at them evily and say that it proununced more like "Emmelé" where I come from, sheesh. It's still the same name.
My bro always mock me for for saying Narruto instead of NAA-ruTO or whatever :'<

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

I never understand why people insist on proununcing the names all japanese when they are speaking in their own language.

EXAAAAACTLY.

I say Sasu-KAY, and only with conscious effort do I say Sasu-keh. Not many English words end with the syllable keh, so it's a lot more difficult for me to say.

[thomasvye.livejournal.com]

On the whole, if there is to be emphasis placed on one syllable or another in the word, there will be an extra letter there to tell you to do it (ie; an extra 'u' to make 'to' into 'tou' for example, hence Naruto being pronounced 'Naruto' rather than 'Narutoe'. Some sounds also tend to be so soft they seem to disappear into the word when you say it (like the 'su' in Sasuke, or the 'shi' in Shino), which can sometimes make it sound like the other syllables in the word have got an emphasis on them when they haven't really...

It's not that I don't recognise that people will have trouble with pronunciation; it's more than I am very fussy about names being right. There is something very important about a person's name (whether it's 'real' or their chosen moniker) and their identity...

But I find the mispronunciation more mildly amusing than offensive. It will be interesting; I guess my major dub was Beyblade and as the original didn't have the enormous Western following that Naruto does, perhaps that enabled them to freely do what they did which was change the majority of the names to Western names.

Anyway, that's enough from me blathering on...I can actually watch the dub now someone kind has posted a link, so I'll have my very own informed opinion soon. ^^

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

can sometimes make it sound like the other syllables in the word have got an emphasis on them when they haven't really...

Hmm, interesting point. I never really thought about it that way.

Thanks for the insight! ^_^

[xxxemo-girlxxx.livejournal.com]

Lol

I heard just a few parts, and, to be sincere, I laughed a whole lot.

Why? Because I know it's gonna be worse when Naruto comes to Brazil. Sasuke will be... Sazzzzuuuukee. XD
Yeah, and they're gonna change the names. They always do. So, don't complain, you still have the original names! ^^v

[mipi.livejournal.com]

well i don't think it'll be sooo bad in spanish. SASU-ke, na-RU-to, SA-ku-ra... the accent will be missing, of course, but the names will be kind-a the same.

I hope...

[jay-apex.livejournal.com]

I think some people are just complaining to complain. They think as fans of the sub they are supposed to despise the dub, so they nit-pick about every little thing. It gets very annoying. They're like mini-Sasukes, angsty and annoying.

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

Very true.

Many otaku don't seem to realize that there's such a thing as a bad sub. SHOCKING, isn't it?

Example: Chihiro from Spirited Away. A lot of Japanese fans dislike the original voice work, and very much prefer her dubbed voice.

[i-own-boysluts.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Like, seriously. A lot of people are just trying to find something to bash the dub on; it's kind of stupid to do so :P Just accept it for what they did and enjoy it; or if you don't want to, watch the freakin' sub, oh my Gahd D:

But seriously, you rock :D

[bellpickle.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. ^_^

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

The part that makes me pull my hair out in frustration is that for the most part, the words people are complaining about are the words the dub actors got more or less right. ^^;

[oneiroelpida.livejournal.com]

I know! *laughs* The people complaining about how Ebisu said "Jounin" for one. Well, you know, maybe I've been hearing it wrong for 151 episodes, but... it sounded right to me. O.o

[mibu-roshi.livejournal.com]

I just want to say thank you to every poster here....


I was getting so discouraged by the fandom and people throwing a fit over the weirdest things about the dub.....

Thank you for having mature opinions.

[floopy3.livejournal.com]

The main thing that irked me was how the names were said so slowly. Though I suppose that can't be helped because of how the mouths were moving so that's not really something to complain about -_-