Just had to pick between subbing or dubbing for Vinland Saga season 2

I spent like three days stuck on this choice for Vinland Saga season 2. I usually go dubbed cause I like to multitask while watching, but everyone online kept saying the sub actors nailed the emotional scenes with Thorfinn. I ended up going with the sub for the first half, then switching to dub for the second half to compare. Honestly, the sub hit harder during the quiet moments, but the dub had this one voice actor for Canute that was surprisingly good. Now I'm wondering if I made the wrong call on another show I'm about to start. Has anyone else flip-flopped between sub and dub for a serious anime and regretted it later?

3 comments

3 Comments

lane.cameron20d ago

Yeah I read somewhere that the director actually wanted viewers to experience the silence in the original Japanese first, so sticking with sub for that first half makes total sense. The dub cast for Vinland Saga was surprisingly solid though, especially the guy who voiced Snake in season 2. Did you end up noticing any big differences in how they handled Einar's emotional scenes between the two versions?

allen.ivan14d ago

...and that friend spent the whole first episode switching back and forth before just giving up and watching both versions side by side on two screens. He said it was the most confused he's ever been watching anime.

wesley_martin20d ago

You mentioned the sub hitting harder during quiet moments and I gotta say that's exactly why I think you made the right call for a show like Vinland Saga. The emotional weight in those silent scenes with Thorfinn just doesn't translate the same way when you're reading dubbed dialogue with background noise. You can always rewatch with the dub later, but that first experience with the original voice acting really sticks with you.