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Talked to a guy at an anime con last weekend and it shook up how I think about old vs new dubs
I was at a panel for 90s anime dubs and this guy next to me said he prefers the old funimation DBZ dub because of the 'vibes' not the accuracy. That hit different because I always thought newer dubs were just better technically. But he had a point, those old dubs had a certain energy and freedom that got lost once everyone started following the original script word for word. I grew up on the old stuff but I also respect the newer ones for being faithful. Now I'm just wondering, does anyone else still go back to a bad dub just because of nostalgia, even when you know it's not great? Specifically thinking about the 90s Sailor Moon dub here.
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kaid591mo ago
Man @the_parker's buddy gets it exactly, that comfort factor of the wrong version hits different when it's tied to specific memories. Your 90s Sailor Moon example is perfect, I still have the old Dic dub episodes on a hard drive somewhere and sometimes I'll throw them on during a rough day just because that's the version I grew up with and it feels like hanging out with old friends even if the voices are all over the place. It's weird how the brain just latches onto whatever you heard first and treats it as the real deal no matter how much you know better now. The new Viz dub is technically better in every way but it doesn't have that same worn in feeling from rewatching it a hundred times on VHS tapes.
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the_parker1mo ago
My buddy Randy still swears by the old Pioneer Gundam Wing dub even though half the names are flat out wrong and nobody sounds like their actual age. He'll put it on during late night work sessions just for that early 2000s nostalgia hit, says it gets him through thermostat installs better than any accurate script ever could. I guess sometimes the 'wrong' version just feels more like home.
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My buddy Mark still swears by the old Speed Racer dub where they just made up half the plot. He says watching it after a bad day at work is better than any therapy session he's ever had. Something about that goofy 60s energy just resets his brain.
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