Nintendo has, it seems, been listening to a consistently vocal part of its fanbase in recent times. Plenty have wanted the option to have the 'original' Japanese voice-track as an option in major games, and that's started to - gradually - happen. A post-launch update to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild added a broad range of audio tracks including Japanese, and it was a free launch day download for Fire Emblem Warriors.
For those that want Japanese voice actors in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the good news is that free day one DLC will make that possible. Nintendo released a new story trailer with the Japanese track to give you a taste for what it'll offer.
In addition the game will go up for pre-purchase and pre-load on the Switch eShop today, so if you're keen to get started as soon as the game launches that could be a tempting option.
Let us know whether you'll choose to use the Japanese voiceover when Xenoblade Chronicles 2 launches on 1st December.
Comments 111
The game looks fantastic but what's up with them calling this "free"? The Japanese voice acting is already there, it's not a huge deal to add it to the English version.
Two ways to enjoy the game!
I like this new trend of the jpn voice track being an optional download. Those that want it like me can download it, while those who don't can save on storage space.
It's a win-win really ^_^
I don't really understand why so many people want to hear the Japanese language specifically in their games, but okay.
The Japanese voices were so much better in my opinion, really happy about this.
Very excited they are including this
@KirbyTheVampire
The voice characteristic.
Japanese dub mostly very Lively, both boys and girls characters. Some are maybe Overreacted but some are really matched with the characters.
Also, some people like the "Exothic" language that called Japanese. It feels so Exothic when your Japanese language vouces while reading English subtitles, and at the same time = Learning Japanese conversations by listening what do they say.
That final "Rex!" scream is enough to covince me I'll never even bother downloading the Japanese track.
Good for those who want it, though.
I usually don't mind english dubs but Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and judging from the trailers, this game as well will greatly benefit from the japanese option.
@tsdenizen Especially because we can't tell how bad the voice acting is.
@KirbyTheVampire This so much.
From screenshots I was interested in this game, then I saw the first English trailer and the voices just felt completely wrong. None of them suited the characters.
Then after that last direct when it went into extreme detail about the combat for what felt like an eternity I was turned off.
The only way I was ever gonna be able to play this game was if I didn't have to hear those voices.
This will be the first game that's dual audio where I've actually wanted to play it in the original language, but before this announcement I was gonna pass on this game.
So anyway, the point is, adding in dual audio doesn't effect the game for anyone who does like the English audio. You don't even need to download it, but for me and probably a lot of other people it's now secured a sale.
Being able to customize your experience is nice. Hopefully the game remembers to have sliders for music volume, sound effects and speech. The mixing of audio in XCX was horrible.
I usually like Japanese audio but in Xenoblade the characters have great banter during combat - that would be lost if I played the game in Japanese
Now I'm hoping for a sound/music gallery! The music in this game is godly!
I don't get why people would want all of their video games voiced by what sound like spoilt brats from L.A., but to each their own.
Alright, Nintendo is definitely learning. That's good. I like how they announced this prominently at the start, too. It shows that they see now how relevant the option is to plenty of potential buyers.
As for me, guess I won't be having any TAKE THIIIIIIIS on my system anytime soon. Thank god.
I hope this sells by the boat load! Xenoblade X was one of my Top 12 on the Wii U: https://youtu.be/6SUglODVdXw
For me, year-out DLC means more content for an already complete game.
Man, I’ve really got to finish Xenoblade on Wii so I can play this when it releases...
@GC-161 you can't tell if voice acting is tonally appropriate unless it's in your native language? Bet your communication skills are sick...
British voice actors and actresses of the 1st Xenoblade were fantastic. If Xenoblade 2 is near to that level, English will be just fine. But thanks for the "free" Japanese option.
@tsdenizen What an inane comment you just made. Not surprised coming from someone who got their feelings hurt and was triggered into insulting the one that brought a world of hurt into an otaku's life.
@Anti-Matter I can see why some people like it, I just find it weird that such an overwhelming number of people prefer Japanese to other languages in so many games. It's not even limited to this game. I could understand it if people's taste in languages varied a little, but so many people prefer Japanese to everything else, and I just find it odd when there are so many other languages out there.
Maybe it's partly because a lot of people watch anime, which makes them more familiar with Japanese.
I understand why people would want to avoid the English version for this game though, because that is some pretty awful voice acting, at least judging by that one trailer.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Well, they're calling it "DLC" rather than just an update, and if they said DLC without specifying that it was free, people might get the wrong idea.
I assume they're calling it DLC because it'll be an optional extra download (rather than being part of an update).
I do prefer English dubs, but my partner prefers Japanese with English subs so this works out great for us! I'm definitely doing the physical version for this game, that Special Edition is too sweet to pass up!
@SLIGEACH_EIRE They're calling it "free" in order to stress that it's, well, free! Of course it costs them nothing to put the Japanese voice tracks in the international release. However, they could have gone the route of other game companies and charged for it anyway just to wring extra cash out of the desperate consumer; so that's why they're emphasizing the fact that it's free, so that the fans know that they're listening and that they're actually doing them good.
@GC-161 "a world of hurt"? Really? I said I prefer the Japanese, YOU make the first inane, passive-aggressive comment, I respond, and I'm the immature one? Dude, WHY ARE YOU HERE? Just to crap on people who are happy about this? REALLY? THAT'S NOT INANE? I'M AN OTAKU, MR. SENRAN KAGURA AND CONCEPTION FAN?
This one is a meh for me. Would have preferred the trailer in English as well.
@tsdenizen Well, well ... now you REALLY sound mad.
Calm down. My original comment was obviously a joke.
Jeeeeeeesus, otakus sure get emotional.
Very excited for this now.
I'll use the Japanese one if they have Americans dubbing the game but if its an English cast, I'll stick with it. Genuine English accents seem more authentic in RPGs but faux-English (I'm looking at you Zelda) is a spell-breaker for me. Obviously, games set in America are great with American casts, but fantasy RPGs with American actors doing English accents make me turn the sound off
I always thought fantasy Rpgs should have Shakespearean voice acting.... Never disappoints!
@KirbyTheVampire I think its because the English ones are usually poor, at least if the Japanese ones are poor its almost impossible to tell
@KirbyTheVampire I don't want to hear the Japanese language, I want to hear the ORIGINAL voices in games and movies. It's more authentic and the way it was intended to be.
It's not like people want a Japanese dub for English games. I don't like any dub
@carlos82 I understand that, but the same goes for basically any other language.
@BigKing I'm sure plenty of people would take that option, though. They just don't ask for it because it's usually not an option for Western games.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE If they didn't call it "free," many people would ask if it was free, and they would need to say that it was free.
@KirbyTheVampire Original. You missed the point. It's not about a preferred language. It's about the original language. Also, some English dubs are bad.
@KirbyTheVampire Japanese voice actors tend to be more talented. Go back and play Arc Rise Fantasia on the Wii and try listening to the emotionless robot deliver by the American cast. It's pretty bad.
Whew, good!
@tsdenizen Calm down...and watch the language please...
!!!!YES!!!!
@BigKing The game was written in Japan by Japanese people in Japanese originally, it has to be translated into English etc. Hence, maybe, there is some extra authenticity to the feeling of the game if the auditory immersion is complete.
Fortunately, everyone now has the portion to play as they please. Fabulous! 😊
Will be using this.
I was playing Zelda w/ the Japanese voice acting and my teenage son, who woudl never dream of using anything with subtitles, came in adn at down next to me and said - "This is so much better." He still wouldn't use it, would rather hear horrible voice acting than read, but for those of us who aren't so lazy, the better voice acting is nice.
So for me, it isn't about wanting to hear Japanese so much as not wanting to hear bad English voice acting. Japanese voice actors do seem to take things a lot more seriously though, everybody is overwrought and traumatized, the emotions add tot eh experience.
Not that all English voice acting is bad, the Uncharted series has some of the best in the business, and I liked the voices in the Gears of War trilogy. but when ti comes to JRPG it just doesn't work. FFXV, for all of it's many flaws, actually grew on me, but that was more a road trip than an JRPG anyway.
@KirbyTheVampire I don't know about others, but I usually want a JP dub because it almost always spells instant quality. Most games have downright horrible and ridiculously bad voice actors on the English dub, and it just tears the immersion apart completely. Meanwhile, I've only come across VERY few JP dub games where I had an issue with the voice acting.
I do watch anime, but it's not as much preferring Japanese to any other language as it is knowing that you're dealing with a country who has a GIGANTIC success rate when it comes to good dubs. That, and I understand most of the general spoken Japanese, so the "banter", puns and other fun things aren't lost on me.
Personally I just don't think a game like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 should have a British-sounding cast, because the setting doesn't fit such a cast. At all. But that's just my personal opinion.
Either way, dual-audio should be a given with most games, and I'm happy Nintendo is finally seeing reason again after some of the blunders on 3DS (looking at you, Fire Emblem Fates).
I just signed up only to post this. ^^ So, hello everyone!
I'm german and I usually play JRPGs with the original voice acting and german subs because it sounds way better to me. The german voice acting sometimes sounds really bored and unemotional, one might say dead on the inside. And as far as I could read here the english VA doesn't seem to be that much better in some cases.
Plus, it really helps to not understand the language while reading the subs. I remember reading the german subs while listening to the english dub of Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii U and getting annoyed of the inconsistencies.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE it's not free with some games. for example it costs extra for world of final fantasy and final fantasy xiii (for one of the three anyway)
I'll stick woth english, I want to understand the battle banter unlike in TMS#FE.
Plus, personally, I don't think the dub is as terrible as some say.
@Luna_110 It isn't that it is terrible per se, it is more the fact that it is horribly mismatched. I honestly couldn't resonate with a single character and their English voice. The voice actors are probably brilliant (or well, some of them), but if they make me feel like I'm supposed to be playing a realistic looking war game between factions of the British people... They ruin my immersion when it comes to Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Now, this is probably different from person to person. Some might think they match perfectly, and I won't contest that. This is all personal opinion after all. My issue is that to me, the English dub breaks immersion completely with every single word they utter. So JP dub for me. Normally I might give it a chance so I could understand the battle banter, but I understand most of the JP battle banter anyway so its all good
Either way, looking forward to the game, good luck on your own journey when it arrives!
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
If it is able to be downloaded, and it includes content... then it is DLC.
I am sure they are stressing "free" because when people hear "DLC", they tend to assume it is going to cost money.
@KirbyTheVampire What I find curious is how many of the people who prefer subtitles to the English dub in their anime and games don't realize that the Japanese track is just as dubbed and isn't the original in any meaningful sense.
Weeaboos rejoice!
@JimmySpades ...Are you serious? Anime is Japanese. The original voice acting, aka the JP dub is the original. That's just how it is. If a game is released by a Japanese company with a Japanese dub, and then localized in another region/country... The Japanese dub is the original. The first one is the original.
Now, games releasing with both JP and EN dub simultaneously... A grey area. But it doesn't really matter since people should just pick the dub they like the most.
@invictus4000 Sigh, you people still exist? What does the option of a JP dub have to do with weeaboos? Indulge me, please. And before you do, go ahead and check up on the definition of a weeaboo first.
No Japanese audio was the only thing holding me back from buying this game.
The 'Launch Day DLC' doesn't mean it's a preorder bonus is it? I can buy the game at my leisure and download the JP track?
@AyanamiReign it's just launch day DLC. You download it when you want to, no rush After the game releases it is permanently available.
@Blizzia Yes, I'm serious. When English voice actors dub anime they are working directly with the video in exactly the same way that the Japanese voice actors did; they do not have to interact with the Japanese performance. That means it is not derived from the Japanese performance, and in that sense it is just as original, the obvious temporal order notwithstanding.
That character trailer spoil a hell lot of the story.
@Blizzia That makes sense. I still think people have a strange bias towards Japanese, but after watching an anime for the first time recently (technically I have seen others, like Castlevania, which is considered an anime as far as I know, but I don't really count stuff like that), I understand why a little more.
@JimmySpades Except it isn't, since the Japanese dub is exactly what the animation is tailored to. It doesn't matter if they interact with the Japanese performance or not, as they still have to fit it in a way that doesn't give away too much of the fact that the mouths aren't speaking the language you're hearing.
The characters are animated to have Japanese sentences of a certain length spoken at a certain timing. The English voice acting cast has to put in random words or shorten sentences so they sound weird, or just completely change them, deviating from the original material.
Having this option is great as some people prefer Japanese voice acting but for me it all depends on what it is. For example I'm not as into Japanese anime like my wife but if something is amazing doesn't matter what language its in or if its western or Japanese. Sometimes it's better with english voice actors and sometimes it is not. I typically prefer to listen to something in the region it was created in to capture the creators vision but doesn't always end up being the case. Voice acting can make a big difference and I remember my wife bugging me to watch Spirited Away and I finally caved in. IT was the english voice acting and it was so terrible I had her turn if off in two minutes. A few hours later she talked me into listening to it in Japanese with English subtitles and I absolutely loved the movie. Last example robotech and I do understand its three separate anime's but nevertheless I couldn't get into the original macross or the the other two southern calvery and i forgot what the other is called. The english version had great humor and loved the voices of the Zentradi it made them sound as big as they are. Avatar the last air bender even though it has an anime feel to it and heavily inspired by Miyazaki. I couldn't imagine seeing it in Japanese as the English voice acting was fantastic. With all that being said I would try out both for about 5 minutes in English and Japanese and see which one resonates with me more.
@JimmySpades English text isn't original.
@KirbyTheVampire Yeah, people might have a strange bias towards Japanese, but there is also a good reason for liking JP dubs. Due to their crazy voice acting industry, they have way too many good voice actors, which means that they have a much better chance of producing good dubs. When it comes to English voice acting, we only really have a few truly talented voice actors compared to Japan.
In my opinion, it's a question of average skill per voice actor. The average skill is much lower in the US and Europe, though we do have some crazy talented people amongst our ranks. Meanwhile in Japan most dubs tend to be at least decent, because the average skill per voice actor tends to be higher. The negative part of that is then that unless you're fluent in Japanese, you'll have trouble separating good from great outside of global voice acting skills like tone and mood.
But again, preferences tend to overpower issues regarding quality and/or quantity. I prefer more energetic and emotional voice acting, and Japanese dubs tend to provide that. A good and serious English dub is also great every now and then, but I'll save that for the AAA crazy budget ps4 games coming out every now and then. For my animated RPGs, I go with Japanese
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
So people know you don't have to pay?
@NinNin Doesn't change the fact that the English performance isn't derived from the Japanese performance.
Such a non-issue for me.
Can you pre-pay for the season pass? On the EU shop I have to buy the game 2. I already pre-ordered it in a gamestore.
@JimmySpades The Japanese performance uses the original material, the English performance deviates from the original material. AKA the Japanese performance is more original. Doesn't mean that the English performance doesn't hold true to the original material, but it is automatically less accurate.
@Eddyson I tested it myself, and it seems like you have to wait till release day with buying the season pass on the eShop unless you buy the "bundle". :/
@Blizzia Weeaboos rejoice.
I will. I enabled it as soon as I could even in Breath of the Wild. Original voice cast always has the advantage of first-party voice direction, and have you seen the cast? Ai Nonaka, Takahiro Sakurai, Mamoru Miyano, Aoi Yuuki, Chiwa Saito, Ami Koshimizu, Himika Akaneya, Aya Hirano, Ayana Taketatsu, Yoko Hikasa... reading Japanese voice credits is like looking at DreamWorks movie posters. XD
I'm not a fan of how over acted some of the jp voices are. It always bugs me when I hear this high pitched melodramatic voice acting for jp female characters and cutesy animal mascot characters
@JimmySpades Not sure why you're tagging me with that comment, or why it is even relevant. You don't seem to understand the definition of the word weeaboo either, so that doesn't exactly help.
@Oat It all comes down to preference honestly. You'd say JP voices sound overly dramatic, and I'd say that EN voices sound like they don't care about the game they're voicing.
So yeah it's probably completely up to each person's individual preference. Luckily we both get what we want, so that's a plus!
The game is gonna sound more serious now. Good.
@nhSnork IKR, just the list is enough to pre-order the game. It's amazing.
@Blizzia Does the definition of "weeaboo" imply that they can't rejoice? Because that's literally all I said.
@JimmySpades Well the comment simply has no relevance to what we were talking about. Which is why it was misplaced in that context and that suggested you had no idea about what it actually meant.
@Blizzia Oh, those pesky non sequiturs.
@JimmySpades Shrug
@KirbyTheVampire
This game and many others are cultural exports of Japan. Like foreign films, there's going to be many, if not a majority, of people who prefer to enjoy the work in its native language. And you're right, there's a lot of crossover between anime and game consumers.
Some of us (shocking!) even understand Japanese and lose a cultural aspect we enjoy if forced to play/watch an English dub.
I love this trend toward diversity in video games! I think it's a sign the industry is maturing
@Indielink I think that a big part of it is Japanese voice acting can be over the top with emotion because if it's done in our native language it's comes across as fake.
@Blizzia Haha, it was really just a joke. To be honest, I lived in Japan for many years, taught school there, etc and speak/read/write the language fluently. So believe me when I say I'm not one of 'those people'. Lol. It's just the Nintendo community gets soooo crazy over the sub options and start bashing all other translations.
@invictus4000 The internet is not quite so forgiving on jokes haha And yeah, people go a little crazy. I mean, I just think it should be mandatory for games made in Japan. EN + JP audio, EN subs as minimum when localized to EU/NA. Might as well get everything possible so people can play it their preferred way.
@Snaplocket "OMG people have such ridiculous arguments for saying X is better. It's like it's their personal opinion or something. I just listened to Y and it fits just fine. Totally not a personal opinion, objective fact ya hear?!"
Let people have their opinions. You can have yours, people who disagree can have theirs.
@KirbyTheVampire I don't speak Japanese, so I don't speak to those that do, but I'd wager because they think it sounds more authentic/better voice acting. Maybe it has a bit to do with not understanding the language, so it still leaves a bit to the imagination but you still get the emotion of the voice actor giving life to the character.
Unless you speak Japanese, why would you want to play a game in a language you don't understand? My wife also does this for anime, despite not speaking a lick of Japanese, and she still has not succesfully explained to me why its beneficial. Saying it sounds better is odd, when you can't understand what they're saying and have to rely on someone else's translation via subtitles anyways.
To each his own I guess.
@KirbyTheVampire & @Agent721 has to do with the misconception that Japanese voice acting is "better." However, if you understand even basic Japanese you can tell there is no real difference in quality, outside that Japanese actors tend to overact a bit, while North American actors tend to underact. It really is not that much of a difference and has not been much of one since the early 00's.
There can be scenarios where the English dub has been heavily modified like Drakengard 3, but if you don't understand Japanese you will never know because they use the English subtitles. I can understand that if you know Japanese you want the more "authentic" experience without paying extra shipping, but for most people it is just borderline ignorance.
I'm not a native english speaker so it's going to sound foreign either way, that's why I prefer original audio.
@JimmySpades The English dub is derived from the English text, which is derived from the Japanese text.
@Agent721 Because some people want to listen to the original sounds. Also, if you're interested in Japanese (or any language), it's most likely that you'll at least know some words.
@NinNin Exactly. At no point is the Japanese performance involved, which means that the English dub is not derived from the Japanese dub. From the point of view of the acting they're independent.
If you have Japanese voice acting with English subs, are the English subs a direct translation of the Japanese script, or just the English voice acting written down? Because if the latter then you're still not getting the full authentic original script are you, as with English dubs they always change things (sometimes significantly) to fit in with timings and mouth movements?
Either way I like these options in games that originate from Japan, even if it just means the voices go in time with the mouth movements!
Serious question: will Japanese version of the game support English language then (at least subtitles)?
@Blizzia Yeah that's true. I also think the english voices are also kinda meh as well so I'm at a bit of a crossroads. My complaint about the jp voice acting is something that unfortunately comes up quite consistently when I play jrpgs. I have no idea why jp voice directors feel the need to make certain characters voices so annoying. The problem worsens in english when those same annoying voices are given an english dub.
An example of this would be Teepo from Tales of Xillia. He is godawful in both jp and in english but it's largely because the jp voice was a terrible shrill annoying voice to begin with and they localized it the same way in english
Chapter 5: "In which we get angry about being given language options"
The fact both sides now have options means you no longer need to convince anyone which is better. It's not like you're competing over a particular space. You can just set and forget.
As for why a person might chose one language over the other? It might be as arbitrary as why some people prefer rock to pop. They sound different. People like different sounds. Some people like vocal music. Some like instrumental music. Some like odd time signatures. Other people like everything in 4:4. Some may prefer not understanding to understanding and cringing at every syllable. Some people like characters drawn and voiced in full, comprehensible detail. Others like to have elements left to their own imagination.
There are a lot of different reasons. And now there are options to suit those reasons. I can't see any need go name calling, or how anyone can come out 'victorious' in this debate. The only victory is picking the language option you prefer.
I would like to give the English a chance. I seem to be in a minority - and this is even unusual for me - but I LOVED the English voices in Xenoblade Chronicles. But odds are I will be using the Japanese voices in the end.
Still not sure why people get so obsessed with getting the Japanese dub on games like this but at least it'll shut people up.
@Snaplocket I just roam the anime forums too much and have had this debate one too many times. I have refined my argument to an art form at this point. That and unlike anime, gaming does not have different sub groups you can point to as "being more accurate." Granted if someone is that much of a purist they really should be actually learning Japanese to get the true experience.
Granted people think you can learn Japanese by just watching anime and playing games in Japanese! So I don't know that is why I tend to just chock it up to ignorance when people use the "better" or "authentic" argument.
I never get why this always has to be in a download. Has this to do with the memory-space of the game-cards?
@JimmySpades The point is that the Japanese text and audio are the original, and some people want to listen to the original sounds. It's a matter of preference.
Oddly enough I'm happy that it has English audio as an option too, versus only Japanese. For the most part game producers wouldn't waste the time and money to get English voice actors for a lot of Japanese games to localize.
The one part I really dislike when it's come to sub is that they don't sub the battle command parts in a game while fighting. Ex. Fire Emblem Warriors have some interesting support Warrior attacks dialogues that I would miss if not for the English audio during the fights (Freddy Bear). With Japanese audio, only unknown chatter if you don't understand the language.
@NinNin Okay do they know Japanese? Are they listening to it to get the 100% authentic experience or because it is a Japanese game so they feel they need the Japanese audio? Are they using English subtitles? If "Yes" then do they know that most of the time the subtitles are meant for the English dialogue rather than the Japanese dialogue?
So unless you know Japanese then the original sounds is just because you like the sound of somebody's voice more than another. Because you cannot judge a performance based purely on just the sound because there are some terrible Japanese dubs that get a pass just because it is Japanese. Berserk (1997) being a prime example (I mean come on Marc Diraison is the voice of Guts and he always will be to a lot of people).
I understand that some people like to listen to Japanese audio rather than the English audio (especially if they are not a native speaker of either). But don't fool yourself into thinking it is because of some moral grandstanding like it is the original so by nature it is better or more authentic especially if you do not know Japanese beyond the basic of the most basic of words. There have been a multitude of games and anime where the English performances have been far punchier and better performed than their Japanese counterpart. Don't be that person who disregards the English performance just because it is not the original. Especially if you do not know a lick of Japanese which is 95% of people asking for the Japanese dub.
Preferences are preferences just be honest that it is because you just like the sound of one over the other.
@Wexter Actually, the main point of subtitles is to help people who aren't fluent in the language being spoken. If you're a native speaker of English, you don't need English subtitles. English subtitles are mainly for non-native speakers of English.
People who don't speak Japanese use English subtitles because they can read English text, but they don't understand Japanese.
"Don't be that person who disregards the English performance just because it is not the original."
It isn't about disregarding one language. You're missing the point. If one is German, when he plays a French game, it's up to him to choose to listen to the French audio or the German audio. It's his preference. When he chooses the French audio, it doesn't mean that he disregards the German audio. He may switch to the German audio later or keep switching between them while playing, but he can only choose one at a time.
@NinNin I use subtitles because a game's sound balancing can be quite terrible like Final Fantasy XV. I'm a native English speaker. It is there for the hearing impaired.
So if they do not know Japanese, and are using the English text. How do they know they are getting the "original" version? They don't. They are listening to it because of the reason I pointed out. They do not know which performance is better! They do not even know if the subtitles are accurate. So once again the excuse of it is the original is fruit-loops.
@NinNin "I understand that some people like to listen to Japanese audio rather than the English audio (especially if they are not a native speaker of either)."
I understand that. But don't use the excuse of it is the original there for. Just say you like the dub better because you prefer the voices.
I played Assassins Creed Unity in French because I wanted a more authentic experience to the time period and location (it still did not make the game better).All I'm saying is be honest and don't use an excuse that you know is fruit-loops.
@Wexter Original isn't necessarily better, but some people still prefer the original sounds. It's like if you prefer coffee to tea, it doesn't mean that coffer is better.
As for subtitles, they are useful for the hearing impaired, but they are mainly for non-native speakers. It's much easier to read than to listen if you aren't a native speaker.
@NinNin Hold you analogy there, it is not the same as tea and coffee. When appreciating art like Games, and you want the "authentic" or "original" intent, you must know the language because things are lost in translation. Especially when the subs are meant for the other language it is being dubbed into. So there for, if you want the original sounds, just say I prefer the sound of the Japanese actors. Don't put some bleh Oreo excuse of "Original" or "Authentic" because you know that is not true.
@Wexter I disagree with you. When I see a Chinese movie, I prefer the Chinese audio. When I see a French movie, I prefer the French audio. It's not about Japanese or English or any language. If you think that you're right, and I'm wrong, that's fine. I won't discuss this any further.
@NinNin See here is the thing. That is pretentious thinking. If you do not know the language or culture then why are you listening to it in that language? You miss the subtleties of the performances and the little things they do with accents, pronunciation and inflection. If you are just doing because that is the "original version" then you are kind of missing the point of why you are doing it in the first place. To catch the culture and the little details that get lost when dubbed. Just be honest and say I like doing it because I like the sound of the voice better. Because that is really the only reason to watch it in the original language when you do not know that language.
Merci. Bonne journée!
@Wexter
I feel like emotion is better demonstrated and is as intended when it's actually in the language that the game director is actually familiar with. With english, who knows, it could be at the discretion of the some random translator.
@Inu That at least makes sense. I just get annoyed when people just point to something as better when they don't understand the language. Japanese acting in general is more over the top so the emotion you are getting is mostly for that reason. English actors tend to subdue their performance.
That is just a preference thing. There is no real quality difference just a preference on performance style.
@KirbyTheVampire
Japanese game, japanese voice acting. It's as simply as that. Authentic experience.
@invictus4000
Lol, it are always Americans who come with that weeaboo stuff. Yeah yeah, we know it, everything has to have an English dub.
Same type of people who prefer a crappy Hollywood remake over the original. But they never watched the original in the first place because it wasn't in English.
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