I haven't really watched any anime recently so I don't really know if English dubbing has improved, but I would go for subbed.

I always prefer subs, but sometimes dubs can be good. Subs are far more accurate. A good example being Ghost in the Shell: GITS. There was a massive debate about the translation of some VERY important dialogue in one of the last episodes.

I prefer subbed. Dubbed is just too bad to watch for me. I mean, there are some shows that aren't bad, but most of the time, the words and acting just aren't on par as the original voice actors. But, this is probably just lack of funding, good voice actors/proper schooling, and translation. Though, I do believe dubbed are definitely trying. I saw the trailer for the dubbed version of Kill la Kill and it wasn't half bad.

Additionally, the artwork has declined for animation in Japan but that doesn't mean there aren't some shining moments of great animation. Though, I have been watching subbed for so long that it's just natural for me to glance and be able to read all of the subtitles at once. So , I don't really miss much of anything. Most scenes in anime these days are stills anyway. If i think I missed something, I just replay the scene.

Subbed is also much quicker than dubbed. Yayy constant access. I really appreciate those subbing groups. D8 They are the bomb diggity.

I'd rather watch subs, mainly because I prefer the Japanese voices. The only downside for me is that I don't understand the language, so I can't tab out without pausing or I'll miss dialogue.

I myself grew up watching sailor moon and other shows dubbed. but I like both subbed as well dubbed. but thanks to Viz I'll be watching sm in subbed. there new voice actor for sailor moon her self sounds so bad to me. heck I'll watch stuff on crunchy roll are on other anime sites. to watch anime I like subbed or first saw it in subbed form.

I always watch anime dubbed to begin with, mainly because I'm usually so behind that the Japanese series is already translated by the time I watch it, and because its easier for me to keep up with. And if I don't like the voices, I can block it out, or mock the voices while I watch XD

So far there's one dub I could NOT watch at all without wanting to rip my hair out, and that was Wedding Peach. I wanted to go through the screen and kill all the characters with a chainsaw. Unfortunately that's impossible...so I gave the dvd an untimely death

(ok or sold it-same thing.. ^^;)

I tend to prefer subbed, because then you get a feel for the original language. I don't usually 'learn' a language from hearing it, but if I am trying to learn it, and I hear it more often, my inflection and pronunciation get a little better.

I had an ex-roomie who was an asiaophile and wanted absolutely every Asian language movie or anime we watched in its own language. I say wanted; the word would probably be closer to 'insisted'. One of our other friends liked this one particular anime with dubs, because he thought the voice actors made the dialogue sound funnier, so the two of them sort of argued about how it was best to watch this thing.

Octavia-- I totally agree with you!!

I love movies like Spirited Away, Whisper of the Heart, and Howl's Moving Castle-- however, when it comes to anime tv shows, I'll take subbed whenever I can!

It IS easier to enjoy when you don't have to read subtitles, but it just sounds so unnatural. There's just something about the animation that makes the show just feel wrong when it's dubbed. Kind of like it's just supposed to be in Japanese. Plus after watching the amount of anime I do, you get used to (even skilled at) reading the subtitles while watching the show.
I love anime, and I just think that making the characters speak english kind of ruins the whole thing. But i don't know, that's just my personal opinion. We're all entitled to it, no? Maybe I've just been watching the wrong anime...

---------- Post added 07-23-2014 at 03:38 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Explodey

I tend to prefer subbed, because then you get a feel for the original language. I don't usually 'learn' a language from hearing it, but if I am trying to learn it, and I hear it more often, my inflection and pronunciation get a little better.

I know what you mean! I learned various phrases just from watching subbed shows :D

Honestly for me it depends on what im watching, most of the time i do Dub for the simple fact that it makes it so much easier to multi task or pay attention to whats going on in the anime, ESPECIALLY with the more action packed ones. . . though there are some that i will have to say sub is much better like with Kuroshitsuji[Black Butler for those that do not know] the wasy the voice actors went about the voices was just wrong on some of the choices.

But i do have to say, its never the Voice actors fault its the directors choice, they want it a certain way, the voice just does what they need.

also since my fiance is a VA himself i try not to say such and such is a terrible thing to happen... but we both tend to agree on quite a bit when it comes to subbing and dubbing with anime.

BUT in the realm of non anime stuff, sub, no contest lol

Sub, their is no other way for me. I love the voice acting when its suposto be in another language. It matches perfectly.

I prefer anything subbed. Always. I think that the original voice actors were chosen for a reason and that they also add their own element to the story.

I've recently watched Howl's Moving Castle again. I saw the subbed version of this the first time, and the dubbed version next. I watched the dubbed version again because I didn't have the brain power to watch the film and read the subtitles at the same time, plus I noticed that I didn't grasp all aspects of the story after watching the subbed version, because I'd missed bits whilst reading the subs.

Got to say though, Billy Crystal was wonderful as Calcifer. Christian Bale's awful as Howl, though I don't know who I'd rather hear. It's not the voice though, just that some bits don't have the right tone for me, I suppose. And maybe the voice sometimes seems too deep for a skinny bean like Howl.

OH, also, the witch of the waste, once Suliman's returned her to her true form, looks like the Brit comedienne, Jo Brand. Something I find endlessly amusing.

I prefer dubbed.
I can't do subbed. I can't read and watch at the same time and i can follow
the story and what happens a lot better than with subbed.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds it hard to follow the story with subtitles.

I don't mind either way. I like subs even when it's dubbed so I don't misunderstand what they are saying. Sometimes I miss things.

I prefer Dubed as it takes me a while to read something sometimes. And sometimes I'm trying so hard to keep up with the pace of the dialogue I miss bits on the screen. There is only one or two films I watch in the original langue and those would be; " Crouching tiger, hidden Dragon", " House of Flying daggers" , "Hero and " Demon hunter-The Resurrection"