Anime Data Reveals Which Shows Fans Want to Watch Subbed

By Megan Peters

There is an age-old debate in the anime community, and it can be summed up with a single question: subbed or dubbed? Since anime made its way outside of Japan, fans have long argued over what kind of anime is best. Some prefer to listen in the original Japanese language while others are all about native dubs. Plenty of fans go back and forth depending on the show, and now a new report is out highlighting which anime series fans prefer subbed.

The exclusive data comes from WordFinder by YourDictionary as it brought in experts to sort through subtitle data. It was there a sample poll was conducted with 1,000 attendees of all ages about their entertainment loves. When anime came up, experts asked which anime are more enjoyable when watched subbed, and Attack on Titan came in first.

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(Photo: WordFinder)

According to the poll, first place was nearly split in half as Attack on Titan and Dragon Ball Z tied at 34% of the vote. However, Eren and his Titan foes managed to eke out the win. As for third place, Naruto earned 33% of the vote while Death Note and Demon Slayer rounded out the top five picks.

As for the top ten slots, Spirited Away marks the first movie entry on this list in sixth place. Dragon Ball fell after with 29% of the votes while My Hero Academia landed just after. One Punch Man took ninth place while Cowboy Bebop ended up wrapping the vote.

As for why watchers prefer subbed to dubbed anime, these respondents did give some reasoning. 58% of them said words and phrases can get lost in translation when localized for dubbing. Others disliked the disconnect between lip flaps and dubbed dialogue. About 22% of fans said subbed anime helped them learn Japanese while others suggested subbed anime best nailed character mannerisms.

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This data definitely speaks to some arguments we've seen in the anime fandom where subs are concerned. Dubbed anime has its own merits as well. For many, dubbed anime gives them an easy access point to the medium as it is in their native tongue. Some fans say dubbed anime also allows them to multitask if they want to watch anime while doing other chores. So when it comes down to it, the choice between subbed or dumb anime comes down to preference. It is up to you to decide what suits your binging habits.

What do you make of this latest anime report? Do you have any shows you prefer to watch dubbed or subbed? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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