Why does nobody talk about dub rewrites changing the whole character?

Last week I was rewatching an old show from 2008 with a buddy and we noticed the dub changed a catchphrase into something totally different. Like, the sub had the guy say 'I'll crush you' but the dub had him say 'I'll fix your car' which is just weird. It got me thinking about how many personality traits get lost or added in translation without anyone mentioning it. I started checking a few other shows I love and found at least 3 cases where the dub made a character sound more cocky or more polite than the original script. Has anyone else ever caught a moment where the dub ruined or actually improved a character for you? How do you handle watching new stuff, sub first or dub first?

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caleb_thomas9318d ago

Whoa, hold up, I gotta disagree with you there! I actually think dub rewrites are half the fun of watching older shows, especially ones from the 2000s. Yeah, they change things, but sometimes those changes make the dialogue feel way more natural for English speakers instead of being a word-for-word mess that sounds stiff. That 'I'll fix your car' thing sounds hilarious, and honestly, I'd take that over a boring literal line any day. I grew up on dubs, so for me, the new personality is the real character, and the sub is just the original draft. If the dub makes them more cocky or more polite, I just roll with it and enjoy the ride, you know?