Are you wondering if the One Piece sub or dub is better for watching the popular anime series? Congratulations if you’re about to embark on the adventure of watching One Piece for the first time! But if you’re considering switching to a different format, it’s not a decision to take lightly, especially for such a long-standing anime series. With 1065 episodes and 426 hours of watch time, choosing a format you’re comfortable with is essential, as it’ll be a shame to miss out on the experience.
Is the One Piece English Dub Any Good?
The One Piece dub is better than the sub, as long as it’s the Funimation dub. This may not be a popular opinion, but there are many reasons why this is the case. Before I explain, it’s essential to address the common perception among fans that the English dub is subpar and what leads to them holding it. This information can assist you in making your decision between the two.
Many fans believe that English dubbing is substandard, primarily due to their exposure to 4Kids’ dubbing, which was executed poorly. This poor performance was caused by 4Kids’ dislike for the violence found in One Piece (it agreed with Toei to dub it without watching it beforehand), but Toei forced 4Kids to follow through anyways. This led to 4Kids censoring the content that was dubbed, editing out content altogether, or changing the dialogue, which confused viewers. In addition, 4Kids also gave the Straw Hats stereotypical American accents like Sanji’s infamous Brooklynn accent. Their substandard performance in several anime led to the loss of rights for dubbing One Piece and, eventually, the studio’s entire dubbing department.
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Following the loss of rights by 4Kids, Funimation took over the dubbing of the series. However, some criticize the Funimation dub as being disrespectful and just as bad. Nevertheless, many, including myself, disagree with this perspective as it lacks a solid foundation, especially since most critics haven’t even listened to the Funimation dub.
For many reasons, the Funimation dub of One Piece provides the most accurate translation for American viewers. First, Oda chose the English voices for the Straw Hat Pirates to fit how he envisioned his characters when he created them for the manga. In addition, the team behind the dubbing process has shown a remarkable commitment to delivering an authentic product, evident from interviews and the dubbing itself. Finally, the voice actors’ performances are comparable to the original Japanese version, and the translated scripts remain faithful to the original dialogue’s essence as much as possible.
