Is this thread gonna turn into a sub vs dub war? Any dub made with the plan to americanize and make the content kid friendly in American terms is gonna get a thumbs down on being a good dub. And of course those are exactly the dubs everyone sees. I also think dubs that try to mimic the original japanese is bad too... (One Piece re-dub by Funimation. I just couldn't stand Luffy's girly voice, they should have gotten a boy, it's easier to believe a feminine voice in japanese is male than in english. Actually I think Greg Ayres would probably have been a good choice for Luffy... but I digress)
On the other hand not following the original at all can make fans go crazy... like in Revolutionary Girl Utena. I watched the dub once and Miki's voice was just too low... Sure as I said above I don't expect a girl to voice in both versions (Magic on Fruits Basket Yuki.) but it should at least have a youthful or soft feminine quality because that was part of the character voice choice in the first place.
My personal favorite dub is Slayers. I've been following the new Slayers in japanese but I really want it to be dubbed. I sure as hell hope they can get all of the English Voice Cast, Lisa Ortiz(Lina), Eric Stuart(Gourry), Veronica Taylor(Amelia), Crispin Freeman(Zelgadis), David Moo(Xellos). They are magic and I really can't see anyone else in the rolls at ALL. I hated the Lina in the movies but I consoled myself as it was supposed to be a YOUNGER Lina.
The biggest problem with the Sub/Dub war is that most people who are Sub! Sub! watched it subbed first, and the ones that like dubs watched the dubs first. Though in some cases the dubs are so bad that it's that painful to watch in english.
