Since its release in October 2022, Chainsaw Man has become one of the most popular anime. The series is based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga of the same name, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump near the end of 2018. Since the first chapter, the number of fans has been steadily increasing as word of the anime spread. One thing that is widely known in pop culture circles is that fans have strong opinions about the content produced, and these opinions are often loudly expressed.
The dub versus sub debate is a hot topic in the anime community. Viewers may prefer one over the other for a variety of reasons, including accessibility, convenience, and pure enjoyment. Many series have received quality English dubbed versions over the years in order to reach the growing number of global anime viewers. However, that doesn't mean that newer series, such as Chainsaw Man, aren't included in this discussion.
Does Chainsaw Man's Dub Make for Good TV?
Crunchyroll began streaming English-dubbed episodes of Chainsaw Man in late October 2022. Fans, like many other popular dubbed series, took to the internet to express their opinions. Out-of-context clips circulated on Twitter in an attempt to disparage the actors who appeared in the English version of the show. However, as the series continued to air in English, dub viewers returned to the website to applaud the cast. Bryn Apprill, Kobeni Higashiyama's English voice actress, received many compliments for her overall performance of the character, but fans particularly liked her scene in the sixth episode of the series, "Kill Denji." After watching the English dub, there's no denying that it's jam-packed with talented voice actors.
The story of Chainsaw Man is intensely emotional and action-packed, and it demands that the actors give it their all. Many anime viewers choose to watch anime with subtitles in order to hear the series as it was intended to be heard. Many fans assert that the reason they prefer the sub over the dub is because of the emotion displayed in the Japanese voice actors' performances. Given the recent focus on dubbed anime, the dubbed version is excellent, but fans think Chainsaw Man's Japanese cast goes above and beyond. The Japanese cast includes actors Tomori Kusunoki, who plays Makima, and Ai Fairouz, who voices Power. For how they portrayed these characters, both actresses have won praise.
A Chance Should Be Given to Chainsaw Man's Sub and Dub
Chainsaw Man's Japanese and English versions, as well as the many other languages in which the series was dubbed, were cast with incredible talent. One advantage of the subtitled version of Chainsaw Man is that the series was written and animated with the Japanese language in mind. The characters are animated to appear to be speaking Japanese and following the script that is being acted out. Dub voice actors, translators, directors, and the rest of the crew face an additional challenge as they strive to create the best version possible in the language to which it is being adapted. It's an incredible feat that global anime crews can complete such a difficult task. While many fans believe that the sub is better than the dub, it’s still worth giving the latter a shot.
Viewers may enjoy the story more or less as a result of changes made to the series for the dubbed versions. However, the dub is worth a look in either case to support the efforts made to expand anime productions and the content created to broaden the fan base. The near-perfect work done on the subtitled version of Chainsaw Man is unquestionably a great choice, but viewers won't miss out on the incredible story if they watch it in English.
