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WatchMojo
  • 8/14/2023
To say these dubs are flubs would be a colossal understatement! Join Ashley as we look over the English dubs of anime that were dead on arrival
Transcript
00:00 Hey guys, it's Ash here with WatchMojo and these are the Top 10 Worst Voice Acting in
00:08 Anime.
00:20 For this list, we'll be looking at the cringiest, most laughable or just plain bad voice work
00:25 that's ever come out of an anime.
00:27 Did we miss any notable dub-duds?
00:29 Let us know in the comments below.
00:36 In the early 90s, the art of dubbing wasn't always given the respect it deserved.
00:41 As a result, audiences got things like the English version of Devilman the Birth.
00:47 Let's just say that most of the ensemble weren't exactly dubbing superstars, and
00:55 it really, really showed.
00:57 The cast's work ranges from the outrageously overblown, to flatter than a board.
01:03 And neither comes close to hitting the mark.
01:10 Even for its time, the clear lack of care, effort and time put into this dub is almost
01:15 comical.
01:16 In a way, that's Devilman's one saving grace too.
01:19 This dub is so notoriously awful, that it veers into "So Bad It's Good" territory.
01:35 Despite being a part of a well-crafted OVA series, Manga Entertainment UK inexplicably
01:40 only dubbed this third entry.
01:45 Although, given its results, that's probably for the best.
01:51 It's as if none of the actors were given proper context on any scene, leading to line
01:55 reads that consistently feel out of place.
01:58 And that's if they managed to convey any emotion at all.
02:06 Most of the time, it sounds like the script is just being read aloud, as opposed to actually
02:11 being acted out.
02:12 Suffice it to say, it's hard to invest in the plot of this sci-fi epic, when even its
02:17 main characters seem bored.
02:26 On paper, this dub has it all.
02:28 A beloved property, an experienced studio and a pretty solid cast.
02:34 All that just makes the final product even more inexcusable.
02:38 The official English release is marred by poor lip-syncing, flubbed takes and career-worst
02:43 performances across the board, at least from the actors that stuck around.
02:55 A good chunk of the supporting cast was replaced for the second half of the season, allegedly
02:59 due to the rushed production schedule.
03:16 If that really was the case, it's no surprise that the final product isn't just a bad
03:20 dub of Gwyn's saga, it's an active mockery of it.
03:30 The fact that this dub shares parts of its cast with Devilman the Bith and Megazone 23
03:36 Part 3 should tell you everything you need to know.
03:39 But in case you need more convincing, all it takes is one listen through Appleseed's
03:43 open-air to prove that it suffers from many of the same issues.
03:52 Namely that the characters are so lifeless, it makes the actual androids feel like the
03:56 most human part of the film.
04:05 But even worse, some of the voices this time around are actively grating to listen to.
04:11 With a runtime of just 70 minutes, the English dub single-handedly makes Appleseed feel a
04:16 whole lot longer.
04:27 Even though it's literally in their job title, the voice actors in this classic dub
04:31 failed on both the voice and the acting parts.
04:42 To start, Lion Force Voltron features some of the most ear-screeching character sounds
04:47 ever heard in anime, from leads, villains and everyone in between.
04:51 It's painful to listen to, and that's without even touching upon the acting.
04:56 Or rather, the lack thereof.
05:02 There's some high-pitched squealing every once in a while, but beside that, it's just
05:08 dull line read after dull line read.
05:11 Given the quality of the original English release, it's truly a wonder how Voltron
05:15 became as successful as it did.
05:24 In this seminal OVA series, there's ten times as many profanities as there are good
05:29 line deliveries.
05:39 In fact, it's so egregiously obscene, we wouldn't be surprised if the script adapter
05:44 was forced to include as many swear words as humanly possible.
05:47 Naturally, the end result doesn't leave much room for compelling characterisation.
05:51 Or really, acting at all.
05:54 The performers spout off curse words with the same insipid tone, until even the movie's
05:59 crassness loses its impact.
06:10 Thanks to a resurgence of memes and parodies, this dub has gone down in history for all
06:14 the wrong reasons.
06:16 But at least it left an impact, for better or for worse.
06:26 This whole localisation plays like a bad joke that got out of hand.
06:34 Even if it was the 90s, surely someone along the way would have stopped this train wreck
06:39 from getting so far.
06:41 But instead, we're left with one of the most botched dubs of all time.
06:45 For one, the entire cast sounds like they're forgetting their lines mid-sentence.
06:49 It's awkward, jarring, and never ends.
06:56 That's not even Garzy's Wing's biggest issue, either.
07:02 No, it also commits the cardinal sin of dubbing, in that none of its characters sound like
07:07 real people.
07:09 Everything from the script, to the voices, to the delivery, reeks of a lazy hack job
07:14 that never should have seen the light of day.
07:29 Ironically, Speed Racer's American release could have benefited from slowing way down.
07:36 And reportedly, the production team only had a meagre two days to script and dub each episode.
07:47 That was an even bigger hurdle, considering Peter Fernandes was the one writing, directing,
07:53 and starring in the show.
07:54 He didn't have much help, either, since the entire cast was made up of just four actors.
08:04 Given the intense time crunch, it's really no shock that the dub sounds like it's falling
08:12 apart at the seams.
08:14 And yet, despite its many, many flaws, Speed Racer still deserves props for popularising
08:20 anime in America, even if its dub was sacrificed to do it.
08:32 Goku and the Others had a very long and bumpy road to English-speaking audiences, and unfortunately,
08:38 that included a detour to the French company, AB Group.
08:48 Their work on the franchise is so atrocious, any unsuspecting viewers would probably mistake
08:53 it for a parody.
08:54 Not even a particularly good one, either.
08:57 There is not a single well-cast actor in the whole bunch, to the point that many of them
09:02 have remained uncredited even all these years later.
09:08 If this was the best AB Group could do, it's a mercy that they only touched the films.
09:16 Who knows what a fully-dubbed anime from them would have looked like.
09:42 Based on their uninspired work here, these actors might actually be robots in disguise.
09:50 In their defence, it'd be tough for any performer to put their heart into these mangled
09:54 translations.
09:57 Unfortunately, the cast's admirable attempts at playing it straight only propelled this
10:06 dub into utter infamy.
10:08 Their inflated reactions turned the nonsensical script into a thing of cringey, hilarious
10:13 beauty.
10:14 Really, "Headmasters" is the dub equivalent to a car crash you just can't look away
10:28 from, no matter how bad it gets.
10:31 And trust us, this one gets really bad.
10:34 At the very least, the United States was spared from this dub's wrath.
10:38 Tragically, the rest of the world wasn't so lucky.
10:55 -
11:01 (upbeat music)
11:04 (upbeat music)