Ask John: Why Watch Untranslated Anime?

Question:
Assuming you don’t know spoken Japanese well, why would any foreigner (non-Japanese person) want to see anime not translated into their primary tongue?

Answer:
Especially for people who aren’t used to watching anime, or who only watch anime that’s been dubbed (or subtitled) into English, it may seem strange and even pointless for a native English speaker to watch anime in untranslated Japanese. But the profit to be gained from watching “raw” anime can vary depending on the viewer and on the degree to which the viewer wants to appreciate the anime. For a Western viewer, watching anime in untranslated Japanese is not the ideal. Watching “raw” anime is an avenue to see anime that can’t be watched any other way, or an opportunity to see an eagerly anticipated anime at the earliest possible opportunity.

Anime is based on the same artistic concept as manga, the theory that the art should be primarily visual- tell its story visually, using spoken dialogue as an enhancement. Naturally there are exceptions such as detective mysteries, verbal comedies, and certain dramas. But in most cases it’s not difficult for an astute viewer to recognize, basically, what’s going on in an anime even without understanding the spoken dialogue. Physical action conveys a lot of story, and expressive Japanese voice acting conveys emotion and meaning with broad strokes. A viewer not familiar with Japanese language may not be able to understand precise details, but it’s not difficult to distinguish heroes and villains, recognize a joke when it occurs, and appreciate the visual impact of action. Furthermore, not having translated dialogue can bring other aspects of an anime into sharper focus. By not becoming engrossed in the spoken dialogue, a viewer may spend more time analyzing and appreciating the technical quality of the art, animation and music of a particular anime production. The appreciation of these other aspects is what can make watching a dialogue heavy anime still enjoyable in an untranslated version.

Basically, in order to enjoy watching an anime in untranslated Japanese, the viewer merely has to want to enjoy the anime. It’s important to recognize that anime consists of more than just its spoken dialogue or just a story to be understood. Anime consists of the combination of its story, acting, direction, visuals, and music. Not comprehending one of those elements doesn’t prevent a viewer from appreciating the others. English speaking viewers that choose to watch untranslated anime willingly give up understanding exactly what’s being said, and sacrifice knowing exactly why some events in an anime occur. However, the viewer can still appreciate the visual and aural beauty of the animation and still frequently understand superficially what’s going on. If a later opportunity arises to watch the anime translated, a second viewing at that time will fill in specific details about the story. But if an opportunity to watch the anime translated never comes along, the fan who’s watched it “raw” has at least been able to appreciate the anime once. For many hardcore anime fans, an opportunity to see an anime, even if it’s untranslated and the viewer can only grasp a minimal understanding, is still preferable to not watching the anime at all.