Do you prefer japanese or english dubbing?

[Se7en]

I prefere Japanese dubbing, it sound more natural for the game. (plus some english dubbing sounds dodgy!)

[Ocky27]

You know, I'll openly admit that the english dub is pretty mediocre when compared to the japanese dub. I cringe at the sound of some of the voices in the english version of both games. I was also put off by changing the pronunciation of some of the names from the first to the second game (Zhu Yuanda to Yuanda Zhu and so on). However, I would prefer playing the rest of the series in english (as long as they stay consistent with the main character's voices, especially Corey Marshall). That's just how I feel about it. What they need to do is find a way to include the option for both dubs in the game, that way we wouldn't have to argue over which is better...

-Ocky

[ShadowTech]

English. I first played Shenmue in english, so thats what I have grown to like.

Although, I would like to try the Japanese version....

[Neo Matrix]

Have you played it in Japanese at all though? I think most people would say that once you have heard the original voices then Japanese is the way to go. It also eliminates the boredom or "I see" and replaces it with variations on "Ah, so da?"

They should add some more variations like "Sou ne?"

[Silas]

For some reason, because I don't understand Japanese I prefer it when there's a certain amount of repetition of things said by Ryo or other characters. Helps me learn Japanese. EG "Kure wa?"

[kumo_no_yuza]

Both my friends bought Shenmue II and own XBoxs and when we talk about the game they're always like 'Matt, It's Wudu not Wude" so I actually like to know how it's pronoucned

From the moment that I'm actually in China... and I speak a little chinese while studying martial arts.... I can tell that Wu De is the "moral path" of the Pa Kua kung fu.... and in general of all martial arts...
Wu (third tone) means "Martial"
De (SECOND tone, the reason why is pronunced as di or du in reality is simple "d" in chinese!!!) means "Moral"...
Ah... another important thing!!!!!!!!
Japanese reads chinese Kanji with the JAPANESE - ON pronunciation, this is the reason why in chinese (and of course in english because is more accurate, otherwise Japanese has only a sillabic pronunciation!!) is pronunced Du (or Di) and in Japanese "de"...
have you also noticed like ALL CHINESE KANJI in Shenmue 2 are pronunced in Japanese spelling? For Example... Tai Chi Chuan... in Japanese-ON readings sounds "Tai Kyoo Ken"... and Sunming Zhao sounds "Sonmen Chou"
Hope this is enough
THIS IS THE REASON WHY I STRONGLY SUPPORT JAPANESE DUBBING FOR ALL THE JAPANESE PEOPLE THAT RYO MEETS and CHINESE DUBBING for all the places ambiented in CHINA!!!
Is more "real"!!!!!!!!!!!! (of course subtitles and multi audio is well accept!!!!) ;)

[kumo_no_yuza]

English, of course!

What's the sense of listening to the Japanese dub if you have no idea what's being said?

My thoughts exactly

All right, you have no idea of what's being said? but you also not have idea of all Kanji in front of chinese or japanese shops... and in shenmue1 you also not have idea of all the surnames written on the houses (Yamamoto, Mishima,ecc.) so authors in yours opinion must be a TOTAL restiling of the game? NO KANJI, NO JAPANESE, NO CHINESE!!! also NO JAPAN, NO CHINA!!!! :x
But, for the hell.... REMEMBER THAT GAME IS AMBIENTED IN JAPAN AND IN CHINA!!! NOT IN AMERICA!!!!! only because you don't understand is not a reason enough good to CUT Dialogues... like ALL THE OTHERS CHARACTERISTICS JAPANESE AND CHINESE AMBIENTATON!!!!!!!!!
Japanese dialogues are appropriate, like chinese from the moment that Ryo goes to Hong Kong.......
For ALL THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND the "native" dubbing......... are welcomed ALTERNATIVE (note I say "alternative", not primary...) dubbing and subtitles!!!! I remember you if you not have noticed of all way of says japanese that were lost in english dubbing... for example in shenmue 2 when Ryo goes to bailu village, he don't know why is called so, but when Shenhua says the right pronunciation Ryo makes an association between BAI (white) and LU (deer) with the japanese reading... this is possible to understand ONLY reading the original Kanji!!!!! and without kanji is "incomplete"......
In conclusion I hope Shenmue 3 has both.... Japanese if he come back to japan, Chinese from the moment that he is in china!!!
Remember that if you go in Russia people speaks Russian , in Italy speaks Italian... and in Japan of course speaks Japanese!!! otherwise in China speaks Chinese!!!!
THIS IS PURELY for a major sense of REALITY, I'm not parting for everyone!!!! ;)
For my personal appoint, I noticed everyway that english dubbing is "empty" and much less "feeled" of japanese, of course not for the language!!! I think the dubbers simply makes their work and don't "feel" the circumstances as real.... like japanese dubbers (they say the phrases as if all is happening for real in that moment)

[Juanfran]

If the dub was better, I'd much prefer it because then I could watch the characters faces and body language rather than reading the subtitles

[Silas]

Kumo_no_yuza thanks for those very informative posts! I wondered about the different Japanese pronunciation.

However, Shenmue IIdc is in Japanese because they didn't have time to do the English dub before they needed to release it in Europe (having cancelled the US version). The original games are in Japanese because they sold a lot of games in Japan. It isn't in Japanese for authenticity, but only for good business. So they won't ever be doing a Chinese dub!

Some games make a virtue of remaining in Japanese (most notably the Dead or Alive series), but Shenmue isn't one of them.

[Neo Matrix]

A few things...

Silas... "Kure wa?" Is that "What's this?" or other variations. If so, could that be "Kore wa?"

Soul Calibur would be another game that stayed Japanese.

The differences in kanji, shown in that Shenhua example, shows the differences that have occured since the Japanese standardised their language and didn't/couldn't keep track with the changes in the Chinese language. Pointing out those differences is a good thing. But if Ryo saw the name for Bailu in Kanji, I don't think he would have had the same problem working out the meaning as he could see the name, and the meanings are still similar between the languages.

[Silas]

Yes, that "What is it?" phrase. What I meant was that there was only one recording of him saying "Kure wa?" ("Kore wa?", whatever) for when he was buying lighters, for example, and this exact repetition helped me pick up the phrase.

[Forklift#5]

Joy and Ren would speak Chineese, so nothing is really realistic about the woice acting in either the Japaneese or English voice acting, I'd just rather be able to tell what they're saying by listening, mainly because I like to read things over, I guess I'm just slow
But after playing with the Japaneese voice acting I kinda began to learn some Japaneese (not enough to have a convorsation, though)

[Neo Matrix]

As I'm learning Japanese already, I'm just checking to see if there are any phrases that I haven't noticed... that's why I was asking about "kure wa".

[kumo_no_yuza]

I'm (sigh!) in accord with SILAS .... Japan makes games first for theirself!!! so.... probably... we will have NO CHINESE!!!!
this is not for the reason that I'd like to hear cinese (at least I speak only a little Japanese and chinese!!!) but only for the real ambientation!!!
"kure wa"??? probably is "kore wa"... (that..)
for Soul calibur is funny how european medieval charachters speaks Japanese!!! (like in soul Calibur 2 arcade european version is funny how Mitsurugi says in english "Too easy! just as I set..." - he is Japanese!!)

[kumo_no_yuza]

As I'm learning Japanese already, I'm just checking to see if there are any phrases that I haven't noticed... that's why I was asking about "kure wa".

From the moment that the game was developed originally in japanese by japanese people.... of course is full of japanese "way of meanings...."
have you noticed how Ryo calls Ren... "Aiaze'..." is refered to a thing... not to a person!!! like otherwise in the rooftop fight he says "Cikushoo" that is demon... but in japanese meaning sounds like a "damn!!!"
Is also full of "horrid" japanese transliteration of english words!!!! in Shenmue1 when Ryo goes to Heart Beats in japanese dubbing sounds like "Hato Bitsu"!!!!! I can't figure where or what it was until I see the english word!!!
probably another adaptement will requires chinese or english translators... and this is not the period for AM2 finances to waste money