On Translation and Dubbing: an Attack On Titan manifesto by a freshman languages major and a passionate, auditory person with zero credentials
Inspired by my third rewatch in anticipation of the new season, and my growing curiosity concerning the differences between the sub and dub versions. This post isn't for people who assume dubs are all trash compared to subs, but a good-faith analysis. You can prefer the sub, and still stick around to read.
Naturally, as an absolute sucker, I start with something Levi/Eren focused, but if anyone wishes to read more of my ramblings, I will share my thoughts on other aspects; such as Yuki Kaji's phenomenal emotional range, a comparison between his role and Bryce Papenbrook (I consider Eren his best work) the infamous roar vs screech when Eren is a titan, etc
This hypothesis examines Captain Levi across a few episodes, and specifically a handful of my favorite rivaereri moments in late season 1.
One base rule I have learned at university so far is that a good translation isn't a literal one, but one that takes the intended meaning and completely rewrites the text while retaining the original meaning from the source language (SL) as much as possible within the linguistic, social and cultural, confines of the target language (TL). Grammar especially can make this task tricky in many instances, as you can sometimes find in sub translations that sentences may feel clunky or awkwardly worded. There is so much to consider when examining both a sub and a dub's job. A dub places more importance on its task because it needs to retain fluidity in the spoken language as opposed to simply delivering the meaning. It restates, and makes emotion more pronounced, which it must.
So without further ado, here are a few from the endless list.
Episode 18
Okay so I'm sure we're all familiar with the moment that happens just before Levi puts his back to Eren and protects him from his squad, when they were doing the experiments and Eren couldn't transform.
As Levi approaches the well before Hanji does, the dub says "Eren! Enough! We're done for today!" while the sub version is "the experiments are on hold."
Let's break it down.
At face value a simple command such as "enough, we're done for today" doesn't look all that different from "the experiment is on hold" except it does and the tone says so much. First he calls Eren's name. When he does, it feels like he is reaching out for him. Secondly, "enough", it's such a small word, six letters, and yet it feels so important. When I first watched the sub version, I couldn't believe it was only "the experiment is on hold". The fact that the dub cast and crew went out of their way to make Levi sound concerned instead of just stating an impersonal fact. It shows how he cares more clearly. I know it's a small difference and many people who only enjoy the sub ship ereri, but for me it stood out. He says "enough," because he knows on instinct this would weigh on Eren, and he doesn't want him to unnecessarily exert himself and hurt, because he knows Eren is the type to keep going till he collapses, he just knows. Even in the early days, he understood him really well. Then, you end with the beautiful "we're done for today" because it's like something inside him won't stand to have Eren keep going. Sub Levi's words being "The experiment is on hold" was like we'll keep going, so what if he's tired, if we can fix it we'll go on, it's worth the risk. Dub Levi is almost irrefutably "that is enough. You will now rest because you are a kid first and foremost, not a weapon to be used at my disposal and I will not treat you like one". He wants Eren to rest. The whole remainder of the day. Sub Levi didn't even specify.
The dub makes it all the more impactful when we see the confused shock on his face as his eyes fall on the blood and Eren's torn up hands and that look in Eren’s eyes, who is not wincing in pain, but looking up at them disappointed in himself. Levi must think, god fucking damn can you believe this boy?
Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I welcome any refute to this by the way; I love hearing other people's thoughts.
Closely followed by the first instance, the next scene shows Levi asking whether the bite marks on Eren's hands have healed (personal headcanon, but could it be that his grumpy attitude was not only bred from anxiety about the mission but also anxiety for Eren's health and well being? Isn't the fact that he asked him about his healing first rather than anything else indicative? Don't we sometimes lash out in anger when worried? Just a thought.)
When Eren says no, Levi ends their conversation in two ways.
Sub: "This is an order. Do something about it."
Dub: "Pull it together. And yes, that is an order."
The "order" part in the second half feels like an afterthought, merely an incentive for Eren to get better.
Then, while he is standing between his squad and Eren, "My instincts tell me so" vs the dub's urgent, earnest, overlapping "a gut feeling". (Emotional translation: I trust him, ya fucks, that's why, now get away from my boyfriend.)
"How do you feel?" vs the dub's "So are you feeling okay or what?"
Let us take a look at a slightly earlier scene when they were talking about how to restrain Eren if he goes rogue before they went ahead with the well experiment.
Sub Levi, about Eren's limbs: "They'll grow back like a lizard, right? Disgusting." You can find actual repulsion in the words. The dub is more mellow: "Matter of fact they'll probably grow back lizard style. Creepy little bastard." It's amused, it's light, it's like a term of endearment. Like he accepts what Eren is and thinks it's something to poke fun at, not something to be revolted by. "Style" even implies a quirky flair.
Honestly the little gestures to make Eren feel more accepted are so sweet, especially coming from a bitter old man. Levi knows no one else would offer Eren this sort of acceptance. They are too scared. And the fact that Levi understood Eren so well after such a short time together speaks volumes. Many believe a good relationship is built on acceptance and comfort and understanding. I feel like Levi offers all that. That they both understand and accept and relate to each other in many ways, but that would make up an essay on its own.
Another moment from the same episode. "I doubt they felt nothing when they drew their blades on you" vs the dub's "Whatever that might have looked like out there today, I can promise you that every single one of them was conflicted."
The first one feels more impersonal only saying what needs to be said and trusting Eren to gather the rest for himself, and that is a really valid interpretation but the second one, oh my goodness. When does Levi ever promise someone something if it's not a life and death situation? When is he ever gentle? With Eren. Only with Eren. He's so earnest. There's almost a vulnerability. He didn't need to say I promise, but he chose to. He wants Eren to feel safe and assured. He wants to be someone Eren can trust without fear. He wants to give him this one thing because he knows Eren is going through so much. The weight those two little words hold "I promise". Levi does not make promises lightly. Seriously, has Levi ever promised anything when it was not when someone was dying, or someone's dying wish?
Yeah, exactly. When it comes to Eren.
Generally dub Levi's voice is more expressive, and I didn't notice before now, but as an auditory learner (and I know this is nerdy bear with me) who never read the whole manga (I should) and wants to see as many instances of her ship as possible, it really did have an impact. Even when it's just Levi with no reference to Eren. Levi is already so poker-faced and guarded, he hardly shows any emotion. Which does not mean he does not feel, but that he chooses to hide what goes on in his brain. The fact that his voice would show some of that emotion is a relief.
I can't believe sub elitists go "it doesn't sound like Levi". What sounds like Levi, I ask? A cold, robotic deadbeat? Because that's not what he is. Some of us are slow on the uptake and need to hear the clarification rather than being told or trying to analyze for ourselves, and some of us see more in him than the bloody fidget spinner.
I know I'm being a bit presumptuous but bear with me. The dub gives him nuance. Like I said, Levi is already outwardly emotionless enough, we need this bit of insight. I know others prefer the sub, which is valid, and it follows from his general personality that he would guard his tone, but I don't think it would be that easy. We can police our expressions, our posture, our general attitude. We can try to level our voices and words, but eventually they will warp into what we're really feeling and betray us. Even if the words don't.
Episode 18
Sub: "Eren! Hurry! Decide!"
Dub: "Eren, come on, make up your damn mind!"
The second one, just from the words, feels a lot more urgent and personal, doesn't it?
Now I don't mean that sub Levi/the Japanese VA is bad. That would be a blatant, ignorant lie. I think it is all up to interpretation of the voice actor on how to characterize Levi and I think they both do a good job.
I don't know Japanese so maybe I'm entirely off my mark, but I feel like even the text we get in sub is probably not entirely accurate. Especially with languages like Japanese where specific words can hold so much extra context and nuance just by how they're spoken, that even just writing it as subtitles probably removes a lot of that to make it make sense in English. A problem known as lack of equivalence at word level clearly states that languages do not describe universal concepts.
Each language comes with its own history and set of experiences. Everyone's experience of the world is different. Language describes life as experienced from different perspectives by different people. Not all languages contain a word-for-word correspondence. One word may be translated into two or more words or even a sentence in one language, and one word has many meanings in both languages.
Aka, shortfalls in the sub are less anything to do with the VA (for japanese speakers he is probably phenomenal), and more just the nature of sub translations making it kind of stiff. Which is why I think restating the words is worth the effort, even if it sacrifices some of the original meaning. The feelings and connotations delivered will change from language to language. So, simply to make the reader truly appreciate what is being said in a way they can understand and more importantly feel written in their native tongue, not as something morphed into their native tongue. It is a worthy interpretation. An artwork in its own right. Pardon my translator ass this is literally my major and language holds so much; emotion and meaning and intent and the words we choose and how we choose to phrase them really make a difference.
Sub Levi perhaps stays truer to the character. Additionally, I'm viewing through a very narrow lens since I haven't watched many of the sub episodes. But his tone rarely changes. And for Levi we really need nuance, we need inflection and tone and we need specific phrases. He is hard to understand. This reframing and voice work make him easier to grasp. I want to emphasize again that I love both versions. I could ramble on about this forever. I could also say a lot about Yuki Kaji, Eren's VA, who is a fucking masterpiece all on his own. The emotional range, guys. Top notch.
But this is about Levi and the ereri gold mine. So let's get back on track.
Episode 19:
Sub Levi: "Here we are, after everything we said at the trial. If we go back empty-handed, who knows what'll happen to Eren and us?"
Dub Levi: "That whole song and dance in the courtroom and this is what we've got to show for it. We scurry back now with our tail between our legs, Eren's right back in chains or worse."
This is probably me being very nitpicky, but notice how the emphasis is on Eren. The first one was everything they "said" at the trial, which is more generalized. I would assume "song and dance" refers specifically to Levi beating Eren up since it is an idiom that, in other words, means an exaggerated theatricality. Or at least that is what I gathered when I first heard it. And again at the end of the sentence he calls attention to what will happen to Eren, like he is actually worried about him, and mentions nothing of anyone else. There is no "us", his focus seems to be directed solely towards Eren.
I gathered two things from this quote. One, Levi is still torn up about what he had to do to Eren at the trial, even if he won't show it to Eren himself. With that, antis can choke on their abusive Levi theory. Two, he is worried about Eren's fate. He doesn't want him to get trapped, or hurt. There is a specificness that is not there in the sub "right back in chains" vs "what will happen". It's a minor rephrase, but I personally think it is worth noting that Levi feels disdain for how Eren was treated. Moreover, the sub could be just interpreted as what will happen to the weapon of Eren and whether the scouts will they still have custody of him. The dub leaves no room for that as it puts all the focus on Eren and what punishment he may receive.
Episode 21:
Sub: "This voice. Don't tell me..." and Dub: "That roaring. This isn't good."
Okay I think I like the sub better here actually. Because of the usage of the more humanized "voice", immediately knowing it's Eren, they both implied that, but the second half of the sub accentuates Levi's denial of the terrible occurrence he doesn't want to believe has taken place.
Another instance in episode 21:
In the sub, Levi asked Mikasa if Eren died, specifically asked. In the dub, he said it was unlikely that Eren survived. The former is more optimistic, and has more faith that Eren is alive, as if he wants to believe it. The dub version implies he has already resigned himself to the worst.
We also have episode 22:
"He's alive. Filthy though." vs the dub's "He's alright. Disgusting, but alright." Notice how the emphasis and what Levi ends with is reaffirming Eren's well being, almost as if he is trying to reassure himself after thinking the boy was certainly dead.
Oh also, this isn't official but, we are all familiar with Matthew Mercer's (Levi English VA) "confession" to Eren, right? That's a treasure and a half on its own.
To conclude I would just like to inform you that the word "enough" is what kick-started this absolute spiral. Ironic, isn't it?
Anyway, as an English speaker this is the only perspective I can offer. If Japanese speakers refute everything I've said, I wouldn't be able to lift a finger in argument except to talk about the language I know.
In the end, it's all a matter of subjective taste and everyone is valid, but I hope I may have inspired you to reconsider the aot/snk dub if only the tiniest bit :)
I hope you enjoyed this essay. Let me know what you thought, and thank you so, so much for reading!
