Re-written Songs, Musics, and Dubbing for Anime / 1: United States

This chapter explains how since the 1960s, in seeking to match anime’s inherently Japanese content to the perceived tastes of US-American audiences, the audio components of these anime were often radically altered, encompassing not only newly recorded English dubs to replace the original Japanese dialogue, but often a wholesale transformation of the accompanying sound effects and music. The chapter examines changing trends in the re-dubbing and re-soundtracking of Japanese anime for US audiences, from the 1960s to the present day. As the 1980s and 1990s gave way to the 2000s, anime’s popularity increased in the country, and the differences between the Japanese and English-language versions began to converge, reflective of a burgeoning fan desire for authenticity and fidelity to the Japanese original; this would have a direct impact on the type and style of the audio changes deemed necessary in contemporary anime consumption. While the chapter is not intended to present an exhaustive overview or comparison of content alterations or shifts within the medium’s aural aesthetics, it provides vital insight on an aspect central to the history of anime overseas.