‘Godzilla Minus One’ Takes a Side in the Subbed vs. Dubbed Debate

Godzilla Minus One is the newest Godzilla film from Toho International. It is not a sequel or prequel, but a reboot set at the end of World War II, meant to bring Godzilla back to his roots as a creature mutated by nuclear bombs.

The film was made in Japan and had its US premiere on Friday, November 10; it hits theaters nationwide on December 1. This leaves fans wondering: will Godzilla Minus One be shown with subtitles or dubbed in English?

Subbed vs. dubbed

The conversation around subtitled vs dubbed (a.k.a. subbed vs. dubbed) film/TV translations has been a major point of contention for viewers of foreign media. However, it’s a particularly poignant debate for fans of anime. There have been great dubbed anime, but many fans prefer subbed over dubbed English.

There are many reasons for this: dubs can be distracting, especially when done poorly or when what’s being said clearly doesn’t match what’s on screen (remember the infamous Jelly donut scene from Pokémon?). Subtitles preserve the original performances and make meanings and context more clear.

Godzilla Minus One follows this line of thought, with Toho making the film available to American audiences in the original Japanese with English subtitles.

Given the incredible performances by the cast, this decision is completely understandable. Hopefully, we are able to see more foreign films take this route with their American releases. As Parasite director Bong Joon-ho said after winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

(featured image: Toho International)