For as long as there has been an international anime fandom, there has been a debate over the merits of subs vs. dubs, with the latter historically regarded as the inferior option by hardcore fans. Not by legend Hayao Miayazki, however. In a 2005 interview with The Guardian around the release of Howl’s Moving Castle, the Japanese animation auteur refused to rank the two localization formats, saying: “When you watch the subtitled version, you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you’re not going to get. Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted.” In other words: Back off, dubs haters.
