Okay, let's talk Hajime No Ippo. We all love it, right? The sweat, the training, the underdog stories… chefs kiss!
But there's something been bugging me. A tiny, insignificant fly buzzing around my head during every rewatch. It's the dub.
Specifically, the Mashiba vs. Kimura dub.
Before you sharpen your pitchforks, hear me out. I know, I know, dubs get a bad rap. And sometimes, deservedly so.
But there's a specific dynamic happening in this fight that makes me feel... uneasy.
Let's be clear: the original Japanese voice acting is phenomenal. The seiyuu (voice actors) pour their souls into these characters.
And the dub actors? They're trying! I respect the effort, truly.
The Problem, As I See It
It's Kimura, isn't it? His desperation, his struggle. It's all dialed up to eleven in the original. The raw emotion hits HARD.
But the dub...it feels a little…toned down? Smoothed over?
Maybe it’s the delivery of the lines. Maybe it's just the difference in language and cultural nuances.
Whatever it is, some impact gets lost in translation.
I get it. Kimura's whole career is about struggling. It's a painful, relatable journey of almost-but-not-quite.
But in the original, you *feel* his pain. You *feel* his desperation against the monstrous Mashiba.
In the dub… I feel like I’m watching a slightly less intense version of the same story.
Don't get me wrong, the dub isn’t *bad*. But Kimura’s plight deserves a little extra oomph!
Mashiba's Menace?
And then there's Mashiba. That cold, calculating, downright scary dude. The Hitman Style is terrifying.
The dub does a pretty good job capturing his chilling demeanor. His lines are delivered with a menacing coolness.
But Kimura is meant to be in a desperate situation against a superior opponent. The disparity is essential!
The dub lessens the difference between them.
Is it an unpopular opinion? Probably. Am I ready for the backlash? Maybe not.
But hey, it's just my two cents. Everyone experiences anime differently.
I just think Kimura's struggle needs all the emotional weight it can get.
Maybe I'm just overly sensitive to voice acting. It does add a lot to the experience!
Perhaps I am too invested in the emotional rollercoaster that is Hajime No Ippo.
At the end of the day, it's all about enjoying the story. Watch it however you want!
I will stick to subs for this fight, even with the difficult-to-read subtitles while my eyes are tearing up.
Unless, of course, someone can convince me otherwise... (Good luck!)
