In recent years, there has been an increase in English-dubbed anime. Episodes of fan favorites, such as My Hero Academia and DARLING in the Franxx, even receive English versions as soon as two weeks after the original episodes airs. But, despite the popularity of dubs, there are some shows that don’t receive the same treatment. Even worse, some never get dubbed at all. So, here are five anime that deserve an English dub.
One Outs
Released in 2008, One Outs follows Hiromichi Kojima, the star batter of the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons, as he heads to Okinawa to train and get out of a slump. There, he meets Toa Tokuchi, an 83 mph pitcher and the king of One Outs, a gambling game based on baseball.
Amazed by Tokuchi’s skills on the mound, Kojima scouts the pitcher for his team. But Tokuchi’s contract is somewhat different from his teammates. He gets 5 million yen for each strikeout but loses 50 million yen for every point he gives up.
One Outs oozes psychological tension. The star pitcher plays an intense mental game with his opponents, making it impossible for them to hit one of his pitches. The fierce battles range from predicting player changes to counting pitches to deciphering the opponent’s strategy. Nothing is too low for the Lycaons’ star pitcher.
The series’ focus on Tokuchi’s complex playing style makes it difficult to follow what’s happening while reading subtitles. An English adaptation would solve this problem, allowing viewers to notice even the subtlest of details.
Emma: A Victorian Romance
In the 19th century, strict guidelines governed almost everything, including social standing. The social class that you were born into dictated the path your life would follow. And Emma, a hardworking young maid, was no exception.
But, she never felt that her role in society was a burden. This all changes when she falls in love with William Jones, the eldest son of a very wealthy family. Will Emma ever be able to date someone outside of her class? Does love conquer all?
Emma: A Victorian Romance, depicts British society during a time when the social hierarchy was starting to unravel. The series takes the importance of social standing into account, making it historically and socially accurate.
So, you would expect an anime that goes to such lengths to accurately depict British society to also use the era’s language. However, the series is in Japanese. An English adaptation of Emma: A Victorian Romance would keep viewers fully immersed in the historical period being portrayed.
Golden Time
Despite losing all of his memories, Banri Tada still decides to attend law school in Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, his first day of school is a disaster. Luckily, he meets and befriends Mitsuo Yanagisawa, a fellow law student who is running from his past — his self-appointed wife, Kōko Kaga.
Yanagisawa wants nothing to do with her. But that doesn’t stop Kaga from enrolling at Tada and Yanagisawa’s school anyway. And as if tensions weren’t already high enough, Tada immediately falls for her, putting him in an awkward position.
Although highly popular with fans due to its romantic storyline and loveable characters, Golden Time doesn’t have an English adaptation. Across various social media networks and message boards, fans have been begging Sentai Filmworks, the series’ licensor, to dub the show. Adapting the anime would open it up to a brand new group of fans.
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!
On his way back from buying a game, high school student Satou Kazuma almost gets hit by a tractor. Fortunate and surprised to still be alive, Kazuma dies from the shock of facing death. Now, he finds himself sitting before the beautiful yet annoying goddess, Aqua.
She gives Kazuma two options: go to heaven or reincarnate in a real fantasy world. Kazuma chooses to start a new life, and his first task is to defeat the Demon King. But, before he starts his mission, Kazuma must select an item to aid him in his quest, and he chooses Aqua. But little does Kazuma know that Aqua is completely useless! Now, the two must work together to gather armor, weapons, and complete several missions to defeat the Demon King.
KonoSuba‘s second season made anime of the best of 2017. It successfully spoofed the RPG anime genre through jokes and physical humor. However, these hilarious moments would be more enjoyable if viewers could see and hear them instead of just reading them.
Mōryō no Hako
Taking placing during the summer of 1952, Mōryō no Hako follows a string of grisly murders involving young girls. Set to solve these horrific crimes are news editor Morihiko Toriguchi and crime fiction writer Tatsumi Sekiguchi. Joining the case is Reijirō Enokizu, a private investigator hired by one of the victims’ grandfather. The investigation leads them to dark secrets, myths, and, of course, a series of mutilated body parts.
While a lot of anime fans argue that it’s better to watch a show in its original form, Japanese audio with English subtitles. It can also have its drawbacks. For example, when the subtitles become so distracting that the viewer is unable to understand the context of a scene — which happens to put elaborate shows like Mōryō no Hako at a disadvantage.
Throughout the series, several captions popup explaining the meaning of different myths and folktales. They appear during important scenes, making it quite difficult to read two sets of subtitles at the same time. With an English adaptation, viewers could simultaneously follow the characters’ dialogue while reading the crucial cultural information presented in these popups.
