Importance in film, series & anime
In the film sector, but also in video games, the terms “sub” and “dub” appear again and again. The abbreviations “sub” and “dub” can be found especially in smaller foreign productions or films and series for which localization is not required or sometimes even not desired. In this guide we want to unravel the mystery of the terms that are particularly common in Japanese productions such as anime and video games.
What does “sub” mean? The meaning of the abbreviation is explained
If you see the abbreviation “sub’, this is simply the abbreviation for the English word ‘subtitle” which translates to “subtitle”. So if a film is “subbed”, it simply means that the film was subtitled. In many cases, where the abbreviation “sub” or “subbed” comes after a film or series title, this also indicates that it is the original with subtitles (OmU), i.e. the soundtrack comes from the country of origin .
The abbreviations “GerSub” or “EngSub” before, which in turn for “engman subtitles” (German subtitles) or “closelylish subtitles” (English subtitles). Closed Captions (CC) are subtitles that are particularly aimed at the deaf and hard of hearing.
What does dub mean?
Unlike “sub” is “you b” not an abbreviation at all, but simply the English word for “synchronize“. So if the title of a film or series says “dub”, it means that the dubbed version is used here instead of the original soundtrack. Unless “dub” is further specified, it is usually the English dubbing.
Of course, there are other differences here, too, such as “GerDub“ (engman you b = German synchronization), “EngDub“ (closelylish you b = English dubbing) or “EspDub“ (espagnol you b = Spanish dubbing).
A special category among the “dubs” are the so-called “fandubs“. These are “fan synchronizations” that are translated and set to music by friends of the series themselves. In addition to the faithful “Fandubs”, which usually have the aim of making previously unlocalized films, series or video games accessible to the respective audience, there are also so-called “Fundubs“ (fun dubbing). A “Fundub” is also a “Fandub” but created for the purpose of parody. One of the most famous and oldest German “Fundubs” is the “Star Trek” parody “Senseless in Space”.
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