Normally I prefer subtitles to dubbing

[pokerfan]

But I'm looking forward to watching this.

Letters from Iwo Jima (English language version) WORLD PREMIER
Saturday night on American Movie Classics (AMC)

I had a very hard time watching the subtitled version and missed a lot of the action while reading the subtitles. I plan to watch this and then rewatch the original.

[Solon]

1. Dubbing drives me nuts...

Literally, especially when its bad, it just seems like everything is out of sync, and I just can't watch it. Give me subtitles or give me death! :D

[Forkboy]

2. Depends on the language being dubbed.

Because the Japanese use entirely different mouth movements dubbing their language almost always looks off, no matter the quality of the people doing it. I prefer the subtitles on the first viewing, but I'll watch a dubbed version for the same reason you are afterwards.

[Orsino]

3. I prefer dubbing.

There's just something unnatural about reading while watching someone speak. Written language can be beautiful, of course, but in different ways from its spoken counterpart; the former doesn't usually substitute well for the latter, IMO.

If a director intends for me to hear someone speak, I tend to think that's what I should be doing--if the translation and dubbing are not too ludicrous.