
And it was understandably seminal to many (myself included). It was incredibly gratifying to see overt queer representation - any queer representation really - at the time. That particular romantic subplot also has… bigger problems, anyway. In fact, thanks to other changes surrounding the iconic line, it seems even gayer in spots. Personally, though, I think the queer relationship still shines through. So the internet has a certain fondness for it. Yet the original translation has long propagated as a meme. What was once “I’m so fucked up” is now “I’m the lowest of the low.” Again, this is technically more accurate.
EVANGELION 1.11 DUB OR SUB MOVIE
Another line from The End of Evangelion, a movie sequel to the 26-episode series, was also altered.
EVANGELION 1.11 DUB OR SUB SERIES
Specifically, one character late in the series now says “I like you” instead of “I love you.” This is technically closer to the line’s meaning in Japanese, but isn’t quite as obvious an expression of queer romance.

Subs or Dubs: Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix But two changes to the translation stand out in particular. Of course there was always going to be discourse around Neon Genesis Evangelion when it became widely available in the west. This has driven the internet into a bit of a tizzy. The company also re-translated much of the original text. Netflix didn’t just redo the English dub. Whether you watch the Evangelion dubs or subs, however, there are some important things to know.

So if you want the most authentic version (particularly if you speak fluent Japanese) have at it. That’s great! All the emotion and tone survives completely intact. The Japanese voiceover, on the other hand, appears to just be the original version the series aired with. If you’re not familiar with anime, just know that you get used to it. If you’re familiar with anime, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Specifically, characters pause at strange times mid-sentence to better match mouth movements. You’re still going to face the same dubbed over weirdness that… Well, you’re probably so used to by this point that you don’t even notice it anymore. Vitally, Casey Mongillo plays a much subtler - more authentically “high school” - version of protagonist Shinji Ikari than the original version. For one, most people would tell you that the new dub sounds “better.” I certainly think so! The modern voice cast is stacked with professionals with years of experience in video games and other anime. Of course, the new Netflix dub of Evangelion comes with its own pros and cons.

Meanwhile, English is more accessible to, well, native English speakers. Japanese audio is obviously more authentic to the animation and even original vision of the show. Sure, there’s always the debate over what’s better. Sadly, that’s a surprisingly complex question - and not just for the usual reasons. But here’s an age old anime question: Should you watch the subs or dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion? People knew it was important, but barring illegal downloads it was hard to get your hands on the anime. But its limited availability in English truly gave it legendary status in the west.

It’s guided decades of other media that, in turn, spiraled out to influence a million other things as well. Neon Genesis Evangelion is an undoubtedly influential anime.
