Recently, a post on China's SNS, Xiaohongshu (RED), asked, "Why do Japanese anime voice actors' performances move my heart and give me goosebumps when I listen to them, but Chinese anime voices invariably feel a little awkward?" This post has garnered a strong reaction from Chinese netizens.

The poster wrote, "When I discussed this topic with a Japanese user on the language exchange app HelloTalk, they said, 'Japanese anime voices are handled by professional voice actors, who graduate from specialized schools and undergo long-term training.' Indeed, I think Japan is truly excellent in this field. Sometimes I feel that the characters and voices match perfectly."

In response to the poster's question, Chinese netizens offered opinions such as: "Because I simply don't understand what they're saying," "Even though it's the same Chinese, I don't feel any discomfort with Taiwanese dubbing," "Standard Chinese dubbing is certainly not very good, but the dialect versions are fine," and "There's a slight 'sense of luxury that comes from not understanding.' Sometimes, listening to Cantonese feels even more comfortable than Standard Chinese." These comments suggested that Japanese and dialect dubbing might feel more comfortable precisely because the meaning of the words isn't understood.

On the other hand, some comments pointed out that the difference is largely due to the voice actors' acting skills, rather than the language itself: "It's better not to think it's the superiority of the language itself. If language were the reason, anyone could become a voice actor. I myself am studying Japanese, but I can't speak Japanese with that much emotion. Even Japanese people don't usually speak like that. So, I really think it's the voice actors' skill. Currently, in Chinese dubbing, it's basically a situation where if you have a good voice, you can become a voice actor."

Furthermore, many comments cited the established nature of the voice acting profession in Japan and the high level of acting skill as reasons, stating: "In Japan, the profession of 'seiyuu' (voice actor) is already established as an industry. China truly has very few people who can be called voice actors," "Japanese voice actors act with only their voice. It's truly amazing. When you encounter a work where all the cast members are talented, it's truly the best audio entertainment!" and "The Japanese version has a very strong element of acting. While no Japanese person speaks like that in daily conversation, the emotional immersion is very deep, and the intonation is quite pronounced."

On the other hand, there was a series of critical opinions regarding Chinese dubbing, suggesting that emotional expression and manner of speech feel unnatural: "I think there are some Chinese dubbing voice actors who don't put emotion into their roles," "Japanese dubbing makes you feel like the character has become real, but Chinese dubbing sounds like a teacher talking," and "Chinese dubbing often feels like everyone is performing a recitation with a stiff posture. Even when watching, it doesn't sound like ordinary people talking, and the language used is oddly formal." (Translation/Editing by Iwata)