Why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover?

Why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover? - Japanese melon on blue background

In Jiro dreams of Sushi (2011), director David Gelb could have used an interpreter for the interviews to present the information in English. Instead, the whole documentary is in Japanese with English subtitles. Why do you think that the director took this approach?



Best Answer

As it's been pointed out in the comments, dubbing a documentary about a Japanese chef, in an all-Japanese setting, would seem a bit "off". Furthermore, it seems to matter even more for director David Gelb, as his Twitter account greets you with the following pinned tweet:

@ThisIsDavidGelb - Please turn on original audio and subtitle in the settings! The show is not meant to be dubbed.

David Gelb Twitter account with the above text

The tweet refers to his show Chef's Table, the episodes of which presents a variety of chefs from all around the world; hence, it is likely that Gelb thought of the same for his Jiro Dreams of Sushi movie. In another tweet, he explicitly stated he preferred the subtitles:

@ThisIsDavidGelb - Thanks so much for watching Chef’s Table and for all of the feedback! For those who prefer subtitles to the dubbing, you can switch the audio to the original language and turn on subs in the @Netflix app. (poll reads 86% subs, 14% dubs)

@victormarkwhat - Thank you! This is great to know. I just came across your twitter because we were watching Chefs Table S4:E2, did not like the dubbing. We were wondering if anybody else felt the same. Much better with subtitles!

@ThisIsDavidGelb - Seems most prefer the subs, as do I.

Gelb and his community prefer subs




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Why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover? - Heap of appetizing ripe orange persimmons hanging on metal construction and drying on sunny day in countryside
Why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover? - From below of many ripe traditional Japanese persimmons hanging on ropes in local market in sunlight
Why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover? - Fresh ripe whole persimmons hanging on rope during preparing traditional Japanese sun dried Hoshigaki



Why is Jiro Dreams of Sushi so good?

Jiro also has an appropriately minimalist-but-mesmerizing soundtrack from Philip Glass. But the real power of the film is the work ethic of the titular dreaming chef: Jiro Ono is an 85 year old man whose entirely life is devoted to making sushi. And that's basically it.

Is Jiro Dreams of Sushi still on Netflix?

But as we all know, Netflix giveth and Netflix taketh away, and last call for Jiro Dreams of Sushi is Sunday, Aug. 23. If you're looking for an equally food-focused couch-surfing experience, your best bet might be one of the following series.

How old is Jiro from Jiro Dreams of Sushi?

The film follows Jiro Ono (\u5c0f\u91ce \u4e8c\u90ce, Ono Jir\u014d), an 85-year-old sushi master and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, previously a Michelin three-star restaurant. Sukiyabashi Jiro is a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station.

Who is the father of sushi?

Jiro Ono (\u5c0f\u91ce \u4e8c\u90ce, Ono Jir\u014d, born 27 October 1925) is a Japanese chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Japanese sushi restaurant in Ginza, Ch\u016b\u014d, Tokyo, Japan. Ono is regarded by his contemporaries as one of the greatest living sushi craftsmen and is credited with innovating methods used in modern sushi preparation.



Jiro Dreams of Sushi HD (English Subtitle)




More answers regarding why is the whole "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" documentary spoken in Japanese rather than having an English voiceover?

Answer 2

Probably for the same reason some of us prefer to watch anime subtitled. There's a certain emotion and nuance in the tone that may not get properly conveyed with a dub.

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Images: Any Lane, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Quang Nguyen Vinh