Marvel's Taika Waititi comments on Squid Game: Opens up a heated debate on dubs vs. subs

Filmmaker Taika Waititi and Netflix's Squid Game poster (Images via GQ & Instagram/@theswoonnetflix)
Filmmaker Taika Waititi and Netflix's Squid Game poster (Images via GQ & Instagram/@theswoonnetflix)

One of the most renowned filmmakers worldwide, Taika Waititi tweeted about how to experience Hwang Dong Hyuk's Squid Game the best, and it has opened up the old debate of Team Dubs and Team Subs.

On October 4, the BAFTA and Oscar award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi tweeted a straightforward line, telling people they "don't have to watch Squid Game dubbed" in English.

Esports commentator Nathanias, Honest Trailers and Transformers voice actor Jon Bailey and author Paul F. Verhoeven back his comments, but some don't. Including one of the show's English voice actors, Rama Vallury.


Should you watch Squid Game in subs or dubs? Here's Taika Waititi's opinion

Netflix's latest viral sensation Squid Game broke barriers and has become a worldwide phenomenon.

The show's seamless showcase of capitalism and class inequality has been quite the rage, even making people go so far as to say no industry shows class disparity as incredibly crafted as the South Korean entertainment industry.

All of this and more, are showcased from the nuances, the accent, and the language of the South Korean actors themselves. Taika Waititi recently tweeted that he's on Team Subs and shared his opinion with the public.

What ensued was the age-old debate of appreciating another language’s work in their original creative capacity with subtitles or subtitles being inaccessible by disabled people and giving voice actors a job.

Many people started having conversations regarding preserving originality, no matter Korean or any other language.

One user commented that dubbing, no matter how great the voice actor, can’t capture the original actors' emotions and the right tone.

Season subtitle viewers also talked about the nuances and the tone of the language that is usually lost in the English language.

Not only that, but even a dubbing artist revealed that he would mostly prefer subtitles over dubbing any day.

While people have their reasons for hating the dubbed shows, it goes without saying that dubbing makes the shows more accessible and inclusive to differently-abled people with conditions such as dyslexia or blindness.

What also makes Squid Game’s English dubbing better is that rather than an all-white cast, AAPI actors voiced the show, bringing in a bit of an authentic take.

The conversation also revolved around the talented voice actor Greg Chun, dubbed the lead Seong Gi-hun and Rama Vallury, who voiced Ali and many other characters.

Netflix’s Squid Game and DARK, both seem to have divided people over it. But considering Taika Waititi is even tweeting about Squid Game shows the phenomenon’s global reach.