Italy as one of the most dedicated dubbing cultures in Europe

Italy is one of the most dedicated dubbing cultures in Europe. While other countries might let foreign films maintain their original voice acting and add subtitles, Italy belongs to the other camp. No matter if it's a film, series, animated show, documentary, anime, or even a reality show, everything is commonly dubbed to Italian.

The Italian word for dubbing is "doppiaggio" and in Italy it has long been treated as a serious craft. A good Italian dub is one that's supposed to match the original movements, timing, emotions, rhythm, and personality. The goal of the dub is to make the Italian version feel complete and emotionally convincing. If the dub is done well, the audience shouldn't think about the translation at all.

Germany, France, and Spain also have strong dubbing traditions, but Italy has often been especially proud of the artistic side of the profession. Italian voice actors, known as “doppiatori,” are not just anonymous technicians. Some become respected performers in their own right. Their voices can be deeply familiar to the public, even when their faces are not.

Similar to German dubbing, in Italian dubbing there might be a voice association between foreign stars and Italian actors. An American actor may have the same Italian voice across many different films, creating a double identity over time. Italian audiences recognise the Italian voice that has become attached to that actor.

Italy developed a strong dubbing industry in the twentieth century and and, over time, the tradition became self-reinforcing. The audiences started to expect dubbing, and because of this broadcasters and studios invested in it more and more.

Italy has a large enough audience to justify full dubbing for major releases. For smaller language markets, subtitles are often cheaper and more efficient.

When it comes to anime, Italy has a long history of Japanese animation on television and many Italians grew up with Italian voices for anime characters. For them, the Italian dub is part of the emotional identity of the show. But newer anime fans often prefer Japanese audio with subtitles because they see the original voice acting as essential to the style and feeling of the series.

Still, Italy remains one of Europe’s clearest examples of an extreme dubbing culture.

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