Earlier this year, Amazon started incorporating artificial intelligence in dubbing select movies and shows on its Prime Video service. Recently, they added AI-generated dubs in English and Spanish for
Banana Fish. Although the series has remained popular and well-regarded since its debut in 2018, an official English dub was never released. To address this, Amazon decided to
utilize AI technology for dubbing, opting not to hire human voice actors.

Unfortunately, the quality of the AI-generated dubbing is notably poor. The dialogue often mismatches the subtitles, the voices sound robotic and lacking emotion, and there is little to no consistency in the cadence of the lines. Many voices share striking similarities, detracting from the overall viewing experience. Although I can’t assess the accuracy of the Spanish translations, similar problems with sound quality and tone are evident in both language versions, which are labeled as “AI Beta” on the Prime Video menu.

Following the release of the AI English dub, discussions erupted on social media, particularly on Bluesky, drawing attention from voice actors. Daman Mills, a prominent voice actor, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration over Amazon’s choice to employ AI for dubbing instead of compensating real actors.

“Shame on you Amazon PrimeVideo. After years of fans hoping for an English dub of Banana Fish, you deliver it as AI generated garbage? It’s disrespectful. Was a queer trauma narrative handed to a machine because paying real actors is too hard? Fix this.”

This situation is both disappointing and troubling. Voice actors are among the most dedicated and passionate individuals in the anime industry, working alongside sound engineers, directors, and writers to ensure high-quality localizations. For a series like Banana Fish, known for its nuanced portrayal of queer relationships, a human-crafted dub is essential. Amazon has sufficient resources to finance a legitimate English dub, and the anime community rightfully deserves this investment.