The dip in English dub quality over the last 4 years is impossible to ignore

I was rewatching Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood last week and then tried a newer show from 2023. The difference was huge. Older dubs had actors who actually matched the energy of the scene. Now it feels like directors tell voice actors to just read lines flat into a mic. I think the shift happened when streaming services started pushing for fast releases around 2020. They cut corners on casting and direction to get shows out quicker. My theory is that union rates in LA went up and studios moved to cheaper non-union talent in Texas or Canada. Has anyone else noticed this or am I just listening wrong?

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rowan_kelly6428d ago

The Funimation to Crunchyroll merger in 2022 basically killed any quality control. I watched the first episode of Mashle and the lead actor sounded like he was reading a shopping list. Compare that to Laura Bailey as Lust in FMA talking about when the door boy comes and you can feel the menace in her voice. New dubs just don't have that same weight behind the words anymore.