Amazon introduces AI-made English dubbing for Banana Fish

Amazon has introduced AI-generated English and Spanish dubs for the anime Banana Fish on Prime Video, marking the first time the series has received an English audio track since its 2018 release. Rather than hiring professional voice actors, Amazon opted to use artificial intelligence–a move that aligns with wider industry trends, as platforms like YouTube and Meta also experiment with AI translation tools for multilingual content.

However, early reactions to the AI dub have been overwhelmingly negative. Viewers have criticised the quality, describing the voices as robotic, emotionless and lacking natural rhythm. In many scenes, spoken dialogue does not align with subtitles, and several character voices sound nearly identical, making it difficult to distinguish between them. The audio tracks are marked as “AI Beta” within Prime Video, suggesting they may be experimental.

Following reports from users on Bluesky, several voice actors voiced concerns on social media. Voice actor Daman Mills openly expressed disappointment over Amazon’s choice to use AI instead of hiring professionals. Critics argue that dubbing is a collaborative art that involves skill and emotional investment from actors, directors, writers and sound engineers. They emphasise that Banana Fish, known for its powerful storytelling and prominent portrayal of a queer relationship, deserves a human dub that captures its depth and emotional nuances.

Many believe Amazon has ample resources to commission a proper dub and that relying on AI undermines the efforts of passionate industry professionals. For such a significant series, fans and actors feel human creativity should not be substituted by artificial voices.