How to watch anime in English with a voice-over
Many anime never get an English dub, or get one long after the episode airs. With the Vocnu extension for Chrome, Brave and Edge, a natural AI voice reads the English translation over the original Japanese audio as you watch, and English subtitles show over the player. The cast's own voices stay audible underneath.
For Chrome 120 or newer, Brave and Edge on a computer.
Start watching in four steps
- Add Vocnu from the Chrome Web Store to Chrome, Brave or Edge on a computer.
- The extension opens the Vocnu app: sign in or create a free account, and press Connect the extension.
- Open the episode on your streaming site and press the Vocnu button in the browser's toolbar, or Alt+Shift+V.
- Choose English and a voice, and play the episode. It waits about half a minute at the start while the first part is voiced, then the voice keeps in sync with the picture.
Where it works
Vocnu works on any page with an HTML5 video player. It has been tested on Netflix, Bilibili TV, WeTV, iQIYI and YouTube, among others.
- Sites whose players load subtitles: Vocnu translates those subtitles and voices them.
- Players that protect their video (DRM), such as Netflix: after you allow it with one click on the Vocnu button, Vocnu listens to the tab ahead of you, so the voice stays in sync. On a site that does not allow that, the video is covered for a short while as it listens.
- Episodes with subtitles burned into the picture: choose Read the text on screen in the extension.
What an episode sounds like
- One voice reads every line over the lowered Japanese audio, so you still hear the cast's acting, the music and the effects. This is voice-over, not a dub: no voice is replaced and the lips are not matched.
- Opening and ending songs are not voiced.
- Character names are written the same way in every episode, from Vocnu's names library. Spot a wrong one? Suggest a fix right in the extension.
- English subtitles show over the video, in fullscreen too, or choose subtitles only.