ur lucky then. back at my old high school, just before i started there was a japanese course. but they cancel it, those idiots. i never had a chance to really learn japanese. when i was in high school. i took french since they said that another language would help for applying for scholarship to university. If i had a choice i would've choose japanese no matter what. althought there is nothing wrong with french or any other language, it's just what i would've chose becuz i loved the japanese culture ever since.
now years later and i still haven't had a chance to learn japanese. i couldn't afford lessons nor those computer software like Rosetta Stone. and i also never had the time. with technical school, working, and just being lazy i guess.
. but recently i obtain some pimsleur japanese audio lessons but only got through a few of them. i would love to learn kanji and kana (or whatever they called those japanese character writing system) but u certainly can't learn those with audio tapes, only with a live instructor. unfortunely, i can't afford them rite now, either. but someday....
before when u mention about the dubbing.... although i wouldn't mind dubbing, I really would prefer subtitles over dubbing. becuz just what was mention above, listening to their original voices and reactions is so much better, it shows their personality through their voices, cute sounds they make. it really what makes them so lovable and adorable. that why i love watching them on tv, with or without subs. dubbing would really take all the fun out of watching it for me. but before i would trampled on the idea, i would like to watch one first and just to see how it'll turn out. but i think i already make my decision though, cuz the original would be much better.
for example. before i started watching japanese subbed anime videos, i watch any anime that were on american tv. at first, since i love anime and understand english, watching those make me happy. but when i discover the internet and the japanese dubbed/eng subs anime and watching those. although i didn't think of it in the first place, i eventually found that the original japanese version with the seiyuu are great, better than the eng dubbed. like with bleach and naruto for example. they way they talk and attitude, personality that they present fits the characters more than their english counterparts. at least that how i see it. i'm not saying dubbing is not as good (some are as good as the other) . just for much of what i see, i much prefer the japanese version.