This can go both ways whether you understand both the original dub and the subtitle language that differs from the dub, for example: I recall watching a TV show episode where a conversation about a friend of theirs being drafted to war, but this piece of dialog was horribly translated: “He’s still a kid” as in the guy is his early 20s.
The subtitles in 日本語 however, used the worst wording for this idiomatic prasing by translating “kid” as in a literal minor (子供) when the real context is more on referring to someone who’s 20 years old or above (basically equivallent to saying “young man” / 若い人) which butchered the scene since the subtitles failed to express that.
I mean, do you know examples of a movie or TV show where the subtitles suck at translating the spoken dialog when it involves idioms, puns or even cultural references? Whether it’s French Dub & English Sub or vice versa (like English Dub > Spanish Sub & etc.) since each language has their own way of conveying a message.
It’s getting a bit out of hand with all those people with sockpuppets, isn’t it?
Anyway, if 子供 for “(person who is mentally a) kid” is the worst thing you’ve encountered in translation, that must’ve been your first piecd of translated media or you haven’t been paying attention. I wouldn’t even know where to start with all the atrocities I had to witness back when I still consumed the occasional dubbed movie/show. It actually made me want to become a translator so that I could do a better job (didn’t work out, health reasons).
Back when Good Omens S02 came out in 2023, I was apparently feeling masochistic so I switched the language to German for a rewatch. I spent the next two days meticulously writing down all the small and big violations of some geneva convention that the translator committed (also a few actual good bits where I was genuinely impressed). I think I managed to make it through 2 of 6 episodes before I yielded and instead got drunk.
I really should put that up somewhere so I can pretend in my mind like somebody with authority surely will see it EVENTUALLY and rectify that train wreck and people will start paying their translators.