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A unique experience
I had high expectations of this show, although I enjoyed to watch it I felt as the show dragged on from episode 7. Despite that, it was a unique experience to watch as it implemented other elements of genres inside of this rom-com.I felt the cast was perfect, the acting was spot on as well and the OST was well suited for the show.
I wouldn’t see myself rewatching this again due to it dragging on towards the end. I felt that the ending could’ve been more spread out as it was a lot to consume in the last 30 mins of episode 12, it could’ve expanded more into the storyline
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I haven't been watching any dramas for the last 2 years, but this one might bring me back for good.
I won't be discussing what made this drama good/bad nor will I try to convince you to watch it and ignore the low ratings from other users. I'll be discussing how this drama led me back to loving the genre as a whole.Just to give a little disclaimer, my ratings encapsulate how dramas in MDL were originally rated; dramas were never review bombed and it felt like every drama except for maybe controversial ones were always rated fairly. I'd like to think that I'm fairly harsh on my ratings and I wouldn't give such a high rating to a drama that didn't deserve it. That being said, does 'Can This Love Be Translated' really sit atop with the heaviest punchers in the drama world -- which is 9.5 in my case. I would say no, but in my books it deserves to be higher than 9.0. I originally debated giving it a 9.0 or a 9.5, but after some thought I decided to give it a 9.5. I usually have certain criteria for rating dramas; to name a few, I put a lot of emphasis on the enjoyability of the drama, how easy/hard was it to watch and finish, and how the drama was able to keep me intrigued throughout the show. In those three, this drama definitely scored higher than a 9.0, and this was confirmed after letting it sit after a few days of completing the drama. The feelings that I felt have lingered throughout my mind, and I found myself being interested in the show's promotions and the cast.
You could say that I've fallen out of love from watching dramas, but watching this one truly made me feel the butterflies I've once felt. Is this drama perfect -- no. Is the story extremely deep and compelling -- no. Is this drama a good watch that deserves the hype and a rewatch in the future -- definitely.
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Very misleading premise
An interesting drama that seems like a crossover of It's Okay To Not Be Okay and Daily Dose of Sunshine.Like other people have mentioned, it came across as a romantic comedy and the first episode delivered on that.
However it soon turned into something unexpected. While it was still enjoyable and watchable. the plot became a bit convoluted and strange and I ended up dropping it.
At first, I thought Dorami was a supposed to be a fun representation of her inner self to provide some insight on her thought process (much like the animation in Yumi's Cells Kdrama) but it became this complex alternate personality that had MuHui had the ability to switch to when it served her. So, that's not how delusions/hallucinations operate. And when Dorami started providing insight on herself to the Ju Ho Jin it was ridiculous, as well as everyone observing her acting strange but not checking in on her and just allowing it to be, even when she referred to her "original self" as her/she.
Hiro was a fun character that wasn't always executed right. At first we see that he is obsessed with her as the entire world is (apparently and very exaggeratedly) but then because he wasn't recognized by her at an awards ceremony he hates that she was cast in the show with him - or maybe not, this part was a little unclear to me. They alluded to it with his assistant but also mentioned that it could be due to the fact it was a surprise as her name hadn't been on the list of actress candidates but since he liked her originally why was it such a big deal? Later. his character goes back on forth on wanting "confirmation" of something and it seems like he gets it (she doesn't like him) but his crush on her continues to shine through in the last part of filming. And why did Dorami kiss him and tease him and tell him "I choose you"??? Was there a point to that? And when did Hiro start liking her so much?
Ju Ho Jin - I thought his parents relationship and 10+ year crush referred to as a "delusion" by MuHui deserved more attention. He lacked depth which made his actions seem a little bit unnatural. He was commonly referred to as "nice" to describe it but it doesn't cover why he would visit Muhui in the hospital more than once for someone he had no interest of. It also seems like as much as his paren't relationships impacted him and how he views romantic relationships for himself this was barely given any attention to. They made it sound that he needed his brother to marry JiSeon as a way to truly get past his crush but that seems unreal too. Most people wouldn't want to date someone their siblings dated. I like this actor and he managed multiple languages very well and seemingly natural but his minuscule smirk, haha, a tradition he carried in every drama he's in.
There were more things wrong with it that I can't remember now but overall if you can get past that, it's good for a one time watch. People have commented that the soundtrack was good. None of the music really stood out for me. Despite the things I have previously mentioned, I think all the actors acted well.
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For me, this drama was a massive fail and very offensive
I couldn't watch it to the end, so if anyone who has seen the last episodes wants to comment so I can muster a tad of redemption towards this drama, please do so.I'm angry right now...just angry. At the casual and indifferent manner in which Korean entertainment treats mental illness. This story is about a woman with a serious mental disorder. One which needs serious help from a highly qualified mental health specialist. The writers use this disorder for entertainment and comedy in this drama and I think it's unbearably offensive.
I'm sure I'll come back as a fan, but right now, I need a break from Kdramas.
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okay drama
I really liked this drama, especially because it wasn't something I saw before but to be honest after some episodes it started to get boring or even repetitive.At some point it was just them saying i love you's and then saying goodbye's, and then meeting each other and doing it again. When it comes to plot I also felt like sometimes there was too much like plot things, especially when Rami started to show up in Chanhee's body. I feel like her being only visible to Chanhee and being just a voice in her head was a better option. But the plot twist at the end actually was good and that's why I'm kinda mad that instead of other plot informations/scenes we didn't get the one I was super curious about.
I'm not really a big fan of Hiro, I just thought that him explaining everything doesn't change the fact that he's still really I don't know weird? to me. He was there, so fans could be curious with who Chan-hee ends up with but I never felt any chemistry between them, I shipped him with Nanami.
I actually like the second couple which I was surprised to notice because of how the relationship started, in the end it was quite good.
Overall, a good drama that maybe I would re-watch but sometimes it was too much of everything.
Also, it was my first time watching something with Younjung as she's always a background character in dramas I liked, but when she was a main character it was in dramas I wasn't really fond of for example historical ones. And I must say, she's really a good actress only thing that I had problem with was her crying scene on bed (?), it's just sometimes looked/sounded like she was laughing.
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This wonderful drama took a dive at ep. 6
I genuinely enjoyed the first half of Can This Love Be Translated? for its gentle humor and believable slow-burn closeness. However, around Episode 6 the story takes a sharp turn: a single unclear conversation and a chain of coincidences reset the relationship between the leads almost completely, undoing the emotional progress that had been carefully built up. Because this shift broke the emotional continuity for me, I chose to stop watching at that point.Was this review helpful to you?
A whole buffet if I say so my self
To say I'm flabbergasted would be an understatement frfrfr. This series is well seasoned and balanced. There were so many twists I never saw coming. Overall, it’s a good, comfy, comedy, and intriguing show. Once you start watching, it really pulls you in.I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say: y’all should go watch it—it was definitely worth my time, and I hope it will be worth yours too. Honestly, I think part of the reason I loved it so much is because of Chief Hong from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha and the female lead, who low-key looks like Zhao Lusi from China.
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A beautiful way to start the year with a romance drama
In my opinion, this is one of the better romance dramas to come out this year. If the ending hadn’t felt a bit forced, I probably would’ve given it an even higher rating.This drama is not your typical romance. It’s not just about falling in love, but also about mental health and healing from past trauma. The character development of both leads is very noticeable. Kim Seon-ho’s character slowly learns how to open up and be honest about his emotions, while Go Youn-jung’s character finally confronts her childhood trauma instead of letting it control her life.
Their chemistry is really strong — honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve watched a romance drama where the chemistry felt this natural and believable. Their relationship feels mature and emotionally grounded.
Another big plus is the soundtrack, which fits the mood perfectly, and the beautiful visuals. With filming locations across different countries, the drama is visually stunning and genuinely pleasing to watch.
That said, the ending was a letdown for me. The plot twist about the female lead’s family being alive felt unnecessary. Emotionally, the story was already complete once she had faced and overcome her trauma. Introducing that twist so late, without properly exploring it, made it feel rushed and added in just to extend the runtime.
Even with that flaw, this is still a solid and recommendable drama, especially for viewers who want a romance with emotional depth and meaningful themes, not just a simple love story.
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Can This Love Be Any More Frustrating?
I had big hopes for this show. Both the leads being some of the absolute bests of kdrama world, I was seated from the moment this show was announced.I can't say I am fully disappointed, no. But it still didn’t hit the mark I really thought it would. And that dissatisfaction really left a bitter taste that
is not easy to avoid.
Acting and chemistry from the leads were really good,one of the saving graces of the show. Go Yoon Jung shined as Do RaMi,she did so well as that psycho horror-ish character and her crazy bits were really entertaining.She proved her range again!! Kim Seon Ho is a seasoned actor and he showed it gracefully. These two saved the show even though there was enough elements for the downfall of the show.
Another good thing was the cinematography, it was so eye pleasing,from natural scenarios of different countries to Do Ra Mi dancing happily with her red umbrella... Everything was top notch. OST's were also good,soothing to the ear. Comedy bits were funny, I smiled a lot in many scenes.
Now...the real problem,story writing. Idk how after such a promising start of first few episodes, the story took such a sharp turn into a story of push and pull relationship that was making no sense.The complete shift of genre in the midway wasnt expected.From a refreshing start as a romcom where everything was enjoyable with a smile it suddenly turned into a heavy toned psychological drama with lots of trauma,heartbreaks,mental disorders....for which we weren’t prepared.
It was really frustrating to watch both of them continuously miscommunicating,pushing the other one out of their lives,then suddenly they're happily chatting....and in the next episode,same thing happens again as a repeat cycle. And there wasn’t any definite reason cause the explanation of Mu hee's past,her traumatic childhood,reasons for her insecurity everything happened much later, so as an audience it was frustrating to watch her repeating the same thing without knowing any reason. And finally when they got together around episode 10,it was'nt as satisfying as it should be cause I wanted to see their growth together,how Mu hee finally get rid of her past,how they shaped their relationship as a stable one. And I couldn’t see that cause there was only two episodes left where there wasn’t much time to show so many things.
The final 30 minutes was completely unnecessary. Mu Hee's parents being alive,her disappearance for unknown time, male lead waiting and then she suddenly appears... Not needed.
Also was'nt it surprising how easily Ho Jin accepted Do Ra Mi and accompanied her instead of taking her to a specialist? This part was so illogical.
Our Japanese second lead's character was another waste. He was there just for comic relief I think? If you erase him from the story,it wouldn’t harm the story a bit,cause he did nothing memorable the entire show. He had potential to make the plot more interesting, his growth from being a childish narcissist actor to a green flag second lead was good to watch even though they used him only as a prop.
Same was the second couple. There was ample scope of exploring their relationship. We didn’t even see how bad Ji Seon's relation was with her ex...we just had to assume. And then boom! Suddenly she's so in love with her new lover with whom she properly talked for like two times??
Overall... This show had the potential to become one of the best one of the year if they didn’t try to take the story in different routes and fail miserably. It's still enjoyable though if you can overcome the frustrating part and watch solely for entertainment and visually ver pleasing cinematography.
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Had more potential than it showcased
The first half of the show was quite entertaining. The ML's chemistry and comedic timing were good, and the overallproduction quality was great. The start felt fresh.Some emotional moments and quotes were also very touching.
The core theme of the story was good as well. Every person really does have their own language, shaped by beliefs, morals,
life struggles etc. In that regard, the show's message was strong, showing how people battling their own hardships are often misinterpreted or ignored. The idea worked story-wise, but not screenplay-wise. The leads' conflict swung between
unresolved and resolved that was dragged too many times, which made their chemistry very unbalanced.
After the first half, they really messed up the flow. I hated the jumbled mess of love triangles between multiple characters,
many of which were completely unnecessary,hence sidelining the core conflicts of the main characters. A lot of subplots were added, with little to no explanation towards the end.
Overall, Can This Love Be Translated started strong, with it's exploration of inner conflicts. However, the muddled second half - filled with unnecessary love arcs, draggy story and underwhelming screenplay, restricts the drama heavily, to reach to it's full potential.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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Lost in translation
Let me preface this by saying I am a HUGE Kim Seon Ho fan. I have loved him in all of his works and have always supported him. So I went into this series primarily because of KSH. And, I also have been loving Go Younjung lately. Totally loved her in Alchemy of Souls and Moving, so I had no doubt that this series would be good because of the two of them.And it would have been if they focused on the romance in this romcom. It was giving! They had such great chemistry - KSH and GYJ looked great together! Both fresh-faced, wholesome and not, beautiful, and those winning smiles! But no they had to ruin the plot with some mental health issues drama. I totally understand that they may be trying to make a point or something but they totally missed it. The story still could have been great without all that depressing drama which was not even properly addressed. I mean, if you are giving us something to go to therapy about might as well get us into therapy and healing by the end of the series?
Suffice it to say, I was frustrated with this series. Yes, I loved all the sweet and cute moments but damn, they really had to ruin it. KSH and GYJ were amazing. And so were the rest of the cast, the scenes were so beautiful - I can't believe they had such a big budget for it to just be a total letdown. I was not impressed. But it was still a good watch. However the short 12 episodes felt more like a chore and pledge of allegiance to Kim Seon Ho - which in a way, it really was. I only finished it because of him.
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mixed feelings about this drama
I have mixed feelings about this drama, the acting was amazing but the plot got a little out of proportion, and got unnecessarily complicated at times.. Understanding that she actually suffers from a split personality took time and it was a shame. Her communication in Japanese could have done with a mobile translation, the repetition of scenes was a bit confusing. There were situations where I didn't understand who was against whom and why.. Something went wrong with the writing.. Again, the acting was excellent as was the soundtrack, the shots of the scenery in all the countries/destinations were spectacular (made me want to visit there) the use of several languages was great, at the same time, this is not an easy drama, it is a psychological drama that has a mental disorder. The first few episodes did not indicate the continuation of the plot. It is advisable to watch it with an open mindWas this review helpful to you?
