Can This Love Be Translated?

Not a RomCom but so much deeper than that

This TV series was marketed as a romcom and I went in expecting that. I was presently surprised by the second half and the deeper story line. To begin with the cinematography was out of this world and definitely the top selling point. I’ve watched so many of Go Youn Jung’s dramas and she is a phenomenal actress. She plays her role(s) with so much conviction and manages to captivate the audience. I always liked Kim Seonho as an actor and this role was no exception. He has amazing chemistry with Go Youn Jung and their entire journey was an adventure. This is my first time seeing Sota Fukushi on my screen and can’t wait to watch more of his work. The 3 characters balance out so well and I was invested to see their growth through the series.

Now coming to the story. I like the sweet, funny start. The playful banter between Cha Muhee and Joo Hojin which turns into a slow burn romance and a deeper connection. It was interesting to see this translator who clearly is proficient in multiple languages fumble and learn to communicate with his love interest. It was fun to see Cha Muhee and Hiro’s relationship develop too. They have a rocky start which turns into understanding and this relationship underscores how two individuals don’t speak the same language but can still grow to understand each other. The side characters and stories were sweet, funny and balanced out the main story line well. The OST is so good and compliments the entire tv show, captivating the audience.

Overall, this was a good show and a great start to the year. I binge watched the episodes and sad it’s over. I was left wanting more.

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Starts out Quirky & evolves into convoluted confusion I did not find likeable

So despite all the negative things I will say about this drama, I did find it entertaining until 3/4 way through episode 6-where it stopped being novel & cute & interesting. here's why:
The female lead is not only needy, but can't restrain herself from constantly doing cringy, obsessive things. She won't accept rejection but then sabotages herself when she finally gets positive reactions to her efforts . The guys are supposedly attracted to her sunny disposition, but "sunny" does not really showing up all that often.
The male lead's default face is "bemused" & the rest of the time his expressions seem out of sync with what's going on.
By the middle of episode 6 I got annoyed & disgusted with the story line as the lead's feelings for each other get sabotaged by themselves .

Up to this point we have a guy who likes his calm well ordered life and keeps trying to keep the looney chaos bringer out by communicating clearly that he does not want her in his life.
The writers want us to see this as a "screwball comedy" as they give us a female lead who fluctuates between selfish demanding persistent to damsel in distress "cuckoo for cocoa puffs" debby downer.
So despite all the negative things I will say about this drama, I did find it entertaining until 3/4 way through episode 6-where it stopped being novel & cute & interesting. here's why:

The male lead's default face is "bemused" & the rest of the time his expressions seem out of sync with what's going on.
By the middle of episode 6 I got annoyed & disgusted with the story line as the lead's feelings for each other get sabotaged by themselves (?) It seems the explanation for why this happened & keeps happening is convoluted & confusing.
So into the middle of Episode 7, things even out, (which didn't make sense ) but then suddenly we are given yet another detour ,So frustrating ! Really a whole lot of drama zig zags around spastically
with build up to what could be meaningful moments that just get ice water dumped on them. My interest is strained it's just not satisfying .Whatever charm kept me watching has has worn off. I know there is a happy ending, but there is so much about the plot & a good many characters that I don't like, that I don't think it's worth it.


The plot jerking me around is super annoying.....
SO I do the thing I feel driven to; skim through the next episode trying to find an indication that this feeling of discontent won't last, & then I find myself skimming through the next two episodes because what little I've seen is even less appealing & disappointing.
so spoilers as to why I'm dropping this, & hacking my once rating of 6/10 to a 3/10
Female lead is schizophrenic- due to some trauma she had as a child-which might be interesting, but she's playing around with the male lead & second male lead's hearts & they are rightly confused. It's not all that amusing. Her kissing two men does not "sell" you on her sincerity for one man in the end.(I mean ,if her subconscious prefers another guy, or she simply likes being promiscuous, then how much do we trust what she thinks are true feelings ?).
That both male lead & 2nd male lead find her fascinating is inconceivable, it certainly didn't convince me & it's sad & pathetic watching them care about her.(anyone who ends up with her will be miserable & that's on them!)
Female lead's manager has some heart fluttering moments with his girlfriend, but she's yet another woman not worth the time, but at least HE knows how to deal with things (grab & kiss solves things every time !)
It doesn't seem fair that the second male lead gets strung along only to open his heart to being rejected. It also feels sad knowing that the male lead will end up choosing a girl that will be a pain in the butt for as long as they are together...are we supposed to be happy for them ? These are bad romances & not worth the time

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Fun

I really enjoyed this drama mostly for the female lead and second male lead but also for the scenery and patches of side stories.

While there were several turns that had me doubting the plot, and risked major moments of second hand embarrassment. I believe they kept an okay balance and had me pressing that next episode button over and over again... secretly wishing I could take a day off just to binge...

I loved the female lead, every part of her, every personality of hers, her acting, her being an actress, her smile. Everything, While I have seen her in dramas before, this is the performance that puts her on my crush-list, and will have me deliberately checking out more of her work.

Its not a perfect story, and it has some points that feel under-explored, and kind of iffy. The last episode is a mess a true victim of lazy writing, feels a bit like oh we have 30 threads to tie up in just one episode, lets add another thread or two instead of offering proper closure.

But other then that its a fun watch.

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lowkey confused by the genre, but I highkey couldn't stop watching

I’m honestly vibing with this drama so much. What I love is how steady the pace is, there aren't any crazy emotional rollercoasters or plot twists that feel forced or disappointing. It just stays in its lane. I started off giving it a 8/10, but after a few episodes, it’s definitely a 8.5/10. It gets more interesting as it goes without ever getting boring, though I wouldn’t say it’s a total 'mind-blowing' masterpiece. It’s just super entertaining, I mean, I literally binged all 12 episodes in just two days.
The only reason I’m not giving it a perfect 10 is the genre. It’s kinda hard to pin down, you know? It’s got romance, a splash of comedy, some darker moments, and a psychological edge. It’s such a rare combo for a K-drama that it leaves me a bit confused, but not necessarily in a bad way.

My Breakdown:
Storyline: 8/10 (Solid and consistent)
Cinematography: 10/10 (Absolutely stunning)
Acting/Visuals/Cast: 10/10 (Chef’s kiss)
Script: 7/10 (Decent, but could be tighter)"

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I loved everything about this drama. On the 1st episode, the beautiful scenery of Japan hooked me but as the story progressed, I got hooked by their acting, lines and the story itself. The pacing was perfect, and they had decent number of episodes. Since I've been watching drama for a long time, the places there breathed a new fresh air in me. Kim Seon Ho is the king of rom com, I know he always does great in whatever he does, and it's expected but I always get thrilled and excited over his acting. It feels like I'll never get bored of his acting and drama he chooses. As for Go Youn Jung, she nailed he role here. She did it so good. To be honest, I was never a fan of her acting or dramas she played before, but I loved her here so much. I saw her potential here. I loved when she played the Dorami role, the outspoken and bold Dorami. She exceeded my expectations. Also, I loved when a Japanese kind of guitar instrumental sound starts to play when there's a scene with Hiro. I loved that small detail they focused on. It was such a good experience watching it.

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Go for it If you want to watch something Cute & Heart Warming !!!!!!!!!!

I Really liked this show so much.
Firstly, i'll say dont try to judge the Whole show by the description Written on MDL or anywhere, In My Opinion Just Give it a go .
Moreover, the casting was good and it was very fun to watch them and female lead's reaction were so Kawaii and Innocent Sometimes.
Additionally, I Noticed that there were no strong emotions like Too much anger , Jealousy or plotting anything like that just lightweight I'd say.
Following this I'd say watch if you want something light, comedy and with no overly complex story telling or misunderstandings. JUST WATCH,,,,,,WILL NOT NEED TO USE ANY ENERGY TO UNDERSTAND OR FIGURE OUT ANYTHING ...

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Can This Love Be Translated? Review - ZyKuu

"Love is a language that requires two interpreters" - The story is very unique and has no errors. As the series progressed, I found myself becoming fascinated by how the plot continuously thickened and the twists were revealing itself throughout. I found the relation between translator and actress to be very distinct. Although there was one plot twist that was unnecessary and diminished the total value of the script. The main leads Cha Mu-hee and Joo Ho-jin were absolutely phenomenal in their roles. Mu-hee illustrated the image of Do Ra-mi majestically and her ability to switch between both egos was otherworldly. She displayed her versatility as an actress at a high level and she deserves flowers for this performance. Ho-jin acting skills are remarkable and apart from nailing his role, he possessed the ability to speak multiple languages fluently. That in itself is should attest to the amount of work he had to put into this role. The romance between Mu-hee and Ho-jin was chefs kiss. Their relationship formed from an innocent gesture as a stranger which grew into a requited one sided love that eventually translated into a relationship. Hiro was my favourite cast member as I grew to love his character in the show. In addition, I found him to be the funniest through his acting ability and facial expressions. His dynamic with other members were also very unique and entertaining. Nanami, Kim Yong-u and Shin Ji-sun were the other key cast members that stood out for me in particular. The OST is absolutely amazing as there is so much variety from this project. This project was shot across three countries and it was executed beautifully. The sceneries and environments captured on screen were breathtaking and really inspire you to travel as well. This drama is everything and it is beautiful in every single way!

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Underwhelming romance despite an interesting angle

This drama is about the romance between a top actress and an interpretor as they travel together in the context of filming a travelling and dating variety show. Or is it really ? Soon enough the series take a turn which I found interesting on an intelectual point of view but which failed to really captivate me. I had real trouble to remain invested in the romance as well as the other aspects of the series, and I am quite frustrated at how the ending handled off screen one of the most important storyline point. The pacing felt sluggish to me and the plot overall repetitive.

The acting was quite good and if I really like both main leads : Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung, I found their chemistry quite underwhelming...I was never as invested in the romance between their characters as I would have wanted, partially because the characters were written quite unlikable to me, partially because of the lack of chemistry. The secondary romance was much better on both aspects. I also really enjoyed the character played by Fukushi Sota, a great discovery.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a psychological kind of romance. It is not really a rom-com, not really a psychological thriller or a slice-of-life. It is a bit of a mix and doing so, it missed the mark for me but I still think there are quite a bit to love. I personally really enjoyed the travel vlog aspect , the various countries and languages, the dating show set up, as well as the introduction and the production value. Too bad that romance was a miss for me and that the resolution felt rushed despite the overall sluggish pace of the drama.

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