This review may contain spoilers
After watching the drama twice, I can finally give my honest review:First, let’s talk about the story. It’s simple but effective: a broken heart, mysterious visions, the relationship between her and Ho-Jin, and in parallel, the tension and confusion created by Do Ra-Mi and Ho-Jin. I also loved the hilarious dynamic with Hiro, especially since he has no idea about Mu-hee’s double personality and the language barrier between them (he’s Japanese and she’s Korean). I really got hooked on the theme of the story, even if it could have been improved in some ways.
The OSTs are just amazing. They’re perfectly placed and so touching. Seriously, well done!
As for the characters, I think they all have great chemistry together funny moments, tension, romance… I loved their acting. I already knew most of the actors from their other series and movies, so I wasn’t surprised by the quality they delivered.
In short, I recommend it!
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Yearning, tension, misunderstandings and a slow burn worth waiting for
I actually really liked this drama.I got a bit lost about half way through and I had to rewatch scenes and read up explanations, but once I readjusted my expectations of the drama, I started to properly enjoy it. I went into the drama knowing I loved the two leads, so excited for a drama with them both. I was expecting a typical drama, cheesy, funny, nothing out of the ordinary. But it’s very different. I did like it though, it was something a bit different, and went deeper than I expected, focusing on trauma, family relationships and taking on the message that everyone speaks their own different language, and emotions and context can really impact how you communicate.
I loved the cinematography, and scenery of Korea, Japan, Canada, and Italy was so beautiful. There were LOTS of misunderstandings but i felt like these were justified as they went towards the message of the show, they weren’t only there for drama. The yearning, tension and slow burn was so painful to watch, but also something i love in romance stories.
A very interesting drama that is nothing like things I’ve watched before. Now I’m off to watch the cheesiest lighthearted drama I can find!
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BAYILDIM
ARKADASLAR uzun zamandir bir kdrama beni bu kadar icine cekmemisti. Gercekten beklentimin ustunde cikti diyebilirim.En basta soyleyeyim dizi bana gercekten “hissettirdi”. Yani sadece izleyip gecmedim, sahneleri yasadim gibi oldu. Uzun zamandir boyle hem duygusal olarak etkileyen hem de gorsel olarak tatmin eden bir sey izlememistim. Ozellikle sahnelerin cekilisi, o atmosfer, renkler falan baya guzeldi. Boyle sakin ama etkileyici bir havasi vardi.
Romantik gelisim yine yavas ilerliyordu ama bu sefer rahatsiz etmedi. Tam tersine bu yavaslik seni hikayenin icine daha cok cekiyor. “Ne olacak acaba?” hissini surekli yasiyorsun. Diger dizilerdeki gibi uzatilmis gibi degil daha cok merak ettiren bir ilerleyisti. O yuzden beklemek sinir bozucu degil aksine heyecanliydi.
Karakterler konusunda da bence dizi cok iyi bir is cikarmis. Ozellikle Kim Seon-ho’nun canlandirdigi karakterin daha kapali, duygularini icinde yasayan yapisi ile Go Youn-jung’un karakterinin daha acik ama kirilgan hali cok iyi dengelenmisti. Aralarindaki iletisim sadece konusmalarla degil, bakislar ve suskunluklarla da veriliyordu. Bazi sahnelerde hicbir sey demeden bile ne hissettiklerini anliyorsun ve bu bence dizinin en guclu yanlarindan biri. Sadece “ask hikayesi” degil, ayni zamanda iki insanin kendi duvarlarini yikma surecini izliyorsun. Bu da hikayeyi daha anlamli yapmis.
Bence dizinin asil vermek istedigi mesaj da buradaydi. Yani sadece “ask” degil, insanlarin birbirini gercekten anlayabilmesi meselesi. Hani bazen ayni dili konussan bile karsindakini anlamiyorsun ya, dizi tam olarak bunu anlatiyor. Iletisim sadece kelimelerle degil, empatiyle oluyor. Kim Seon-ho’nun karakteri daha cok icine kapanik oldugu icin kendini ifade etmekte zorlanirken, Go Youn-jung’un karakteri daha acik gibi gorunse de o da aslinda anlasilmak istiyor. Yani iki taraf da farkli sekilde “anlasilmama” problemi yasiyor. Dizi de bunu cok guzel ve dogal bir sekilde gostermis.
Kisacasi, uzun zamandir izledigim en iyi kdramalardan biri olabilir. Hem duygusal olarak tatmin etti hem de izlerken hic sikilmadim. Boyle dizilerden sonra digerleri biraz bos gelmeye basliyor acikcasi. Gercekten cok begendim ve kesinlikle aklimda kalacak dizilerden biri oldu.
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This review may contain spoilers
Firstly everyone agrees that the cinematography is absolutely amazing. Every shot was so beautiful. The scenes, the videography, chefs kiss.I loved the actors too. They did a great job.
What I didnt like was the how they went about it with the plot.
I think it would have been better if they focused more on using Do Ra Mi to "get revenge" on the ones who raised Mu Hee. She just showed up on the christening and thats it. They were child abusers and they deserved to go through hell. Dont even get me started on her father. What kind of disgusting parent is he that abandons his own daughter??
This story had so much potential for speaking up about child neglect, bad parenting, etc. But I feel like it didnt do enough on that part. But then again it was maybe because it tried to be too many things at the same time. There were so many characters where i felt like it just showed me enough to make me curious but then it didnt satisfy that curiosity to the end. For example with Ho Jin, I felt like they needed to shed more light in that situation with his mother. She was horrible to him and you expect me to believe that all they needed to say to each other was a simple sorry?? I wish all of these plot points were much more expanded on. That way the lesson from each of them would hit harder.
But I do have to say that now that I am reawatching some scenes I am understanding more and more Ho Jins feelings and Mu Hees feelings so I do think it deserves a rewatch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Does the translator really know how to translate love?
I confess I had to watch it twice to get a better understanding. The first time I watched it, I thought the part about her illness was a bit forced, but the second time I watched it with a more open mind, and I loved it. I think what gives this drama its charm, besides the romance and chemistry, is the fact that we have another character without needing to add yet another one. This means seeing the duality that a single character can represent really fills this story, and I think the tension between the characters throughout this drama only draws us closer and closer; we almost want to be part of this story just to finally see those two together.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the most romantic scenes I’ve ever seen
I’m not writing a long review except this is one of the best dramas I’ve seen in a long time.I wanted to mention that the scene in the last few minutes of episode 9 moved me to tears. It’s one of the most romantic scenes I’ve seen in any Kdrama.
It’s a very well done show. The two main leads had fabulous chemistry. I thought Go Youn Jung was incredible.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great story had potential to be drama of the year
Ok I really enjoyed it. The leads had amazing chemistry and the acting was really good. One of the best dramas I’ve watched this year ngl. I also loved the second lead and kinda rooted for him. The concept was great and unique about the leads not understanding each other even tho they speak the same language. I also liked the concept with Do Rami ending up being her mother which was kinda surprising I didn’t except it at all. I believe that that storyline was wrapped up fast and we should have learned where her parents were. I also found the fact that they were alive kinda dump ngl and that it came out of nowhere. On the romance it was great and I love slowburn and it was done really well. I also loved the second lead couple and which I usually don’t. The only think that annoyed me was Do Rami at sometimes but yet tho I hated her character she was important. I also liked how the second lead went from hating her to falling for her it was cute. I also liked hearing so many different languages and saying many different countries it was fun. Overall I great drama I highly recommend it :>Was this review helpful to you?
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To be loved is to be seen and understood
What a show! The cinematography alone was breathtakingly beautiful, at times the show resembled a painting. A true visual feast!I really enjoyed the story, and the complexities of the characters, how each layer unfolded, and how the leads learned to understand each other beyond language. Hiro asked Ho Jin if things had gone differently, if it wasn’t for the language barrier between him and Mu Hee. But, as Ho Jin points out, even though Ho Jin and Mu Hee speak the same language, they didn’t quite understand each other at times. Despite learning Korean, I don’t think Hiro understood Mu Hee as a person; her fears, her anxiety, her self-sabotaging ways throughout the show (which sometimes felt too relatable). She needed reassurance, a pillar, stability, someone who understands *her*, who looks beyond what she says to understand what she *needs*,*wants*, *means*. She needed someone to read in between the lines, and despite his initial frustration, Ho Jin did exactly that. He looked beyond her words and saw her person.
That is not to say that he didn’t need reassurance too; they both had attachment/abandonment issues. But I just loved Mu Hee’s earnestness in her pursuit of the male lead; she was endearing, awkward, and daring in the best way. Ho Jin, on the other hand, was gigatron-master-yearner 3000, and Kim Seon Ho bodied the character so well—but he does romance so well anyway, so no one’s surprised!
The second couple … was kind of just there. Their development was weird, and the chemistry lowkey non-existent. I don’t see why they had to become a couple, but it was nice that Ji Sun and Ho Jin got their closure; it was also nice to see the manager-actor relationship between Yong U and Mu Hee! They felt like siblings, which I liked. Mu Hee meeting her mother happened off-screen, which is a bit of a bummer… I would have liked to see how she faces her, and finally frees herself from her past, but the fact that she finally found the courage to face it in the first place was nice enough! This seems to be unpopular, since everyone wants a show of its own for this character, but I never warmed up to Hiro. Despite its meaning changing over time, I didn’t like how he kept referring to Mu Hee as “Zombie”, and he was weirdly mean to her in the beginning of their partnership for the reality show. I also found it hilarious how none of them ever thought about using a translation app while communicating… they really lowkey did not care to understand each other lol.
The show took so long to see the light of day, and here I am finishing it in a couple of days … I had a great time watching it; the leads had great chemistry, I was constantly rooting for them; the cinematography was fantastic, and so was the music.
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Pretty Visuals Carried
i really really wanted to love this show. like, i had my expectations so high because of i LOVE kim seonho and go younjung, butttt it was just so frustrating to watch.*the bad*
i felt that the psychologocal aspect of the drama really took a long time to be cemented into the show. muhee's trauma due to her mom felt more like a horror/supernatural element in the first half. the whole 2nd lead couple subplot felt so forced and unnecessary, guess it was just there to fill time. then there's struggle of a "language barrier" with hiro... girl just use papago. it was just so annoying. stop acting like you can’t communicate, it’s such a non-issue.
the pacing was genuinely terrible in half the episodes, just hour-long marathons of nothing happening. the chemistry was there, and it was good, but it wasn't *it*. i didn't get that spark or the tingle in my stomach i get from the shows i actually love. the ending was even cheaper because in the last 30 minutes, they reveal the truth about her parents, she flies to meet(?) them and we don't even get to see any of that? pfft. i wanted to love it so bad but i just couldn’t.
*the good:*
props to the leads!!! kim seonho, you are insane for those microexpressions. the yearning? the acting? he carried the whole thing. and go younjung is so cuteee, the way she made do rami and cha muhee feel like completely different people was actually so impressive. muhees character backstory is really good and her personality feels very real. the cinematography, scriptwriting and camerwork was gorgeous, the ost was really great, and that last scene of her translating "i miss you" into different languages was such a good stylistic choice.
*overall: 8/10*
the start and end were good, but the middle was such a drag. it’s pretty to look at but i guess my standards were just too high, but this definitely didn't hit the mark especially because it's seonho's big comeback :(
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Weak landing... What a shame...
The opening is interesting. It sets up in a way that keep me curious. And even though the pacing leans toward a slow burn, it doesn't feel boring. There’s a steady momentum that makes me want to keep going episode after episode.For most of the series, I was fully on board. About 70% in, I’d comfortably rate it around an 8.5. It’s engaging, the dynamics work, and there’s enough emotional tension to keep things alive.
But then… the last stretch pulls the score down...
The series loses direction around ep 11 and especially ep 12.
In the last episode, the story suddenly introduces a new issue right at the end - something that clearly doesn’t have enough time to be developed, explored or resolved properly. At the same time, this “new opening” isn't strong enough to justify a second season. It comes off like a forced attempt to leave an impression, but instead it just drags things down.
Another thing I noticed - the ML’s laughter feels off. It's even more obvious in the last stretch when the story is heading toward a happy ending. His supposedly happy laughter with the FL feels dry and fake.
This is one of those shows that almost made it, but the finish is noticeably weak and leaves an underwhelming aftertaste.
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WHEN TWO PEOPLE DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE...
I was really excited after viewing the first episode. What a great idea! The clever Hong sisters base this series on both the literal and metaphorical idea that human beings “speak different languages.”The FL is a Korean actress–who speaks only Korean. She has a professional relationship with two potential love interests. Male lead No. 1 speaks only Japanese. Male lead No. 2 speaks Korean fluently (as well as five other languages).
But No. 2 doesn’t understand the FL’s emotional signals. In fact, he has communication problems of his own, which she doesn’t fully appreciate at first. Nevertheless, he’s the person who touches her heart.
We find out gradually, that the FL is mentally unstable. She suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), a real condition, thought to be triggered by a severe childhood trauma.
She’s also in the middle of a prolonged film shoot, which takes place intermittently in various picturesque locations. Other people’s livelihood, and her own self-worth, depend on her ability to tough it out and finish the job.
This drama gets a lot of things right. The settings, the symbolism, the music, and the atmospherics are all effective. The day-to- day life of the film crew is something you don’t often see in K-dramas, and I liked that.
The dialog, especially between the FL and the second ML, is confusing. The FL keeps laying her heart on the line, but he keeps rejecting her. Is he afraid of getting hurt? Is he misinterpreting her? And she also has communication problems with dude No. 1. This drama is a bumpy ride, and the plot doesn’t altogether make sense. Everyone seems to be working way too hard to get it right, and, unfortunately, the effort is showing.
Still, this is an extremely original drama. But it may be that the premise is stronger than the script.
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A new fairytale from the Hong Sisters
'Can This Love Be Translated?' is the third drama I've seen written by the Hong sisters. It's once again a fairytale story (as the lead actress, Go Youn Jung, has rightly noted in interviews), set in our own reality. However, unlike 'A Korean Odissey' and 'Hotel del Luna', it doesn't feature any fairytale characters. The fairytale feel was more due to the stunning beauty of the filming locations: in addition to the colorful landscapes of Canadian lakes, mountains, and parks, I especially enjoyed filming in Italy, a country I love and have visited many times.Go Youn Jung is back as the character similar to the one I've seen in 'Resident Playbook'. Cha Mu Hui is an unfortunate child been forced to adapt and pretend starting from childhood to not only be liked but also to survive. A very useful skill for an actress, right? Especially in SK.
Childhood trauma runs deep within her, embodied in the character Cha Mu Hui played before falling into a coma and waking up to become famous. The writers walk a fine line, making a personality disorder caused by profound trauma seem almost normal. Every time I watched Ju Ho Jin play along with Cha Mu Hui while she imagined herself as Do Ra Mi, I couldn't understand how come he was not terrified of interacting with someone with a clear mental disorder. A girl like that shouldn't have been invited to dinner; she should have been sent to a clinic, and not to that nice guy in a white coat.
It's clear that this is a way to draw a parallel between translation from foreign languages, which allowed people to communicate and understand each other, but it was truly eerie upon closer look. This in no way detracts from Go Youn Jung's charm and her brilliant performance as the two-in-one role. She's rising higher and higher in my personal ranking of actresses, and I eagerly await her new roles.
Well, Kim Seon Ho was pure love. Anyone who couldn't get enough of his wseet Park Cheong Seop in 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' was fully rewarded in this drama. Well-mannered, well-educated, handsome, stylish, and very sensitive, Ju Ho Jin is a dream! He has a house with a huge library, he speaks several foreign languages, works as a translator, loves good music, has excellent cooking skills, and wears stylish coats. Could you resist? I couldn't.
Kim Seon Ho and Go Youn Jung formed a beautiful and harmonious on-screen couple, but the 'third angle' was lacking: Kurosawa Hiro had every chance of being a worthy rival to Joo Ho-jin (and, admittedly, I would have rooted for him with all my heart), but Fukushi Sota was given a poorly developed character who never was a threat to the main couple. From a complete ***hole, Hiro suddenly (!) transforms into a compassionate wise man, and I saw no motivation for this change, because the viewer's attention was always focused on Cha Mu Hui and Ju Ho Jin, and Hiro's arc came off as very, very complimentary.
Overall: I liked the drama, but credit goes to the stunning scenery, Go Youn Jung's lively presence, and Kim Seon Ho's beautiful eyes, rather than the incredibly engaging plot. While there wasn't much intrigue, it was a beautiful fairy tale the Hong sisters are so good at.
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