Can This Love Be Translated?

It felt flat

My rating: 7/10

I finished Can This Love Be Translated yesterday, and I’m giving it a 7 out of 10. Not because it was bad, but because… for the amount of hype around it, I honestly expected more. It was fine. Watchable. But it didn’t hit the way people made it sound like it would.

And I know how deep I can go with a drama when it truly hits me. Crash Landing on You is the perfect example of that. That show had such an impact on me that I actually watched it like a die-hard fan. Scene by scene. Episode by episode. I analyzed everything, because it made me feel something real.

But with this one, I never got pulled in like that.
I love a good romantic story, and on that level this one felt… flat. Like something was missing. It was lacking. It didn’t give me that “wow” feeling, and it definitely didn’t leave me emotionally wrecked in a good way.

The male lead was actually one of the better parts for me. I love a good T-character and he delivered that energy.

But the female lead… I don’t know. I just couldn’t connect with her. I couldn’t put myself in her shoes, and the way her mental health was presented really bothered me. It felt kind of clumsy and overly casual, like they wanted to include something serious but didn’t want to treat it with the weight it actually deserves. If you’re going to imply someone has a personality disorder, you can’t present it like it’s just a quirky character trait. That didn’t sit right with me.

And honestly, it wasn’t even “miscommunication” that got in the way of the relationship. It was more like… she just didn’t know how to say what she felt. And she sabotaged herself.

The moment she started feeling like, okay wait, he actually likes me now, her whole mindset switched into, this won’t last anyway. It’s going to fall apart. So I’ll end it first, before it ends me.

I get what they were trying to do, but for me it felt a bit too forced. Like it needed more depth, more buildup, more emotional logic behind it. Because I kept thinking: why are we doing this right now? It didn’t feel natural enough to be heartbreaking. It just felt… unnecessary.

There’s also one big thing that didn’t land for me: the love story itself. The male lead tried, I’ll give him that. But based on the scenes they had together, I didn’t really understand when or why he suddenly fell in love with her. I couldn’t see it happening. It felt like the plot decided it was time, and that was that.

And maybe I’m hard to impress because the only K-drama I’ve given a straight 10/10 to is Crash Landing on You. Nothing else has touched that level for me, not even My Dearest or Mr. Sunshine. So I’m not saying Can This Love Be Translated needed to be life-changing, but still… I expected it to hit harder than it did.

In the end, it’s a perfectly fine feel-good series. I enjoyed watching it. It wasn’t painful, it wasn’t a waste of time. But it also didn’t really do anything for me. And if I’m being honest, I already know I won’t be rewatching it.

Final verdict: a decent watch, good male lead energy, but emotionally underwhelming and not worth the hype.

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Lost in the Sauce (So much potential, so little focus)

As most of the audience of this show can agree, it was far from the premise we were initially told. Honestly when I watched the trailer I couldn't imagine how they were planning to make an entire show about an actress/translator and expected it to be chock full of stupid misunderstandings that dragged the plot and insane love triange drama. Ironically, instead of keeping things simple, the writers threw in every possible curveball they could think of.

Contrary to a lot of people in this review section, I actually really liked Ho Jin’s character. The nuances of his personality set him apart from the usual blunt, boring K-drama male lead stereotypes. His relationship with his family, his personal boundaries around love, and his rigid principles all made him genuinely interesting to watch. Kim Seonho executed this extreme T type personality extremely well.

Cha Muhee as a character was incredibly confused, but I think it was that confusion that gave her relatability. e. Her constant awkward rambling and very real pining for her translator man were portrayed in a cute rom-com way that still felt believable. That said, if we start talking about how both her and Ho Jin were completely nonchalant about her having multiple personality disorder and an active alter ego roaming around the world, we’ll be here all day, so let’s just ignore that.

The chemistry between the leads was also fantastic in the first half of the show. The back-and-forth, Ho Jin not outwardly admitting his feelings, and Muhee just sending it and declaring her intentions were all very entertaining to watch. That is… until it wasn’t.

What even was the point of all that angst? I get that they wanted to drag out the couple-getting-together phase like most K-dramas, but this was entirely unnecessary and way too confusing. In the span of one episode, they almost explicitly confess their feelings, decide to get together, and then she stands him up and that’s suddenly the final straw? Or earlier in Canada, when they’re basically confessing to each other but then he gets mad that she’s pushing him away. Like… what? This is your girl, man. You know this about her. What are you so surprised by?

The writers clearly grasped at any available straws to come up with dumb reasons for them not to just get together and be done with it. Unlike most K-dramas, the leads realized their feelings for each other pretty early on, so having them get together around episode 7 or 8 and then working through the remaining plotlines together would have been so much better.

Speaking of those plotlines- I mean what was the deal with her parents? Why drop such an insane reveal in the last 30 mins of the show and have her resolve it by herself off screen?? That was highkey the only part I was interested in man. The whole vibe of the Do Rami and flashbacks and creepy-fun music was very reminiscent of It's Okay not to be Okay, and similar to that show they could have leaned more into Cha Muhee's childhood by showing us scenes of her upbringing in that fairy tale-esque way. The whole show we are told to feel bad for Cha Muhee because of her childhood but we do not see any of it so it makes it hard to actually understand why.

And yet, despite the confused writing, the set designers and costume designers absolutely outdid themselves. The wonderful cinematography in combination with the amazing sets and costumes was such a visual treat and I might recommend the show just for that. All of Do Rami's movie scenes, the childhood house set and all spanning travel shots were so beautiful.

The second leads however, had no purpose to me. Like what even was going on there. Jisun's character was so freaking confusing?? Like who is she as a person? We don't even know what her relationship with Hojin's brother was and we barely even get the full flashback of her time in in Japan with Hojin, so we can't even understand his years long crush on her. And then out of nowhere she decides to get a divorce and embrace her sexuality (good for her). but if that was the direction they wanted to go in, they should have committed to it. If what she needed was a physical release after her engagement fell apart, the tone of that relationship could have stayed fast-paced and heavy instead of turning into yet another random K-drama romance where the guy develops a savior complex.

I loved Hiro's character from start to finish though. What an absolutely funny guy. And the actor playing him gave exactly what was needed to portray a slightly narcisstic A-List celebrity with just enough humanity to make him likeable.

In conclusion instead of unnecessarily keeping the main leads from getting together until the very last moment they should have spent more time fleshing out the other characters (Jisun, Hojin's brother, Cha Muhee's parents and adoptive parents) and giving more screen time to other plots (Cha Muhee's childhood).

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Less really would have been more here

Can This Love Be Translated? is a tricky one to review. It was marketed as a rom-com, but rom-com it was not. What it was, however, is one of the most visually beautiful dramas I’ve ever seen. From Canada to Italy to Japan to Korea, every location was stunning, and by the end of the show I was ready to book my plane ticket to Banff, Canada ASAP. The use of so many international locations made the show feel fresh and different, especially after watching countless dramas that recycle the same office buildings, apartments, and parks. Nostalgic? Sure. But also boring. This drama definitely stood out visually, and I genuinely enjoyed the entire cast.

As for the main couple, I actually think they worked well together, but the romance often felt stagnant because of the story choices. The pacing of their relationship was all over the place, sometimes rushed and sometimes completely stalled, and while that may have been intentional, it wasn’t always enjoyable to watch. That said, the FL’s quirkiness was often very endearing, and Go Youn-jung really shines in those types of roles. I also have to give credit to Kim Seon-ho, who was genuinely impressive with the amount of language learning required for the role.

Story-wise, the first six episodes were solid, but episode seven marked a noticeable shift, and not for the better. I usually don’t mind mental health themes in dramas, but the way this one was handled didn’t sit right with me. If Do Ra-mi had remained more of an inner-voice concept, that could have worked. Instead, the show seemed to introduce something resembling a multiple personality disorder, which is a complex and serious condition, only to treat it in a way that felt rushed and oddly flippant.

That said, there were moments where the portrayal felt more thoughtful and artful. Some of the visual and symbolic interpretations of her internal struggle were genuinely interesting and well done, and they hinted at a deeper, more nuanced exploration that could have worked beautifully. The problem was time, or rather, the lack of it. The female lead is clearly not okay for several episodes, then literally says goodbye to Do Ra-mi, and suddenly… she’s kind of fine? That’s not how that works. I’m no expert, but reducing something this serious into a few conveniently resolved episodes ultimately felt unsatisfying and underdeveloped.

And then there’s the ending. Yet another ridiculous one. Was it necessary to reveal, within the final 30 minutes of the entire series, that her parents were alive this whole time? No. Absolutely not. And then, to “heal,” the female lead simply disappears for an unspecified amount of time and magically returns cured. Nope. No. Not buying it.

What’s frustrating is that this drama didn’t need all of this. I never thought I’d say it, but the show would have been better if it had just stuck to a quirky female lead (which this actress does so well), the love triangle with the Japanese actor, and the male lead dealing with unresolved feelings from his past relationship. And I’m someone who loathes love triangles!! But honestly, that was more than enough. Less really would have been more here. There was no need to cram a poorly handled, overly complex mental health storyline into a drama that already had plenty going for it.

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A Polished Romance Driven by Emotion and Atmosphere

Great chemistry between the leads and a strong cast overall. The story focuses heavily on romance, with a plot that mainly serves to accompany the emotional journey of the characters. Beautiful scenery and a very high production quality give it a polished Netflix-drama feel. The romantic elements were especially satisfying, and the overall tone is quite rewarding.

One minor downside is that the professional setting the characters are involved in can feel a bit frustrating at times and may initially give a slightly misleading impression about the direction of the story. There are also moments where character decisions and actions can seem confusing, especially as emotions develop, though this is eventually handled in a coherent way.

The ending feels somewhat rushed, and a few background aspects - particularly regarding personal circumstances and future challenges - could have been explored more deeply.

9/10

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Personally, I really liked this drama. I watched each episode with pleasure and genuine curiosity. I think the whole story was carried out smoothly. The visual aspect deserves special recognition — it did not disappoint. There were many beautiful frames and shots connected to the places they traveled to. I also liked how the series portrayed the pressure that comes with popularity and how suddenly gaining fame can affect a person.

I also really enjoyed the relationship of the first main couple — Cha Mu Hui and Ju Ho Jin. On the surface, they seemed like complete opposites to me, but together they began to complement each other. It was wonderful to watch how much of a support Ju Ho Jin was for her, even though she wasn’t always aware of it. Overall, their relationship developed quite slowly and was interwoven with many dramas that could have been avoided through communication, but in essence, that’s what this series was about — trying to understand the language of love. Over time, we could see that they truly learned it and started talking to each other instead of running away.

It’s also worth pausing on her relationship with Hiro. In my opinion, it was also very pleasant to watch. I watched most of their travel scenes with a smile on my face. Even though she never had any romantic feelings for him, and I personally rooted for her to be with Ju Ho Jin, Hiro’s feelings were not irritating, and his support and devotion to Cha Mu Hui were wonderful as well. The fact that he learned Korean for her stole a piece of my heart, and he himself was a character I wished happiness for with someone else. Even though we didn’t get to see that, I’m glad the story showed that he began to fulfill himself as an actor in what he had always wanted to do.

Now it’s worth moving on to the character of Do Ra Mi. Personally, I found this storyline intriguing and, in general, I liked it for most of the series. Her character added a lot of color with her edge and intensity. That said, mental illnesses were heavily simplified here, which may not appeal to everyone. They were largely “cured” through love, which doesn’t necessarily reflect reality. Personally, this didn’t bother me, but I think it’s worth pointing out — in my opinion, it would have been even better if we had been shown how the character, thanks to him, begins therapy. What disappointed me much more was the ending of this storyline — namely, her leaving to go to her mother, which we never got to see. Because of that, I consider the survival of her parents to be unnecessary, since we didn’t witness it anyway, and as a result we also didn’t see her “farewell to and victory over” Do Ra Mi. As for her aunt and uncle, I have one word for them: “trash.” Treating a child so horribly — a child who believed she had lost her parents — while knowing the truth is rock bottom. You can’t sink any lower, and the fact that years later they still saw nothing wrong with their behavior says everything about them.

The last important storyline I want to discuss is the relationship of the second main couple — Sin Ji Seon and Ju Ho Jin. The chemistry between them was great, and I think we got far too few scenes of them together. They intrigued me just as much as the first main couple. I liked how, thanks to him, she realized that in true love you don’t have to fight for the other person’s attention or effort. The only issue I have here is that the storyline with her former fiancé was slightly oversimplified — in the sense that he appeared and then disappeared. What happened to him afterward? No one really knows (something was mentioned, but only in passing), even though he is the main character’s brother.

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Can the director/writers be fired?

... because the director fully missed one of her/his most important tasks: to ensure that quality control takes place,
which definitively did not happened. The writers were also careless or incompetent (as usual, I may add):
obvious unacceptable mistakes appear almost everywhere, yet most in the first third of the series, but not only there.
The writers did such a bad job, that the actors had no other choice but to improvise and change the dialogs a lot - accordingly to the interviews given by the actors. Fortunately, the main idea is good and the actors are all extremely good; together with the rest of the working teams (camera, costumes, make up, music) they made decisive contributions to this overall valuable series. If only director and writers did their jobs, the series could be one of the very good ones.

What this series has and many other do not have:
+ beautiful views filmed outside (a lot in Canada and Italy, a few in Japan),
+ deeply motivated feelings and experiences,
+ psychologically motivated movements.

Despite its flaws, this series fully deserves to be watched.

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Just a kelp in water

This has nothing but full of desktop wallpapers to choose from.

The anticipated romance? the sizzling chemistry? It's there but not there. It is bleak. Cha Mu Hee's personal trauma took over the whole plot that the writers forgot to actually write a proper development in the romance and give a chance for chemistry to actually spark. Instead it became an accessory for the sake of the promised romcom genre.
The only time I actually enjoyed it was the dynamic between Joo hyo jin and Do Ra Mi. Do Ra Mi's character has a better compatibility with Joo Hyo Jin's attitude. Yet with Cha Mu Hee, it's bland.

Overall the drama gave me nothing, it has a lot of potential to be interesting yet it didn't became anything. The writers threw away a great premise just to fall back into something generic.

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Hong Sisters Missed the Mark

I waited for this drama with deep anticipation as a fan of the Hong Sisters. What I LOVE about them is their capacity to create rich fantastical world for their characters to occupy, full of metaphor and meaning. In this instance, the psychological inner world of Mu Hui took that place in the narrative, inside of an otherwise very mundane world. This psychological landscape, however, was neither innovative, fantastical, rich, and neither did it lean on realism. While it added depth to our FL, there was nothing that could not have been accomplished through character development in the otherwise real world. Further, it felt incomplete in what it aimed to accomplish, relying on an external plot at the end of the 12th episode that we never find out how it ended. It feels to me like this time the Hobg Sisters tried to play it safe for the international Netflix audience and neither achieved their usual artistic brilliance, nor psychological intrigue. I am certainly disappointed.

Positive points for Go Youn Jung wonderful, bright portrayal of our Mu Hui. Fukushima Sota as Hiro also brought in a wonderful arc to his character portrayal. Kim Seon Ho as Ho Jin did excellent work with the language, but it was average or even below average performance. I did like the chemistry of our leads, however, it was sweet.

Worth watching if you’re a Hong Sisters fan so you may form your own opinion, but it’s not brilliant, merely safe.

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The drama started on a strong note, and i really enjoyed the first few eps. However, as it progressed, especially in the middle, it began to feel unnecessarily stretched. By the final eps, i was honestly just waiting for it to end. This drama absolutely did not need 12 eps especially with 60-65 min runtimes, and one episode even running for 82 mins. Ideally, the story could have been wrapped up within 6-8 eps. The dragging added no real value.

If not for the forced misunderstanding created by the SFL, the story could have easily concluded by E6. The leads would have confessed by then and the conflict would already be resolved.

Although both leads were clearly in love, it took far too long for them to actually enter a relationship almost until E10. Multiple plotlines were running simultaneously: the alter ego personality, a love triangle involving the FL, ML and SML and yet another romantic angle from the SFL’s side. At times, it felt less like a triangle and more like a love pentagon.

While the production quality, acting, bgm and chemistry were all solid but overall viewing experience felt boring to me. I did like the Japanese SML, but his presence also seemed more like a tool to stretch the plot rather than serve a meaningful purpose. The SFL’s storyline felt equally unnecessary.

The FL’s traumatic childhood backstory, which explains the development of her alter ego, was another weak point. The alternate personality appeared and disappeared randomly, making it difficult to take seriously or feel convinced by it.

Overall, this was average at best for me.

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