Can This Love Be Translated?

A Visually Stunning Romance That Struggles to Fully Connect

Story & Plot
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This drama had a very strong start and immediately pulled me in with its atmosphere and presentation. The premise felt refreshing at first, especially with how language, culture, and emotional barriers were woven into the experience. I enjoyed the tone that the drama began with, which made it feel a little different from typical romantic comedies.

That said, the storytelling became increasingly frustrating as there was a lot of back and forth. With some miscommunication. While this fits Muhee's internal struggles, it was getting to the point where it wasn't so meaningful. I didn't find the pacing to be slow, but there was certain narrative choices that left me confused rather than emotionally satisfied. I was expecting more. The drama had a lot of good moments, but the resolution felt less impactful than it should have been.

Despite these issues, the story isn't that bad. It simply didn't fully deliver on the emotional depth it was clearly aiming for.

Characters & Acting
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The acting was consistently strong throughout the drama. Kim Seonho and Go Youn Jung conveyed their characters beautifully through subtle glances, body language, and silence. Their chemistry feels gentle and authentic, particularly in the initial episodes.

Hojin, while likable, doesn't undergo much noticeable growth, which leaves his character feeling a bit flat by the end. Muhee, on the other hand, does experience growth as she slowly faces her trauma. However, her development feels limited due to the audience spending a considerable amount of time focused on Do Rami. While Do Rami is an interesting narrative device, her presence sometimes overshadows Muhee.

My favorite character was Hiro. His arc went from childish/petty to someone who was able to allow himself to love someone and even learning Korean. This is probably the best part of this drama. His effort to learn Korean in order to better communicate with Muhee is genuinely touching and adds depth to his role. His dynamic with Muhee feels natural, warm, and so sincere, making it hard not to root for him. Second lead syndrome strikes again!

Music
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The OST is a highlight. "Lay Down Together" by off the menu, "Daydream" by WENDY, and "Promise" by WONSTEIN are all memorable tracks, that I enjoyed, that elevate the emotional tone of the drama. The music plays a crucial role in grounding scenes and enhancing the atmosphere. I felt that some of the background tracks—particularly English ones—felt oddly artificial??? Overall the main OST left a strong impression.

Rewatch Value
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This isn't a drama that makes me want to STRONGLY rewatch it. While episode one, scenes with Hiro, and the breathtaking scenery are tempting reasons to return, the narrative confusion, random timeskips, and emotional frustration makes me less likely to rewatch it. The drama is best appreciated for its experience rather than revisited for comfort.

Overall
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"Can This Love Be Translated?" is a well-produced, thoughtfully acted drama that doesn't fully live up to its potential, but still offers an engaging experience. Its strengths lie in its cinematography, international settings, strong performances, and memorable OST. While the script of Hojin and Muhee's romance sometimes feels forced and super back and forth—along with the confusing storytelling—the emotional themes and character dynamics keep it engaging.

This drama is easy to recommend to viewers who enjoy travel-heavy stories, co-productions, and stories centered on language, identity, and internal struggle. Polyglots and language enthusiasts, in particular, may find it especially appealing. However, those who prefer straightforward storytelling/romance or are easily frustrated by miscommunication may want to take their time with this drama.

In the end, this drama is true to its title—occasionally confusing, undeniably beautiful, and emotionally imperfect. It may get lost in translation, but for viewers willing to follow the storyline, it's a meaningful and visually rewarding watch.

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This script was not translated well.

i really wish i could give this kdrama a higher score because i love the original concept and the actors…but there are just too many things wrong with it. I had been waiting for this to come out for years and when it finally did, watching it was disappointing. Though I had signed up for a romantic comedy/drama piece about languages, i ended up watching something that is so stuck between multiple genres it can’t even be defined, and that’s not a compliment.

but first a less important reason to be disappointed: for a show supposedly about translating, the netflix subtitles do a horrid job of translating. yes of course there is a certain range of interpretation in between language but a lot of the time the main concept of what is being said was translated incorrectly. i was continuously yelling at my screen when i would hear one thing in korean and then something completely wrong on the subtitles. it wasn’t just up to interpretation it was a matter of correctly conveying the meaning of the original script. i blame netflix and whatever translator they hired. (should’ve hired joo hojin 😔) this is coming from someone who has spoken korean for 5 years and lived in korea, however im not a native or interpreter so take my words with a grain of salt.

now on to my main issue: the concept takes too many twists and turns that are never fully rendered. the elements are thrown in aimlessly to be fit together but none of it works. the genre change from romcom to kind of psychological mystery/drama while still holding on to romcom is not supported well enough by the script. However, this is not the fault of the actors. i actually feel they did a great job with the material given them, but the plot just has too many holes.

my first issue is that the concept of “i have multiple personalities (usually one evil one good) due to family trauma” is blatantly overdone and under researched frankly. The logistics of muhee’s psychological problem made no sense, emerged way too late in her life, and though i enjoyed the pressure that the hallucinations placed on her character the jump from hallucinations to complete body takeover was, honestly, unbelievable and felt rushed. i think one of the reasons it felt this way was because rami so frequently contradicted herself. One moment she appeared because hojin isn’t in her life? and the next she appeared because of her family? And she would try and separate hojin and muhee because she doesn’t deserve a happy ending, but then why does she set muhee up with hiro? You must pick one. It seriously seemed as if rami was merely an excuse to make muhee interact with the second lead because she wasn’t before. Or to add a tragic backstory. Seems the writers couldn’t pick..
And on that topic, rami’s character doesn’t even run away from muhee’s happiness as she claims to, she just causes useless trouble, drinking and spending her money. So clearly something is not aligning in the writing of the character. This made most of rami’s scenes feel forced and useless to the plot and romance. therefore episodes such as episode 9 when we only see rami it feels like there’s just zero plot, the entire hour is just do rami playing around with muhee’s life and nothing else is happening. Which I understand is somewhat the concept, she stems from muhee’s trauma and therefore isn’t necessarily good for her, but if i’m being honest everything do rami did made me want to throw a brick at my tv. she‘s rude impulsive and messy and worst of all it’s not even entertaining.

again, the whole plot just kept going back and forth, with few scenes to explain it. even though rami supposedly comes from her family trauma, there are probably three scenes with her family that are over 2 minutes long whether it be present or flashback. It felt like something was missing.

Theres also the excuse that muhee needs rami to do certain things for her or give her the confidence to do things, which is somewhat understandable, but even then that makes muhees character superficial. I don‘t want to root for a character like that, I’d rather root for muhee to find her own confidence.

Now, because of this useless character, the plot has taken 4 steps backwards, if do rami hadn‘t shown up in episode 7 the main leads would have gotten together and been happy, but instead by episode 10 they’re more awkward than they were before. it’s as if they forgot everything about the northern lights, their song, and the fact they already practically confessed to each other. the only thing keeping them apart is literally do rami. Which again, I understand to an extent, that IS the concept: her trauma is stopping her from being with Hojin. But it’s done incorrectly and too abruptly. So rather than make me sympathize for muhee’s pain, it just made me hate do rami. it‘s as if the writers just wanted to prolong the story by adding a new storyline but didn’t put much thought into exactly how it would fit together.

additionally a good twist is one in which the viewer likes the new concept more than the original concept but this just wasn’t happening for me. it’s okay to just have a nice romance especially one that had a concept as cool as what was presented in the first 6 episodes. Even by the first episode I was hooked line and sinker with such an interesting concept around languages, interpretation, and love, and it stayed that way for a good while. That’s why the switch felt way too sudden and left a bland taste in my mouth.

i have no problem with shifts but they need to be done right. when it comes down to it you can’t lie to your audience as much as you want twists to be shocking and surprising.

As far as psychological concepts go too, even if i was prepared for it, it sucks. again, poor writing, overdone concept, lack of research into actual mental health and psychological issues. if i could rewrite this script with a bright red pen marking everywhere i think went wrong and have it sent to the writer i would do it without hesitation. and most of it would be cutting do rami out of the script.

Finally onto the redeeming qualities and why i didn’t give this drama a 1/10
- Kim Seonho and Go Yoonjung’s acting was phenomenal and honestly saved the script. Especially the emotional scenes. Both actors have a great depth to their work and they fit together so well.
- the cinematography was gorgeous. no notes.
- the original plot, which, had it held up for the entirety of the drama, would have made it a 10/10 for me.
- the romance was exhilarating and despite its frustrating circular pattern kept me watching the show
- and on that note the chemistry between the characters! you can see them yearning for one another and returning back to the other despite any best judgement that tells them not to. even when they try their best to be separate they cannot stay away and that’s the kind of romance i want to see
- the japanese actor, sota fukushi, played his part so well and he also had a great emotional acting range.
- the use of so many languages. what a great concept. seeing kim seonho speak so many languages and it being used heavily in the script was a YES for me. Loved every second.
- The ost: What great songs!! seriously i loved how they fit with the story. And i definitely added them to my playlist. (except for the weird creepy music that played when rami was on screen, but that’s like one song)

Overall: if you like the show i won’t disagree with you, it is not a bad watch, but you cannot deny the writing is bad, superficial, and probably needed a few more weeks of editing. i think this show could have been something great if they had stuck with the original concept and gone with a heartwarming, amazingly cinematic romantic comedy that features multiple languages, drama, multiple countries, and a bit of cheeky humor. Even if they wanted to do it the way it is now just with a more cohesive plot then it could have scored way higher on my charts.

Still, i wont tell you not to watch it. if you’re into that kind of poorly written psychological writing go ahead and knock yourself out. if i had known before hand it would be that way i might have at least been able to accept its twists and turns. Rather its stuck between different genres and concepts, kind of like do rami, except just like her, none of it is logical at all. its like i bought an apple only to bite into it and find out it’s a mushroom. and i hate mushrooms.

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The Most Frustrating Drama

This drama had everything to work and ML still managed to make it bleak and unbearable.

The female lead spends half the story sharing her inner monologue. the messy, vulnerable reality of her present life. That is not small. That is not casual. That is a gift. She literally narrates her thoughts. And yet he treats it like noise. Later, he even says she is “the hardest thing to interpret.”

He knows she has past trauma. He knows she struggles with closeness. He knows she becomes shy and awkward around him — not because she’s narcissistic or manipulative, but because she loves him. but oh yeah poor guy doesn't know thats how far emotional constipation can go he showed it.

Her pattern is clear: she tries with everything she has, then retreats out of fear of rejection — insecurity shaped by childhood wounds. Instead of recognizing that and reassuring her, he responds with confusion and something worse: hope.

He gives her hope.
She comes closer.
He hurts her with his words.
Then he gives hope again.
Then withdraws again.

That cycle is the most frustrating part of the entire drama. Not just rejection — but the repeated granting and snatching away of emotional safety for no clear reason other than his own inability to handle what’s in front of him.

What makes it worse is that he only seems to understand her when things are already collapsing — when it was clear long before. the main lead’s biggest flaw: emotional incompetence, with moments of quiet cruelty.

The female lead carries the story with raw honesty. The male lead calls her difficult to interpret when the truth is simpler:

She was transparent.
He was unable to see.

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I wanted this to be so much more

This drama was one of my most anticipated dramas of 2026, and honestly… It disappointed me.

Let me start with the positives, because there are quite a few. I loved seeing KSH back in a romance drama, and the pairing of KSH and GYJ was probably the biggest reason I managed to finish the show after it started dipping. Visually, this drama was stunning. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were breathtaking, and every frame felt so thoughtfully composed. Each shot was genuinely pleasing to watch and constantly made me look forward to the next scene.

The drama also started off really strong with a unique and refreshing storyline. You could clearly see how much effort the actors put into this project, and that sincerity translated on screen. If you’re a regular Kdrama watcher, the first half genuinely felt like a breath of fresh air.

BUT --- and this is a big but, the drama started going downhill around episode 7.

At that point, I honestly found myself wondering if I was even watching the same drama anymore. I was excited to see how the relationship between the leads would unfold, but instead, the show suddenly shifted its entire genre out of nowhere. What made this more frustrating was that the characters themselves were written with so much depth and care. Their backstories were detailed, layered, and clearly built with intention --- which made the tonal shift even harder to accept.

I’m not against the exploration of Cha Mu Hee’s childhood trauma. In fact, it was necessary for her character growth and for her to finally believe in the love she deserved. My issue was how this was handled. Unwrapping her trauma led to a complete change in the genre of the drama, which felt shocking and jarring as a viewer. On top of that, the storyline was dragged out for nearly FOUR episodes, which significantly disrupted the pacing and consistency of the plot.

Some of the logic behind Do Ra Mi’s actions also didn’t make much sense to me. I understand that her role was important in helping Ho Jin and Mu Hee interpret their feelings for each other, but did it really need to be stretched across FOUR episodes? I actually liked her character more when she appeared subtly through hallucinations earlier on, keeping it restrained might have helped maintain the drama’s original tone.

To be clear, I don’t have anything else against this drama. I appreciated the creative enthusiasm behind it and the risks the team tried to take. What frustrated me was sitting through the final episodes, internally screaming and repeatedly asking myself “WTF is happening?” for an entire hour. It felt a little deceptive, especially since the creators gave no indication that the story would head in this direction. At that point, I found myself watching purely for the sake of my favorite actors.

That said, I really loved the ending once the leads finally came together. I appreciated how they kept communication open and avoided unnecessary misunderstandings, especially after all the push and pull drama we’d already endured. Still, the overall issue remained: the plot and characters felt disconnected from the first half of the drama towards the end, which made binge-watching the final stretch quite difficult.

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dont judge a drama by its rating ..give it try

we cant judge a food without tasting it and after tasting it, it not might be everyone's favourite right? just like that dont judge this drama untill u see it, i know this drama is not a cup of tea to everyone but give it try if u dont like it just drop, if u like it continue.

for me it was pretty good start and pretty good ending but what was bad about this was 6,7,8 was kind of difficult to understand means when i think they are about to confess or they are happily enjoying themselves something happens then again they are against that was a whole drama in mid ..other than that there chemistry was good, they look so prefect together love the visuals and ya they captured canada pretty well. not to forget our kim seon ho smile he looked so dashing in this drama. anyways binged this drama from 3:00pm to 3:00am giving it 9.5/10. i just loved how they added funny things in every episode to laugh and seeing kim seon ho smile and they way fl is so pretty made me watch this drama till end .. it made me to leave good impression becoze of last 2 episode which was preety good. overall not bad it was pretty good and this drama is not cup of tea to everyone probably everybody will have different mindset and opinions

this is my first timing writing review after seeing all the hate in the mdl page, and leaving this review for myself

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It felt flat

My rating: 7.5/10

I finished Can This Love Be Translated yesterday, and I’m giving it a 7.5 out of 10.
Not because it was bad, but 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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Dark, Quirky, and Surprisingly Heartfelt

This was an excellent drama!

–What I liked:
–The plot itself completely captivated me. I saw many criticisms about the darker elements, but for me they were perfectly done. It follows the same line as It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (light horror mixed with comedy) and Holo, My Love (childhood trauma).
–Unlike many people, I really loved the way the psychological theme was handled. I admit I felt a bit apprehensive as the episodes progressed about how they would connect the hallucinations to the story, and I was afraid it might not make sense in the end. However, everything unfolded in a very thoughtful and well-constructed way.
–I absolutely love Do Ra Mi as the protagonist’s alter ego. Her personality is just wow! I honestly hope they release a doll of her—I would buy it without hesitation. I agree with some comments saying that Netflix should further explore this character or even create a similar series. She gives me strong Wednesday vibes, which I love.
–The soundtrack is beautiful. That little zombie dance also has a lot of potential!

–What I didn’t like as much:
–The male lead carries an unnecessary emotional burden in the first half, and his personality made me dislike him. In the end, everything gets resolved.
–Some scenes felt disconnected, confusing, or unnecessary.
–I don’t like it when the leads break up at the end and then get back together; it feels unnecessary to me.
–I feel that a few fun scenes after the credits were missing.

I truly hope that people with good judgment evaluate this series fairly and help raise its rating to what it truly deserves.

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Beautiful Cinematography and a well written plot

This drama started on a very good note, just as I expected. The trailer was good, and I was really enjoying the first few episodes. I thought it was a fun romcom with beautiful visuals until Mu-hee’s split personality was introduced. I was confused because I didn’t remember seeing this in the trailer lol, but I soon found myself pulled in by that sudden plot twist.

However, I also ended up feeling disappointed by a few things. Mu-hee was always clear about her feelings from the very beginning,literally from the first episode. Ho-jin could have told Mu-hee at any time that he had moved on from his first love and actually liked her, but instead he complicated things. Then Do Ra-mi started showing up more often and made their relationship even more complicated. This part of the drama honestly felt like the plot was being dragged a bit too much.

Another thing is that I usually don’t care much for second male leads because I almost always ship the FL with the ML, so I tend to ignore them. But God, when I tell you I felt so sad for Hiro. I felt like he got dragged into all their complications and ended up getting rejected. From the confession scene, I could tell he really fell hard for Mu-hee. That doesn’t mean I like Ho-jin any less though. Even if his character was frustrating at times, he was still the ONLY one who consistently supported Mu-hee emotionally throughout the drama.

So to sum it all up, I wouldn’t say this drama was overhyped because it delivered exactly what the trailer and previews showcased. KSH and GYJ had INSANE chemistry!! The way they looked at each other whenever they wanted to be together was beautiful they genuinely had the look of love in this drama. Even the second couple was pretty cute too. After the slow burn of the main couple, the fast-paced relationship of the second couple was really fun to watch. The cinematography was insanely beautiful, and I’d give it a solid 8. I really enjoyed watching it in one go!!

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