'Perfect Crown' wraps up at personal best, 'My Royal Nemesis' hits new high
Director Yoo Young Eun shares insights into Can This Love Be Translated?.
Can This Love Be Translated? follows the story of multilingual interpreter Ju Ho Jin (Kim Seon Ho), who becomes the interpreter for global top star Cha Mu Hui (Go Youn Jung).
In the K-drama, Go Youn Jung portrays two personas — Cha Mu Hui and Do Ra Mi. Given the mysterious nature of the character, there are various ways to interpret the character. Director Yoo commented, "I tried to approach it very carefully. I thought that the moments when Do Ra Mi appears in Mu Hui's life shouldn't feel like a fairy tale right from the start." "I wanted her not to appear as a frightening [being] from the moment she is revealed as her alter ego. I aimed to portray her in a more fairy-tale-like and warm way."
When asked whether Cha Mu Hui has a split personality and if this was specifically planned, director Yoo explained, "Her role differs somewhat in the early and later episodes. In the beginning, she exists as a delusion brought about by a movie character, and starting from the elevator scene in episode 3, she begins to speak." "She is Mu Hui's other self. We all have alter egos too, don't we? You can think of her as a presence who conveys that."
She continued, "We also thought that we should distinguish her visually, so starting from the elevator scene, her outfit changes to white. In the latter part, you'll see that it's the same outfit her mother wore."
Commenting on the ending, director Yoo said, "We intended a happy ending. Our intention was to start explaining [everything] by connecting to the origin of her childhood trauma. Because of that, in the latter part, Do Ra Mi ends up leaving while wishing Cha Mu Hui happiness."
When asked what aspects she focused on, she shared, "The settings change a lot, and the genre becomes more complex in the latter part. However, I was fundamentally concerned about maintaining the character's charm and emotional arc. I tried to maintain balance so that viewers wouldn't feel lost or have their immersion disrupted."
Yoo Young Eun also commented on working with Fukushi Sota, who plays Hiro: "He is an actor who has a strong interest in Korea. He has an interest and aptitude for languages, so Fukushi Sota had been studying Korean even before this project. By the end of filming, we were able to communicate without an interpreter. He understood everything. He was a very passionate actor."
Regarding past controversy concerning Fukushi Sota's family and his being a right-wing-leaning actor, Yoo explained: "It was something we deeply and carefully considered. We confirmed that the actor does not have any particular political leanings and made our decision by comprehensively considering his affection and respect for Korean productions as well as his ability to embody the character."
Director Yoo also spoke about the casting of Kim Seon Ho: "Ho Jin is a mature, heavy, and restrained character... I thought of Kim Seon Ho as an actor who could express the small yet significant changes well. I also felt he was capable of conveying the comedy that the Hong sisters bring."
Regarding Go Youn Jung, she said, "Cha Mu Hui is lively, transparent, and honest. Go Youn Jung is a lovely actress who is very honest and transparent, and it shows when she gets nervous. Since the writers had worked with her before, they had a lot of confidence. The [actors'] visuals and synergy matched well, and the two had a good rapport, which was a great help."
