Can This Love Be Translated? Maybe Not for Everyone.
I finally finished Can This Love Be Translated? and honestly, I don’t understand the level of bashing this drama has received. Is it the best K-drama out there? No. But is it the unwatchable mess social media is making it out to be? Absolutely not.
I started this drama on a whim after coming back from work, mostly because Kim Seon-ho was the male lead. I noticed the low ratings and harsh comments but decided to continue anyway, partly out of curiosity and partly to test my patience. And while I do agree that the ending was underwhelming and the drama lost momentum in the middle episodes, I never went in with huge expectations—and maybe that made all the difference.
As someone who has been watching K-dramas for over a decade (with 400+ dramas on my list and a very high drop rate in recent years), I’ve seen enough slumps to know that modern K-dramas don’t always hit the way older ones used to. So instead of expecting a flawless rom-com, I approached this as a casual watch—and overall, it worked for me.
The drama starts off strong, slows down midway, and ultimately falls short of what many viewers might expect from a typical K-romance. The genre itself feels a bit confused. What initially seems like a light romantic comedy slowly leans into something more psychological and emotionally layered. That tonal shift wasn’t handled as smoothly as it could have been, and much of the emotional depth—especially the female lead’s backstory—was revealed too late to fully resonate.
That said, I appreciated that the drama tried something different. It didn’t rely on the usual tropes: no over-the-top villain, no unnecessary love triangle, no second female lead scheming to break the couple apart. Instead, we got a male lead who was genuinely understanding—of the female lead’s past, her emotional struggles, her impulsive decisions, and her inconsistencies. That kind of emotional maturity is surprisingly rare in K-dramas these days, and it was refreshing to see.
Acting: Kim Seon-ho carried the role effortlessly. His subtle acting, expressive eyes, and calm presence did a lot of heavy lifting. Go Youn Jung delivered a solid performance as well, portraying the duality of her character convincingly. Their chemistry was one of the stronger points of the show. Sota Fukushi and the supporting cast added warmth without unnecessary drama, which made the overall viewing experience more comfortable.
Visually, the drama was pleasing, and the lack of forced conflict made it feel quieter and more introspective than expected. However, the writing—unsurprisingly for a Hong Sisters project—started strong but gradually lost focus. This isn’t new for them, and long-time viewers will recognize the pattern.
In the end, Can This Love Be Translated? is far from perfect. It could have been much better with tighter writing, better pacing, and earlier emotional groundwork. But it also didn’t deserve the excessive hate it received, especially so soon after release. If it’s not your taste, that’s fine—but no one is forced to watch it.
For me, it was a decent, imperfect, but enjoyable watch.
Rating: 7.5–8/10
(Mainly for the chemistry and performances by Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn Jung, and Sota Fukushi)
I started this drama on a whim after coming back from work, mostly because Kim Seon-ho was the male lead. I noticed the low ratings and harsh comments but decided to continue anyway, partly out of curiosity and partly to test my patience. And while I do agree that the ending was underwhelming and the drama lost momentum in the middle episodes, I never went in with huge expectations—and maybe that made all the difference.
As someone who has been watching K-dramas for over a decade (with 400+ dramas on my list and a very high drop rate in recent years), I’ve seen enough slumps to know that modern K-dramas don’t always hit the way older ones used to. So instead of expecting a flawless rom-com, I approached this as a casual watch—and overall, it worked for me.
The drama starts off strong, slows down midway, and ultimately falls short of what many viewers might expect from a typical K-romance. The genre itself feels a bit confused. What initially seems like a light romantic comedy slowly leans into something more psychological and emotionally layered. That tonal shift wasn’t handled as smoothly as it could have been, and much of the emotional depth—especially the female lead’s backstory—was revealed too late to fully resonate.
That said, I appreciated that the drama tried something different. It didn’t rely on the usual tropes: no over-the-top villain, no unnecessary love triangle, no second female lead scheming to break the couple apart. Instead, we got a male lead who was genuinely understanding—of the female lead’s past, her emotional struggles, her impulsive decisions, and her inconsistencies. That kind of emotional maturity is surprisingly rare in K-dramas these days, and it was refreshing to see.
Acting: Kim Seon-ho carried the role effortlessly. His subtle acting, expressive eyes, and calm presence did a lot of heavy lifting. Go Youn Jung delivered a solid performance as well, portraying the duality of her character convincingly. Their chemistry was one of the stronger points of the show. Sota Fukushi and the supporting cast added warmth without unnecessary drama, which made the overall viewing experience more comfortable.
Visually, the drama was pleasing, and the lack of forced conflict made it feel quieter and more introspective than expected. However, the writing—unsurprisingly for a Hong Sisters project—started strong but gradually lost focus. This isn’t new for them, and long-time viewers will recognize the pattern.
In the end, Can This Love Be Translated? is far from perfect. It could have been much better with tighter writing, better pacing, and earlier emotional groundwork. But it also didn’t deserve the excessive hate it received, especially so soon after release. If it’s not your taste, that’s fine—but no one is forced to watch it.
For me, it was a decent, imperfect, but enjoyable watch.
Rating: 7.5–8/10
(Mainly for the chemistry and performances by Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn Jung, and Sota Fukushi)
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