37
158
6
1
1
6
1
5
4
2
6
1
1
1
1
3
5
6
Excellent Leads Chemistry but beware of a tone shift from a Rom-Com to a Melo/Healing Drama
Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25
“Can This Love Be Translated?” seems to have garnered quite polarizing reviews. Either you love it or you are very disappointed. I think this might be due to the fact that most viewers came in expecting a romantic comedy with a love triangle with 2 hot guys. However, the show’s focus and tone changed to a more dramatic and melodramatic tone that viewers might not like or expect.. I agree with some of the criticisms, yet I can’t deny I also really enjoy the drama and binge that in two days.
Plot:
The first episode was a great start that holds my attention. This drama uses a flashback approach to tell most of the story and only bring us back to the present-day timeline towards the end of the drama. I love the meetup between Ju Ho Jin (ML) and Cha Mu Hui (FL) in Japan. Their interaction was fun and there’s definitely chemistry between them. The introduction of Hiro (2ML) was fun. I was so happy to see that Hiro is not another perfect Prince Charming but a petty, adorable and sweet super star played by the very handsome Fukushima Sota. Similar to what many viewers thought, I also went into this thinking this is a romantic comedy taking place during the filming of the TV show. I was expecting to have an internal fight to see who is the better option for FL. You know, it’s hard to choose between Kim Seon Ho and Fukushima Sota. The filming and what happened during the show did take about half of the drama’s time. But towards the second half, the drama delves more into the mental health, tragic past and family dramas. The tone definitely shifts and it’s not as romantic and cute anymore. It was surprising to me but I didn’t hate it. I felt that the character of Do Ra Mi was interesting early on. But towards the end, I found her antics repetitive but you could argue it’s necessary for the plot. I prefer the Do Ra Mi from the early episodes when she was more fun and zombie-like. I don’t want to share too much about Do Ra Mi since it’s a spoiler. I had an idea who she might be but in the end, I don’t think the drama explicitly confirmed my suspicions. The drama spent a lot of time in the middle episodes between the two leads. They are cute and I love their banter, but I felt that there’s not enough time dedicated in the last episode or two, to learn more about FL’s family.
Romance:
The first half of the drama should satisfy those wanting a cute and adorable romance. The leads are fun together and I love their conversations and ‘misunderstanding’. You can say they heal each other of their past failed relationships and complement each other - one is reserved and introspective, the other is assertive and honest.. I think Cha Mu Hui/Go Young Jung (FL) has a lot to do with how much I enjoy the drama. She’s sweet and adorable, pretty and personable. I really like her and was rooting for her happiness the whole time. Go Young Jung did a fabulous job in this role, and also being Do Ra Mi as well. For those who hate love triangles, you have nothing to fear. This is one of the most unintrusive love triangles and gosh, both guys are just so handsome! It’s done well and won’t make your blood boil. It’s interesting to see a professional interpreter unable to interpret what FL is trying to say. He was reminded by his friend of what he should do if he doesn’t know a language. However, I do think the push and pull between the leads lasted a little long, both during the romantic cute stage in the beginning, and the melodramatic stage in the second half. With 12 episodes only, there are other plot lines that could use a little more time. There is a very short secondary romance that’s underdeveloped. I think the couple needed more screen time before they got together. And after they got together, there’s really not much substance to their relationship. Their existence doesn’t add much to the plot itself.
Acting:
As I mentioned earlier, Go Young Jung did a fabulous job playing the dual role of Cha Mu Hui and Do Ra Mi. Her acting is much stronger than when I last saw her in “Resident Playbook”. The two male leads are not only handsome but can also act. I was expecting Sota to be a polite and gentlemanly Japanese actor. It’s nice to see another side of him, and that he could be adorable with his niece, petty when ignored, and romantic when confessing his feelings. Kim Seong Ho holds his own as well. How come he doesn’t age? He looks as good as I remember him in his early “Start Up” days. The supporting cast did well but we didn’t really spend a lot of time getting to know each of them. None of them irritates me, except for the nosy female producer that I found slightly annoying.
Production:
This is a beautifully shot drama. Netflix definitely takes the cast on a journey through Japan, Canada and Italy. The drama doesn’t really tell you where they went but from @Cho Na’s review (https://chonawrites.com/can-this-love-be-translated-unmet-expectations/), I learned that they went to “Japan (Kamakura, Enoshima), Italy (Tuscany: Siena, Florence, Perugia), and Canada (Alberta: Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise)”. The mountains, lakes, castles, streets and alleyways….everywhere is so beautiful. Aside from the scenery, the drama has a decent OST. There are many English songs (seems to be a common theme with K-dramas) and a couple Korean songs. None of them really stays with me. I also really like the dresses, suits and long coats selected for this drama. All three main leads look gorgeous in whatever they wear.
If you want a romantic comedy, "Can This Love Be Translated?" might not satisfy you. But if you don’t mind a sudden change of tone due to the growing character and romantic development, then this drama has enough to keep you engaged throughout the 12 episodes. The chemistry of the 3 leads is great, the acting is great and the cinematography is great. I had a good time watching this despite the criticisms. I debated between rounding up my 8.25 to 8.5 or rounding down to 8.0. After thinking about it overnight, I think the fact that I binge this quickly and keep on hitting "next episode" is a good sign that I did like the drama enough to warrant a rounding up.
Completed: 1/21/2026 Review #662
“Can This Love Be Translated?” seems to have garnered quite polarizing reviews. Either you love it or you are very disappointed. I think this might be due to the fact that most viewers came in expecting a romantic comedy with a love triangle with 2 hot guys. However, the show’s focus and tone changed to a more dramatic and melodramatic tone that viewers might not like or expect.. I agree with some of the criticisms, yet I can’t deny I also really enjoy the drama and binge that in two days.
Plot:
The first episode was a great start that holds my attention. This drama uses a flashback approach to tell most of the story and only bring us back to the present-day timeline towards the end of the drama. I love the meetup between Ju Ho Jin (ML) and Cha Mu Hui (FL) in Japan. Their interaction was fun and there’s definitely chemistry between them. The introduction of Hiro (2ML) was fun. I was so happy to see that Hiro is not another perfect Prince Charming but a petty, adorable and sweet super star played by the very handsome Fukushima Sota. Similar to what many viewers thought, I also went into this thinking this is a romantic comedy taking place during the filming of the TV show. I was expecting to have an internal fight to see who is the better option for FL. You know, it’s hard to choose between Kim Seon Ho and Fukushima Sota. The filming and what happened during the show did take about half of the drama’s time. But towards the second half, the drama delves more into the mental health, tragic past and family dramas. The tone definitely shifts and it’s not as romantic and cute anymore. It was surprising to me but I didn’t hate it. I felt that the character of Do Ra Mi was interesting early on. But towards the end, I found her antics repetitive but you could argue it’s necessary for the plot. I prefer the Do Ra Mi from the early episodes when she was more fun and zombie-like. I don’t want to share too much about Do Ra Mi since it’s a spoiler. I had an idea who she might be but in the end, I don’t think the drama explicitly confirmed my suspicions. The drama spent a lot of time in the middle episodes between the two leads. They are cute and I love their banter, but I felt that there’s not enough time dedicated in the last episode or two, to learn more about FL’s family.
Romance:
The first half of the drama should satisfy those wanting a cute and adorable romance. The leads are fun together and I love their conversations and ‘misunderstanding’. You can say they heal each other of their past failed relationships and complement each other - one is reserved and introspective, the other is assertive and honest.. I think Cha Mu Hui/Go Young Jung (FL) has a lot to do with how much I enjoy the drama. She’s sweet and adorable, pretty and personable. I really like her and was rooting for her happiness the whole time. Go Young Jung did a fabulous job in this role, and also being Do Ra Mi as well. For those who hate love triangles, you have nothing to fear. This is one of the most unintrusive love triangles and gosh, both guys are just so handsome! It’s done well and won’t make your blood boil. It’s interesting to see a professional interpreter unable to interpret what FL is trying to say. He was reminded by his friend of what he should do if he doesn’t know a language. However, I do think the push and pull between the leads lasted a little long, both during the romantic cute stage in the beginning, and the melodramatic stage in the second half. With 12 episodes only, there are other plot lines that could use a little more time. There is a very short secondary romance that’s underdeveloped. I think the couple needed more screen time before they got together. And after they got together, there’s really not much substance to their relationship. Their existence doesn’t add much to the plot itself.
Acting:
As I mentioned earlier, Go Young Jung did a fabulous job playing the dual role of Cha Mu Hui and Do Ra Mi. Her acting is much stronger than when I last saw her in “Resident Playbook”. The two male leads are not only handsome but can also act. I was expecting Sota to be a polite and gentlemanly Japanese actor. It’s nice to see another side of him, and that he could be adorable with his niece, petty when ignored, and romantic when confessing his feelings. Kim Seong Ho holds his own as well. How come he doesn’t age? He looks as good as I remember him in his early “Start Up” days. The supporting cast did well but we didn’t really spend a lot of time getting to know each of them. None of them irritates me, except for the nosy female producer that I found slightly annoying.
Production:
This is a beautifully shot drama. Netflix definitely takes the cast on a journey through Japan, Canada and Italy. The drama doesn’t really tell you where they went but from @Cho Na’s review (https://chonawrites.com/can-this-love-be-translated-unmet-expectations/), I learned that they went to “Japan (Kamakura, Enoshima), Italy (Tuscany: Siena, Florence, Perugia), and Canada (Alberta: Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise)”. The mountains, lakes, castles, streets and alleyways….everywhere is so beautiful. Aside from the scenery, the drama has a decent OST. There are many English songs (seems to be a common theme with K-dramas) and a couple Korean songs. None of them really stays with me. I also really like the dresses, suits and long coats selected for this drama. All three main leads look gorgeous in whatever they wear.
If you want a romantic comedy, "Can This Love Be Translated?" might not satisfy you. But if you don’t mind a sudden change of tone due to the growing character and romantic development, then this drama has enough to keep you engaged throughout the 12 episodes. The chemistry of the 3 leads is great, the acting is great and the cinematography is great. I had a good time watching this despite the criticisms. I debated between rounding up my 8.25 to 8.5 or rounding down to 8.0. After thinking about it overnight, I think the fact that I binge this quickly and keep on hitting "next episode" is a good sign that I did like the drama enough to warrant a rounding up.
Completed: 1/21/2026 Review #662
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