After watching the trailer in January, I knew that I had to watch this film because at some points, it is hard to understand and guess how the story will happen. In fact, when “Can This Love Be Translated?” was released, there were a lot of articles, reviews written about it. Therefore, it was not until recently, I watched it because I didn’t want my experience with this movie to be affected by them. That was a wise choice for me to fully enjoy this series. Actually, this movie lived up to hype, didn’t disappoint me, making it highly recommended. In this article, I will talk about my feelings in this spoiler – free review.
“Can This Love Be Translated?” was released in 01/2026, directed by Yoo Young-eun with Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran as screen writers. The movie revolves around the romance between a translator (Ju Ho-jin) and an actress (Cha Mu-hee) who are respectively portrayed by Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung. To briefly mention the characters, Ju Ho-jin is a talented translator fluent in many languages. Cha Mu-hee is an actress who surprisingly becomes world famous with a role as “ Dorami” right after coming back from a visit to Japan where they firstly meet each other.
Plot & Screenplay
This aspect of the drama surprised me the most. When I watched the trailer, I had a number of assumptions which turned out to be completely wrong with the screenplay. Maybe I’m not good at guessing. Honestly, I have been a movie enthusiast for nearly 2 years. As far as I know, complex scripts majorly typically appear in films related to power struggle, crime, or revenge. However, this is the first time I’ve watched an unpredictable love drama like this.
The way “Can This Love Be Translated?” starts made me very surprised and curious about what would happen next. The film pacing and its plot always kept me hooked throughout every episode. I don’t say this film is not as attractive as others, but it offers a uniquely captivating experience. Unlike other films with fast-paced screenplays which I have watched incessantly and maybe finished after very few days, “Can This Love Be Translated?” with some nuances that made me want to relish it slowly. I thought it would be very bad for me to watch it when sleepy, rushed, or distracted. Maybe another reason for this is that maybe I wanted it for as long as possible. However, there is a point that disappointed me a little bit which I will talk about later.
Acting & Character Development
Cha Mu-hee with Go Youn-jung has a well-developed character arc. To be honest, this was a challenging role for the actress because it can be said that she had to work with 2 different complex facets of the character. Actually, she sometimes made me confused to differentiate these at first. Besides, with a warm look and a sweet smile, she also created iconic moments that contributed greatly to the drama’s success. In my opinion, she fulfilled her roles successfully at this time.
About Kim Seon-ho who plays the role “Ju Ho-jin”, having watched several of his dramas before, I am familiar with his role as a paragon. Frankly, this type of character is extremely suitable for him so that his performance easily meets my expectations. However, in comparison with “Cha Mu-hee” of Go Youn-jung, “Ju Ho-jin” gives Kim Seon-ho less space to perform. With a predictable character trope, male lead lacks the psychological depth given to the female lead.
Although overfocusing on protagonists results in poorly written supporting cast, luckily, unbelievable chemistry totally makes up for these above-given weak points.
Visuals & Cinematography
Another noteworthy aspect of the movie is breathtaking cinematography. Having watched a lot of k-dramas, sometimes, I find it repetitive to see the same recognizable locations – like specific streets, or houses in Korea, reused across multiple shows. This is not an issue in “Can This Love Be Translated?”. Since the show was filmed primarily abroad, the director capitalized on these fresh settings by using sweeping long shots and wide exterior shots, captivating viewers with a constantly new and visually stunning backdrop.
Sound & Score
As a massive music lover, OST is a deciding factor for whether I watch a show or not. Instead of using a sentimental ballad or R&B as usual, the movie amazed me with an upbeat pop – rock song which you can commonly hear in anime. Performed and composed by MeloMance, the catchy track seamlessly complements the scenes, quickly gaining popularity.
What Didn’t Work
On the flip side, there are some parts which left me a bit unsatisfied. The solutions for the issues of all Cha Mu-hee’s character arcs make sense but feel rushed – cramming almost all the major points into just 2 final episodes. On top of that, the series also doesn’t mention the reason for the tragedy of the lead actress’s family. I guess having allocated a large portion of the budget in filming locations didn’t leave enough room to extend the series.
All in all, it’s one of the most must – watch series in 2026, especially for people who are looking for a sweet, healing vibe.