The first episode hooks you. All twelve episodes keep you there.
I watched all twelve episodes in one sitting. The excitement starts in episode one — and it never lets go.
Korean dramas have been overproducing lately — there’s no shortage of titles that are hard to recommend. This isn’t one of them. Can This Love Be Translated? is genuinely charming and consistently enjoyable. Every episode leaves you wanting the next one. You find yourself rooting for the leads the entire way through.
A quiet gem on Netflix. Watch it.
Should You Watch It?
Yes. There’s a reason viewers who watched this when it came out in early 2026 are already going back for a second watch. Beautiful cinematography, genuinely great actors, solid performances, and a story light enough to let you breathe. If you’re tired of dramas that hit too hard and leave you emotionally wrung out — if what you need right now is something warm and fun — this is exactly that.
The Cast
This drama cannot be discussed without talking about its leads.
Ko Youn-jung plays Cha Mu-hui — currently the actress most likely to appear on a Korean MZ mood board. Kim Seon-ho, known internationally as Chung-seop from When Life Gives You Tangerines opposite IU, plays interpreter Joo Ho-jin. Their chemistry is exceptional.
Kim Seon-ho plays a man who seems indifferent but isn’t — quietly kind, the type you want to look out for. Ko Youn-jung plays a woman who blurts out whatever comes to mind when she’s flustered. Slightly scatterbrained, never hides her feelings. Her low voice and his warm tone make the whole drama easy to settle into. It’s funny. The dialogue is almost aggressively sweet.
The performances are faultless.
Ko Youn-jung is, personally, the most beautiful actress working in Korea right now. This drama puts that on full display. And it’s landing the same way internationally — her features read as classic beauty that crosses cultural lines. Both Korean and international viewers are reacting the same way.
The Concept Is Clear
Multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin meets global top star Cha Mu-hui by chance in Japan — before she becomes famous. They feel something. Then, later, he becomes her interpreter. That’s where everything gets complicated.
The concept is smart. A man who speaks eight languages fluently cannot understand this one woman. The linguistic genius who has a word for everything cannot decode someone who just says whatever comes out when she’s nervous. Misunderstandings follow. So does a separation. And then the ending you already know is coming, delivered in a way that still gets you.
The central tension of any melodrama is how convincing the “I want to but I can’t” reason actually is. This drama gets it right. The reason Ho-jin can’t let himself love Mu-hui makes complete sense — and because that reason comes from his feelings for her, you can’t even be angry about it.
No Villain
There is no villain in this drama.
The closest thing is PD Shin Ji-seon, whose decisions create the situation that pulls the two leads together — and her own romantic subplot becomes one of the more interesting threads in the show. Cha Mu-hui’s adoptive parents complicate things too. But no one in this drama exists to be hated. The whole thing runs on charm rather than conflict. That’s its most comfortable quality.
The Locations Are Stunning
This is a victory for whoever did the location scouting.
Japan. Canada. Italy. Every backdrop is somewhere you immediately want to go. The camera work matches. Netflix has a habit of making you wonder where the budget actually goes — this time, the answer is visible on screen. Cinematographers Choi Ki-ha and Kim Yeong-jin made every frame worth looking at.
Japan — Kamakura
The first meeting between the two leads happens here. Kamakura is a coastal city about an hour from Tokyo by train — quiet, old, and completely cinematic. The Gokurakuji Station that appears in the early episodes is one of the most peaceful stops on the Enoden line, a narrow-gauge tram that also inspired the opening of the manga Slam Dunk. The white lighthouse at Katase Harbor and Goryo Shrine also appear throughout.
Canada — Calgary & Upper Kananaskis Lake
The drama’s climactic aurora scene was filmed here. Upper Kananaskis Lake sits at the meeting point of vast mountains and still water — one of North America’s best aurora viewing spots. The Crossroads Market in Calgary, where the two leads wander together, is a large indoor weekend market with a warm, unhurried atmosphere.
Italy — Perugia, Siena, Civita di Bagnoregio
The most visually striking scenes in the drama were filmed here. The Piazza IV Novembre in Perugia — where Ho-jin and Mu-hui share pizza — is the historic heart of the city, surrounded by a medieval cathedral and a 13th-century fountain. The embrace scene was filmed in Siena’s Campo Square, one of Italy’s most beautiful medieval piazzas. The confession scene takes place in Civita di Bagnoregio — a medieval hilltop village reached only by a footbridge, often described as one of the places you must see before you die.
And Some of It Was Korea
Not everything that looks overseas actually is. The Italian winery scene was filmed at Sanmeoru Farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The upscale Canadian restaurant was shot at the Grand Mercure Imperial Palace Seoul in Gangnam. The location team deserves real credit — the transitions are seamless.
The Hong Sisters
Written by the Hong Sisters (Hong Jeong-eun and Hong Mi-ran) — Korea’s most reliable romantic comedy writers, with a track record that includes Hotel Del Luna, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, and The Greatest Love.
Some viewers feel the pacing loosens in the second half — a recurring pattern in Hong Sisters dramas. Honestly, this one holds up better than most. The different side of the female lead that emerges later is its own kind of charming.
The dialogue is genuinely lovely. Whoever wrote these lines knew exactly what they were doing.
Who This Is For
Not every drama needs to change your life.
Sometimes you just need something warm, funny, and easy to love — a story that keeps you smiling from the first episode to the last.
This is that drama.
Unlike a lot of dramas that take two or three episodes to find their footing, this one is good from the start. The warmth of episode one carries all the way through.
Basic Info
- English Title: Can This Love Be Translated?
- Korean Title: 이 사랑 통역 되나요?
- Streaming: Netflix
- Episodes: 12
- Released: January 16, 2026
- Director: Yoo Young-eun
- Writers: Hong Jeong-eun, Hong Mi-ran (The Hong Sisters)
- Cast: Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung, Sota Fukushi, Lee Yi-dam
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