Can This Love Be Translated: Kim Seon-ho & Go Youn-jung's Romantic Netflix Adventure

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Sota Fukushi as Hiro Kurosawa and Go Youn-jung as Cha Mu-hee in Netflix K-drama Can This Love Be Translated?

Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyancy).
As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene.
As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator.

Netflix has officially kicked off its 2026 K-drama season with Can This Love Be Translated. The romantic K-drama follows an actress who falls into a coma after a stunt gone wrong. Upon waking, she realizes she’s become a breakout sensation. Yet, to change her image as Korea’s queen of horror, she joins a reality TV dating show called Romantic Trip.

At the helm of Can This Love Be Translated’s cast of characters are two phenomenal actors: familiar favorite Kim Seon-ho (Joo Ho-jin) and rising star Go Youn-jung (Cha Mu-hee). The characters have a heartwarming meet-cute in Japan, but both are initially hung up on other people. Nevertheless, the stars align for a romantic reunion when Ho-jin joins Romantic Trip’s crew.

What Is Can This Love Be Translated About?

Mu-Hee & Ho-Jin Embark On A Romantic Globetrotting Adventure

Kim Seon-ho as Joo Ho-jin in Netflix K-drama Can This Love Be Translated?

Of course, K-drama love stories are never that simple — and Can This Love Be Translated is no exception. As Mu-hee travels between Canada, Italy, and South Korea with her dashing co-star Hiro Kurosawa (Sota Fukushi), Ho-jin bridges the gap between them as an interpreter. Ho-jin's own complicated feelings, however, seem to be the only language the awkward polyglot can't understand.

Meanwhile, Mu-hee quickly recognized her attraction to Ho-jin, but she has her own troubles to reckon with. The actress can’t fathom her sudden fame, and her insecurities manifest as a vengeful spirit named Do Ra-mi (the zombie protagonist Mu-hee played in her hit film). Consequently, Can This Love Be Translated oscillates between the K-drama’s mystery and its classic romance elements.

Throughout Can This Love Be Translated’s 12 episodes, Mu-hee and Ho-jin have to deal with their convoluted relationship and work together to get rid of Do Ra-mi. In order to banish the entity, though, they first have to understand why she appeared in the first place — which means breaking down Mu-hee’s trauma and the burning secret she’s kept since childhood.

Similarly, being around Mu-hee leads Ho-jin to reflect on his own shortcomings. For years, the man suppressed his emotions as a defense mechanism, but that doesn’t mean the feelings didn’t still exist. The pain Ho-jin faced hardened him, but Mu-hee’s contrasting energy ever so slowly brings the interpreter out of his shell, inspiring him to be more open and honest.

Can This Love Be Translated's Slow-Burn Romance Is Worth The Long Haul

Very Few K-Drama Relationships Are So Emotionally Intimate

Go Youn-jung as Cha Mu-hee in Netflix K-drama Can This Love Be Translated?

To that end, Can This Love Be Translated refuses to give the viewer instant gratification. Mu-hee and Ho-jin may cross paths immediately, but they have to go through the trials of miscommunication, self-doubt, and alternative love interests before they inevitably come together as a proper K-drama couple. Regardless, the budding romance between Mu-hee and Ho-jin is definitely worth the wait.

Can This Love Be Translated doesn’t keep the main pair apart just to insert unnecessary conflict. There’s a reason why they can’t stay away from each other, even in the most drastic scenarios. Yet, there’s also a reason why Mu-hee is convinced she’s unlovable — an idea she has internalized as fact, meaning Ho-jin’s ardent resistance initially falls on deaf ears.

Ho-jin is invaluable to Mu-hee’s healing journey, but it isn’t a one-way street. The interpreter falls into the role of the reluctant helper, and he never sees Mu-hee as a fixer-upper project. Instead, Ho-jin feels compelled to safeguard the real Mu-hee, whom he has fallen in love with. As a result, Ho-jin himself grows into a better communicator and romantic partner.

Still, Can This Love Be Translated offers a low-stakes, immediately voracious romance between Shin Ji-sun (Lee Yi-dam) and Kim Yong-u (Choi Woo-sung). Plus, there’s the typical K-drama love triangle between Mu-hee, Ho-jin, and Hiro to whet the appetite of viewers who crave action and tension. The drama’s true love story simmers, but the Netflix original series provides something for everyone.

Can This Love Be Translated Sets The Bar High For 2026 K-Dramas

Netflix Delivered An Entirely Unique Drama

Kim Seon-ho as Joo Ho-jin and Go Youn-jung as Cha Mu-hee in Can This Love Be Translated?

In the age of K-dramas on streaming services, increasingly ambitious projects are making it to distributors like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV. Can This Love Be Translated has a compelling storyline, but what sets it apart from countless other romantic dramas is its visual identity. The cinematography, set design, costuming, and editing all create a comprehensive feast for the eyes.

From Do Ra-mi’s uncanny appearance and supernatural abilities to the sprawling landscapes of Canada, Italy, and South Korea, Can This Love Be Translated is a meticulously crafted K-drama that pays attention to the little details. Even Mu-hee’s hair and makeup from scene to scene is a story in and of itself, chronicling her character’s loosening grip on reality.

As such, other K-dramas releasing in 2026 may have an intriguing hook, but they’ll be hard-pressed to deliver visuals as interesting or simply stunning as Can This Love Be Translated. A drama could have the perfect cast, crew, and premise, but new projects need their own trademark to stand out, especially considering K-dramas — past and present — are so easily accessible.

Can This Love Be Translated isn’t a perfect K-drama by any means, but it’s unlike anything Netflix — or the K-drama industry at large — has released in years. Whether it finds universal acclaim or becomes divisive food for thought, Can This Love Be Translated is already a conversation starter, and it has officially set the tone for K-dramas in 2026.