The show released on Netflix on January 16 and started trending in no time, rising to No. 1 in several countries while soaring high on the viewership charts within hours. Can This Love Be Translated? is the first hit of 2026 for the streamer.
As Can This Love Be Translated? continues to win hearts, we list down factors that stabd out, and try to decode whether all the hype is real. Here are 5 reasons that make it a must-watch.
1. Love has no language
The show uses at least 5 languages, yet the globe-trotting plot never once feels aloof. There’s no communication gap, neither between its characters nor with the audience. It simply justifies that when matters are about love, even if words don’t get verbally interpreted, they can never be misunderstood. The show subtly builds upon how eyes become the mirror to the soul. The basic premise makes this story unique.
2. Breaking K-drama tropes
No childhood connection or family trauma, or silly comedy, tears, or terminal illness. It’s a plain, simple plot of two strangers falling in love. Our leads, both nursing broken hearts, meet in a foreign land, get honest with each other, because well, they are never meeting again. But they do! Again and again and again, back in Korea. The boy helps the girl overcome mental issues, gives her a mirror when she feels the world has turned its back on her, and calms her chaos. That pull is not just between these two, but even with the audience who cannot get enough of this new kind of romance.
3. Slow burn, grounded romance
Things are way too gentle here. Soft smiles, soft touches, soft confessions, even soft yet deep kisses. The story is moving, slow, as if peeling each layer one by one. There are ample elements of surprise that keep you hooked, soaked, but you don’t feel any stretch. The girl is in love from the word go. The boy takes his time. But it’s a genuine case of “she fell first, but he fell harder.” And how! Things he does for her well-being are beyond measure, many of which she might not know. But we do. And we root for them. So when he finally accepts his feelings, we celebrate.
4. Perfect sizzling first-time pairing
We must thank the makers for thinking of pairing Kim Seon-Ho and Go Youn-Jung. They come from different kinds of cinema. One is a stage artist-turned-actor, the other is an actress who just stumbled upon the job. But when they join forces, sparks fly. It must be their off-camera camaraderie that reflects in their onscreen chemistry. She’s the clumsy one whose life gets sorted in his presence. Two minutes into the show, and you’d forget Seonho and Younjung are teaming up for the first time. They melt into each other as characters and actors.
5. Cinematography to die for
One can bet that this show has possibly the best cinematography seen in recent years. Each frame breathes, lives a life of its own. From the small town of Japan across a railway track to the maple leaves of Canada and the Aurora Borealis, the makers have consciously presented it as a global feast. There are long frames, drone shots, and tele lens. The actors present beautiful silhouettes, and you feel the urge to pack your bags and explore the world. The story around a romantic travel reality show sticks to its theme.
Can This Love Be Translated – Plot
The show follows Ju Ho-Jin (Kim Seon-Ho) who’s a skilled multilingual interpreter, and Cha Mu-Hee (Go Youn-Jung), an actress. Ju finds himself thrust into the role of personal interpreter for Cha. Despite their differing views on love, their interactions brim with comedic misunderstandings. As they spend more time together during the filming of a show, their rapport deepens, paving way for delightful conversations and moments of mutual understanding. Can This Love Be Translated? also stars Japanese actor Fukushi Sota as Hiro, Lee Yi-Dam and Choi Woo-Sung.