The new K-drama Can This Love Be Translated? starts with a romance built on words and lies. The show, written by the popular Hong Sisters, began streaming on Netflix and stars Kim Sun-ho and Go Yoon-jung. The first two episodes introduce a translator and an actress whose meeting is filled with missed connections and secrets.
The story jumps between time and countries. It asks if two people who help others understand each other can ever do the same for themselves.
Episode 1 Recap: A Chance Meeting and a Protective Lie
The first episode opens in the present day at a beautiful castle in Europe. Actress Cha Mu-hee (Go Yoon-jung) is filming a scene with Japanese actor Hiro (Sota Fukushi). Her translator, Joo Ho-jin (Kim Sun-ho), listens from a studio far away. When Hiro shares a sweet message for Mu-hee, Ho-jin hesitates before translating it. His pause hints at his own hidden feelings.
The story then flashes back to one year earlier in Japan. Here, Ho-jin and Mu-hee meet for the first time by chance in a ramen shop. Mu-hee is there to find her ex-boyfriend, who left her for another woman. She needs help talking to the restaurant’s owner and asks Ho-jin to translate. He reluctantly agrees.
The situation gets messy. Mu-hee learns the other woman is seven months pregnant, even though her ex left her only three months ago. Emotions run high, and the pregnant woman insults Mu-hee. To protect Mu-hee from further embarrassment, Ho-jin tells a lie. He tells the woman that he and Mu-hee are a couple traveling together. He then guides a crying Mu-hee out of the shop.
โHe hugs her so she can cry in private and then liesโฆ pretending that he and Mu-hee are travelling together.โ
They spend the rest of the day sightseeing. Ho-jin admits he is in Japan visiting an island where he once had a romantic trip with a woman named Ji-seon, whom he still has feelings for. Mu-hee encourages him to go find Ji-seon, who happens to be on the same island that day. He runs off, leaving Mu-hee alone.
The episode then shows a tragic turn. Months later, Mu-hee is filming a horror movie called The Quiet Woman. During a stunt, her safety cables snap, and she falls. She wakes up from a coma six months later to discover her movie is a global hit. She is now a famous star. Watching the news of her recovery is Ho-jin.
Episode 2 Recap: A Deliberate Reunion and Growing Curiosity
The second episode catches up with Ho-jin three months after Mu-hee’s accident. He is back in South Korea. He thinks of Mu-hee and follows her on Instagram, becoming her 10,000th follower. Meanwhile, Mu-hee, now navigating sudden fame, has a strange experience. She sees the reflection of her movie character, Do Ra-mi, in a mirror instead of her own face.
Their paths cross again when Mu-hee’s team hires an interpreter for a Vogue Singapore interview. The interpreter is Ho-jin. He admits he took the job on purpose because he wanted to ask her something. He wants her to delete an old photo from her Instagramโa picture of him that she posted, which is now causing rumors.
โHo-jin reveals that he doesnโt want Ji-seon to know he went there on her birthday.โ
During their conversation, Mu-hee learns from her manager that Ho-jin visited her in the hospital multiple times while she was in a coma. This news touches her. Later, driven by curiosity about the woman Ho-jin loves, she finds out that Ji-seon is a TV producer. Ho-jin hears her manager say this over the phone and gets upset.
Mu-hee goes to his home to apologize. Ho-jin explains his past with Ji-seon and makes it clear he still has feelings for her. To stop any future misunderstandings, they agree they should not see each other again.
The episode ends at a film festival in Tokyo. On the red carpet, Mu-hee has a frightening vision of Do Ra-mi pushing her, and she stumbles. Later, a tearful Mu-hee shows up outside Ho-jin’s hotel room. She tells him she feels like her “festival”โher run of good luck and fameโis ending.
Fan Reactions to the Premiere: Chemistry, Confusion, and High Hopes
Early viewers shared their thoughts on the first two episodes. Many praised the lead actors. One fan noted, โKSH fits the role like a glove. and Go Yoon Jung is shiningโ. Another said, โThe leads have chemistry and are charmingโ.
The show’s unique setup also got attention. A viewer pointed out the interesting โplay within a play approach,โ referring to the reality show filming within the drama. The beautiful international scenery was a big hit, with one person calling the โtravelscapesโ a main character.
However, some viewers expressed concern about the tone. The sudden, scary visions of the horror character Do Ra-mi worried fans looking for a light romance. One person wrote they had to โcover the screen to avoid being traumatised when watching what should be my comfort watch genreโ. Others felt the story moved slowly in parts.
Overall, the premiere created a strong hook. One fan captured the feeling many had: โI started this with so much anticipationโฆ absolutely LOVED the initial episodesโ.
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Understanding the Characters and Their Personal Battles
The first episodes carefully set up the inner struggles of both main characters. Joo Ho-jin is a man who uses language as a shield. He can speak multiple languages perfectly but avoids talking about his own emotions. He is stuck in the past, hung up on a woman who is now with his brother.
Cha Mu-hee‘s life changes overnight. She goes from a struggling actress to a global star after a terrible accident. Her new fame is overwhelming and comes with a psychological costโthe haunting visions of her fierce movie character, Do Ra-mi. The show hints that these visions are linked to a deeper, childhood trauma.
The title Can This Love Be Translated? works on two levels. On the surface, it is about Ho-jinโs job translating words between languages. More deeply, it asks if these two wounded people can learn to understand each other’s emotional language.
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