Netflix’s K-drama Can This Love Be Translated? revolves around the life of multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin, played by Kim Seon-ho, who gets assigned to work with global actress Cha Mu-hee during the filming of a reality dating show titled Romantic Trip. It is written by the Hong Sisters and directed by Yoo Young-eun. The series discusses communication beyond words: how misunderstandings occur because of language barriers and words not spoken.
Ho-jin may be fluent in various languages, but the personal language of Mu-hee proves difficult to interpret. Mu-hee has to deal with hallucinations of her alter ego, Do Ra-mi, due to a traumatic on-set accident that put her into a coma. As their working relationship develops into a romantic relationship, a media scandal appears in which a rumor surfaces about Ho-jin’s suspected Italian girlfriend.
Misinterpreting his confession on the television program and finally uncovering the truth about Mu-hee’s family history brings a sense of ridicule to both of them, requiring them to overcome personal weaknesses, which causes a period of separation between them. Indeed, this is a picture of how to bring a relationship together by actions, eye contact, and trust between two people.
Can This Love Be Translated?: Overview of the plot
Can This Love Be Translated? is the title of the story revolving around Joo Ho-jin, an experienced translator, and Cha Mu-hee, the best actress in the industry. Mu-hee and Ho-jin cross paths while working on the production of the reality television series Romantic Trip, where Ho-jin is required to perform translations between Mu-hee and Hiro Kurosawa, an actor from Japan played by Sota Fukushi.
Mu-hee suffered a coma and fell from the rooftop of a hotel during the production of the horror movie, where she was cast as the character of the Zombie Do Ra-mi. Due to the trauma experienced in the accident, Mu-hee’s character hallucinates the appearance of her character in real life in the form of her innermost fear. Meanwhile, Ho-jin deals with the issue of past feelings towards his brother’s ex-fiancée, Sin Ji-seon. However, Ho-jin slowly opens up to Mu-hee.
Confusion comes about as a result of rumors and cultural differences. In the novel, the author winds the plot by explaining that humans communicate on all levels. Within the drama, the characters begin to express their feelings. Ho-jin and the other characters begin to tell the people they love the truth, and the plot thickens as they uncover the truth about the secrets they have kept.
The media scandal and its impact
The on-set rumors and public revelations of Romantic Trip create a media scandal during filming. Rumors spread among the production staff that Ho-jin has an Italian girlfriend, based on sightings of him seemingly with Do Ra-mi, Mu-hee’s hallucinated alter ego. These prompts Mu-hee to take the gossip for truth and immediately begin keeping her distance from Ho-jin. Subsequently, Hiro’s on-camera confession of love to Mu-hee is misinterpreted by the crew as this show’s intended romantic climax, feeding speculation and tension.
The controversy further extends when stories about Mu-hee’s previous car crash, from falling on the rooftop set of a horror movie, going into a coma, and becoming a drama superstar named Do Ra-mi, gain media attention and bring attention to her mental health and family background. Disgusted by her scandal, Mu-hee decides to feign her identity as Do Ra-mi and ends her relationship with Ho-jin to save him from further affiliation with her scandals.
The consequences of this action are noteworthy, as they increase the stress on the vulnerability of Mu-hee, stir Ho-jin’s emotions as he interprets the confession of Hiro, and trouble their relationship. Ho-jin, however, is able to see through his partner’s ruse and reaffirms their relationship, as he refuses to allow the relationship to end due to factors from the outside. These situations promote their individual growth.
Revelations about Mu-hee’s past
The backstory of Mu-hee shows the depth of the trauma that Mu-hee experiences through the character of Do Ra-mi. After the comatose episode due to the rooftop accident during the shoot of the film, Mu-hee experiences the presence of Do Ra-mi through mirrors where the character appears. The character of Do Ra-mi signifies the presence of the spirit of Mu-hee’s mom, who struggled with mental illness and attempted to kill the family, including the young Mu-hee, when she tried to poison the family with poisoning.
Not knowing what happened to her parents, Mu-hee went to stay with an aunt and uncle who mistreated her character. They never told the truth about the parents to the character about the attempted poisoning of the family by the parents. A family photograph from her relatives reveals that her mother bears a similar style to that of Do Ra-mi.
Further revelations about her past are that her father is alive in China, and her mother’s whereabouts were not clear until Mu-hee reveals her location in Los Angeles. This explains Mu-hee’s fear of love, as the voice of her mother warns her about happiness. Through her therapy sessions, Mu-hee is able to make sense of her fragmented memory, hence the disappearance of Do Ra-mi.
The finale: separation and reunion
In the finale, Mu-hee and Ho-jin do have to face their pact that they will eventually break up, but it’s a temporary separation due to circumstances. When the aunt and uncle finally revealed that Mu-hee’s parents are alive, Mu-hee wanted to go to the US to confront her mother for closure and asked for a temporary separation to handle it on her own. This shows her growth in trusting their relationship enough to return stronger. Ho-jin agreed with her, knowing this would help heal her trauma.
While they were away from each other, Mu-hee had resolved her past off-screen, and when she was back in Korea, somewhere around Christmas, she called Ho-jin. They meet at an observatory or planetarium and spend the evening stargazing. Mu-hee explains how she has missed the other and translates the words with the translation app into all the languages she knows that the other can understand.
Mu-hee gifts the other a box of four-leaf clovers. Ho-jin kisses the other, and they hug each other as they stargaze. Mu-hee is no longer worried about Do Ra-mi and has no fears. The ending is about the two; they are all about the love they have. They have no fears and are happy.
Resolutions for supporting characters
The tale also gives a sense of closure to the secondary characters. Hiro Kurosawa, after confessing to Mu-hee but being rejected, manages to grow as a character, especially after learning the Korean language and being willing to take risks. He lands a part in an English-speaking film, seeing his time on Romantic Trip as a learning experience about being vulnerable. Ji-seon, who was once a love interest for Ho-jin, ends her bet on Ho-jin and finds love in Mu-hee’s manager, Kim Yong-u.
She also gets engaged to him, with her moving to the UK, where Yong-u finds a sports-related position. Mu-hee’s harsh upbringing by her aunt and uncle, who actually raised Mu-hee, allows them to reveal some of the secrets about Mu-hee’s life. Mu-hee’s mother is from Los Angeles, and Mu-hee’s father is from China. Mu-hee chooses to sort out some of the family ties on her own.
The production team of Romantic Trip wraps up the show, and Hiro confesses his feelings on screen. Mu-hee and Hiro share an amicable goodbye. The story wraps up some of the previous ties and shows the growth of the characters. Hiro has gained strength, and Ji-seon and Yong-u exhibit new beginnings, even though they keep some secrets hidden.
Stay tuned for more news and updates.
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Hilfa, Senior Writer at Hilvaro, excels in pop culture journalism. She crafts engaging content on movies, TV, & trends, fueled by her love for storytelling & entertainment.
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