Netflix viewers captivated after bingeing ‘best romantic drama of 2026’

If you’re all binge-watched-out after a Christmas and New Year in front of the telly, then never fear, because Netflix might have just added your new favourite show.

Titled Can This Love Be Translated?, the South Korean drama was quietly listed on the streaming service, but what it lacked in promotion, it has made up for in praise.

Viewers already can’t get enough of the rom-com, hailing it as a ‘beautiful’ story and even a ‘breath of fresh air’ in the world of television.

Released on January 16, the 12-part series is directed by the award-winning Yoo Young-eun and stars Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung in the lead roles.

They play Joo Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter fluent in English, Italian, and Japanese, and Cha Mu-hee, an actress who gained worldwide fame after her role in a zombie film, respectively.

Thanks to his exceptional foreign language abilities, Ho-jin finds himself interpreting for global celebrity Mu-hee. While they initially met before she became successful, two years on, the dynamic is very different, as they reunite during one of her high-profile interviews.

From there, as they continue working together, Ho-jin finds himself becoming unexpectedly emotionally invested in Mu-hee, unfamiliar feelings bubbling away that, for once, the language genius cannot articulate.

Throughout the series, there’s a whole load of yearning and deep emotion, as both encounter misunderstandings due to their opposing personalities and, of course, the communication gap.

But will they eventually fall into one another’s arms, or will their love, indeed, remain lost in translation?

Will you be watching Can This Love Be Translated?Comment Now

The romantic epic has been lauded for its palpable chemistry between the love interests, while a series of stunning international locations (including Korea, Japan, Canada, and Italy) serve as picturesque backdrops for the tale.

Taking to X after watching in full, @usehuniverse said the series ‘is such a breath of fresh air. No childhood trope, no forced connections. just two strangers falling in love’.

‘I love the concept of #canthislovebetranslated the plot is different than i thought, this show is a breath of fresh air, not your typical rom com. It’s a thoughtful, heartfelt exploration of connection, vulnerability, & how love is sometimes the hardest language to understand’, posted @carcastee.

Admittedly enthralled by the love story, @skyshobie tweeted: ‘I’m watching #CanThisLoveBeTranslated with a lot of pauses, screaming, kick the air, replay, punching the pillows and repeat now I ended up watching an hour long episode for two hours’.

@ppagzz also declared the cinematography as ’10/10′, while @1moonybaby described it as ‘nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster’ and @_unnie_daph said the actors were ‘perfectly cast’.

Mere days after its release, Can This Love Be Translated? has a respectable 8.2/10 rating on IMDb.

User reviews call it a ‘comforting’ watch and specifically praise the ’emotional depth’ and ‘character-driven storytelling’.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a Kdrama that is so properly done,’ writes randomlychosenww, as Tech-244 calls it a ‘heartwarming masterpiece’.

Many finished the drama in one sitting, comparing it to the likes of rom-com classic Notting Hill for how it brings two unlikely souls together.

Can This Love Be Translated? is streaming now on Netflix.

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