Can This Love Be Translated?

I watched Go Youn-jung’s Resident Playbook last year, so I have been looking forward to her new drama since its promotional campaign.

Following Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, this is the second K-drama that beautifully captures Canada. The beauty of Quebec lies in its historic architecture, while the beauty of Banff lies in its natural landscapes. I visited Banff once, in the summer of 2017. Snow-capped mountains, lakes, and grasslands — the meltwater from glaciers has a distinctive blue hue.

From Japan to Canada to Italy, the scenery in the drama is truly magnificent. K-dramas in recent years are filmed in a cinematic style, with each frame refined to perfection, thanks to Netflix’s budget.

There are three things in the drama that I find to be interesting: first, dual personality, second, introvert vs extrovert, and third, languages and voice.

First, dual personality

As the host personality, Cha Mu-hee achieved success through her film role as Do Ra-mi, yet she fears her moment in the spotlight will soon fade. She has feelings for translator Joo Ho-jin, but childhood trauma makes her believe she is unworthy of love. Do Ra-mi, her alter personality, surfaces when the host personality hesitates or withdraws, voicing the thoughts Cha Mu-hee herself cannot utter.

The host personality dominates the Canadian scenes, rendered in bright tones, while the alternate personality dominates the Italian scenes, set in the dimness of night. The Canadian scenes feel more relaxed, with the two gradually drawing closer. I particularly enjoyed the part where they went to the morning market together.

Italy’s storyline requires a bit more analysis. While accompanying Do Ra-mi drinking, waiting for dawn outside the pastry shop, and teaching her lines from La Traviata, Joo Ho-jin knew the only way to make her disappear was through tenderness. And Do Ra-mi used the very lines he taught her: “Love me, Joo Ho-jin, just as I love you. Goodbye.” Leaving was what Cha Mo-hee considered a happy ending, for only then would she cease to cling to illusions.

The last day in Italy, Cha Mu-hee stood in the square, reflecting on these days spent as Do Ra-mi with Joo Ho-jin. The dual personalities merged into one. Joo Ho-jin’s confession — I’ve been seeing the aurora — echoed Cha Mo-hee’s words: Whenever you see the aurora, you will think of me. If translated, his meant: I’ve been thinking of you constantly.

If this drama were compared to an opera, the encounter in Japan would be the prologue, Canada the first act, Italy the second act, and the finale-waltz in an ancient mansion.

I would recommend Cha Mu-hee to read Good Morning Monster and Why Do I Do That?: Psychological Defence Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives.

Second, introvert vs extrovert

The emotionally driven extrovert Cha Mu-hee speaks her mind without hesitation, while the rationally driven introvert Joo Ho-jin needs to organize his thoughts before expressing them. Thus, Joo Ho-jin only takes one step forward when he clearly sees signals, and takes one step backward when being rejection. As logically driven individuals tend to be consistent, that is why initially, he couldn’t comprehend Cha Mu-hee’s swings. Seeking emotional stability, he attempted to stay away. But after understanding the tug-of-war of her dual personalities, he sought solutions rather than being pulled by her emotions. This eventually allowed him to see the real Cha Mu-hee and confront his own inner feelings.

Third, languages and voice

This is the part I like the most. How many languages are there in the world? 7,100. No, there are as many languages as there are people in the world.

Joo Ho-jin’s voice is very pleasant. When Cha Mu-hee was interviewed by a Singaporean reporter, she recognized Joo Ho-jin by his voice. She thought they would never meet again, but they did. Additionally, at a concert, though Cha Mu-hee didn’t see Joo Ho-jin, she recognized him by his voice — he was the interpreter at the opening. Though Cha Mu-hee filmed the dating show alongside Hiro Kurosawa, it was Joo Ho-jin’s voice that accompanied her the entire time.

The characterization of Joo Ho-jin as directionally challenged is interesting. As a multilingual translator, Joo Ho-Jin navigates translations with ease, yet becomes utterly lost during conversations with Cha Mu-hee — much like the pair struggling to find restaurants in Japan or waterfalls in Canada.

The final scene is the two of them gazing at the Milky Way together. From aurora to the Milky Way, you can never question Korean writers’ romance.

I give it a 9 out of 10 and highly recommend watching it.