Kim Seon Ho on 'Can This Love Be Translated?'

Kim Seon Ho shares his thoughts on playing a multilingual interpreter in Netflix's Can This Love Be Translated?.

On January 22, actor Kim Seon Ho sat for an interview for the Netflix series Can This Love Be Translated?, during which he expressed, "I had so much fun preparing for it. The shoot was filled with laughter and happiness. Not just the actors, but everyone was eagerly awaiting its release. It's very exciting."

Can This Love Be Translated? follows the story of multilingual interpreter Ju Ho Jin (Kim Seon Ho), who becomes the interpreter for global top star Cha Mu Hui (Go Youn Jung). 

Kim Seon Ho plays Ju Ho Jin, an interpreter fluent in six languages, delivering a nuanced performance shaped by four months of intensive language training.

Kim Seon Ho recalled the preparation process, saying, "It was really difficult. For four months, I studied thoroughly and tried to familiarize myself with [the languages] for four months and put emotions into [my dialogue]. When acting in Korean, I worked through it together with the teachers." "As things kept building up little by little, the timing naturally fell into place. The hardest part was when I was physically exhausted and couldn't recall the words, but the instructors helped me."

He rated his actual language skills as "not so good." "That's why I'm even happier. I paid an enormous amount of attention to the details and diction. Italian, in particular, was something I'd never come across in my life. After listening to it over and over, I gradually started to catch a little of it."

Kim Seon Ho returned to the rom-com genre for the first time in about five years since Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. He commented, "It was really fun, and it also made me think, 'So this is how it is.' Since this is a job where you're [constantly] evaluated, there's some worry, but I also felt anticipation and excitement," adding, "I focus only on how to evoke empathy and perform; I don't worry about the genre itself."

Some viewers have commented that drama — structured around repeated miscommunications between the male and female leads — can make viewers feel frustrated rather than give more tension.

"Since this [drama] is [a result of] work [done by] people, I think there will naturally be likes and dislikes. This work is about each individual's personal language. What both the writers and the actors could relate to was, 'perhaps more time was needed'"

"I thought it would take time to show the times when they keep clashing and fail to communicate. The actors empathized and acted accordingly," adding, "Since he's a character who is completely the opposite of me, I also felt the frustration. I tend to resolve conflicts by speaking gently, but Ho Jin expresses himself awkwardly. We had many discussions about this character and worked hard to find the right balance."

He emphasized, "I think each person has their own language. Language isn't just about words; it can be conveyed through actions as well. Watching this drama and seeing the characters' interactions, if viewers come to think, 'I've felt this too,' and feel a sense of connection, that would feel rewarding and make me happy."

This project went through several casting changes during production. When asked about whether he felt any pressure, he shared, "I didn't think about any burdens or pressure. I simply read the script and found the role of a multilingual interpreter very appealing — not just interpreting languages, but interpreting each person's unique language. I had also enjoyed the writers' previous works, so I really wanted to take on this role."

When asked whether he could personally relate to the scenes in which top star Cha Mu Hui struggles because of "fake news," he smiled brightly and said, "No. While acting, I didn't apply any of that [to myself] and just followed the script." "Concerning the role of Do Ra Mi, I focused on faithfully expressing everything as written in the script. Beyond that, as actors, we are ultimately subject to the public's evaluation. I try my best to get good results."

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