“Can This Love Be Translated?” Faces Intense Backlash Due To Second Male Lead

Netflix’s upcoming series Can This Love Be Translated? is facing growing backlash among Korean viewers — this time over the casting of Japanese actor Sota Fukushi, who plays the drama’s second male lead.

The controversy stems from Fukushi’s appearance in a 2015 Japanese television documentary titled Please Teach Us About The War. During the broadcast, Fukushi interviewed a surviving Kamikaze pilot and read farewell letters written by members of Japan’s special attack units during World War II.

In the program, Fukushi also shared a deeply personal story, revealing that his own grandfather had once trained to become a Kamikaze pilot before the war ended. As he became emotional on camera, Fukushi wiped away tears and said that he “respected” his grandfather, adding that “because of them, we are here today.”

At the time, Japanese viewers largely responded positively, praising the actor for emotionally conveying the tragedy of war and honoring the memories of those affected. Korean audiences have reacted very differently.

In South Korea, one of the countries directly invaded and colonized by Imperial Japan, Kamikaze pilots are widely associated not with tragic sacrifice, but with Japan’s wartime aggression and militarism. As a result, Fukushi’s remarks, particularly his use of the word “respect,” have been criticized by some Korean viewers as romanticizing or sanitizing Japan’s wartime actions.

Following renewed attention to the documentary after his casting was announced, some Korean netizens have labeled Fukushi as “right-wing” or a Japanese nationalist, terms often used in Korea to describe individuals perceived as glorifying or defending Japan’s military past. This has led to disappointment and frustration over his inclusion in a Korean drama, especially one distributed globally through Netflix. A recent post on theqoo claimed that he was the reason why Korean response has been tepid, with many netizens agreeing, calling out the other controversies surrounding the drama.

• I don’t like the male lead to begin with.
• The male lead himself is the first wall to watching it.
• Right-wingers, barf.
• A writer who plagiarizes, a male lead who forced an abortion, and a right-wing second male lead. LOL.
• Apart from Go Youn Jung, there’s really no reason to watch this.

As Can This Love Be Translated? continues to ride on the high of its release, attention remains focused on whether the backlash will impact the drama’s reception among Korean viewers.