‘Can This Love Be Translated?’ Faces Strong Backlash Over Second Male Lead

Sota Fukushi is facing backlash over his role in Netflix’s upcoming series Can This Love Be Translated?

The controversy began after Korean viewers raised issues about Fukushi’s past appearance in a 2015 Japanese documentary, Please Teach Us About The War. In the show, Fukushi interviewed a Kamikaze pilot and read farewell letters from Japan’s WWII special attack units.

He also shared a personal story about his grandfather training to become a Kamikaze pilot before the war ended. Fukushi became emotional, saying he “respected” his grandfather and claimed “because of them, we are here today.”

At the time, Japanese fans praised Fukushi for honoring the memories of the war dead. But Korean viewers responded sharply differently.

In South Korea, Kamikaze pilots symbolize Japan’s aggression and militarism, not tragic sacrifice. Many see Fukushi’s words as romanticizing Japan’s wartime actions.

Soon after news of his casting broke, Korean netizens called Fukushi “right-wing” and a Japanese nationalist. Several expressed frustration that he was cast in a Korean drama distributed on Netflix.

A recent post on theqoo blamed Fukushi for the lukewarm reaction to 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? nears release, eyes are on whether this controversy will affect its reception in Korea.