Lee Jae Wook's Dear Hongrang gets lost in translation, thanks to Netflix's poor subtitles; fans say, 'Feels like being trolled by AI'

After the massive success of Alchemy of Souls, South Korean heartthrob Lee Jae Wook returns to the sageuk scene with Dear Hongrang, a moody historical melodrama based on Jang Da Hye¡¯s novel Tangeum: Swallowing Gold. The series, also starring Jo Bo Ah, dropped on Netflix on May 16 with a compelling premise that pulled fans in until the subtitles started distracting more than the story itself.

Netflix's long history of messing up K-drama subtitles

Despite its shaky start in original productions, Netflix has seen a solid rise in viewership thanks to breakout hits like Squid Game, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Mr. Plankton, Karma, The Trunk, and Melo Movie. While it¡¯s built a loyal audience for modern K-dramas, sageuk fans feel Netflix just hasn¡¯t been able to get historical dramas right.

For the uninitiated, sageuk refers to Korean historical dramas, often set during the Goryeo or Joseon periods, sometimes mixing in fantasy or fictional twists. But what¡¯s turning heads this time isn't just Dear Hongrang¡¯s story¡ªit's the English subtitles.

Netflix has long faced criticism for its awkward or overly simplified translations, even in high-profile shows. But with Dear Hongrang, many viewers say it hit a new low. Fans across platforms pointed out that the subtitles felt clunky, emotionless, and, in some cases, like they were AI-generated.

Fans slam Netflix for poor subtitles of Dear Hongrang

Dear Hongrang has received mixed reactions from viewers so far, and Netflix¡¯s awkward English subtitles have only made things worse.

One user on X wrote, "I¡¯ve started watching Dear Hongrang, but the English subtitles are so incorrect."

i¡¯ve started watching dear hongrang but the english subtitles are so incorrect :/

¡ª trisha ?¨B? (@forthevibes__) May 17, 2025

Another wrote, "Dear Hongrang¡¯s subtitles on Netflix are a MESS."

Dear Hongrang¡¯s subtitles on Netflix are a MESS ?

¡ª su ?WAIT ON ME (@9up_s) May 18, 2025

A third fan noted, "It's always a mess, but this time it must be worse since it's a sageuk."

it's always a mess but this time it must be worse since it's a sageuk

¡ª ray next door (@drama0bsessed) May 18, 2025

"Who tf did the subtitles in this last ep, because they're lowkey a mess?" mentioned another user.

who tf did the subtitles in this last ep, cause they're lowkey a mess¡­.?

¡ª ? kalina ? (@fokanaplazy) May 16, 2025

The criticism wasn't limited to X¡ªusers on Reddit also pointed out the same. On the K-drama subreddit, one fan wrote, "Stacked cast and stellar acting so far but the subtitles are exceptionally poor. this is a recurring issue i encounter with historical dramas, as the distinct way of speaking is more difficult to translate accurately. netflix translations have always been bad, but this instance feels particularly inadequate.

It's frustrating because I can understand parts of the dialogue¡ªI can tell when the translations are incorrect¡ªyet I still have to rely on the poor subtitles because I don't fully understand everything."

Another wrote, "Yes! same issue. It's not so awful that I feel like I'm being trolled by AI and should wait till they fix them, because they probably won't. But a lot of the subs for their new shows are rough. I watched the first couple of episodes of Tastefully Yours to see what it was like, and the subs are also horrible."

A third Redditor wrote, "I do agree about Netflix¡¯s subtitles. I think Viki definitely has better subtitles and usually provides notes for context that are helpful for international viewers."

Check out more comments in the Reddit thread below:

Dear Hongrang [Episodes 1-11]
byu/meepmochi_ inKDRAMA

All 11 episodes of Dear Hongrang are now streaming on Netflix.

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