On Jan. 16, 2025, the long-awaited Netflix series XO, Kitty made a return to viewers’ screens. The spinoff of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, originally a book written by Jenny Han, released its first season in 2023, earning it a 58% rating from fans on Rotten Tomatoes. We agree—and the second season was just as perfectly enjoyable as its precursor.
What was an attempt at a heartwarming, sweet teen rom-com became a typical cookie-cutter young adult drama. Plotlines were predictable at best and viewers practically had to jump over plot holes. However, maybe that’s a good thing. Sometimes, viewers need “brain-off” shows that are still followable if you skip an episode. If that’s what you’re looking for, definitely add XO, Kitty to your watchlist.
The show stars a bubbly and easy-to-love Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey, who was first introduced years ago in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before as the “chirp and clever little sister.” In the movie series, she acts as a sort of matchmaker for her older sister, Lara Jean. However, Kitty cannot matchmake herself as she travels to the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS).
While she originally traveled to South Korea to find out more about her late mother’s family (and to visit a long-distance first love), Kitty becomes entangled in a love triangle between her, Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee), and Yuri Han (Gia Kim). While we enjoy a typical teen romance trope, we were much more interested in Kitty’s mother’s heritage because of its obscurity in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Because of this, the romance factor of XO, Kitty fell flat, and we didn’t necessarily care for any of the love interests.
Kitty’s mother’s heritage earns very limited screen time as she is more worried about solving drama between her friend group than reaching her family in Korea. At the beginning of season 2, Kitty vowed to stay out of drama and stop causing it, but couldn’t even make it through the first episode without stirring the pot between her friends and their relationships.
Though the drama of XO, Kitty makes for a very interesting show, the romance tropes felt more like a distraction than a full-fledged plot. Characters and their relationships, such as Q (Anthony Keyvan) and Jin (Joshua Lee), felt rushed and inorganic.
The predictability of where each character would end up by the end of the season was obvious from the first episode, making it tiresome to watch the characters beat around bushes for hours on end.
Overall, what truly shined in Season 2 of XO, Kitty was its comforting predictability. It’s pleasing to sit and watch cringy teenage shows and laugh, smile, and sometimes grimace. In a world where many shows require analyzing and constant attention, XO, Kitty is a teen’s perfect comfort show that is just as sweet as it is embarrassing. This show is amazing for people who enjoy a little drama with a lot of romance.
