On Jan. 16, Netflix released season two of the YA K-Drama rom-com series XO, Kitty, produced by Awesome TV Production. From the author Jenny Han, best known for creating The Summer I Turned Pretty book series-turned-TV show, this latest eight-episode-long season of XO, Kitty embraces themes of drama, romance, and twisted family ties.
XO, Kitty’s first season aired in 2023 and is a spin-off of the film and book series also by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, with several characters including Kitty herself originally appearing in that original film series. In XO, Kitty, co-showrunner Jenny Han takes viewers down a long, winding journey through the life of Kitty Song-Covey during her junior year at the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS).
During season one, Kitty, thoughtfully portrayed by actress Anna Cathcart, travels to Korea to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend Dae Kim (Choi Min-Young). After arriving in Korea, Kitty gets more than she bargained for, discovering her boyfriend Dae is in a relationship with KISS student and socialite Yuri Han (Gia Kim). However, the relationship, as Kitty quickly finds out, is just a publicity stunt. Despite this, Kitty and Dae’s romantic relationship ends due to an unforeseen and overtly complex love triangle turned square.
Romantic drama, however, is not the only issue Kitty faces throughout season one. As she tries to further connect with her Korean heritage, Kitty discovers parts of her late mother’s past that put what she knows about her family tree in jeopardy. These family issues continue to be unpacked in season two and grow progressively harder to follow as Kitty uncovers the truth behind her mother and extended family’s complicated past.
In the opening episode of season two, Kitty returns to KISS after an awkward love confession from her previously believed platonic roommate, Min Ho Moon (Sang Heon Lee). With this confession still fresh on her mind from the previous semester, Kitty is hoping for a fresh start, free of drama.
Soon after her return, Kitty finds herself right back where she left off, now confronting her feelings for Yuri, Dae’s (fake) ex-girlfriend and Kitty’s close friend, who recently was reunited with her girlfriend Juliana (Regan Aliyah). Kitty, who developed feelings for Yuri throughout season one, tries to suppress and redirect her feelings, to little avail.
Min Ho, Kitty’s good friend (or possibly more) throughout season two, struggles with the arrival of his father Young Moon (Philippe Lee) at KISS. As if the show didn’t have enough drama on its hands, Min Ho’s dad introduces a musical competition to the school, and suddenly XO, Kitty takes an inexcusable turn for the worse, becoming a musical (it’s giving Glee and we are not gleeful). Who signed off on that?
Just as you thought you couldn’t keep up with the ever-changing relationships, Kitty’s new mysterious roommate Stella (Audrey Huynh), comes knocking on the door. Stella makes her uncalled-for grand entrance into the group’s lives, craving revenge on Min Ho’s father. Young Moon wronged her in the past after insulting her looks during an audition, sending her spiraling into an internet sensation. This villain side character Stella added exciting drama and plot twists, but also too much complexity to the show’s plot.
Despite its enticing description, XO, Kitty season two comes up short of watchable in both the acting and wardrobe department. One scene displays Min Ho fully submerging in a hot tub clad in a crisp white turtleneck, which, alongside Kitty’s skirted bathing suit, completely ruined the scene. From questionable outfits and facial expressions to even more unpleasant dialogue, XO, Kitty definitely has you reaching for the replay button in the worst way possible. This wannabe relatable TV show ventures into Nickelodeon territory, with cheesy one-liners and unrealistically long moments of eye contact.
XO, Kitty’s newest season has an undeniably dramatic quality, with many complex storylines that make this lighthearted K-Drama hard to follow and less engaging than the show’s first season. Season two, however, does guest star Noah Centineo reprising his role as Peter Kavinsky, Kitty’s older sister’s boyfriend, who was a lead character in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film series. Peter’s return to the screen offered the movie series fans who flocked to this TV show a sense of nostalgia amidst the chaos of the show’s poorly executed plot.
If you are looking for an engaging watch, unfortunately, this is not it. Save yourself the time, unless you’re looking for something cringe-worthy rather than binge-worthy. XO, Kitty should be X’d from your list with no hesitation unless you are able to stomach slo-mo hugs, deep talks in every scene, and unnecessary hand gestures clouding out any seriousness the show once had to offer. XO, Kitty earns one and a half out of five feathers for serious viewers, but for 13-year-old rom-com lovers looking for a slumber party watch, stop scrolling through Netflix because this is the one.
