I just finished the first season of XO, Kitty on Netflix which is a spinoff series featuring the life of Katherine Song Covey a.k.a. Kitty, the sister of the famous Lara Jean from the ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ movie franchise. I’ve been sticking to light hearted movies and series lately owing to my pregnancy content monitoring and there’s nothing not to like about a teenage drama that checks all the boxes of a, well, teenage drama.
Kitty moves to Seoul, Korea to be with her long-distance pen-pal boyfriend and maybe also learn a little something about her deceased mother who also went to the same school. Of course there’s trouble in paradise starting the moment she lands. The story unfolds featuring some very good looking young adults figuring out their lives while balancing academics.
The vibe at KISS (the school) is very different from that of American schools as they’re way more academically inclined and considerably more disciplined about little things. Kitty takes her time to adapt but does manage to charm her way into the hearts and lives of the people there, even though drama follows her everywhere. The storyline is the biggest hook of the series, but I like how the writers have simplified even complex plot twists and delivered them in ways that aren’t too dramatic at all. The characters have the bandwidth to handle even the heaviest plot turns with graceful dignity that never drops. There’s only one character in the whole series that’s even remotely melodramatic and that’s Kitty. The Korean origin characters are simply the symbols of composure and dignity carrying an aura that’s a breath of fresh air on Netflix.
Perhaps I’m observing this for the first time in XO, Kitty because I haven’t exposed myself to K-Drama before. Perhaps this is a well-known signature trait of Korean-origin characters; if so, its a wonderful aspect. Delivering emotionally loaded plot turns with dignified composure is something I can admire forever.
The nuanced and diverse characters are an impressive array that makes XO, Kitty interesting while adding a layer of depth to the otherwise light-hearted series. I’m certainly enjoying the novelty that the series has brought to my watchlist. On to season 2!
While ‘XO, Kitty’ keeps things light and dignified, I’ve also explored how cinema handles the heavier, more complex portrayals of the human psyche. Check out my study on Mental Illness in Films for a deeper look at character development.
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