The sequel/spin-off series to “To All The Boys I’ve Loved” is finally on Netflix, and if you love the previous TATB movies and also enjoy K-drama, this is the series you want to binge this weekend.
Centered around the youngest sister of Lara Jean and Margot, Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) is all grown-up and taking her love life and future into her own hands. After being in a four-year long-distance relationship with Dae, she’s ready to take their relationship to the next level. She has just been accepted to Korea Independent School of Seoul, or KISS, which is the same school Dae is attending. Little does she know, things are about to get very complicated with Dae.
The official synopsis for “XO, Kitty” is:
’Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love. But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she’ll soon realize that relationships are a lot more complicated when it’s your own heart on the line.’’
Anna Cathcart returns as Kitty Song Covey, the loveable little sister to Lara Jean and Margot in the ‘To All The Boys I’ve Love’ franchise. South Korean actor Minyeon Choi (Twenty-Five Twenty-One) plays Dae, the role that was previously played by Jeon Hoyoung). Making up the rest of Kitty’s new classmates are Gia Kim as Yuri, Sang Heon Lee as Minho, Anthony Kevan as Q, and Jocelyn Shelfo as Madison. Regan Aliyah (Juliana), Yunjin Kim (Jina), Michael K Lee (Professor Lee), John Corbett (Dan Covey), and Sarayu Blue (Trina Rothchilds) are also in the series.
A Coming-Of-Age Rom-Com With All Your Fave K-Pop Bops
In ‘XO, Kitty’, the story takes place almost entirely in Seoul, Korea. And as such, the series leans hard into the theme of K-pop and K-drama. As Kitty lands at Incheon airport, we’re immediately greeted with songs by Seventeen, BTS, Momoland, Blackpink, and more.
Throughout the series, you can expect to hear at least 4 songs per episode. Here are some of the groups featured in ‘XO, Kitty’s:
- BTS
- Seventeen
- Blackpink
- Momoland
- Jeon Somi
- Stray Kids
- Twice
- Itzy
- From9is
If you’re a fan of K-content, expect to see all the K-drama tropes in this series. The famous wrist grab, the slow-motion head turn, falling into the arms of your crush, and more can all be spotted in ‘XO, Kitty’. This angle sets this series apart from its predecessor and is a refreshing change as well.
How Does ‘XO, Kitty’ Work As A Series?
This is the most mature we’ve seen Kitty, as she is now 16 years old. Taking the rein on her own independence, she flies to South Korea to attend KISS not just to be closer to her long-distance boyfriend Dae, but to connect with her mother’s past. This is something we’ve seen explored in ‘To All The Boys, Always And Forever’. It’s great to see the series expand past the romance (and drama) of Kitty and Dae, as well her Korean roots and her sexuality.
Each episode is about 35 minutes long but the shorter runtime gave the show pacing issues by the final episodes. Storyline felt overstuffed and rushed, and characters arcs were cut short in order to serve the main storyline.
Overall, ‘XO, Kitty’ is a very fun and entertaining watch, especially if you love how it lean into the K-drama stereotypes and K-pop needledrops. The performance from the cast was enjoyable but the end felt too rushed. Characters who had their whole arc built up through the series didn’t get enough time at the end for it to flesh out.
