Netflix has struggled to create another teen romantic comedy as strong as or even And Just Like That…, two similarly goofy serialized rom-coms. Maybe that’s only because it’s a similar fish-out-of-water story and John Corbett, respectively, is involved. Still, XO, Kitty has that lighthearted campiness that isn’t too overbearing or forced.
The chaotic number of love interests XO, Kitty throws at its protagonist even ends up as a positive for the series, because each episode becomes more unpredictable than the last. Kitty has crushes on girls and guys, on enemies and exes, on her neighbors and strangers she meets at parties. Not only does this feel like an extremely accurate representation of a teenage girl and her many crushes, but it’s also a real delight to watch. The series veers away from the traditional, more predictable rom-com set-up, with a storybook ending and one perfect love interest, heading toward a more chaotic story of mismatched couples instead. In doing so, XO, Kitty loses a bit of the rom-com appeal, but the show makes up for it with exciting new twists.
In the Jenny Han cinematic universe, XO, Kitty lies somewhere in between To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and Prime Video’s The Summer I Turned Pretty. The acting (with a stellar performance by Anna Cathcart as Kitty, though she’s missing the connection with her two sisters, who are absent from all of this spinoff) and storylines are nearly on par with Netflix’s original bright and fun concept for Han’s TATBILB universe. It contributes something new with the KISS element, watching Kitty fumble her way around Seoul a la Emily Cooper in Paris. None of the romantic pairings are quite as big a draw as Peter and Lara Jean—but again, who could beat that hot tub scene?
Courtesy of Netflix
Nevertheless, any fans of Han’s work will be as pleased with XO, Kitty as they are with her other adaptations—perhaps even more so, considering the series is brand new material. XO, Kitty lovingly portrays its teenage girl protagonist as three-dimensional, akin to both The Summer I Turned Pretty and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which is refreshing in and of itself. The concept is, indeed, preposterous (the likelihood that a teenage girl gets away with an international move to be with her very first boyfriend is slim)—but XO, Kitty trusts its leading lady enough to run away and have a great time. After ending on a cliffhanger (no spoilers!), Kitty is primed to really go wild in Korea, if the show is granted a Season 2.
