The second season of the Netflix original show “XO, Kitty” was officially released on Jan. 16, exciting and engaging fans worldwide. The show is a spinoff of the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” film franchise. The show follows Kitty Song Covey, the little sister of Lara Jean, the main character in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” In this show, Kitty navigates love, friendship, and her identity.
In season one, Kitty travels to South Korea to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, Dae Heon-Kim, while also wanting to learn more about her mother, who died when she was three. She attends the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS), where both Dae and her mother attended.
Created by teen romance author Jenny Han, the new season of the show balanced light-hearted humor and heartfelt moments showing Kitty’s character development as she experiences the highs and lows of love and friendship. Han also penned the books that “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” was based on.
The season was not complete without plot twists and turns. During her time at KISS, Kitty realizes that love is not always so simple, as she struggles to choose between multiple love interests.
“Kitty liking more than one person at the same time is so real; it’s hard figuring out your feelings for people right away,” Karina Abuel, a sophomore at Carlmont, said.
The second season of “XO, Kitty” builds a better foundation for each character and their relationships, bringing even more drama, humor, and surprises. Not only that, but it includes more about Korean culture than the previous season.
“You can see Han laying the groundwork for a richer, denser season two,” top critic Kayleigh Donaldson wrote in a review for The Wrap.
Season one’s soundtrack is a mix of pop music and globalized Korean pop, whereas season two is almost entirely Korean pop, showcasing less popular korean groups.
The show also magnifies the attention towards LGBTQ+ relationships. Seven of the nine main characters are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, making the show a pioneer for inclusive representation towards teen audiences.
A fan-favorite moment in the season is when the beloved “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” character Peter Kavinsky visits Kitty on a trip to South Korea for lacrosse. Peter Kavinsky, one of the main characters in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, travels around South Korea with Kitty, making for a heartwarming scene in the show for fans of the show’s predecessor. The scene includes a feature for pop artist Lauv’s “I Like Me Better“, a song that is popularly associated with the film.
“As soon as that song came on, I was 17 again, watching ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’. The song is so nostalgic,” said college student Sydni Ho, an avid fan of the series.
The reviews of the season are overwhelmingly positive, with many like Ho already excited for season three. However, some people have pointed out some flaws in the show.
“While I like the tropes and the plot line, the show makes you dislike Kitty in a way because she has feelings for basically everyone,” Yip said.
Overall, the show correlates to the original “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” franchise, with lighthearted fun, emotional depth, and cultural appreciation, standing out in Netflix’s teen dramas.
