With more drama than ever before, new characters, and a lot of kisses, Xo, Kitty takes us back to Seoul for an exciting season 2.
Showrunner: Jessica O’Toole
Genre: Teen, Drama, Rom-Com
Number of episodes in Season 2: 8
Release Date: January 16, 2025
Where to Watch: Stream it globally on Netflix
“This is giving major K-drama,” says one of the characters in the second episode of Xo, Kitty season 2. While the show may not be a Korean drama strictly speaking – after all, it remains an American tv show narrated predominantly in the English language despite its use of the Korean setting and characters – it does feature some of the elements of the genre in its portrayal of high school romance in Seoul.
With a few – and perhaps too many – establishing shots of Seoul at the beginning of episode 1, Xo, Kitty welcomes us back to the capital of South Korea. Despite all odds, Kitty Song Covey (Anna Catchcart) is back to complete her exchange programme at KISS, the Korean Independent School of Seoul. Here, she is reunited with her loyal and chaotic group of friends: her ex-boyfriend Dae-heon Kim (Choi Min-young), Quincy Shabazian (Anthony Keyvan), Min-ho (Sang Heon Lee), and Yuri Han (Gian Kim). In season 2, newcomers Stella (Audrey Huynh) and Praveena (Sasha Bhasin) join what is soon to become an intricate web of kisses, not-so-secret crushes, and love letters.
Season 2 of Xo, Kitty does a good job at portraying Korean culture within the context of an international school. While we do not hear a lot of Korean spoken in the second season – the fact that Kitty has not yet been able to learn any Korean despite living in Seoul for a few months now is rather embarrassing on her part – I really liked the moments when the Korean characters speak their own language amongst each other. This adds a level of authenticity to the show and to its depiction of South Korea.
More broadly, season 2 also focuses on portraying other aspects that are important to the local culture, including local food, traditions, and holidays. For example, the Lunar New Year – and the way each character chooses to celebrate it – soon becomes a key part of the plot. The second season of Xo, Kitty also shows us what Korea looks like outside of Seoul, and outside of the international school where most of the events take place, as Kitty and her friends find themselves exploring both the mountains near the city and the countryside. This adds a new exciting element to the story, which would have otherwise felt too similar to season 1.
The introduction of new characters in season 2 also feels refreshing, as it allows Xo, Kitty to explore new dynamics within the friendship group. While some of it may sound similar to season 1, the show is able to create new and interesting narratives while also expanding on existing storylines, making for a second season that is just as good – if not even better – than its predecessor. After setting up the main characters’ background and story, the second season of the show can now explore them in more depth, especially in the second part of the season when we finally learn more about Kitty’s family and past.
In this sense, the second part of Xo, Kitty season 2 is far more interesting than the first, as the show finally focuses on its true strength: the friendship bond between the main group of characters, which has always felt like the beating heart of the show. The second half of the season also touches on the theme of family, allowing the plot to expand outside of the school as every character’s family is now explored more thoroughly. While the plot regarding Kitty’s mum is fascinating, I would have liked to see more of it, perhaps through the use of flashbacks, which would have drawn a stronger comparison between the protagonist’s story and her ancestors.
On the topic of storytelling, the voiceover also ends up falling flat and feeling way too repetitive after a couple of episodes. Despite some cliff hangers and surprises along the way, the second season of the show is predictable especially when it comes to the main character’s plotlines. As a result, a lot of the secondary characters, especially Quincy or Min-Ho, seem to have far more interesting storylines than Kitty herself. For a season that also focuses on music so much, Xo, Kitty doesn’t particularly shine when it comes to music. As season 2 goes on, it increasingly feels like the show focused on having a soundtrack made up exclusively of trendy music on TikTok rather than choosing songs that would represent the characters’ emotion or the cultural specificity of Korean popular music.
Admittedly, Xo, Kitty season 2 does easily fall into the clichés of the rom-com genre, but it is an enjoyable treat for fans of the genre, especially those who long to go back to the universe of To All The Boys I Loved Before film series. Xo, Kitty seems to be aware of this, as the latter is often referenced in the show in more ways than the audience might initially imagine. With its renewed focus on Korean culture and exploration of some of the most interesting topics of season one, the second season is a worthy continuation of what preceded it.
Xo, Kitty Season 2 Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Kitty is back at KISS, the Korean Independent School of Seoul. Despite her intention to swear off romance and focus on her studies, there are still a lot of discoveries that await Kitty in Seoul, from both a dating and personal point of view.
Pros:
- The portrayal of Korean culture and setting outside of the school where the protagonist studies.
- The focus on friendship and family relationships, especially in the second half of the season.
- The new characters and the new dynamic they create.
Cons:
- Filled with clichés and predictable; there is little in the show that actually comes as a surprise.
- The soundtrack choices don’t stand out in a show that is so heavily focused on music.
- The storytelling feels flat and repetitive after the first few episodes.
Xo, Kitty Season 2 is now available to stream globally on Netflix.
