“XO, Kitty” is a new TV show that came out on Netflix May 18, a spinoff of the trilogy “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” In the trilogy, it’s focused on the main character Lara Jean (Lana Condor). “XO, Kitty” is about Kitty (Anna Cathcart), Lara Jean’s little sister, going on her own without her sisters.

Jenny Han is the writer of both the trilogy and “XO Kitty,” as well as another show called “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” which are all very similar, so it seems that she has a specific style of her stories. I have watched all of them and I’ve seen that she likes the love triangle trope. 

“XO Kitty” is made up of 10 half-hour episodes. It starts off with Kitty, who is 17 and in her junior year of high school, going away to boarding school in Korea called Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) on her own. She goes to see her long-distance boyfriend as well as to know more about her departed mother Eve who had also gone there, but when she gets there, her plans don’t go well. 

As a hopeless romantic, I like a majority of the tropes — meet-cutes, enemies to lovers, childhood sweethearts and many more. The tropes shown in the show are good and are meant to keep the drama and the mystery going, which makes me want to watch more. 

The show is set in highschool so what you see is typical highschool life like gossiping, making new friendships, finals. With this it seems like playing roles in the show would be more loose, fun and free willing. Many of the main characters and sides will speak Korean and have been seen in other K-dramas. This gives the show a K-drama feel to it.

I like that Han included Korean Traditions like the holiday Chuseok, which is similar to Thanksgiving for the US. Toward the end of the series, a traditional Korean dance was incorporated. Buchaechum is when a group of females wear Hanboks that are traditional Korean dresses and sway fans into shapes of flowers. Even through the soundtrack, many of the songs were of Korean pop-culture. I appreciate that much of Korean culture has been included, even though I’m not Korean. 

Because Kitty goes to Seoul, Korea, the cast shot on location so it would be more authentic. Many productions use sets for different places instead of being shot on location which can be expensive as well. I admired that Han would rather get the real thing than try to copy it, as well as it’s interesting being able to see some of Seoul’s landmarks throughout the show. I think that actors being in a setting that their character is placed in can help them be more in tune with their character and it’s a great opportunity to travel.

The show  was intriguing because it made you expect one thing then there would be a plot twist. When a new series or season of a show I like comes out, I watch it quite quickly, also known as binge-watching. “XO, Kitty” took me about a day to watch. I liked it and I’m hoping for a season two.

“XO, Kitty:” ★★★★★