TV Review: XO Kitty Is The Teenedy We Need
Immediately, from seeing its trailer, XO, Kitty screamed Americanized version of a K-Drama; something Netflix craved since its short-lived Dramaworld, which was praised for its silliness but also sincere appreciation for the glamor and melodrama of a K-Drama. XO, Kitty has its nods to K-Dramas more subtly, by creating bursts of romantic tension, a love quadrangle, and a character who is almost cosmically lucky at match-making everyone but herself.
Anna Cathcart gives Kitty a ripe blend of strength and goofiness. She is not hapless or helpless, even though she gets drunks off of 13 sips of alcohol and cannot seem to find a female roommate that won’t livestream her nap-times. In essence, Kitty is the smartest, sweetest person to enter the most random scenarios, but her eagerness and determination to build her world in love makes her such a perfect character for a teen dramedy. No heartbreak is too big for her to conquer, but her real journey is in what she defines as love and with who.
What teenedy (my new just invented word for teenage dramedies) is anything with the woes and whims of young love? Created by of the All The Boys I Loved character, the series is truly brilliant and brisk in how it embrace young sexuality and relationships; the are the most world-defining thing to be super casual and fleeting. Absolutely every character is hormonal and heaving to be with someone, which is very teen to me. Nowadays, by age 12, we are all contemplating why we have not found the one. Being adult-like happens way sooner, but XO Kitty shows that being grown enough to fall in love is not a guarantee you will actually understand what you are doing.
Q (Anthony Keyvan ) is in love with Florian, , Kitty is in love with Dae (Minyeong Choi) , Minho (Sang Heon Lee) is in love with himself and a little bit of Kitty, and Yuri (Gia Kim) just want the freedom to love whoever and however she wants wants without her wealthy family and principal/mom hawking over her. Already this show SCREAMS binge-watch, and I have to say I stayed up all night watching these episodes. I refused to sleep until I knew who Kitty ended up with or, at least, if everyone had a happy ending. Thus, once it was done I grieved knowing season 2 will probably be a while from now. This show is deliciously quick and entertaining. Out on Netflix May 18.
