- By Piyali Bhadra
- Fri, 19 May 2023 10:16 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Xo Kitty Review: Netflix's new release of 'To All The Boys I Loved Before' spinoff revolves around the life-changing journey of the youngest Covey sister, Katherine Song Covey essayed by Anna Cathcart and will give you a full Gen Z dream vibe set in the streets of Seoul, South Korea. In the series, the youngest Covey sister sets into the spotlight after her successful matchmaking trip with Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky.
Plot:
'Xo Kitty' starts with the 16-year-old biracial Korean-American protagonist of the series Katherine Song Covey aka Kitty applying to the Korean Independent School of Seoul, to complete her junior year with her Korean boyfriend Dae. Tending to give him a surprise she returns with a shock to find him with another girlfriend which is followed by tons of teenage drama, explanations, and big plot twists.
What Works For The Series:
The series is lighthearted and entertaining with Katherine Song Covey delivering her ton of misadventures which will remind you of the Disney Channel era. The series did not exaggerate the details and the 30-minute episode will never bore you and will have immediate solutions to the problems which are created by the characters.
The cute love triangles with hijinks will give you proper full-grown adult vibes with the filming in Seoul, the show takes great interest in the Korean culture filled with the food and customs of the Korean people where often your favorite characters will also be seen speaking effortlessly in the Korean language where the lead of the show also drops her English needle and blends in their K-pop western world.
What Did Not Work:
Apart from the picturization and stylish fits and scenes, the loose plot with tons of misunderstandings and coincidences will make you confused and bored at a point. Not one but two crushes can be seen instigated in the series around the lead with the unfolding mystery relationship status of Kitty changes the key objective of the show and will give you the plot from another show.
There are a lot of balls in the air as one comes near the finale which will leave you hanging to choose her fate which is not required at all. 'Xo Kitty' is thus primed for a better and richer interesting season two which can be an annoying way of exaggerating the series which would have been not required.
Final Views:
The matchmaker vibes on Kitty come through the series where the protagonist takes a chance and flies to South Korea alone with a usual rom-com plotline filled with unpredictable turns. It is unfortunately difficult to get invested in a part of 'Xo Kitty' as there can be a lack of chemistry seen between Kitty and Dae, the leads of the series.
It is also a bit of a stretch to witness so many characters speaking English rather than Korean in South Korea which is unsettling for the native people to speak in their language where several characters could reflect the stillness speaking in English on their face. Unfortunately, the very plot of the show does not help this aspect of the show because the titular character only does not intend to speak or learn the language and has entered into a completely different country which can be scary and unrealistic.
However, the series could have been turned into a movie, as some exaggerations were not required by the makers.
Performances:
Anna Cathcart essaying the character of Kitty stays true to her 'To All The Boys' character where she was fun and chirpy. However, her character is wasted on a mess in the series with contrived situations, twisted complications, and a lack of chemistry with her boy gang. She, however, continues to charm the audience with her quick-change expressions which are impeccable to watch on screen at times giving justice to her role.
Cast:
Anna Cathcart, Choi Min-Young, Sang Heon Lee, Gia Kim, Regan Aliyah, Anthony Kevyan, and Peter Thurnwald.
Directors:
Jennifer Arnold, Jeff Chan, Pamela Romanowsky, and Katina Medina Mora.