My patience has been challenged again and again by the first two seasons of “XO, Kitty,” from the exasperating cliffhanger endings to the opening of new subplots to the impulsive sprouting of new love triangles. While it was exciting to be kept on my toes for the past few years by this show, I had hoped that Season 3 would be the satisfying resolution to Kitty’s (Anna Cathcart) time at the Korean Independent School of Seoul that the trailer promised to be. After all, three seems to be the magic number where Jenny Han’s other adaptations, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” finally decided on the endgame pair. It would be a severe disappointment if “XO, Kitty” proved to be an exception to the pattern, but thankfully the third season provides much of the closure the previous seasons lacked.
“XO, Kitty” Season 3 picks up the many loose ends the previous season left untied — the most pressing being what will become of Kitty and Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee) — while also ramping up the buzzing excitement that comes with being a senior at KISS. Amid a sparkling idol debut, impending college applications and the urgency to complete items on Kitty’s sunset list — a checklist of activities she wants to complete by the end of the school year — the fast-paced and drama-filled romantic comedy also adds in new characters and brings back old comforts.
Marius (Sule Thelwell), a former student at KISS, makes a return and shakes up already tumultuous relationships and smooth sailing ones, too, stirring up what’s already shaping up to be an emotionally tense season. Lara Jean (Lana Condor), Kitty’s older sister who now lives in New York, makes a cameo and provides the comforting heart-to-heart conversations that remind us all what a beautiful privilege it is to experience sisterhood.
Despite the fact that the show is categorized as a “romantic high school drama” on Netflix, alongside names like “Heartstopper,” “Young Royals” and “Ginny & Georgia,” “XO, Kitty” is more of a blend between K-drama and teenage rom-com. Drawing from Kitty’s own bicultural background as a Korean American, the show celebrates both sides of her identity with its unique storytelling. Kitty presents herself like a typical American teen with her many long monologues: someone with a loud personality and unwavering courage that would be potentially embarrassing to anybody else. At the same time, the themes one would typically find in a K-drama like family, community and shared meals are prevalent throughout the season.
Although the previous two seasons also mixed K-drama elements with American ones, they still held onto aesthetics and premises that leaned toward the genre conventions of an American coming-of-age drama. They were more plot-focused and filled with action, exploration and spectacle, from Kitty discovering her sexuality to navigating a new country and finding her place at an international high school as an outsider. Rather than bombarding viewers with the spectacle of multiple unrelated storylines, “XO, Kitty” Season 3 appears to lean more character-driven and emphasizes gentler, more subtle gestures like lingering gazes and sympathetic hugs, something closer to its K-drama inspiration.
Each character from the “XO, Kitty” cast delved into their insecurities in a way that previous seasons didn’t have space for, giving viewers characters to genuinely care about. Yuri (Gia Kim) struggles with her family’s newfound financial instability, challenging her status as the “fashionable rich girl” for much of the series. Q (Anthony Keyvan) experiences new challenges with communicating about his past in his current relationship. Min Ho has trouble voicing his needs due to the unsupportive family he grew up with. These more complex and delicate narratives, coupled with the vibrant color grading, gave the show a K-drama-esque appearance while still exploring the teen drama and coming-of-age portrayal.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with using one form of storytelling over another, and for the most part, the hysteria and mayhem created by Seasons 1 and 2 actually helped set up for a relatively more peaceful Season 3. Kitty learns more about herself, reunites with long-lost family and solidifies who she truly wants to pursue. In many ways, Kitty also immerses herself more deeply in Korean culture, learning the language to communicate with her grandmother, celebrating traditions like Chuseok with her classmates and knowing Seoul well enough to tour Lara Jean around the city in 24 hours. Perhaps, the shift to a slower, more vulnerable production reminiscent of K-dramas was a reflection of Kitty’s internal transformation — one mired in turmoil before she learned to untangle the knots — to become closer to herself and her mother.
At its core, “XO, Kitty” is a show made of love. It’s filled with loud lovers like Kitty, but quiet unspoken moments too. It’s made with music from both American and Korean pop. It values individuality but family cohesiveness too. Season 3 still left me with questions swirling in my head: “How will the move to college affect the friend group?” “What will Kitty study in college?” Overall though, it doesn’t leave too much to agonize over, and I’m grateful that at the end of my college journey, Kitty has closed a chapter in her life, too.
Senior Arts Editor Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
