Teen spin-off series set in Seoul has romance, drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Sex, Romance & Nudity
a lot
High school romantic relationships are a major plotline. Teenagers kiss and make out. They also have sexual dreams that include heavy kissing, which they discuss.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Set in South Korea. Most of the cast is South Korean. Kitty learns more about South Korean culture when she moves to Seoul to go to school. Kitty and her sister are Korean American and White. Her stepmother is Indian. Storylines include LGBTQ+ characters; some are open about their sexuality and some aren't. The writer is Korean American, and most of the show directors are women.
Growth comes from trying new things and making mistakes.
Positive Role Models
a little
Kitty bravely follows in her mother's footsteps and goes to live in a new country where she knows only one person.
Educational Value
very little
Presents a highly stylized and glamorous glimpse of teenage life in South Korea.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that XO, Kitty is a coming-of-age series centered on Kitty (Anna Cathcart), the younger sister of To All the Boys I've Loved Before's Lara Jean. It follows Kitty as she studies abroad in South Korea during her junior year of high school, trying to learn more about her deceased mother (who was Korean American) by following in her footsteps. Teen romance abounds: A girl sneaks around with a boy she doesn't want her parents to meet, teens kiss and make out, and they have sexual dreams that include heavy kissing, which they discuss. A Korean girl's mom comes to her, worried about rumors of the teen being interested in another girl. But there are also positive diverse representations here, including Kitty herself, who's of mixed race, and LGBTQ+ characters, some of whom are open about their sexuality. An argument between two boys turns into aggressive shoving. Underage drinking is shown, and teens get drunk. Occasional profanity includes "damn," "ass," and "s--t."
I love the diversity of the show. There is only kissing which is fine. There is a little language but not that bad. However there is teen drinking and getting drunk. There is no presence of drugs.
Katherine R.Parent of 10, 14, 18+, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old
June 9, 2024
age 11+
What's the Story?
Returning to the universe of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, XO, KITTY moves the focus to Lara Jean's little sister, Kitty (Anna Cathcart). Now in high school herself, Kitty convinces her father to let her study abroad in South Korea at the school her now-deceased mother attended and where her long-distance boyfriend, Dae (Minyeong Choi), happens to study also. But what happens when she travels thousands of miles only to find out that Dae has another girlfriend?
Frothy and sweet, this spin-off doesn't require too much attention from its young viewers but will certainly inspire some serious wanderlust. XO, Kitty's coming-of-age story -- refreshingly set in South Korea, with Korean American and South Korean stars -- isn't quite as endearing as To All the Boys I've Loved Before. But the series doesn't try to be more than it is: an American-made show with a K-drama vibe, sprinkled with a few lessons on growing up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Kitty thinks that studying in South Korea like her deceased mother did will help her to understand her mom better. Do you think this worked? How does empathy play a role in knowing people?
How is underage drinking portrayed in XO, Kitty? Are the consequences shown realistic? Why, or why not?
How realistic do you think the series is? How do you think it compares to real life for teenagers in South Korea?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
