Whether you’re hate watching or genuinely interested in XO, Kitty and Emily in Paris, if you’ve seen a little bit of either show, it’s very likely you were hooked from the start. On the surface, the two titles have a lot in common. Both are highly-bingeable Netflix Original romantic comedy-drama series that revolve around an American girl trying to make it in a brand new country where she doesn’t really know many people or the language, getting into all sorts of awkward situations, entertaining hijinks, and new relationships along the way.
Emily in Paris revolves around the exploits of 29-year-old Emily Cooper (Lily Collins) as she leaves her boyfriend and comfortable, familiar life in Chicago behind for a temporary social media strategy job in Paris. Although she immediately rubs some of her coworkers the wrong way with her American enthusiasm and ignorance towards the French ways of life, her exuberance and creativity eventually win the hearts and respect of several people around her, including Emily’s first friend in Paris, Mindy Chen (Ashley Park), and the handsome chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) who lives downstairs in her building.
Then there’s XO, Kitty, a slightly newer show that follows 16-year-old Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) as she earns a full scholarship to attend her late mother’s alma mater, Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS), so she can both learn more about her heritage as well as be classmates with her long-distance boyfriend Dae Kim (Choi Min-young). But when the wealthy and popular Yuri Han (Gia Kim) ropes Dae into a fake relationship as a cover for her own queer identity and secret girlfriend, the hopeless romantic matchmaker Kitty suddenly finds herself brokenhearted and alone in Seoul. On top of that, Kitty must overcome struggles with school, family, sexuality, and her enemy-turned-potentially-something-more classmate Min-ho Moon (Sang Heon Lee).
While both shows can sometimes feel like junk food for your brain, XO, Kitty ultimately succeeds in areas where Emily In Paris struggles, which takes it to the next level as an enjoyable, easy-viewing success. For example, XO, Kitty actually has more likable characters than Emily. That’s not to say they don’t make mistakes because boy, do they, but it’s because the characters accept their flaws and still try to keep learning and growing that they worm their way into your heart.
Emily in Paris can be a tough watch at times, especially as Emily makes decisions that make you want to pull your hair out. Emily isn’t always considerate of the people around her. She can be quite self-involved in a way that makes her friendships, work relationships, and romances suffer. Her will-they, won’t-they romance with Gabriel has grown so mutually toxic over the seasons that I think they’d both be better off without each other. While the characters are admittedly compelling in their messiness and drama, I don’t necessarily like many of them, and I don’t think they’d make very reliable friends or romantic partners.
In comparison, I find the XO, Kitty characters to be genuinely quite lovable, especially Kitty herself. Although Kitty can definitely be sometimes cringe-worthy and self-involved (what teenager isn’t at some point, though), at her core she’s a thoughtful person and dedicated friend who truly wants to help improve the lives of those around her. Even when her own love life is a total chaotic mess, she wants to help others find happiness in their romances, friendships, and familial bonds. The supporting cast is also full of compelling characters that seem to gain more depth and layers as the show goes on.
The similar global aspects of Emily in Paris and XO, Kitty also end up highlighting where they differ and leaving the latter series feeling more successful. At first, Emily actually seems to have the more difficult road ahead of her in her new city. She doesn’t know anyone, has no personal stake in France, and doesn’t speak the language. This opportunity came to her as a surprise, and she decided to take the leap in spite of her nerves. Kitty, meanwhile, spearheaded her own journey to Seoul in an effort to feel closer to her late mom and also to finally be with Dae in person.
However, Kitty ends up having more to overcome as her and Dae’s relationship is immediately broken up by Yuri’s fake dating ploy, she’s stuck with an awkward rooming situation, and the one woman (Yunjin Kim) who was friends with her mother seems determined to shut Kitty and her questions out. Despite it all, Kitty throws herself into her new life and attempts to assimilate more than Emily does in France, and she somehow manages to do it all with more maturity despite being over a decade younger.
Both of the Netflix shows are compelling in their own ways and successfully transport you somewhere else between fantasy and reality (Emily Cooper’s Paris in particular often feels quite surreal. How does she afford all of those clothes? Does she ever wear the same thing twice?). But I think that XO, Kitty ultimately feels like more of a triumph because Kitty is an earnest, lovable character whose awkwardness, gumption, and vulnerability make her inherently endearing. You can’t help but root for her and her friends, and those positive feelings only make you more invested in the world of this series.
Luckily, XO, Kitty has just been renewed for a third season, so there’s even more international intrigue, excitement, and adventure to be had. Look forward to it streaming on Netflix hopefully within the next year. And when it comes out, be sure to take notes, Ms. Emily Cooper! You have a lot to learn from Queen Kitty Song Covey.