A cutesy Netflix show starring a bisexual teen who finds love at school? Not as rare as you’d think these days.
Heartstopper might be the first one that comes to mind — I dare you to revisit Nick’s coming out scene with dry eyes — but now that a new season is upon us, it’s time we also include XO Kitty in that conversation. Yet season one didn’t initially spark conversation in the same way that Heartstopper has, despite being well received and even adored by a smaller, yet no less fervent fanbase who fell in love with the show’s mix of romcom tropes and K-drama feels.
Part of that might have something to do with how season one was essentially the perfect example of what I lovingly refer to as The Gay Agenda™. Because what seemed overwhelmingly straight at first, much like the Lana Condor film trilogy that inspired it, turned out to be queer with a capital Q when Kitty (Anna Cathcart) suddenly developed feelings for a girl named Yuri while dating a boy named Dae. Cue bi panic, bi lust, and finally, bi acceptance.
This surprise was particularly welcome after the show had initially led us to believe that Kitty’s gay bestie, named Q, would be the only one providing us with some much-needed queer content. Imagine our surprise then when Kitty’s sexuality took a sapphic turn, complete with the requisite bi panic you’d expect from a teenager figuring out those feelings for the first time.
With that fluidity now established, season two of XO Kitty is much queerer out the gate, and much better for it as well. Just as Kitty has grown more comfortable with who she is and what she wants, so too has the show itself, introducing a love square of sorts early on between her, Min Ho, Yuri, and Juliana (Yuri’s girlfriend). Kitty is forced to move in with the latter pair early on, bringing the kind of drama that would potentially give Charlie or even Nick a heart attack over in Heartstopper. There’s only so much a sweet innocent twink can take, after all.
But Kitty is made of sterner stuff. In fact, you could say she even thrives on the “chaos” of it all. Yep, the youngest Covey sister is a prime example of The Chaotic Bisexual, or Disaster Bisexual as they’re otherwise known.
Read more:
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Bisexuals have long been labelled as selfish or greedy or confused, which is entirely unfair (unless you mean Patrick from Challengers). But bisexual characters are now hitting back by embracing these tired, boring tropes to give audiences permission to be chaotic disasters themselves. This new(ish) archetype has recently come to dominate bisexual representation on screen by revelling in the joy of being a hot mess, including Kitty who even describes herself as a “chaos queen” just minutes into the start of season two (as if all her constant meddling and drama hadn’t made that clear already).
One notable exception to the current wave of disaster bisexuals on screen is Heartstopper’s Nick, a reliable (and reliably stacked) shoulder to cry on for Charlie and everyone else at Truham Grammar School. If there is chaos lurking behind those big blue eyes or that burly chest, he’s hiding it well. And that’s ok. Heartstopper has always prided itself on including a hugely diverse range of queer identities in the show, and that’s also true of XO Kitty, even if the latter doesn’t get as much credit.
Between Q, who identifies as gay, Yuri, who identifies as a lesbian, and Q’s new love interest, Jin, who identifies as hot, there’s plenty of LGBTQ+ representation here before you even get to Kitty. And it’s not just surface level either. Queerness is integral to XO Kitty just as it’s integral to Kitty herself who’s never doubted her fluidity or given into stereotypes (unless she’s reclaiming them as her own).
On top of that, it’s also rare but heartening to see a number of different sexualities and experiences explored in a South Korean setting, specifically. It wasn’t so long ago that a high-profile BL (Boy Love) drama named Love in the Big City faced protests from people in the actual city of Seoul, and it doesn’t look like same-sex marriage is going to be recognised legally in Korea anytime soon.
With that in mind, it means a lot to see Yuri struggle with her parents’ acceptance, for example, or a young Korean man like Jin dance freely at a queer teen club in Itaewon (even if such a thing doesn’t actually exist in the real world yet).
Beyond the show’s cutesy, bubblegum lens, XO Kitty is empowering a huge number of young queer viewers, and non-white fans especially, who can see themselves reflected in everyone from Kitty and Julia, to Q, Praveena, and Juliana. Combined, there are more queer characters of colour here than almost any other show airing right now, including Heartstopper, and that deserves to be celebrated.
It’s important to note that this isn’t a competition though. I’m not pitting XO Kitty against Heartstopper because first off, that wouldn’t be right, and secondly, are you crazy? Have you seen how big Heartstopper’s fan base is?
Both shows tell their own stories which are equally valid and adorable in their own way. Make no mistake about that. But with season two of XO Kitty cementing the series as something truly special, it’s time you took a break from endlessly rewatching those Truham antics to give XO Kitty a chance finally if you haven’t already. It’s what The Gay Agenda™ would want.
XO Kitty season 2 is out now on Netflix.
