South Korean viewers point out unrealistic portrayal of their country in XO, Kitty
SEOUL – American romantic comedy XO, Kitty, which is set in Seoul, has been well received in South Korea since its release last week. But the Netflix series has also been called out for its scenes depicting food, fashion and kissing.
South Korean viewers have taken to social media to point out unrealistic portrayals of life in their country in the show, which is a spin-off from Netflix’s popular movie trilogy, To All The Girls (2018, 2020 and 2021).
The 10-episode series follows Kitty Song Covey (played by Anna Cathcart), an American teenager whose late mother is from South Korea, as she moves to Seoul to look for true love.
Among the scenes in the teen drama that would not have happened in real life were the many depictions of kissing in the school library, which would have brought the wrath of the librarians upon the culprits.
Other inaccuracies in the show include the protagonist placing a cupcake on her lunch tray, which some viewers said was unlikely to be served at a school lunch. To make matters worse, she placed the cupcake in the space where a bowl of soup was supposed to be.
The scant amount of bulgogi on a huge mound of rice on her tray also tickled some viewers.
The fashion in the show, which included some flamboyant outfits, was also called out as unbelievable and did not represent how South Koreans would dress.
A plot contrivance, in which Song Covey is assigned to the dormitory for boys because “Song” is said to be a male name in the show, was also pointed out as inaccurate as it was the family name.
However, some viewers have excused the show’s blunders, saying that the series was merely escapism and there were other areas in which the producers had made an effort to be accurate in portraying the lives of South Korean teens.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now