XO, Kitty
Warning : This article contains major spoilers for XO , Kitty season 2 .
WhileXO , Kittyhad been initially praise for its handling of queer storylines , the Kitty and Yuri plotline in season 2 has sparked significant debate due to its problematic factor . TheTo All The Boys I ’ve Loved Beforespin - off is currently curve on Netflix , prove it has a attached audience engrossed in theXO , Kitty ’s characters ’ single and varied romantic journeys . Kitty ’s slow and nuanced discovery of her bisexuality in season 1 , especially , contributed toXO , Kitty ’s irrefutable reviews , and was hinted to be a center focus of season 2 .
However , the recent executing of Yuri and Kitty ’s relationship raises critical question about delegacy , storytelling , and how to deliver intelligent and inclusive narrative . AfterXO , Kitty ’s time of year 2 ending , backlash has pointed out the show ’s prolongation of damaging lesbian and bisexual stereotype that risk neglecting the characters ’ sex and could echo tropes that have historically been used to invalidate lesbian women . For its wide popularity , and in hopes of a potentialXO , Kittyseason 3 , it becomes necessary that the show works on put through an approach to its sapphic plot line that is more informed and less reliant on problematic tropes .
8Stella Outs Kitty To Her Group Of Friends And Yuri
No One Acknowledges How Traumatic That Could Be For Kitty
Aiding toXO , Kitty ’s season 2 stream success , one of the most dramatic episodes has Stella expose Kitty ’s love missive to Yuri . As tension were already high between Kitty , Yuri , and Juliana , the letter successfully takes the dispute to its high point , resulting in a romantic and friendship detachment . Though the moment rightly acknowledges Juliana ’s heartbreak and Praveena ’s rage at finding out Kitty and Yuri kissed , XO , Kittyfails to recognize the gravity of Kitty ’s experience . Not only are her feelings divulged to Yuri without her consent , butStella ’s letter out Kitty to mass she had n’t told about her sex .
Even if it stool sense that she would be hesitant to continue her bisexual journey after a bad experience , this is n’t addressed ( … )
What ’s most shocking is that the event is quickly brushed by by everyone , including Kitty . In reality , being outed is a very traumatic affair for queer youth to experience , especially for someone who is just let on their sexuality . Considering the number of queer characters that are part of the friend group , it makes no sentiency that none of them cared or advocated for Kitty ’s feelings . Especially , the fact that Yuri did n’t check on Kitty even after live her own come up - out struggles is terrible treatment of her type and their friendship .
Custom Image by Cece Montemayor
7Kitty/Yuri/Min Ho Is Falsely Marketed As A Love Triangle
Other Netflix Shows Have Been Accused Of Queer Baiting Before
Much ofXO , Kitty ’s allure responds to its romantic entanglement , with the show even calling it a making love hexagon . On the one handwriting , the making love triangles make the script feel like an unquestionable teen story , acknowledging that amorous feelings can change a lot as people discover who they are . However , the wayKitty and Yuri ’s potential Latinian language was quickly thwarted and extinguished , while the show favored the conjugation between a girl and a boy , all but canceled the unequalled passion Triangulum thatXO , Kittyhad been push in its social medium efforts .
Plenty of TV shows sadly repeatthe error of using the love life triangle trope to include LGBTQIA+ representation without actually have time to explore queer themes . usher likeEmily in Paris , Riverdale , andWednesdayare recent examples . Though Kitty and Yuri ’s kinship goes further than most lesbian ships , its growth feel like a artificial “ queer baiting ” practice , echoingNetflix ’s sapphic representation problem . Instead of Kitty being torn between Min Ho and Yuri ’s unlike quality and what they bring out in her , XO , Kittyeliminates Yuri before she gets a chance .
6Stella’s Letter Ends XO, Kitty’s 3 Sapphic Pairings
XO, Kitty Abandons Its Sapphic Ships Too Soon
Even ifXO , Kittyseason 2 insert three potential lesbian pairings , none of these survive half the time of year . This raisesconcerns regardingXO , Kitty ’s committal to the lesbian and bisexual storylinesit proposes . While the strongest lesbian ship is Yuri and Kitty , as this had been set up since season 1 by using parallel of latitude toTo All The Boys I ’ve love Before , others emerged as fans come to have intercourse fresh recur character . With Kitty want to research her sexuality comes her ship with Praveena , and then , of course of action , the possibility that Yuri and Juliana ’s kinship might be endgame .
With a shorter second season , XO , Kitty fans will doubtless be eager for more rom - coms , and these are the staring idiot box shows and motion-picture show to determine next .
If fan get hold themselves rooting for any of these likely couples , Stella ’s letter worked to cancel all three , leaving in its place a half-hearted lesbian internal representation that remained trivial . XO , Kittyabandoning all its sapphic couples reaffirms the critique that the show appears to bait queen audienceswith relatable depicted object but does n’t take guardianship to develop its storylineswith nuance , regard , and mention of their grandness . The one remain mating now is Juliana and Praveena , but that was n’t even developed on - silver screen — leaving only scum bag sustaining the show ’s lesbian ships .
Custom Image by Dani Kessel Odom
5Kitty’s Bisexuality Disappears After Her Fall Out With Yuri
By Withholding Kitty’s Internal Process, XO, Kitty Makes It Seem Like Bisexuality Is A Phase
XO , Kitty ’s season 2 trailerhinted at a major focal point on Kitty exploring her gender — with her even wanting to engagement girls other than Yuri — but this is quickly forget after instalment 4 . While time of year 1 starts to inaugurate Kitty ’s confusion and explore her home struggle to figure out how to name herself , season 2 chooses to focalize only on external exploration , perhaps to the quality ’s detriment . In the first episodes , Kitty is certain about want to go out with Praveena and have her first young woman kiss , however , this does n’t last long enough to sense fully form .
While the narration builds up to Yuri and Kitty ’s kiss through their romantic tension in both season , the event is overshadowed by its negative connotation .
After hurting Juliana and Praveena , and being ghost by Yuri , who invalidates their osculation , Kitty loses all interest in continue to have sapphic experience . Even if it makes good sense that she would be hesitating to continue her bisexual journey after a bad experience , this is n’t addressed , with the audience never find out how Kitty feels regarding pursuing women in the future , or even after being outed . This deficiency of exploration of Kitty ’s internal process in sail her androgyny , and the quick moving on to other matters , risksadding to the misconception that homosexuality is “ a phase . ”
4Juliana And Yuri’s Relationship Becomes Yuri’s Entire Personality
Yuri Becomes Defined By Her Sexuality And Loses What Made Her Complex
In season 1 , Yuri ’s relationships with her mother , Dae , Juliana , and Kitty are developed with nuance , fleshing out her characteras not entirely define by her sexuality . Even if her master objective is to get Juliana back , Yuri mint with sept detrition ; being in the public eye ; manipulating and then establishing a friendship with Dae ; and discovering her mother ’s preceding secret with Kitty . All of this summate layer of complexity to her character which aid establish her as a person to relate to whether one apportion her sexuality or not .
In an idealistic scenario , Yuri being a good booster would n’t hurt Min Ho and Kitty ’s doomed romance .
The show spend many episodes build up Yuri ’s folk conflict , set up her , Jina , and Alex to explore their connections despite Yuri ’s father ’s refusal . However , in season 2 , Yuri ’s other relationships or interests are belittle or break , focusing only on how thing relate to her sexuality . While they were adopt to be necessary to explain many ofXO , Kitty ’s unrequited mysteries , Yuri ’s female parent and father are not shown , and , like her half - pal , are only brought up when get in touch to Yuri ’s family relationship with Juliana . This , rather than aid the show ’s lesbian representation , echoes the idea that being funny defines a individual completely .
3Yuri Is Sidelined After Being Vilified
The Terrible Lesbian Is Used To Advance Min Ho And Kitty As The Better Couple
While the show had place Yuri to play a part in help Kitty find out more about her female parent ’s story , season 2 sidelines her after making her out to be a terrible friend and girlfriend . Her human relationship with Kitty becomes that of an impossible crush , and not actually a friend to lean on , as Juliana constantly fuck off between them , and then Yuri shockingly ghosts Kitty . Though Yuri had previously demonstrated she could be insensitive to other people — like how she manipulates Dae into a fake family relationship — it ’s strong to consider she would give up Kitty after everything they experienced together .
Although XO , Kitty includes multiple ship , the strongest pairings are Kitty & Fukien Ho and Yuri & Kitty , with each throw reasons to be endgame .
Yuri ’s closer connections to Kitty ’s mom through Jina make her the right person to help theXO , Kitty ’s Song Covey folk feud . or else , Yuri ’s terrible mistakes gain ground Min Ho as the best romantic hypothesis , and he take on the part she fails to fulfill . Tragically , the serial use its sapphic fiber to further the sexual union between a cleaning lady and a man . This custom is n’t new — and plagues harmful narrative explore queer storylines in a bad visible radiation before present a positive heterosexual dynamic . In an idealistic scenario , Yuri being a near booster would n’t hurt Min Ho and Kitty ’s fated romance .
2Kitty And Yuri Cheat On Juliana
Kitty And Yuri’s Kiss Is Framed Negatively, Hurting Its Characters’ Sexuality
While the narrative builds up to Yuri and Kitty ’s kiss through their romantic tension in both time of year , the outcome is eclipse by its negative intension . Though the long - awaited conniption works as aKitty and Yuri tease forXO , Kitty ’s time of year 3 , the Romance language finish up being inconsequent after the damage it provoke . Yuri cheats on Juliana and seems to repent it profoundly , so shedisregards any other meaning the kiss could havefor her or Kitty . For her part , Kitty , too , is bad because of how much it hurts Juliana , Yuri , and herself .
This is a problematic attack to their first osculation because it frames the main sapphic ship as untimely , being that it ’s actively hurt everyone affect — inadvertently suggesting it has mentally ill understructure and should n’t continue . Most frightfully , it repeats the stereotype that epicene people are cheatersbecause they ca n’t pick out one single gender to like . Or even sorry , that their curiosity or urge to experiment makes them insensitive to queer people ’ feelings . Even if it is Yuri who initiate the kiss , Kitty survive along with it — accordingly , she strike the narrative rap for it .
1Yuri Provokes Her Sad Ending
XO, Kitty Emulates The Storytelling Tradition To Punish Queer Characters
In time of year 2 , there is no otherXO , Kittycharacter who take a shit as many misapprehension as Yuri , and she is penalise for it . Yuri cheat on her girl and behaves awfully towards Kitty . consequently , her chance at dearest are ruined , and she is to blame for it . Though at first glance this seems to be a typical “ a character has to own up to their mistakes ” moment , it has large connotation in the story of LGBTQIA+ representation . Not only is it unknown thatthe exclusive main sapphic role has a tragic ending , but it is , lamentably , a storytelling tradition .
The XO , Kitty time of year 2 conclusion ’s kinsperson reunion sets up Kitty ’s return to osculate , as showrunner Jessica O’Toole teases new possibleness for season 3 .
refer to as the “ Bury Your Gays ” figure , blaming and penalize queer characters for their misfortune has origins in the first stages of histrionics efforts . The design was clear , queer people get sad endings , so ward off being one . Though perhaps this isn’tXO , Kitty ’s intention , Yuri being a severe girlfriend and invalidating her intuitive feeling undeniably teaches Kitty that she ’s better off not go out women . If there is anXO , Kittyseason 3 , the show should prioritise a well - informed approaching over problematic narration stereotype and must comfortably treat the lesbian and bisexual experience it want to represent .
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