13 Similar Shows To XO, Kitty Fans Will Love

Ever since I began watching XO, Kitty, I’ve started loving it even more each season. With 3 seasons now, I feel like there is a lot of great things about it. I ended up watching the recent episodes and reviewing for anyone interested.

When I first stumbled upon this Netflix series, after To All The Boys, I instantly fell in love with this quirky show about friendship, romance, and Korean culture. XO Kitty has been created by Jenny Han following the conclusion of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film trilogy. It’s the kind of series that’s incredibly easy to binge. We watch Kitty’s journey through her days at KISS, a school she attends in Seoul, away from America. There’s high and lows and everything in between.

If you love it just as much as I do, this blog post will give you a rundown of 13 shows you absolutely need to watch if you’re a fan of XO, Kitty.

Rundown of XO Kitty – What you need to know:

• Genre: Romance, Coming of Age
• Stars: Anna Cathcart, Sang Heon Lee, Choi Min-yeong, Anthony Keyvan, Gia Kim.
• Seasons: 3 so far
• Episodes: 26
• Runtime: 31 minutes per episode
• Creator: Jenny Han
• Release date: 2023
• Where to watch (UK): Netflix

What is XO Kitty about?

Kitty Song Covey is a teenager who travels miles from her hometown to attend an school in Seoul, Korea. She is a fierce and happy-go-lucky teen, who hopes to reconnect with her boyfriend, Dae and find out more about her late mother’s life.

At her new school, Kitty becomes friends with a group of people who give her comfort and support, including Yuri, Q, and Minho. But as she enters these new relationships, she discovers that the world around her is bigger and or challenging than she had ever imagined. It leads to new experiences and challenges as we witness her growth over the seasons.

Now, let’s take a look at some recs:

Never Have I Ever

• Genre: Comedy / Coming-of-age
• Stars: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Jaren Lewison
• Seasons: 4
• Episodes: 40
• Runtime: 20–30 minutes per episode
• Creators: Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher
• Release date: 2020
• Where to watch (UK): Netflix

I feel like it’s a must to include Never Have I Ever. The beloved Netflix series follows Devi Vishwakumar. She is a likeable but unstable teenager, grieving the loss of her father. Devi is a character who easily gets caught in complicated love triangles and friendship breakups. The show follows very similiar themes to XO Kitty, with love friendships, grief being at the centre of storylines. Never Have I Ever, first aired in 2020 and quickly became a fan favourite series.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-age
• Stars: Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Sean Kaufman
• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 26
• Runtime: 40–50 minutes per episode
• Creators: Jenny Han
• Release date: 2022
• Where to watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video

This is another show from creator Jenny Han. If you’re looking for a dreamy, teen-angst series that follows the childhood friends-to-lovers trope, you should check The Summer I Turned Pretty out. Set at a beach house in Cousins, The Summer I Turned Pretty follows Isabella “Belly” Conklin, who falls for two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher, whom she grew up around. In this series, you can expect stunning locations, emotional storyline, grief, strong friendships, summer parties, and teen romance.

My Life with the Walter Boys

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-age
• Stars: Nikki Rodriguez, Noah LaLonde, Ashby Gentry, Sarah Rafferty
• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 30
• Runtime: 40–50 minutes per episode
• Creators: Melanie Halsall
• Release date: 2023
• Where to watch (UK): Netflix

On this list is another teen romance, of course. My Life with the Walter Boys focuses on our main protagonist, Jackie Howard. She is a straight-A student who ends up living with a new family after the tragic passing of her parents. The show has all the drama and follows a love triangle between Jackie, Alex and Cole aswell as an LGBTQ+ storyline.

Love Alarm

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-age
• Stars: Kim So-hyun, Song Kang, Jung Ga-ram
• Seasons: 2
• Episodes: 14
• Runtime: 50–60 minutes per episode
• Creators: Lee Na-jeong, based on Love Alarm by Chon Kye-young
• Release date: 2019
• Where to watch: Netflix

Love Alarm is one of the cutest shows about a world where a mobile app can tell you if someone near by has a crush on you. The show largely revolves around romance and technology. It’s a huge Netflix hit and a genuinely enjoyable series.

Emily in Paris

• Genre: Comedy / Romance / Drama
• Stars: Lily Collins, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Lucas Bravo
• Seasons: 5
• Episodes 50
• Runtime: 30 minutes per episode
• Creators: Darren Star
• Release date: 2020
• Where to watch (UK): Netflix

Emily Cooper has moved all the way from Chicago to Paris, and is forced to adapt to her new surroundings and culture. Working at a French marketing agency, she learns all there is to know about life in Paris and the language. But not everything is as it seems. She also becomes entangled in a love interest, namely the hunk French chef Gabriel. However, their romance is far from smooth sailing.

Gilmore Girls

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-age
• Stars: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Kelly Bishop
• Seasons: 7
• Episodes: 153
• Runtime: 42–45 minutes per episode
• Creators: Amy Sherman-Palladino
• Release date: 2000
• Where to watch: Netflix

Gilmore Girls is a wholesome drama about growing up and the frienship between a mother and a daughter. A smart and driven student, Rory goes from a high schooler to a Yale University student, and along the way deals with family drama, first loves, while maintaining a strong relationship with her mum Lorelia. The show spans seven seasons and set in the picturesque town of Stars Hollow.

Ginny and Georgia

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Diesel La Torraca
• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 153
• Runtime: 42–45 minutes per episode
• Creators: Sarah Lampert
• Release date: 2021
• Where to Watch (UK): Netflix

Ginny and Georgia first aired in 2021 and follows the lives of the mother-and-daughter duo. A popular teen drama, the show includes LGBTQ+ representation and the topic of mental health and trauma.

Extraordinary You

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Fantasy / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Kim Hye-yoon, Ro Woon, Lee Jae-wook
• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 32
• Runtime: 30–35 minutes per episode
• Creators: Moo Ryoo / Studio Dragon
• Release date: 2019
• Where to Watch (UK): Viki

Extraordinary You is a heartwarming K-drama. It is about a high school girl who slowly realises she’s actually just a character inside a comic book, and not even the main one. She then decides she doesn’t want to just follow a written story anymore, and tries to change her fate and find her own love and identity outside what’s already been decided for her.

Sex Education

• Genre: Teen Drama / Comedy / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey
• Seasons: 4
• Episodes: 32
• Runtime: 45–50 minutes per episode
• Creators: Laurie Nunn
• Release date: 2019
• Where to Watch (UK): Netflix

Sex Education is about a socially awkward teen named Otis, whose mom is a sex therapist. This series is basically about him starting an underground sex therapy clinic at school. The show is funny and also has a few heartfelt moments. It explores sexuality and the insecurities most teens deal with. Sex Education has a diverse cast and strong LGBTQ+ representation, and feels like warm hug.

Love Victor

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Michael Cimino, Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood
• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 28
• Runtime: 20–25 minutes per episode
• Creators: Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger
• Release date: 2020
• Where to Watch (UK): Amazon Prime Video, Disney+

This is three seasons of pure perfection. I loved Love, Simon, so it was an easy choice to watch its spin-off, Love, Victor. It’s one of the few pop culture films and TV shows that deal with a teenager struggling to come out as gay, while also having the support of his friends.

Dash and Lily

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming‑of‑Age (holiday romantic comedy)
• Stars: Austin Abrams, Midori Francis, Dante Brown, Troy Iwata (main cast)
• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 8
• Runtime: 23–27 minutes per episode
• Creators: Joe Tracz (based on Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan)
• Release date: 2020
• Where to Watch (UK): Netflix

This is a cute little romance series set around Christmas. Dash & Lily is based on the novel series Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. It follows cynical Dash and optimistic Lily as she shares heartfelt messages in a red notebook around New York during the Christmas season.

Young Royals

• Genre: Teen Drama / Romance / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Edvin Ryding, Omar Rudberg, Frida Argento
• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 18
• Runtime: 30 minutes per episode
• Creators: Lisa Ambjörn, Lars Beckung
• Release date: 2021
• Where to Watch (UK): Netflix

This show debuted in 2021. Set in Spain, Young Royals takes place at the fictional elite boarding school Hillerska and centres on a strong queer love story. Wilhelm and Simon begin a secret relationship, knowing that if their romance got out, it could ruin everything. Despite this, they continue to gravitate towards each other.

On My Block

• Genre: Teen Drama / Comedy-Drama / Coming-of-Age
• Stars: Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco
• Seasons: 4
• Episodes: 38
• Runtime: 25–30 minutes per episode
• Creators: Lauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft
• Release date: 2018
• Where to Watch: Netflix

I absolutely love this show. It’s funny and very charismatic. On My Block follows four close-knit friends who live in a rough neighbourhood. Things like gangs and violence are their norm, but they try to protect each other as best as possible.