When the youngest Covey sister (Anna Cathcart) from the widely popular YA trilogy, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, travels halfway across the world to meet her boyfriend, we can only imagine how dreamy this guy could be. True, part of the reason for enrolling in KISS was to follow in her mother’s footsteps, but it was really the romantic gesture that made us swoon in XO, Kitty. However, to our utter disappointment, the chemistry between the two lovers was practically non-existent, particularly since Dae (Choi Min-young) barely qualified for having a personality. As such, it is a pleasant surprise when XO, Kitty Season 2 rectifies this egregious mistake and shockingly makes Dae and his storyline one of the most compelling in the season.

Dae’s Character Succeeds in ‘XO, Kitty’ Season 2

Our impression of Dae wasn’t favorable from the beginning of XO, Kitty, as he is roped into a fake relationship by Yuri (Gia Kim) and keeps putting off telling Kitty about it. Much of his personality revolves around pining over Kitty from afar while being cursed with minimal, bland dialogue that is interrupted by an out-of-the-blue paroxysm of jealousy. His passivity is partially contextualized by brief scenes with his family, indicating their financial struggles and Dae’s tenuous hold on a scholarship at KISS. Despite these brief moments of interest, Dae is generally a forgettable character in Season 1, especially compared to Kitty’s other potential romances, which is a feat in itself considering he is the primary love interest.

Being more of a blank slate than a character turns out to be Dae’s strength in Season 2, as the Netflix show expands on his intriguing family life and transforms it into a nuanced personality. The new Dae has an entirely novel trait of being able to sing, which he cheekily justifies hiding by claiming he could never serenade Kitty over the phone. With this talent and the upcoming show, Dae’s characterization slowly begins to shine as we now fully understand the burden on his shoulders. Between his scholarship and his father’s injuries, Dae is viscerally stressed, albeit determined, which is portrayed evocatively by Choi’s performance of becoming increasingly confident and self-assured.

It is clear that without the constraints of being truly head over heels for Kitty, Dae flourishes as a character. Even his fight with his best friend Min-ho (Sang Heon Lee) over hitting on his ex was delightfully more complex than we realize, as he reveals it is less to do with Kitty, but the financial and behavioral gap between the two friends. Dae cannot afford the same impulsive actions that Min-ho frequently revels in due to his precarious standing in school and even in life, making the friendship between them strained at times by Min-ho’s lack of empathy. Layers to Dae’s character are gradually peeled back in XO, Kitty Season 2, giving us a character we had never thought of investing in.

‘XO, Kitty’ Season 2 Makes Dae’s Storyline Compelling

XO, Kitty further redeems its Season 1 mistake of under-developing Dae by including him in an organic and heartfelt sub-plot that unwittingly becomes one of the best in the season. With the support of his friends, Dae enters the singing contest with personal motivations to help his family and, to some extent, do something for himself. Along the way, an unexpected romance blossoms between him and a fellow singer, Eunice (Ryu Han-bi), as they slowly find easy chemistry. What makes this relationship more effective than Dae’s with Kitty, is that both remain fairly independent as characters, keeping their distinct personalities that also complement one another. Hilariously, the romantic arc also feels like a nod to how the show neglected Dae in the previous season, as the idea of judging before knowing or there being more to a person than we initially thought reflects the new depth in Dae’s character.

The cherry on top of Dae’s re-invention is how effortlessly the show balances making Dae’s character his own but ensuring his storyline is still relevant to the central one. His singing, conviction, and strong friendships help him rattle and take down Esther (Audrey Huynh), even if it is Eunice who wins the competition. Moreover, his conflict with Min-ho may have uncovered new layers of his own personality but also contributed to the latter’s growth, inspiring him to actually confront his father in a meaningful way. XO, Kitty may have made a mistake in crafting the likability and credibility of the show’s foremost love interest, but it deftly turns this around and gives Dae a stage to thrive in the spotlight.

XO, Kitty is available to stream on Netflix.