Y'all, I find the reception of XO, Kitty so dissapointing.
TL; DR: The underlying homophobia/biphobia/lesbophobia/misoginy towards Yuri as potential and viable endgame which I don't think would have happened if she were yet another hot guy.
The straight-baiting marketing of this show was absolutely genius and I loved that Jenny Han, who writes the straightest central romances to ever romance (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Summer I Turned Pretty), actually initiated a series with such visibly queer storylines and then literally jumped into this sort-of-interracial, sapphic romance centered around a bi+ character. I could see Han trying to be more inclusive in her past on-screen works, but this was incredible.
No you don't understand. There was this point midway through the show where I thought I was in a fever dream and watching wishful fanmade content because I couldn't believe an IRL Netflix show could actually give us this. My mind was blown.
So you'll understand that I was fully bamboozled to see that social media is swamped with Min-ho fangirls pretending like Yuri doesn't even exist. I love Min-ho too, but am I the only one who also saw so many signs that point to a future Yuri x Kitty?
First, for the narrative satisfaction of their moms being best friends in the past!
... and to complete Kitty's coming of age! Kitty, growing up in the cisheteronormative Song-Covey household, made the oversight of initially operating under the assumption that she exclusively likes boys and that she has mastered the art of relationships. That's already been debunked partway by her breakup with her first boyfriend who was supposed to be endgame, and is only going to be sealed further if she ends up with a girl in a long-term relationship. (And no, of course she doesn't have to "end up" with a girl for her queer identity to be valid, but I think it just makes the most narrative sense to have that unfold in the story as her worldview alters.)
Here I present to you: my pet peeves in the XO, Kitty fandom
hyping up parallels between Peter x LJ and Minho x Kitty scenes claiming that this means Minho x Kitty may be endgame. They literally have to reach and dig for those because the most parallels are between Peter x LJ and Yuri x Kitty, right from the scene that they bumped into each other! Kitty has also shown zero romantic interest in Minho so far, as opposed to her very keen interest in Yuri.
People finally addressing the elephant in the room like "Ugh, Yuri is probably going to be endgame. 🙄 I want Minho instead!!" like it's such a disappointing or borderline gross outcome. Yuri is a much more intense enemies-to-lovers character than Minho. She is beautiful, kind, and fun with a little bit of bite, everything that Minho is plus Kitty is falling for her hard.
Being real here—If you think Yuri is a boring love interest or kind of a b*tch while Minho is simply a fun old enemies-to-lovers character, I am begging you to check your biases. You, a straight woman, may only see hostile fictional women as competitiion and hostile fictional men as ... well, kinda hot. However, Kitty is bi+ and she could see them both as viable romantic interests, equally. Yes, Yuri has done more malicious things than Minho, but then again she has had a harder time this academic year than Minho. You are obviously still allowed to like Minho better, as long as you're not dismissing the struggles of and flattening a strong female character. Misoginy and homophobia make an ugly combo, y'all. Trust me, you don't want any part in that.
(Additional unpopular opinion: I'm going to get crucified for this but I genuinely think Kitty is too boring for Minho in the same way that Dae was too boring for Kitty. He seems to be into her only from the Halo Effect. Minho is my child and I squeal whenever he's on screen and I hope to see him finding someone actually fun!)
Saying that Kitty’s crush on Yuri was just a token plot point with no real basis or depth. While there is some unrealistic family drama in the show, it's all still credible. Fiction is supposed to bring in imaginative elements and try to keep things grounded. Regardless, I'm never going to be the person who says that a wild and shocking bi- or gay-awakening is unrealistic. As a queer person, let me tell you that it is just as wild and confusinh for us IRL.
Besides, many cishet people actually do not care if (or is hateful when) the MC is bi, that I doubt how much it “helps” with marketing. (That's why queerbaiting exists, folks.) Also, have you seen Kitty in TATBILB? That's a bi preteen right there if I've ever seen one.
"Stop trying to invalidate other people's ships!" I will say this once: I don't care if you ship Kitty with Min-ho, or Dae, or anyone else that's not Yuri. I DON'T CARE! Frankly, good for you because straight ships have better luck out there anyway, ya know? I am simply begging you to not reduce a queer person's nuanced concerns about dismissal of sapphic fictional characters to petty fandom arguments. Read the room, guys. Please.
This is such a crucial show to many of us. I just want y'all to understand that this is just a little bigger than your celebrity crush on a hot guy whose character you're rooting for. We never, ever get contemporary slice-of-life romcom sapphic rep (and Netflix is notorious for cancelling sapphic shows, too). Please don't be dismissive of a perfectly good possible ending! We want to give Netflix every reason to renew this show, and give Han every reason to allow Kitty to flourish just the way she plans to! (This is me begging y'all to not influence the writers into swerving last-minute towards a sloppy Minho endgame, though I do trust her better than that.)
I hope that Netflix renews the show, even if it's through the excitement of straight people in denial LMAO. And then I hope it treats us with a glorious sapphic ending.*
*(Aaaand I can already imagine the cishet women in the audience complaining online about what a terrible person Kitty is for leading Min-ho on and then dumping him, and how she and Yuri are both awful and totally deserve each other. Music to my ears.)
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THE EVENTFUL NIGHT
min ho oneshot / maybe fanfic?
Authors note: THANK YOU GUYS SM FOR 100 LIKES AND 11 FOLLOWERS<33 you guys are amazing! As a gift, here is a min ho oneshot/ maybe fanfic? BTW NO HATE TO ANY SUNGHOONS! “ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN ENHYPEN HE IS MY BIAS.”
synopsis: On the night of Min ho’s party, you learn 2 things, what’s it’s like getting a boyfriend and being drunk.
pairing: Min ho x fem!reader aka “Ah-ri Park. / Aurora Park.” e2l. i2l
WARNING: mentions of alcohol and underaged drinking and being drunk, kissing/ making out, swearing, and suggestive? Please tell me if i’m missing anything.
Bold: Korean.
FIRST POV
THIS IS GREATLY INSPIRED BY writingmeraki’s hot & cold.
Back to masterlist.
YOUR DRESS:
TIME SKIP: MIN HO’S PARTY.
MIN HO’s POV
As I was this girl coming down the stairs, I followed her until she stoped.
“Can I get you a drink, pretty girl?” I said.
“ Um, no thanks.” She said as she turned around.
“AURORA?
Damn.. she looks good.
I mean i’ve had a small crush on her since Chuseok.
“What are you doing here sleeping beast?” I asked.
“I only came here cause Kitty promised me to give me 20 bucks.
Oh, I thought she actually wanted to see me.
AURORA (Y/N’s) POV
“Can I get you a drink, pretty lady?” A guy said.
I could tell that it was Min ho’s voice.
Gosh, I’ve had a crush on him every since I met him.
“Um, no thanks.” I said.
“What are you doing here sleeping beast?” Minho asked.
“I’m only here because Kitty promised me 20 bucks.”I said.
“Anyway, I have to go.”
“Kitty, Q! Hi.” I said.
“ Hey, nice fit. I bet Minho would go crazy for that dress.” Q said.
“Pshh, as if he likes me.” I said.
“‘He doesnt like me, I can tell.
“Yea, totally.” Kitty said.
At the bar, I made a toast “To end the era of being single and bitchless.”
“Oh guys, I have a little treat.” Florian said bringing out a flask full of whiskey.
“No way, give me some.” I said.
“Us too!” Q and Kitty said.
“You guys, I’m going to look the party.” I said.
“All right see you later Aurora.”
As I was walking, I saw Eunice coming up.
“Ah-ri, meet this guy! His name is Sunghoon.
“Hey, pretty nice to meet you.” He said.
“Nice to meet you too.” I said.
We started talking for a bit, then he said this.
“Compare you to Kitty and Yuri, you look way better.”
“What?” I said.
“You look way better than-.”
“You better not say that. Kitty’s smile could make my world light up, and Yuri’s nose is actually so perfect I HATE IT. And the fact that you’re saying that you would bring women down to bring others up, is actually so dumb.”
“Yea? Well I could bring you down bitch!” He said. “
Try me, My parents are one of the richest in Korea, and also one of the Richest in the world. Plus you have no idea the power I hold that could get you expelled, or worse ruin you and your family’s reputation. I mean your parents work for mine right?” I said.
“Uh, yea?”
“Exactly, so be scared, if you want.” I said giving him a creepy smile.
“Excuse me.” He said.
Victory, i thought.
As I walked up to Eunice, i told her, “Eunice, never bring guy to me every I again.” I
Guess I’m still gonna be bitchless :(.
I left to find Kitty, but then I saw it.
Min ho and Madison kissing.
I tried find Kitty but, couldn’t so I text her.
As soon Kitty found me, “Give me the flask, please.”
“Why?” Kitty asked.
“No reason,” I said.
“All right. I’ll be back in 15 minutes to check up on you, k?” Kitty said.
“All right.” I said. In the spam of 15 minutes I drank 15 cocktails.
“Aur- OH MY GOSH!” Kitty said.
“How many have she had?” Kitty asking the bartender.
“I have no idea, sorry ma’am.”
“Aurora, how many finger am I holding up?” Kitty asked.
“TWENTY FINGERS! AND A THRID EYE!”
“Oh gosh, the flask is empty, I needed to get Q and Florian stay here!” Kitty said.
“Whatever.” I said.
I sat there for a second, but I heard “Queencard”
I knew I had to get on the dance floor.
I started dancing, but I slipped, but a strong grip caught me.
MIN HO’s POV
I saw Aurora dancing, but she slipped. I ran to catch her.
“I didn’t know that sleeping beast would fall for me.” I said.
“Are you min ho’s twin brother, cause you guys look so similar, and the voices are the exact same.” She said as I smelled alcohol.
“How much did you even drink?” I asked.
“15.” She said .
“15 sips?” i asked.
“Nope! 15 Drinks!”
“Why did you even drink that much?” I said.
“Well your twin, Min ho was making out with this girl named Madison, and I liked him for a really long time. So i was kinda of mad, and you know the rest.” She said smiling.
“I was the reason she drank a lot?” I thought.
“I’m going to take you back to my dorm, k?” I said.
“Whatever you say.” Aurora says.
As I was walking, “Kitty!” I said.
“I’m going to bring Her to the dorms, you stay.”
“All right?” Kitty said.
AURORA (Y/N’s) POV
In the dorms, they guy gave me water, and he made it drink it.
My head started to clear.
“Min ho?” I asked. “What am I doing here?”
“You were drunk, so I brought you to my dorm.
“Oh.”
“Here, take this.” He said giving me pills.
“Also, do you have a crush on me?”
“What? Um, no?” I said.
Does he know I have a crush on him?
“So you wouldn’t mind if I do this, right?” He said.
“Wha?” I asked before he kissed me.
“Aurora, every since chuseok happened, I’ve had a crush on you.”
HE HAD A CRUSH ON ME?
“Min ho, every since I met you, I’ve had a crush on you.”
“So, will you take the honors and be my girlfriend?”
“Yes! And will you take the honors to be my boyfriend?”
“Yes. Can I kiss you?”
“Yes. I said smiling.”
One kiss after another, and we started to make out.
“Do you wanna go farther?” He asked.
“Not really, I kinda wanna sleep.”
“So sleeping it is.
He gave me a pj shirt, and I would just sleep in my dress shorts.
He was just in the matching pants to the pj shirts.
“Night Min ho.”
“Night Ah-ri”
TIMESKIP: THE NEXT DAY
“Good Morning sleeping Beauty.”
“Morning Min ho.”
“I’ll make you breakfast and coffee.” He said.
“All right.” I said as we got out of bed.
“FOURTY BUCKS Q!” Kitty said.
“Whatever.” Q said.
“You guys betted on us?” I asked.
“Yea, sooner or later you guys needed to get together.” Kitty said.
“Oh, I’m still waiting on my 20” I said.
“Here,” She said giving twenty bucks.
“Thanks,” I said smiling.
I guess after all, I wouldn’t be bitchless.
But, then I woke up from the dream I had yesterday after his party.
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TAGLIST: @chaewon-slays @cherrriesss
should I make a part 2?
Copyrights © 2023 xo-lesserafim. All rights reserved. I do not own XO, Kitty , Netflix does. do not copy, translate, or repost anything without my permission. Photo of the dress is not mine.
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