As the cold breaks and spring hits, teen coming-of-age stories and hard-hitting action are grabbing attention — and Korean titles are conquering OTT charts, once again proving the country’s powerhouse content status.
On April 7, chart tracker FlixPatrol reported that No. 1 as of the previous day was season 3 of XO, Kitty, released on April 2. A spin-off of Netflix’s hit series To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, it follows Kitty (played by Anna Cathcart) navigating love and friendship at an international school in Seoul. Now in its third season, the series remains a fan favorite, with Korean actors Choi Min-young, Gia Kim, and Lee Sang-heon continuing their standout performances from seasons 1 and 2.
At No. 2 is Bloodhounds Season 2 (hereafter ‘Bloodhounds 2’). Dropped on April 3, the new season sees Gun-woo (Woo Do-hwan) and Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi) — who previously smashed a brutal illegal loan-sharking ring — take the fight to a global underground boxing league for another knockout round of justice. Viewers are raving, saying, “It’s even better than Season 1” and “It’s an action powerhouse.”
In films, HUMINT — which hit theaters on February 11 — took the top spot. Centered on four individuals who chase clues from an incident along the North Korea–Russia border to Vladivostok, the film drew buzz with a star lineup featuring Jo In-sung, Park Jung-min, Park Hae-joon, and Shin Se-kyung.
Despite dense storytelling, visceral hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, car chases, and globe-trotting locations, it amassed a cumulative 1.98 million moviegoers — short of its 4 million break-even point — leaving some disappointment. But on OTT, it’s getting a second wind with praise like “Every action scene hits hard,” “The character arcs are outstanding,” and “I regret missing it in theaters.”