After a while, fellow Filipino and charmer Tonyo (Marquez) makes a sudden appearance and befriends the visually impaired Lea in the best possible ways; eventually, they fall for one another.
[12] Lea is a Filipina tour guide living in Sapporo, Japan who is engaged to Nobu, a young Japanese man.
Sometime later, Tonyo, Lea's next-door neighbor who is also a Filipino introduces himself to her and makes an effort to cook for her and cheer her up despite being rebuffed several times.
He was the one who sent her a note to meet up at a beer house after discovering her fiancé's infidelity and carried her home after she collapsed the night she lost her sight.
Blanco forwarded a script to director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, who then decided to give focus to only two characters that would be later portrayed by Empoy Marquez and Alessandra de Rossi.
[1] Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo described Marquez as "a discovery" for his portrayal as Tonyo remarking that the actor is not only good in doing comedies but also "has a heart for acting".
[1] The characters of de Rossi and Marquez was characterized by Bernardo as two lonely Filipinos in Japan who were brought together due to their shared isolation.
Scenes were also shot in the Shikisai Hill flower park of Biei town in Kamikawa Subprefecture and on Mount Asahi in Higashikawa.
[22] In March 2017, a promotional teaser video showing a scene between the characters of Empoy Marquez and Alessandra de Rossi having a romantic conversation while eating ramen was released.
It was one of the three Philippine films competed for the honors aforementioned alongside Jerrold Tarog's Bliss and Borgy Torre's Tisay.
[22] The film premiered in the Philippines on July 19, 2017 and had a special screening attended by Filipino celebrities and filmmakers four days prior.
[18] Director Bernardo expected that the film will be pulled out from theaters the day after its premiere and the producers only hoped for the gross receipt would break even with the ₱10 million budget.
[30] Oggs Cruz of Rappler praised the film's lovable characters and the plot which did not rely heavily in romantic-comedy tropes; he said: "Kita Kita pursued its novelty of molding captivating characters out of unexpected leads while creating around them a droll and exotic world where both hard heartaches and fast hope collide.
"[31] Wanggo Gallaga of Interaksyon offered similar commentary on the plot and characters, arguing that it is "a charming film that gives us a fresh look into the rom-com genre.
[32] Ro Manalo of Cosmopolitan Philippines gave praise to its visuals and cinematography, and found the plot and characters endearing.
If Tonyo had really just happened to live across the street, approached Lea with no ulterior motives, and fallen in love with her, then it could have made for a beautiful film.
One of the site's registered users reportedly posted it on August 4, garnering almost 2,000 views and was subsequently shared 70 times at 3:40 p.m.; it got taken down the following day at exactly 5 a.m.. Production outfits Spring Films and Viva Films denounced the leak in a joint warning, while co-producer Piolo Pascual and director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo through Instagram and Facebook.
[37] KZ Tandingan recorded a version of "Two Less Lonely People in the World", originally by Australian soft rock duo Air Supply from their 1982 album Now And Forever, which served as the theme song of the film.