Pit Babe (2023)

It was something new, even if it got a bit messy

I had quite high expectations for the series. The trailer looked interesting, even with all the red flags it threw at us. The plot was good, it made sense to some extent, but there were still some plot holes left and many, many stupid decisions. Not that anyone expected anything else. It did get a bit messy at times, especially with so many characters that each had their own plot.

Now, for the omegaverse aspect of the series. I, as most other fanfic readers out there, have at least a little bit of an idea what omegaverse is and how it works. It’s not usually my cup of tea, I’ll admit that, but it’s something I can deal with when it’s not too in your face. I didn’t mind it too much in the series, I even missed some elements of it. So, while certain things were hinted at, I wish they were clearer, especially the whole enigma-alpha relationships.

Charlie & Babe: I am not a fan of how the two started, and I only got less impressed as the series progressed and more things were revealed. Both of them are big red flags, but somehow, they made it work. They both have past trauma and find it hard to easily trust people. But while Charlie tends to make plans and then act on them, Babe tends to rush into things with not much thinking. He’s very hotheaded. Communication? We don’t know her. The two were very quick to forgive each other and forget about everything that had happened, which is both good and bad. Bad, because a lot of very problematic things were just swept under the rug. Good, because the story would drag on too much otherwise. I liked the chemistry between Pavel and Pooh, and I really liked how Pavel handled the more emotional scenes.

I feel like this is a good space to mention Way. He made me go through so many different emotions. His story is one of the major plot holes and unsolved situations of the series. I feel like his story did not get a proper closure, but it was the lazy way out. Nut was great in portraying Way’s emotions, especially love and jealousy.

Alan & Jeff: They were such cuties! Even if there were a lot of lies and secrets between the two at some point, they talked about it. Jeff is a loner and very reserved, which is very understandable with his upbringing. And Alan is just full of love that he is always trying to share with his boys. In a way, he collected a group of lost boys and gave them love and a chance to thrive under his guidance. It’s no surprise started to melt around Alan at some point. I found their height difference adorable. I also liked the chemistry between Sailub and Pon.

There are a lot of other possible and hinted at ships throughout the series. But if there is one that I am fully on, it’s the North and Sonic ship. The two were a breath of fresh air. There was the least drama surrounding them. I loved their little bickering moments, vlogs, and them trying to be helpful but not really managing to do that.

As for the other characters, Tony is horrible. Kenta is… hurting. He doesn’t know how to quit being Tony’s right hand, no matter how much he hurts him, humiliates him. Pete was a surprise; I wasn’t really sure what to expect from him. Similarly with Kim, and even Dean. Winner is not worth the trouble of talking about him. But all the actors played their characters well, even if some of the villains felt a bit cartoonish.

All in all, it was a good watch, but I think it needed something more to be amazing.

Read More

OVERHYPED?

I subscribe IQIYI for this bro cause of the uncut version is steamy ( that's what people been saying ) and I admit, that is indeed true. Steamy and keep making me ask myself if this is allowed? LOL. Okay first, you know the series is meh when the series ended, you just be like "Eh. Okay.". The plot itself have potential to grow but I wish they explain in much detailed version of Alpha x Enigma and the fact that some of the Alpha and Enigma have powers. I feel so lost when suddenly Babe have sense/power, I was like "Eh? Is this fantasy genre?". The explanation is lacking however the conflict is really well execute. No delayed part except sometimes there is unnecessary love scene which got me questioning "You did this for what?".

Okay. The acting. I'm sorry but Pooh need to improve his gaze and the way he is talking to his co-star. It felt weak. It felt like he is still stiff and not ready. But I dont know why when it comes to sex scene, his gaze changed and almost makes my heart skips a beat. LMAO. Charlie's character seems to lack of passion, lack of love and he doesn't even care about maintaining relationship with Way nor other X Hunter's members. I feel like he could care less about them as long as he can be with Babe. Pavel, on the other hand, MISS GURL- I LOVE HIM! I mean how can I not remember he were in 2MOONS 2. Like um WHERE??? Anyway, Pavel's acting is alright but Babe's character is 80% RED FLAG. Like THERE IS NO WAY that he doesn't know Way likes him. Like please-. COME ON. And I think that Babe knows about Way's feelings but he chose to ignore it because back then he was young and all he wants to do is to fight Tony. But still, RED FLAG!

NUT. NUT. NUT. He is my new husband now. HAHAHAHAH I mean- I did watch his first series as main role - TSIMR and I love his acting but it's been a while so I WAS LIKE "YO! WHY IS NUT HERE???". HAHAHAHA but to be honest, I like Way's character and I wish the screenwriter could have include like emotional lines as Way's final lines like, "I am sorry, babe. That day where we back to become friends, will never happen." or "You love him because he would die for you but I love you because I died for you.". YOU KNORRRR???? Such a waste. Way is the only BL character that makes me cry. IM NOT EVEN KIDDING.

Anyway, plot could be better, good cast but lack of good lines.

Read More

Not at all what I thought it would be..

.. which actually turned out to be a good thing. There was a lot of hype around this series being geared toward a more mature audience and having adult themes, not just in the NC sense. There was a lot of talk about it incorporating aspects of Omegaverse so I was interested to see what they did with that... whether it was going to be a major plot point or just a passing mention like "Oh, by the way, I'm an Alpha, just so you know."

What I thought it would be, based on the trailer:
-sports drama based on racing
-"playboy denying he's falling for a guy" type of romance
-rivalry between racers as main source of conflict
-father trying to cash in on son's success

While the first few episodes make it seem like it is setting up for some of the above.... Spoiler alert.. it's actually about none of the above and only mildly focused on the racing aspect. The story we actually got was much more involved and, quite honestly, more interesting to me, personally, than if it were simply about car racing. The "omegaverse" aspect was actually the main focus of the overall plot although it's not quite the omegaverse that is commonly portrayed in novels/webcomics/etc which typically includes the secondary sexes, mPreg, going into heat, amongst other things. In this series, they do have Alphas and Enigmas where both can have supernatural abilities and strengths. Scenting plays a small part as well though that is more because of the fact Babe's specific special ability is heightened senses, which obviously include his sense of smell.

But in this series, the big focus is on the Alphas being rare "super human" beings that all have different abilities which manifest as they get older. It was very X-Men to me, quite honestly, as every Alpha had different "powers" and I found myself keeping them straight by comparing them to their X-Men counterpart.

The overall plot was very involved and nerve-wracking while at face value it just looks like the good guys are going after a super villain and his cronies. However, as agendas are revealed and the entirety of the situation unfolds, it actually turned out to be some of the most interesting story writing I've seen in a BL to date. It's very rare this happens, but I would dare say that the story was what kept me more invested rather than the acting. A lot of times, an actor's performance will save a series for me and keep me from either dropping it or giving it a bad review because of bad or uninteresting plot. But here, it was the opposite.

I wouldn't say the acting was "bad" per say, but there were definitely some better than others, which became evident when they all had scenes together. Pavel was really good, especially when it came to the emotional scenes in the later episodes. He wasn't afraid to "ugly cry" which made it that much more believable. Pooh wasn't bad but he certainly wasn't outstanding. I feel like he either got better over time or he just grew on me throughout the course of the show. (most likely the latter since these things don't typically shoot in chronological order.)

Nut's performance was very good and, honestly, I think he pulled off the complexity of his character very well. We don't find out much about him as an individual until about halfway through but there's always this underlying question of "what is his deal?" from the very beginning because something just seems "off." Nut portrayed this extremely well with little nuances sprinkled throughout and it's almost like a "blink and you miss it" kind of thing.

There's actually quite a bit of that going on throughout the series with multiple characters and I found the guessing game to be very captivating. I think the only characters I never questioned their motives or true feelings were Babe, Mr. Tony and Alan. They were pretty much "what you see is what you get" all the way through.

This was also one of the few times I've seen a series where everything is explained, tied together and resolved by the end. There's nothing introduced for the drama aspect only to be forgotten about or given a half-assed resolution. Everything that happens is important and it all gets wrapped up by the finale. It was a breath of fresh air not leaving the series with questions or feeling like something is missing. All of it is very satisfying in that regard.

That being said, I can see this not being for everyone as it is very heartbreaking and frustrating every time the "heroes" are thwarted and they have to start over. People looking for a more mature love story may also find it somewhat lacking as the romance part takes a back seat to everything else going on. It's certainly NOT a light a fluffy watch. But I assure you, it truly is engaging and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next pretty much from start to finish. I definitely liked it a lot more than I thought I might and I would gladly watch it again in the future.

Read More

Not Exactly An Entertaining Watch

Adapted from the web novel “Pit Babe” (พิษเบ๊บ) by _alittlebitch (also known as alittlebixth), Peter Nopachai’s rustic adaptation ended on a high note. Based on the fictional ABO/Omegaverse universe, the show’s ratings skyrocketed because of the natural chemistry between the various pairings littered across this universe. While the storytelling was indeed faulty in some places, the stellar casting made up for the odd pacing. This was one of those shows that leaves you with mixed feelings; I won’t say that I was exactly enamored with the series. Nevertheless, it was flavorful in its own ways. There are reasons to watch this show; let me list them first before we journey into the disaster zone!

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/14/pit-babe-series-review-ep-3-to-13/

Read More

Pit Babe wins 1st Place in my heart

Pit Babe's pilot episode is one of my favorite episodes of the series, it has the magic to pull you in before you even realize it. The story is fresh and sprinkled with omegaverse elements. Pavel shines on the screen, fully embodying Pit Babe, almost like he was born for this role. Pooh follows in stride and eats up the golden retriever boyfriend vibe 100%. The entire cast is full of talent and I enjoyed seeing them all onscreen together.

This series, while far from being perfect, still had me clinging to every episode desperately. And there will be a void felt for some time now that it's done airing.

Positives:
- Complex storyline that felt new and refreshing
- Solid acting, especially from Pavel
- Amazing cast through and through (hard to not love them honestly)

Negatives:
- Omegaverse or not omegaverse? I really think they should've leaned harder into these elements or they should've removed them altogether. For the casual BL watcher, who maybe doesn't read fanfic, these dynamics are confusing and create a lot of distracting points if aren't already brushed up on what omegaverse is.
- Too many characters / storylines - too little time to make them all worth it
- I love Pooh, but there were times he did pale in comparison to Pavel. Some of this is intentional, and some of this stems from lack of experience. They needed to give him some emotional depth, but it was missing and he felt one dimensional at times.

Overall:
Pit Babe captivates from the starting line, has a few bumps in the road, but finishes solidly. Will be adding to my rewatch list and to my favorites overall. Would love a s2, special episode, or movie.

Read More

A Disappointment Despite Good Ideas

I just finished Pit Babe, and frankly, watching it was quite a chore. The concept (alpha, enigma, child trafficking, charismatic villain) was promising, but the execution was confusing and messy.

The acting was inconsistent, creating a jarring disparity. The product placements were often poorly done and totally broke the immersion.

But the worst part is Babe: easily one of the worst BL characters, selfish and rude. The dynamic with Charlie is toxic, with Charlie constantly letting himself be walked all over. It's frustrating and makes the relationship uncomfortable.

I absolutely do not recommend it.

Read More

Does it live up to the hype?

Pit Babe, like KP, is one of the most anticipated and hyped series because of its unique premise and storyline. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first BL which has an omegaverse (without the Omega) kind of theme. We have Alphas and Enigmas and they have supernatural abilities.

The casting is great, definitely a treat to the eyes. Their acting? A little meh. Needs more improvement. But i understand, it's their debut after all. Well, except for Pavel. He's a good actor.

The music is meh. It didn't leave a mark on me. Didn't even notice it.

The stunts? Meh. It felt sloppy and I could see they're punching the air. Sloppy works. The standard when it comes to action scenes is KP. On episode 12, when Charlie rescued Babe, the action scenes are... bad. I couldn’t feel Charlie's grit and intensity with those punches.

The ep 13, I don't know if it's just me but it didn't feel like a finale. I didn't feel any excitement. It felt bland. It felt rush in a way.

Note: The series stayed true to the source text/material. Maybe 85 to 90% is the same in the novel.

Rewatch value: for me, though, its definitely rewatchable because it's relatively on the light and fluffy side.

Read More

Three words: Fresh, Cool, and Therapy

This series offers a fresh plotline that takes place on race tracks, with elements of the Omegaverse. Fast-paced and thrilling, I was hooked from the first episode. Babe and Charlie's chemistry instantly clicked for me in their first scenes. They suited each other, and I find their personality dynamics cute. Babe's confident and alluring nature complements Charlie's calm and collected nature. Charlie played a pivotal role in changing Babe's cocky personality and turning him into a better person. Whenever he's with Charlie, Babe becomes giggly and smiles more. Charlie calms his aggressiveness and provides reassurance for his massive trust issues. Although Charlie deceived Babe a couple of times, it was for a reasonable cause unlike Way's plan. I don't agree with the BabeWay ship since Way emotionally manipulated Babe and made him feel miserable. Way's intentions to rape Babe and have a baby with him were beyond disturbing, and I appreciate that Charlie intervened. The attempt to redeem Way's character failed miserably and led to his unnecessary death.

It was smooth sailing at first, and then I was jumpscared by the "child trafficking plot" in the middle. The topic of child trafficking is heavy, and unfortunately, they did not handle it with the necessary sensitivity. The pacing of the series started off strong but became inconsistent. Some episodes were slow, and at times it felt like there was too much going on in one episode, making it feel cramped. Charlie's decision to fake his death did not have any impact on Tony's evil plan. It was unnecessary and only brought emotional stress to both Babe and myself. I found myself crying along with Babe when I thought Charlie was dead, even though I already knew about the spoiler. Additionally, I expected Charlie to play a more significant role as a mastermind behind Tony's downfall, but it turns out he wasn't.

Additionally, the collective effort of the characters ganging up against Tony seemed overly dramatic and excessive to me. Tony and his evil plans received more spotlight than necessary. Bringing down Tony's downfall shouldn't have been as hard and complicated as portrayed; instead, they chose to drag it until the end. The fight scene between them and Tony made me frustrated, as I found myself urging them to pull the damn trigger already. Even Way's death felt unnecessary, considering the number of people against Tony. It was a whole group against one person, and yet they gave Tony too much power while leaving little to none for themselves. However, I do think Kenta stabbing Tony to death was more satisfying and reasonable, given how Tony treated Kenta like a dog and never acknowledged him as his son.

The ending of the series left me dissatisfied. There were numerous plot holes that remained unexplained, leaving me with a lack of understanding. I had questions regarding what happened to Kenta and all the children at the foundation. Did the serum actually work, and how did Babe's father create it?

The chemistry between couples is subjective. While I felt an instant connection and chemistry between Babe and Charlie, the same cannot be said for Alan and Jeff. I have mixed feelings about them as a pairing; it seems a little forced at times. Their reconciliation scene in Episode 6 gave me second-hand embarrassment. Occasionally, I feel their chemistry, but other times I don't due to the age gap and overall performance. Their romantic timing also falls flat at times.

On the other hand, North and Sonic were adorable and brought life to the series with their comedic scenes and banter. I thought they would become an official couple, but sadly, that chemistry was wasted. Nevertheless, in my mind, they got together. As for the PeteWay and PeteKenta pairing, I prefer either of the two because Pete had chemistry with both characters.

When it comes to acting, I noticed Pavel's inconsistency. Sometimes he's good, but other times he comes off too strong. However, I did appreciate his acting in scenes where Charlie was presumed dead and in the scene where he was a victim of Way's attempted rape. The hoarse voice and trembling added depth to his performance. On the other hand, Pooh didn't leave much of an impact on me. He lacks the use of facial expressions, and sometimes his voice comes off as monotone despite the intensity of the scene. Most of the time, his acting is overshadowed by Pavel's. However, I must say that Pooh does a pretty good job with his facial expressions during intimate scenes. I loved how his eyes would darken, dropping all his facial expressions and turning into a smirk. That was particularly captivating. Honestly, most of the cast could benefit from additional acting workshops. I'm not saying they're not great, but they have the potential to improve further. The action scenes were not executed well and appeared choreographed. Among them, Nut's acting is what stood out for me. Even when the camera wasn't focused on him, I could notice his facial expressions. His eyes are especially expressive. The scene where he cried in the car while reminiscing his sweet moments and memories with Babe melted my heart. He is a pretty crier and excels at using his whole face, especially for subtle micro-expressions.

As someone who doesn't have much knowledge about racing, I'm glad that the series emphasizes and utilizes it, making it more interesting for me. I appreciate the non-stereotypical portrayal of the couples, as none of them were excessively feminized, particularly the bottoms, which is a common trope in BL Dramas. Instead, all of them exuded a strong aura, or dare I say, an alpha presence, given that most of them are.

The series also had its fair share of cringy scenes and lines that could either make you cringe or laugh. Nonetheless, I mentioned therapy because most of Tony's sons in the series are in need of therapy due to the emotional and physical trauma they endured from him. It also has a lot of good plot twists, but unfortunately, I got spoiled on most of them. It encompasses various genres, including romance, mystery, action, drama, thriller, and comedy. This wide range of genres can either overwhelm and confuse others or provide them with a thrilling emotional rollercoaster ride. I would be lying if I said I didn't cry, laugh, and thoroughly enjoy watching this series.

Despite the problems with the plotline, pacing, and ending, I had a good time watching the series, mainly because of the sweet scenes and banter between Babe and Charlie. I stayed for them. It was honestly a breath of fresh air, as I hadn't come across a good series such as this one. Despite its flaws, I would still recommend it to others.

Read More

COME ONNNN this could have been SOOOO GOOD

This show was one that I fully intended to joke watch with my friends because we love asian dramas and we are obsessed with joking about the omegaverse... but once I got into it I literally could not stop watching. I started watching right after episode 8 came out and literally watched 1-8 in one night. TBH i watched them so fast I can't even fully remember what happens all I know is I was HOOKED.

I love a show where the couple is together the entire show, so when they got together in episode one I was so happy because a bitch hatesssss to wait and the chemistry was there already. I was very confused about the "omegaverse" aspect of this series because i'm pretty sure in the literal first scene you learn that Babe is an alpha and he's hooking up with another alpha which i'm pretty sure is not how the omegaverse works. 12 episodes later and i guess this show just made up their own version of the omegaverse because there were not betas nor omegas. Were alphas just people that have powers?? who knows. Maybe the alphas were the friends we made along the way.

After Charlies fake death literally everything went downhill for me. I started getting confused about who is who and who knows what and what information only the viewer knows. Just a lot of information being given in every single minute of the episodes but also I was bored at the same time and sick of seeing babe cry every 5 minutes like plssss let this boy live.

The last episode was definitely the most disappointing part to me since I was so so invested in what was gonna happen with the Pete/Way/Kenta triangle, only for you know what to happen and then not seeing pete or kenta ever again. I also wanted to know if North and Sonic had feelings for eachother, or if they would get together but there was literally not a single frame of them once the funeral was over im pretty sure. I just don't understand why they would start storylines they never intended to finish. It wouldn't have been as bad if they didn't try to fit AN ENTIRE STORYLINE about Babe and his father into the last episode and have it literally take up 15-20 minutes of the 50 minute LAST episode, and be completely unnecessary?????

TBH Alan and Jeff were the highlight of the series they were soooo cute and their pacing wasn't too slow and they had some good moments in the last episode (completely overshined Charlie and Babe the entire episode BTW). I remember Jeff's actor from Gen Y and he literally still looks so young I can't believe he is 28 years old that's nuts

Anyways I still enjoyed the show and would recommend watching bc it's still a good show if u ignore the last few episodes

Read More

Starts off Strong, ends with many questions

Pros
The beginning is really captivating. I read the first few chapters of the book and feel that the show is able to make the intro race scene very exciting it also introduces the characters well.
The Charlie/Babe dynamic really works on me hahaha. Kinda hard carries my rating. I enjoy Pooh's portrayal of Charlie even though I do think it is the most different from the book. Though I think there is just a bit too much of shoving/pushing Charlie

Cons/Rant
My biggest gripe is that towards the end there are many plot holes and explanations that add to the confusion
*Spoiler*
For example when Charlie asks Jeff how he knows Reval is because he found him when he tried to escape Tony. This made very little sense to me because my previous understanding was that Charlie and Jeff managed to escape together. Overall it doesn't make me enjoy the show less but the more time I spend thinking about some of the plot holes the more I feel that I can't rate it above a 7/8.
I also don't really enjoy the waterdowned ABO explanation. I know that ABO isn't palatable to everyone, but the explanations that the show gives is a bit confusing. I think it would of made more sense to get rid of the ABO entirely and just say some are born with special powers. Though that would make the pregnancy plot impossible.
Overall I feel like there were also too many characters. I know people are upset NorthSonic didn't happen and I agree. There were just too many characters and not enough time to develop any relationship outside of CharlieBabe and AlanJeff and the confusing relationship between Way Kenta and Pete
I also wish there was more time to resolve issues in the final episode. Like Charlie and Jeff get no punishments for literally faking Charlie's death. Like yeah everything worked out in the end, but seriously no one reacts at all about Charlie not being dead for longer than one minute. In general Charlie is never really punished for his actions,,,
Another thing with Charlie's death is that everybody moved on wayyy to quickly. Like I can understand if they were locking up their emotions to process after they dealt with Tony, but literally no one other than Charlie seemed to care basically the very next day. Especially since all of the AlanJeff scenes happen after Charlie's death. Jeff knows that Charlie isn't dead so him not mourning is fine, but Alan didn't and he wanted to get with Charlie's brother basically right after he died
My review does sound like there are more cons/pros but I did find it enjoyable and cons are just overall easier to write.

Read More

Finding Their Way Back: A Rollercoaster of Love, Laughs, Drama, and Pit Stops!

The series was nice. I really liked the actors that was chose for each character and the couple choice was so cute. My fav side couple was JeffAlan ❤. CharlieBabe was cute too, but Babe pissed me off so much omg! ⋌༼ •̀ ⌂ •́ ༽⋋

He kept on believing everything he saw/heard about Charlie, didn't properly talk about it with Charlie and kept running into Way's arms. Don't get me wrong, I was very sad when Way died, but I'm so glad that Babe always found his way back to Charlie. (see what I did there 🤭) I also really liked the switch in the relationship, it was so cute. (top and bottom yk)

And seeing OV in a series was refreshing, as it's not very known sub-genre. I would recommend. 7,7/10

Read More