What happens when you combine The Fast and Furious with omegaverse? You get something akin to Pit Babe, a Thai BL TV series based on the Thai novel by alittlebixth. The concept of this novel should not work... yet somehow it maintains a captivating concept that draws you in, sinks in its claws and holds you there until the very end. Boy oh boy, did it sink its claws into me. Perhaps I'm biased because this novel has everything I love in BL; non-traditional omegaverse, betrayal, loose mafia concepts, and some sprinkling of enemies to lovers throughout that makes this not only fantastic as one of my first introductions to Thai BL, but the perfect storm of serotonin in my brain.
With the last drama episode of season 2 set to air at the end of July, now is the best time to start a marathon watch or read of this series. The novel is finished and available to read in English on Inkitt here.
He has a dream to become a legendary racer. Not just for the glory, but for a purpose that runs deeper.
But without a car or a team, Charlie a hot, nerdy young man has no choice but to take a leap of faith. He boldly approaches his idol, the top racer in the game, PitBabe, with a daring request.
"Can I borrow your car?"
Amused and intrigued, PitBabe gives him a challenge.
"Prove yourself, and I'll lend you my car and even help you join the team."
Its a high-stakes gamble for both of them. But if Charlie can rise to the occasion, the reward could change everything.
GET READY, The Race is ON!
Warning; the following review contains mild spoilers, but I do avoid giving away anything major.
Plot;
What I wasn’t prepared for when I started this show, at the recommendation of some friends, was the absolute thrill seeking, sexy, high speed vibes of this show. Within the first 10 minutes I’d heard the word ‘Alpha’, which I wasn’t aware of, going into this show completely blind. My brain short circuited a little, I’m not going to lie. Omegaverse? WITH REAL PEOPLE? HAH? My brain continued to short circuit throughout the first episode as I realised that not only was it omegaverse but it was Alpha x Alpha omegaverse! Hello Thailand?? Where have you been hiding?
After reading a ton of omegaverse manga in recent times, I’ve been seeking out more and more alternative versions of omegaverse for a little bit of variety. When queerness is a non issue within the omegaverse dynamics, it’s nice to see it brought back in via secondary gender queerness. It brings a layer of spice back in a way that’s both new and familiar to the queer experience.
This series explores the concepts of ‘Special Alphas’. In other words, Alpha’s with special abilities that allow them to be extra valuable within society. Almost all the alphas in this show have some kinda of power that’s revealed slowly throughout the first season. This is also where things begin to get complicated.
Pit ‘Babe’, is a successful racer who uses his powers of heightened senses to his advantage during races, securing him firmly in the top of the leaderboard every time. We learn the reason for racing is because he had to make a living for himself after escaping the clutches of his ‘father’, who had trained his powers for his own gain. Bottom with a tragic backstory? Check.
Charlie, who we’re introduced to as a fan of Babe, finds Babe in the locker room, telling him he’s a huge fan and wants to be just like him. He asks him to help him break into the racing circuit. Obviously Babe isn’t too happy. However, after realising pretty fast that Charlie is one of the few Alphas whose scent he can tolerate, he quickly proposes a deal for Charlie. Help him ‘concentrate’ before a race and he can have his pick of cars. In what proceeds to be some of the steamiest locker room scenes I’ve seen in a long time, we’re shown that Charlie will do anything to get close to Babe. Obsessive top? Check.
As the story continues to unfold we find out that the cast of characters is much more intertwined than we previously thought and we are introduced, not to omegas, but to the idea of Enigmas. Enigmas are above Alphas in the hierarchy and, in the Pit Babe universe, can impregnate Alphas. Not quite what I was expecting as the word ‘omega’ has not been used once in this show. Though it is mentioned in the novel multiple times.
Thus, instead of Alpha x Omega we have Alpha x Alpha and Enigma x Alpha. Is this better or worse than Alpha x Omega?
I mentioned before mafia-esque vibes. Whilst I’m unsure of the full situation of whether this is set within the mafia, or just intensely corrupt and disgusting businessmen, the red flags are flying high by the time you get a third of the way through the first season. More and more flags seem to fly the longer you watch, but where you previously called red flag, you may get your opinion changed about certain characters. This is where the writer really shined with their characters. Every one of them is flawed to a fault, but my god do you still root for them, no matter how many red flags they’re given to hold.
Acting;
Not something I’m used to commenting on as I usually read my BL and not watch it, but since I watched the series before reading the novel, I really have to give it to these actors. Especially Pavel. The amount of feelings and emotions this man pulled out of me is insane. You can feel his joy, his heartbreak, his devastation, his hatred through the screen. Honestly, my previous experiences with BL dramas have been fairly flat. Watchable, enjoyable, but passive. Pit Babe was anything but passive enjoyment for me and I absolutely attribute that to Pavel’s acting. If it wasn’t for him, I would not have read the novel.
The behind the scenes clips floating around both online and at the end of each episode also show a deep connection and friendship between the actors, which absolutely translates to the screen. The chemistry between each featured couple is undeniable, to the point where I was shipping couples long before they started showing interest in the show.
Rating:
Here’s the score card for Pit Babe (based on both the series and the novel)
Overall Rating;
Honestly, given that this is a concept that shouldn’t work but somehow DOES, I have to give props to both the writer and Pavel who’s acting in the series outclassed literally everyone else. For this reason, I fully believe Pit Babe deserves a 5/5 rating.
Spiciness;
Okay, I can’t deny this is SPICY. There is no hiding this, it’s omegaverse and these boys are acting like rabbits. I am fairly certain almost every episode contains a sex scene of some sort between one of the couples.
Fluffiness;
Despite the spiciness, there is a lot of fluff in this show. Which I am absolutely not complaining about. The sweetness between each character is a refreshing break between the spice and existential crisis that this show gave me.
Red Flags;
We got Mafia-esque vibes, lots of secret keeping and very intense rivalry and family issues. The red flags are a plenty here. Are we complaining? No. It’s JUICY. And let’s face it, you all know I love a good red flag character… or six.
Final Thoughts;
Overall, I think it’s pretty obvious this series was so far up my street it’s a miracle it took me six months to find out about it. But I was apparently just in time for season 2, which has kept me on the edge of my seat the entire season! I am both nervous and excited for the ending of this show and I can’t wait to see it. All I have to say is that they better make it happy or I may actually combust. Every one of these boys deserves a happy ending and if even one of them doesn’t get it, I may cry.
If you want to come and yell with me about this, feel free to drop a comment here or join our community discord to chat about BL and keep up with my own future comics and stories featuring queer couples.
