Episode 1 part 1&2: Context? Who needs it? Characters that draw you in and reveal themselves in time as you grow attached to them? Pussy shit! Start your first episode in the middle of ongoing conflicts! (Not-)introducing: rude, and aggressive but overall uncommunicative and two dimensional main character and her stylist who is her... Friend? Ex-girlfriend? but is leaving her for her arch nemesis because???????????????? Fret not! Soon enough we'll get a melodramatic flash-back that changes nothing because it doesn't justify or even make sense of anyone's shitty behaviour in any way! But hohoho let's switch back to the present where we've reached a big equally vague "romantic" emotional climax that feels entirely superficial and under-built because we have no idea who these people are!
Episode 1 part 3&4: oh actually, one of them is just being blackmailed by a lesbophobe and refuses to tell anyone about it, preferring to let people assume she's evil because... GL logic
Okay I am new to the whole omega verse thing, can someone explain it to me or recommend some good sources.. thanks!…
Honestly, the ABO parts in this are so minor and atypical it's practically irrelevant. It's basically a roundabout way of explaining why Babe is a power bottom and a really picky one.
In the omegaverse, in addition to categorisation/classment of sex assigned at birth (female/male), humans present with a secondary sex around puberty, this can be either Alpha, Beta or Omega. Beta is the neutral secondary sex, they're just like men/women in our world(*exceptions may apply).
In the context of same-sex relationships, you can think of an Alpha as a biologically defined Top/Seme and an Omega as a biologically defined Bottom/Uke. Bear in mind that the omegaverse came to be to allow a male character to experience misogyny. Alpha/Omega economical/societal dynamics are akin to a secondary patriarchy, an alpharchy if you will. This varies per writer and universe.
In addition to these societal roles, Alphas and Omegas are given biological characteristics that do not exist in the real world, as physical markers to discriminate against, for example sometimes male omegas have the ability to fall pregnant (Mpreg), sometimes female alphas have the ability to impregnante. The functioning of gеnitalia/reproductive systems again, vary per work/author.
In Pit Babe, both Babe and Charlie (the two leads) are alphas (so like Gay²), my suspicion is that it's a way to explain with someone as traditionally masculine and dominant as Babe is a bottom/uke for the dorky soft boy that is Charlie, they are both atypical alphas. So far, it frankly wouldn't have made a difference whether they used the terms Alpha/Omega or Top/Bottom.
The only real resounding omegaverse characteristic is Babe sense of smell (which also appears unrivalled, so you can also just write it off as a super power frankly). In the omegaverse, everyone, but especially Alphas and Omegas emit a distinctive scent from certain body parts (like cats and dogs) the smell of an Alpha is meant yo appeal to an Omega they find attractive and vice versa. If an Alpha however gets jealous or horny around another Alpha, it's usually an unpleasant scent meant to drive away that Alpha.
So when Babe tells his Alpha hook ups that they stink, it is because even though he prefers to bottom (for some reason) he doesn't prefer Alpha scents. Enter Charlie, a borderline effeminate Alpha, willing to top Alphas, that has a pleasant smell. Thus, we have an unlikely match made in heaven.
I hope that's not too confusing. In any case you can always google unfamiliar terminology (just remember to add ABO or Omegaverse to your search) but if you have any questions, I'll happily try to answer them.
Heck yeah! Climate-friendly romances! Finally, a series where I don't have second lead syndrome. I'm just stuck liking them both! It's a shame the Female Lead has the emotional maturity of a teenager and even worse that the writing stops being good as soon as fake issues are assigned to the mind reading. Hanaoka-san pick me! Choose me! Love me!
It's unfortunate that bisexuals are stereotyped as polyamorous cheaters, because I was rooting for this to end in a throuple throughout the entire film (and was sorely disappointed). It's also ironic that Andi stuck pictures of Max onto pictures of Lady Gaga (bisexual icon) before she knows he's bisexual.
I have no criticism for the visual quality, the pacing or the quality of the writing, I just wish it wasn't so regretfully uninvested in women's rights (f**k spanish and american imperialism). The inaccessibility (and illegality) of abortion is still a serious problem. All throughout this film the option is brutally shut down whenever Andi mentions it. Andi is essentially forced to sell her unborn child in exchange for her basic necessities, she is the forced to go through with the life-threatening procedure of giving birth because her ex boyfriend's boyfriend wants a child.
There's this scene where the three are baby sitting, Max and Christian get into an argument because Max is unsure whether or not he's ready to take care of a child (note: the question lies not even in whether or not he's willing but in whether he can). And it's such an absurd scene to me, because no one EVER asked Andi, simply because she is pregnant she has to take care of the child. These two men force her through a pregnancy so that they can adopt a child (she openly said that if they wouldn't help her abort it, she would find someone who will) but then later on when the adoption is called off not only can't she abort it anymore, but the role of mother is suddenly thrust upon her.
To keep up appearances, they not only had to fool their boss but any possible witnesses including Director He's…
It's hard to hit a target, much easier to miss it. Either way they're capable of both. A bullet to the shoulder or outer-abdomen doesn't have to be lethal, anything to further extremities is practically accessory in this context.
The only problem with this film is that you could not pay me to believe a character played by Tony Leung would voluntarily collaborate with the japanese (I could fix him❤️). So I never really had any doubts on where they stood (which is probably why I didn't find this film confusing like most reviewers on Letterboxd lol).
Zhang Jingyi was such a badass in this film, I usually get really bored watching war films, but there wasn't a second where I got bored watching this 🖤
Why did He and Ye fight so ardently and for real if they were on the same side and Ye worked for He?
To keep up appearances, they not only had to fool their boss but any possible witnesses including Director He's wife (she could be taken by japanese militia and questioned any time) the bruises and cuts had to be real, it had to be believable that they fought to the death and that's basically what they did; The best lie is very closely related to the truth. There's only so much a spy can get away with, in this case it was letting Director He and Ms Chen go (when Ye was supposed to kill them, he even claimed he had but we don't see what happens when he limps back up those stairs.)
Director He asked him to 'keep up his facade until the very end'. Thus it would have been consistent with their roles for He to kill him, even if it's just for show, however after throwing him down the stairs, he didn't go back down to confirm the kill, in fact he probably knew it didn't kill him, but at that point it was plausible for him to believe that he did and that is what allowed them to spare each other.
So just curious to any history people here, is this based on the Shanghai Massacre in 1926? And how much of it…
Hi, I'm only at episode 3 so I can't confirm much, but what I found out by screwing around on wikipedia for a while is the following:
Our two male leads, Xu Guangyao and Tan Xuanlin are both members of the Beiyang Government's Army which controlled (the much larger) northern part of China.
As opposed to the southern KuoMingTang's National Revolutionary Army that later committed the April 12th 1927 Shanghai Massacre against the Chinese Communist Party, leftists KMT members and the Shanghai Labour Union Militia resulting in an estimated 5.000-10.000 deaths, despite the KMT's previous (admittedly superficial) alliance to the Soviet Union and by extension the Chinese Communist Party.
The Beiyang Government does not have any direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party. It is said to have been an incredibly corrupt and incompetent government that maintained the Warlord era's division. They received most of their funding from families that had accumulated their wealth during the still 'feudal' Qing dynasty (1644-1912), and spent most of it on military forces.
After Sun Yat-sen (KMT founder)'s death in 1925, his successor overthrew what was left of the Beiyang government in 1928 through his Northern expedition (the Shanghai massacre being one of its fruits).
The tables turned during the 1930s where the Communist party grew amidst Japanese occupation during the Sino-japanese war (1931-1937).
As a fan of the anime, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the way they portrayed Ayane Yano. I can't bring myself to blame the actress in any way for this, I think it was a conscious choice to change her character.
I understand that Gyaru culture is no longer what it was 14 years ago (f*** I''m old) but Ayane Yano was not supposed to be conventionally stylish. In the anime/manga her makeup was always very thick, people nearly described it as vulgar and that adds so much to the dynamic between her Yoshida and Kuronuma. Yoshida is not traditionally feminine at all but rather sporty and yankii/tomboy-ish, Kuronuma is shy and awkward she isn't 'cute and charming' in the way most girls that age aim to be. Yano was a slightly more mature character (or at least one that desperately wanted to appear as mature), which makes more sense of the rumours about her 'getting tons of men'. Yoshida and Yano were already quite unconventional which is why rumours didn't particularly bother them and why they so easily took a profound liking to Kuronuma: they value sincerity and in a way found solidarity in being slightly outside of convention.
In the 2023 Netflix drama Ayane Yano's makeup seems rather ordinary or ambitious at best but never kitsch or excessive: she looks rather conventionally cute (the longer hair also contributes to this) she seems less mature in appearance and also in behaviour, she appears less responsible and level-headed and I think it's a shame. Ayane Yano kind of lost what made her so unique in the manga/anime.
(I've only watched the first three episodes, but I really hope they decide to leave out her romance with the gym teacher.)
1 
Context? Who needs it? Characters that draw you in and reveal themselves in time as you grow attached to them? Pussy shit! Start your first episode in the middle of ongoing conflicts! (Not-)introducing: rude, and aggressive but overall uncommunicative and two dimensional main character and her stylist who is her... Friend? Ex-girlfriend? but is leaving her for her arch nemesis because???????????????? Fret not! Soon enough we'll get a melodramatic flash-back that changes nothing because it doesn't justify or even make sense of anyone's shitty behaviour in any way! But hohoho let's switch back to the present where we've reached a big equally vague "romantic" emotional climax that feels entirely superficial and under-built because we have no idea who these people are!
Episode 1 part 3&4:
oh actually, one of them is just being blackmailed by a lesbophobe and refuses to tell anyone about it, preferring to let people assume she's evil because... GL logic
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR MARRIAGE JIEJIE!
In the omegaverse, in addition to categorisation/classment of sex assigned at birth (female/male), humans present with a secondary sex around puberty, this can be either Alpha, Beta or Omega. Beta is the neutral secondary sex, they're just like men/women in our world(*exceptions may apply).
In the context of same-sex relationships, you can think of an Alpha as a biologically defined Top/Seme and an Omega as a biologically defined Bottom/Uke. Bear in mind that the omegaverse came to be to allow a male character to experience misogyny. Alpha/Omega economical/societal dynamics are akin to a secondary patriarchy, an alpharchy if you will. This varies per writer and universe.
In addition to these societal roles, Alphas and Omegas are given biological characteristics that do not exist in the real world, as physical markers to discriminate against, for example sometimes male omegas have the ability to fall pregnant (Mpreg), sometimes female alphas have the ability to impregnante. The functioning of gеnitalia/reproductive systems again, vary per work/author.
In Pit Babe, both Babe and Charlie (the two leads) are alphas (so like Gay²), my suspicion is that it's a way to explain with someone as traditionally masculine and dominant as Babe is a bottom/uke for the dorky soft boy that is Charlie, they are both atypical alphas. So far, it frankly wouldn't have made a difference whether they used the terms Alpha/Omega or Top/Bottom.
The only real resounding omegaverse characteristic is Babe sense of smell (which also appears unrivalled, so you can also just write it off as a super power frankly). In the omegaverse, everyone, but especially Alphas and Omegas emit a distinctive scent from certain body parts (like cats and dogs) the smell of an Alpha is meant yo appeal to an Omega they find attractive and vice versa. If an Alpha however gets jealous or horny around another Alpha, it's usually an unpleasant scent meant to drive away that Alpha.
So when Babe tells his Alpha hook ups that they stink, it is because even though he prefers to bottom (for some reason) he doesn't prefer Alpha scents. Enter Charlie, a borderline effeminate Alpha, willing to top Alphas, that has a pleasant smell. Thus, we have an unlikely match made in heaven.
I hope that's not too confusing. In any case you can always google unfamiliar terminology (just remember to add ABO or Omegaverse to your search) but if you have any questions, I'll happily try to answer them.
I have no criticism for the visual quality, the pacing or the quality of the writing, I just wish it wasn't so regretfully uninvested in women's rights (f**k spanish and american imperialism). The inaccessibility (and illegality) of abortion is still a serious problem. All throughout this film the option is brutally shut down whenever Andi mentions it. Andi is essentially forced to sell her unborn child in exchange for her basic necessities, she is the forced to go through with the life-threatening procedure of giving birth because her ex boyfriend's boyfriend wants a child.
There's this scene where the three are baby sitting, Max and Christian get into an argument because Max is unsure whether or not he's ready to take care of a child (note: the question lies not even in whether or not he's willing but in whether he can). And it's such an absurd scene to me, because no one EVER asked Andi, simply because she is pregnant she has to take care of the child. These two men force her through a pregnancy so that they can adopt a child (she openly said that if they wouldn't help her abort it, she would find someone who will) but then later on when the adoption is called off not only can't she abort it anymore, but the role of mother is suddenly thrust upon her.
Director He asked him to 'keep up his facade until the very end'. Thus it would have been consistent with their roles for He to kill him, even if it's just for show, however after throwing him down the stairs, he didn't go back down to confirm the kill, in fact he probably knew it didn't kill him, but at that point it was plausible for him to believe that he did and that is what allowed them to spare each other.
Our two male leads, Xu Guangyao and Tan Xuanlin are both members of the Beiyang Government's Army which controlled (the much larger) northern part of China.
As opposed to the southern KuoMingTang's National Revolutionary Army that later committed the April 12th 1927 Shanghai Massacre against the Chinese Communist Party, leftists KMT members and the Shanghai Labour Union Militia resulting in an estimated 5.000-10.000 deaths, despite the KMT's previous (admittedly superficial) alliance to the Soviet Union and by extension the Chinese Communist Party.
The Beiyang Government does not have any direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party. It is said to have been an incredibly corrupt and incompetent government that maintained the Warlord era's division. They received most of their funding from families that had accumulated their wealth during the still 'feudal' Qing dynasty (1644-1912), and spent most of it on military forces.
After Sun Yat-sen (KMT founder)'s death in 1925, his successor overthrew what was left of the Beiyang government in 1928 through his Northern expedition (the Shanghai massacre being one of its fruits).
The tables turned during the 1930s where the Communist party grew amidst Japanese occupation during the Sino-japanese war (1931-1937).
I understand that Gyaru culture is no longer what it was 14 years ago (f*** I''m old) but Ayane Yano was not supposed to be conventionally stylish. In the anime/manga her makeup was always very thick, people nearly described it as vulgar and that adds so much to the dynamic between her Yoshida and Kuronuma. Yoshida is not traditionally feminine at all but rather sporty and yankii/tomboy-ish, Kuronuma is shy and awkward she isn't 'cute and charming' in the way most girls that age aim to be. Yano was a slightly more mature character (or at least one that desperately wanted to appear as mature), which makes more sense of the rumours about her 'getting tons of men'. Yoshida and Yano were already quite unconventional which is why rumours didn't particularly bother them and why they so easily took a profound liking to Kuronuma: they value sincerity and in a way found solidarity in being slightly outside of convention.
In the 2023 Netflix drama Ayane Yano's makeup seems rather ordinary or ambitious at best but never kitsch or excessive: she looks rather conventionally cute (the longer hair also contributes to this) she seems less mature in appearance and also in behaviour, she appears less responsible and level-headed and I think it's a shame. Ayane Yano kind of lost what made her so unique in the manga/anime.
(I've only watched the first three episodes, but I really hope they decide to leave out her romance with the gym teacher.)