I love everything to do with BL! I share my thoughts on certain shows or stories concerning BL. However, I may also post things unrelated to it, as well.
There are only two episodes released and I already am addicted to Love Alert. It is so messy. While there are some cringy moments in it, I still can't help being drawn to it. If you like messy BLs, definitely recommend it.
On a side note, for Episode 2, I've noticed that while Jimmy denies that he has a crush on Toh, it's obvious he does. He just does not want to believe it. Furthermore, I find it bittersweet that he made sure didn't hear or see what his brother was doing to Fah. Think it would've been too much for Toh to handle. Don't know if Jimmy protected him because he wants to get back at Teh first, or because he genuinely cares for Toh (somewhere in his scheming heart).
In the show, Kali uses her power of illusion either to keep her friends safe or to break down someone’s perceived reality. We can see this briefly in season 2, when Kali shows Eleven basically her biggest fear: Papa. In Hinduism, the goddess Kali is the breaker of illusions. She shows the truth of situations. Kali wanted Eleven to confront the truth: that she is still afraid. In Season 5, she is again breaking El’s perceived illusion of being able to live happily. Instead, she shows El that the government will still go after them. So, although Kali is technically showing an illusion, she shows an illusion of truth, not falsehood.
In my mind, Kali is not evil. She destroys to bring about new life. She breaks illusions so that a person may grow. While her methods to show truth may be seen as such, they ultimately help the person. Because of Kali, El was able to close the gate in Season 2 because of her powers being honed (although El uses happy memories instead of negative memories).
Kali (8) and the goddess Kali from Hinduism
There are numerous similarities between the goddess Kali and Kali (8) from the show. First of all, the number 8 has deep connection to the goddess Kali. In one belief, Kali has 8 forms (one of which is a form that destroys illusions).
Furthermore, I found that in Hinduism, the directions (east,south,north,west, northeast,southeast, southwest, northwest) are each ruled by a guardian of sorts. There are 8 directions. I remember that the compass was a big aspect of the show in season 1. It would not show north. I don’t know the connection between Kali and this but I think there is something interesting there. One potential theory is that Kali is beyond those rules and structures.
Through a DnD Perspective
*Keep in mind I do not play DnD. If I get anything incorrect, please feel free to correct me! (be nice please) *
In D&D, Kali’s true form is described as having “four arms” and “each ended in hands with sharp talons, her skin was black as the night, and she stood 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall. In addition to that, she had “three red eyes, two long fangs, and appeared skeletal.” The part about the arms ending in talons reminds me of the mind flayer. If you look closely, the mindflayer has four legs and on the ends of these legs there are “fingers” (maybe referencing talons?) Furthermore, the mindflayer was as “black as night”. You couldn’t see it unless it was destroying stuff or surrounded by light.
What about the skeletal part? Well, in the new season, we see Vecna brings the kidnapped children into a structure. People on the internet pointed out that it looks like an upside-down dead spider. In other words, it looks skeletal. Maybe Kali (number 8), has the goal of getting here to complete the process of turning the skeleton into a living thing.
Now, let me delve into the lore of Kali in DnD, and then explain the similarities show up between DnD and Stranger Things.
Kali’s power of domination-Kali is very powerful in DnD. She can dominate (totally control) someone by having them kiss her avatar. In season 3, Billy would kidnap people to “convert” them. How were they converted? In my mind, they were “kissed” in a similar way to Will or the children in season 5. That is, they had a tentacle thing cover their mouth and feed them something. The Mindflayer could’ve been an avatar for Kali in season 3.
The Abyss- Essentially the Abyss is a plane of existence that is filled with…bad things. In short, you don’t want to be there. What does this mean in relation to the DnD Kali though? Well, in the lore, Kali rules over two layers of the abyss: 500th and 643. Let’s start with layer 643. Per the Forgotten Realms website, this layer is described as “ a series of ever-changing caverns inhabited by xorn, eyewings, fetch, fireshadows, and petitioners who were constantly occupied with destroying one another, only to be reborn again.” I want to focus on the monsters that are living in this layer.
From what I read, Xorns are able to pass through ground and stone. They don’t leave behind a trail when doing so. This reminds me of the demogorgons in the show. I know that demogorgons are also in DnD, but it appears that Xorns are more similar to the ones seen in the show. In the show, the demogorgons can travel between our world and the upside down by going through walls, the ground, etc. When they do, the portal behind them slowly closes, as though it was never there.
Next are eyewings. If you look at a photo of them, they are eerily similar to demobats in the show. Again, the wiki states “Both wings and tail ended in talons, which was the primary way for eyewings to attack their foes”. Demobats are similar in their attack style.
Okay, so this one had me a little stumped: Fetches. For a while, I was thinking solely of monsters from the upside down, but then I thought of Billy…Fetches are able to take on the appearance of their victim. You could even say they are a mirror of their victim. Sound familiar? Anyone thinking of the scene from Season 3 where Billy comes across his clone randomly? Also “Fetch were solitary creatures. They did not need to speak”. We know Billy was relatively sociable. He would attend parties, go on dates, and was always doing something. However, after encountering the mindflayer (maybe even the fetch?), he started to become withdrawn. The only time he was “sociable” was when he was trying to help with the mindflayer’s plan. When he was not helping with the plan, we saw him just staring blankly ahead on his bed.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, when Billy was driving to meet Mrs. Wheeler at the motel (?), he checked himself out in his car mirror. Fetches, I believe, are in reflective surfaces. When someone looks in that surface, the fetch takes on their appearance. We then see what happens while Billy is driving. He loses control of his car because something was on the road. I believe that Billy was attacked by not just the mindflayer per se, but also a fetch.
Unfortunately, I could not find a link between fireshadows and petitioners, and how they are shown in Stranger Things.
Also, I did not find a significant connection between Stranger Things and the 500th layer of the abyss. All that stuck out to me was the Rakshasa community that lives in this layer. Essentially, they are masters at manipulation. This makes me think of the government we see in Stranger Things. It reminds me of El’s mother specifically when the wiki mentioned “They would plot the death of a mortal's family, take everything they had, and ruin their reputation through vicious slander, but nothing brought them more pleasure in this activity than turning a model citizen's society against them by exposing hidden truths.” The government did this to El’s mother. Sure, they did not kill anyone, but they did fake the death of Eleven so they could take her. When El’s mother fought back, they slandered her. Furthermore, the Rakshasa look at women not as equals, but as a means to get powerful offspring. The powerful offspring, in regard to Stranger Things, could be Eleven and her other numbered siblings. Although I know that the government is not in the Upside Down in the beginning of the show, I do believe that this is who represents them in DnD.
How does this connect to Kali from DnD?
I firmly believe that the ultimate puppetmaster of Stranger Things is Kali from DnD. From the monsters in the Upside Down, it is almost certainly her layer (as well as the abyss). She has always been there either directly or indirectly. The Kali we see in the show may either be the DnD Kali OR she will be the future vessel of Kali. I think that in order to save Eleven, she might accept being the avatar of Kali in order to give the group a better chance of defeating her. She also could be possessed at this point. We know that she was extremely vulnerable (for good reason) when she was forced into the upside down by the government. So, Kali (8) is either DnD Kali, has been possessed by DnD Kali, or will be a potential future vessel for her.
What about Kali from Hinduism?
In Hinduism, Kali is the goddess of time, destruction, death, and is said to break illusions. She symbolizes how creation can come from destruction. I don’t think I have to explain how time connects to Stranger Things. Time is the central theme of the show. Destruction is also seen in the relationships, feelings, and stories of the characters. It shows how death can change a person. However, this destruction leads to the creation of new connections, relationships, and understandings between the characters. While I think the Kali in this show could be a potential avatar or is Kali from DnD, there could be elements of Kali from Hinduism sprinkled in there.
Ultimately, I don’t think it is a coincidence that we have a character named Kali who also has ties with the number 8.
I am very sorry if this was difficult to understand. I struggle putting all my thoughts together into something coherent. If you want to add anything, feel free!
Before the final episode, I want to share my theory on Kali! Currently in the process of writing the whole thing :) However, my main working theory is that Kali will save Eleven in the finale but at the expense of herself.
I was just going through the Byler scenes of volume 2 and I noticed something really interesting. In the scene where Mike walks in on Will and Joyce talking, there is a poster behind him that he inadvertently points to. I was curious what it was, so I looked it up and found out that it's a poster of Sammy Hagar. With research, I found that the poster was most likely made in 1982. Therefore, I looked up potential songs that Sammy Hagar made during this year (since this show loves songs lol plus, the Duffer brothers LOVE small details).
(Side note: Anyone notice that Mike was surprised to see Will AND Joyce there? I bet he wanted to talk to Will one-on-one before the big plan.)
It brought me to an album called Three Lock Box and many of the songs in there give me heavy Mike and Will vibes. For example, from the song "Never Give Up", there are a couple lines that stick out to me:
"Gotta see how far I can go
Gonna make it to the late show
Need to find some new romance, oh yeah
Then I saw you all alone
And how can I make my feelings known
And not leave it all up to chance?"
Keep in mind that I am analyzing these verses from Mike's perspective. That is, these verses could be what Mike is thinking. Mike knows now that Will is gay. Will thinks that he is alone in this. However, Mike might be thinking "How can I make my feelings known and not leave it all up to chance?" A later verse continues this:
"Had my share of ups and downs
Don't you tell me that I'm out of bounds
You're no master of deception, no, no
I can see what's in your eyes
Kinda makes me wanna fantasize
'Cause I know there's no exceptions, no, no"
Okay, out of every verse I read, this one was the one that almost made me raise an eyebrow. The line "Don't tell me that I'm out of bounds", could be referring to Will saying that he knows "I know they're not like me" (eluding to thinking that Mike is straight, so there is no way they'll end up together). However, if this song is taken in Mike's perspective, he could be the one saying "Don't tell me that I'm out of bounds". Maybe Mike is realizing that his feelings toward Will are not platonic, so he might be pained that Will is assuming they are platonic. Furthermore "You're no master of deception, I can see what's in your eyes." I'm sorry, but I do not believe Will was telling the whole truth in the coming out. I believe he does still have deep feelings for Mike, but there is no way he'd admit that in front of a whole crowd watching them. This could come up with Vecna in the finale episode (to use it against Will).
Additionally, we know that Mike is great at telling when Will is acting "off". It's like an intuition he has. Therefore, I think he knows that Will is lying. Will can't deceive Mike.
Anyways, there are more songs on that album that connect to Byler. That being said, I am probably being delusional and have no idea what I'm talking about.
I think I figured out who the killer's son is! I put it under the cut so no one gets potentially spoiled....
I firmly believe it is one of the YouTubers. More specifically, this guy (Bom). One of the symptoms of lupus is a distinct red butterfly shaped rash on the face. Most noticeably on the cheeks and nose bridge. In this scene where he is with his friends, he has it, and we can also see he is itching it, which can occur with lupus as well.
Furthermore, later in the same scene, he comments, after seeing the ghost, that he just remembered he has to take his medication.
With all of this, I believe that Bom is the killer's son. Anyone else have evidence or theories?
I think so too! Except you have a damn good argument and my suspicion was based on HAIR. They kept focusing on the boy's head and all I could remember was that one youtuber with hair lolol. (Also your point about him needing to take medication after seeing the ghost and the murders start up again? I'm fully convinced atp)
My adjacent theory is that he IS the killer. His dad, Atikun, is dead from his enchanted blade injury so I think every life-extending ritual has been for the son. His mum, Chaba the joker ghost lady, is killing anyone who wants to solve the case to protect her son, the killer/ recipient of the sacrifices' life force.
I still think Santi Tham top guy is involved because Bom would need a rituals guy plus someone who did the killing when he was a child.
Thup could very well be Ta Kuean's son (I don't think we had an estimate of his child's age?) but this might be a wishful-thinking theory on my part because if true, plus a side theory of helpful ghost lady being Thup's mum, then we have the possibility of a supernatural showdown between the ghost-mums, which I would like very much.
I always remember that, in shows, everything is shown for a reason. Your hair theory definitely plays into that. It'd be such a great twist to see him end up being the killer though. Moreover, I still do wonder if his Atikun is actually dead or he just faked his death. I think Singha mentioned that cops are good at covering their tracks.
With Thup, I'm leaning more towards him being Ta Kuean's son, as well. He would be the child of the nice ghost lady and Ta Kuean.
Also, we know that Ta Kuean had an affair with Chaba (the killer's wife). The murderer is most likely going after Thup because he is trying to get back at Ta Kuean (if Thup is Ta Kuean's son). Just a theory though.
I'm glad others want to see a showdown between Chaba and Thup's mom! It'd be awesome to witness, and I am a sucker for when moms protect their children in shows or movies.
I think I figured out who the killer's son is! I put it under the cut so no one gets potentially spoiled....
I firmly believe it is one of the YouTubers. More specifically, this guy (Bom). One of the symptoms of lupus is a distinct red butterfly shaped rash on the face. Most noticeably on the cheeks and nose bridge. In this scene where he is with his friends, he has it, and we can also see he is itching it, which can occur with lupus as well.
Furthermore, later in the same scene, he comments, after seeing the ghost, that he just remembered he has to take his medication.
With all of this, I believe that Bom is the killer's son. Anyone else have evidence or theories?
Glad I am not the only one who thought Will's coming out scene felt a little off. I felt like it would have been better if it was just between him and his Mom. It could also have taken place between him and the main party. Personally, I do believe Byler will still be endgame. When Will was eluding to his crush (aka Mike), there was a flicker in Mike's face. It was like he realized that he was Will's crush, but then there was a quick expression after that. It kind of looked like...regret or pain? I don't know, maybe someone else has a better understanding of quick expressions lol
My Thoughts on Episode 1 of Goddess Bless You From Death
To start, I have to say that Pooh has made incredible improvement in his acting. I'm not sure if PitBabe just did not give him enough room to act or he has been practicing. Either way, he's doing amazing! I can see more emotion on his face and his movements look less rigid.
As always, I love the PoohPavel pairing. It's a great shift on the typical dynamics that a BL has. It is actually the pairing that made me prefer a soft-looking top and a muscular bottom.
I did not expect this...but I kind of want an OttoLee pairing in the show? BRING THE DRAMA PLEASE
Finally, I'm on the edge of my seat with the story. I always love a mystery and horror. I'm convinced that the woman ghost who scared Thup is his mother. But we will see. All in all, good so far!
Honestly, it was very awkward when getting assessed for autism, especially if you have a special interest that isn't uh..."typical". How can I sit there and tell the assessor that my special interest is BL? 💀
While watching the new Avatar trailer, I noticed this in the scene where Jake is presumably captured by the RDA. Is that Varang? I guess she helped the RDA capture him?
Really disappointed that Jeff was not allowed to feel his emotions when it came to Alan's betrayal. I mean, Alan told him essentially that couples lean on each other when times get tough but turned around and hid something major. Also, I don't know, but this season, it appears very rushed, especially in this recent episode. I am unsure how they will tie everything together, which makes me worried. Also, there were some aspects of this season that I was really looking forward to but was let down in, such as the situation with Alan and Jeff. Also, with Charlie's memory loss. I was hoping it would be a bit more angsty and happened earlier. Anyways, fingers crossed everything gets figured out in the end...
If they ever make a Thai remake of My Beautiful Man, I nominate Pooh as Hira and Pavel as Kiyoi. They both have that aesthetic that fits the characters, especially Pooh and the emotion he shows with his eyes.
One thing that I love about the PitBabe series is the vibe to it. I really like the setting that it is in, the music used, and even the chaotic storyline. Sometimes, with BL shows, I lose interest after a few episodes. However, with this one, I find myself looking forward to watching it each week. Granted, the storyline can be a bit weird/inconsistent at times, but it really is an enjoyable watch.
Just a little story concept that I came up with :)
Keep thinking about Winner visiting Dean in his hospital bed and just venting about everything that is going on. About Tony. About the people he has hurt. About feeling inadequate no matter where he goes. He thinks Dean is just completely in a coma with no awareness, but little does he know that Dean actually does hear him. Slowly, as time passes, both of them look forward to their one-sided conversations. When Dean wakes up, their relationship is never the same.
