Sand

I already hated the novel, so I have to admit that the adaptation is better. But honestly, this story deeply disturbed me. I thought I would enjoy a toxic relationship, but this goes way beyond toxicity. This is straight-up abuse.

Pheem's behavior towards Pan genuinely shocked me. Between the physical and verbal violence and the assaults, so many serious things happen, yet none of them are ever properly addressed. And the worst part? We don't even get a genuine apology!

And I'm just going to say it: Pheem's redemption arc is probably the worst I've ever seen in a GL. It's impossible to feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for her because of how awful she is.

Meanwhile, Pan is such a sweet and kind character that it makes their dynamic and the reasons they stay together even harder to understand.

I completely understand the need for more morally grey characters in GLs, and I want more of them too! But in this case, I absolutely hated the way it was written and developed.

And seriously, what exactly is the message of that ending? That you should stay with someone who abuses you, humiliates you, and makes you suffer, only to end up marrying them? I find that absolutely insane.

At the end of the day, this is one of our first GLs to portray such an openly toxic relationship without trying to tone it down. So I guess we'll have to wait and see what future series bring to this genre.