WET SAND #1 Review: Everyone loves Ian–and it’s time you fall in love with him too

WET SAND

Creator: Doyak

Publisher: Inklore (Digital and Physical)

Translation: Somin Parker

Publication Date: May 6, 2025

Rating: R 

Genre: Boys’ Love, VSC (S. Korea), Manhwa, Webtoon, Fiction Graphic Novels

K-ComicsBeat’s resident BL (Boys’ Love) fans Merve Giray and Hilary Leung have come together to do what they do best: freak out over 2D men. Today, the duo have sat down to discuss Wet Sand, one of the newest BL series Inklore, the manhwa imprint of Penguin Random House. It’s dark, it’s spicy, and Merve and Hilary have a lot to say about Ian, Jo, Ian, TJ…and did we mention Ian?

Written and illustrated by Doyak, Wet Sand follows the lives of three men where one single “click” brings them together, tying their fates into inextricable knots. Ian, a former gangster, wants nothing more than to leave his past behind, but with his close confidante and lover TJ constantly dragging him back to the gang, it’s much easier said than done. Enter Jo, an aspiring photographer whose single accidental click brings him into the mix, and further entangles the relationship between the three.

Wet Sand is not for the faint of heart

Merve: I thought we could start by talking about how we feel about gangster BL in general before moving on to Wet Sand.

Hilary: Sure! Why don’t you kick things off? 

Merve: All right! It’s a trope I’m neither a fan of nor do I stay away from it. I’m generally neutral about it. Although, as I say that, it was the first trope I highlighted in my Boys Love for Life column where I included Wet Sand; maybe because it’s a popular trope and we get lots of work licensed in English depicting the world of crime. How about you?

Hilary: Same, I don’t really seek out this specific genre. I think the first gangster BL I read was Dangerous Convenience Store but I didn’t find that setting to be as prevalent despite the male lead being a gangster. That manhwa focused more on the consequences of Mister’s actions on his and Euijoon’s relationship and less on gang dynamics. So I would say Wet Sand is my first hardcore (emphasis on “hard” *wink wink nudge nudge*) gangster BL. 

Merve: Ahahaha, I definitely feel you. That’s one of my gripes with the trope; most of the works I’ve read only focus on the image of a bad boy and don’t bother depicting the rest of the gang affiliation or violence. In that regard, Wet Sand felt very unique and interesting. 

Hilary: I was a little taken aback by how quickly we were thrown into the deep end of the gang. It’s only the first volume and I can already feel my heart racing and my palms getting slightly sweaty. Part of it is because we don’t know much about Ian (male lead)’s past, why he left the gang, and his relationship with TJ, but Doyak is also very good at offering enough tidbits of information about K35 to give the readers a sense that this is a gang you don’t want to mess around with. 

Merve: I didn’t register how fast we got acquainted with K35 and their inner turmoil until you mentioned it. But it’s this power struggle and instability, along with TJ and Ian’s relationship, that sets the story in motion and further complicates things. Additionally, the dreary color palettes really hone in on the depressing feeling. I found that particularly striking.

Hilary: I don’t usually see this kind of color palette in other BL (or maybe I just gravitate toward fluffy BL) but it definitely fits the atmosphere. It kind of reminds me of film noir. You also get a sense of how different Ian and Jo are because of the colors: Ian’s usually in the dark, his face in shadows, but most of the time Jo is illuminated by light. 

First impressions of Ian, Jo, and TJ

Merve: The environment he’s in and his family members are also very cheerful and bright, so hopefully he can shed some light onto Ian’s life as well. 

Since I’m a fan of the manhwa and know how events follow after this first volume, I was curious about your first impression of the characters and their dynamics as a fresh reader.

Hilary: My first thought after ¾ of the way through: This is gonna be MESSSSSY. I’m all for messy relationships; I love me some angst. It’s even better if I care about all three characters because then I’ll truly be in shambles. 

I liked Jo. He was the typical puppy, fluffy character who hadn’t been “corrupted” by the darkness yet. I wanted to read more about Ian’s past: why did he leave K35? If he really wants to leave K35, why is he still in this FWB relationship with TJ? I don’t have much of an opinion on TJ yet. I’m waiting for his backstory to wrench my heart out. 

But I think the dynamic between the three characters is very clear: Jo offers Ian a look into what a normal life looks like. Even though Ian had already “left” the gang, he doesn’t have much of a life outside of being a gangster. Simple acts like fishing or stargazing are foreign concepts to him. TJ, though, offers Ian a safe haven. It’s violent, bloody, but it’s familiar to Ian which is why I’m guessing he hasn’t fully cut off ties with TJ. The real world is scary out there. 

Since you’ve already read the manhwa, what was it like reading it in a print format? And if it’s been a while since you’ve read it, what surprised you about the characters in your reread? 

Merve: Now that the webtoon is on hiatus, I plan to reread the previous seasons because I can’t remember the organized crime structures and who does what or what kind of plots they are scheming to save my life. In that regard, I appreciated the structure and character sheets at the end of the print format. I also had a hunch that Wet Sand would work in a page comic format, but it surpassed my expectations! Vertical-to-horizontal switch isn’t easy, but Wet Sand reads very well in the page comic format.

I also expected to just skim-read before our roundtable review, but I was engrossed in it as if it was my first time reading! I agree with all the points you’ve raised above and would like to add one more thing I noticed. It’s interesting how TJ and Ian always refer to each other by their Korean names–Taejoon and Youngwoo respectively–while Ian introduces himself to Jo as “Ian.” So there’s a certain emphasis on TJ and Ian’s racial roots and a desire to protect that connection between the two. With others, the purpose is to put some kind of distance. And it also lays the foundation of their closeness.

I also 100% agree with you on caring about all three of the leads. Doyak convinces you to care about each of them and the different dynamics between them. Who Ian will end up with becomes less of a matter and you end up caring more about who these people are, both individually and who they become together, and how the events will unfold. 

Hilary: What was it about Wet Sand you felt would lend itself well to the page comic format? 

Merve: Probably the paneling itself. When authors use the vertical format creatively, sometimes you get instances where an image scrolls open downward without any interruptions. On the other hand, I don’t remember panels like that in Wet Sand, but I may be wrong. I remember it being fragmented into smaller panels and that gave me the impression that the switch to the comics format would be easier.

Hilary: Ah, thanks for pointing out the paneling. Now that you’ve mentioned it, I think that’s the biggest thing when moving webtoons into the print format. The benefit of the webtoon format is the fact that you can be pretty creative about the vertical panelling but I’ve read some manhwa-to-print stories where it gets cut off, and when you transition from reading it digitally to a physical format, it gets jarring. 

I’m going to do a slight pivot here. I was…very surprised by the uncensored light saber. 

Free the light sabers

Merve: Fans love their sabers in all their glory and detail! I was surprised by how particular the fans are about it, to be honest. My old fujoshi self has gotten very comfortable about not seeing them. At least, I’m glad Inklore is giving fans what they want. Lots of other publishers are choosing not to censor if they can help it! 

Hilary: Oh, fans definitely want their sabers. I think I was surprised that Inklore decided to actually uncensor everyone’s little mini-me. I know they said “uncensored” but I was half-expecting it to still be light sabers. Everyone who buys Wet Sand needs to read it in the privacy of their rooms and not on public transit! 

Merve: Getting war flashbacks from all the times I forgot a series rating and accidentally opened the new update on the subway… Still, nice to see some color down there! Talking about the water bottles reminded me how good Doyak is at sex scenes. They really know how to pace the interactions and convey intimacy, urgency, and want. What did you think about them?

Hilary: When Jo had his first dream about Ian, I legitimately got confused. I had to flip back a few pages to check if I had missed anything because it felt so real. Guess it shows just how down bad Jo was for Ian even though they hadn’t even talked yet (you gotta ask a guy his name first before you start sleeping with him, Jo!) 

I really enjoyed the pacing of the sex scenes. A lot of times, creators just go ham on the physicality of sex and, while it can be enjoyable, it does become repetitive especially when you read as much BL as the two of us have. The panels highlighting the different parts of Ian and TJ’s bodies such as the two clutching at each other’s arms or even something as inconsequential as clothes thrown on the ground or feet moving as they shuffle to the bed, heightens the intimacy between the two. When they talked, it felt like friendly banter. This was a comfortable dynamic for them to be in, and it felt like readers were getting an insider look into their relationship. What about you? 

Merve: First, let me tell you—chivalry is dead! And I had to read badly written and drawn sex scenes to notice how much thought and care should go into them, and appreciate a good one. It has also become a staple for BL to include a sex scene in the very first chapter to supposedly “draw the readers in,” but I’m not sure if that works for me.

Another highlight for me about the sex scenes is Ian’s attitude toward sex and his partners. I enjoyed seeing how in control he is and doesn’t shy away and act on it when he desires someone. Even when we see TJ being somehow forceful in bed, as you mentioned, you can see the trust between them and Ian doesn’t read like he’s only on the receiving end of a contractual physical activity. He’s present, he wants it, he can take it. And I love that, especially in a bottom.

Hilary: Definitely! I liked how Ian knew exactly what he wanted and what he was getting into. We often see a “dominant and submissive” relationship in BL and while it’s not bad, it’s nice to have a break from that trope. 

I hear you about the first chapter sex. And Doyak could’ve easily done that too, but they chose to…quite interestingly, now that I think about it, start with Jo accidentally taking a picture of Ian. What did you think about beginning the story with that particular scene? 

Merve: Variety is always nice to have!

Hmm, good question. Jo is described by his aunt as someone who’d turn into stone if he were to stay in one place for more than two minutes. That would imply he’s used to traveling around, probably on his own, and accentuates how fond he is of photography. Not only because he’s studying it, but he even takes a photograph of the spilled trash! So their chance meeting happening thanks to the shutter sound (which Ian didn’t even register, my poor boy) feels like it’s fate. It also contrasts how TJ usually ends up in Ian’s place at unexpected and irregular times. Jo’s entry into Ian’s life is soft and chaste.

And from a technical point, I’d assume it would be harder to give space to Jo and Ian after getting deep into gangs, drugs and TJ-Ian action in bed. It works!

Hilary: Yes, I agree with you about the contrast between TJ and Jo’s presence in Ian’s life. It’s partially thanks to Jo’s job at the restaurant, but there’s a stability in knowing there’s a set time that Jo will appear. Like you said, TJ pops up anytime he wants in Ian’s life. Part of having a “normal” life is that mundaneness of knowing when someone is going to come back home for example.

Also, side note, if Jo wasn’t such a sweetheart, I’d be personally calling the police on Ian’s behalf to report a creep taking photos of him in the dark. I wonder how much of Jo’s wandering personality/lifestyle is going to play into the future plot, though. 

Forever protect Ian

Merve: I’m curious about that too. Even the digital version hasn’t delved that deep into Jo. We’ll have to wait and see.

But he’s really an unexpected door Ian unknowingly opened, and the world inside is completely alien to him. Like the camping scene you highlighted above, we get a glimpse into Ian’s youth and parents and it isn’t really sunshine and rainbows. That kind of “everyday” is far removed from his life, so I couldn’t help but root for him to find some peace and comfort in Jo. I seem to care about Ian a lot! I love him as a character and want to wrap him in the softest blankets I can find.

Hilary: #ProtectIan. We’ve been talking a lot about Ian and Jo, what do you make of TJ? 

Merve: Forever proteccc. Judging from this initial volume only, what we learned from him so far is that he’s a big presence in K35, and now that the second-in-command Jason is terminally ill and is expected to pass away soon, the alliance is on edge. I’d assume he’ll play an important role in suppressing the conflict. From what I’ve see online, he’s the most popular with the fans!

As for his character, he doesn’t let out much for now but it’s quite evident how fond and protective he is of Ian, just like we are. I also noticed on this second reading that Ian isn’t “branded” with the gang tattoo every member carries—the huge 35 on the back. I wonder how that came about. Plus, with how closely he’s keeping tabs on Ian and how Jo has been ruffling his feathers, you can feel an impending doom about to happen there. What about you? Were you able to catch anything?

Hilary: Oh that’s true! I didn’t realize until you mentioned it. Do you think he was branded before and he got that tattoo removed or he never had it in the first place? 

As soft as Jo is, you can tell that he’s not someone who can be easily pushed around. When he told his cousin to apologize to his mom and warned him not to get involved in gangs anymore, even his cousin was spooked. I doubt he’d listen but it does show that Jo can stand on his own and if push comes to shove, he’ll shove as hard as he can (hehe). 

Merve: Didn’t see any scarring on Ian’s back, so I assume he never got tattooed in the first place. Since I only noticed this during my second read, I don’t remember if this was ever brought up later in the story.

I was curious whether you had any opinions on Jason’s push for TJ to be married, TJ’s talk about family, him and Ian being sworn brothers?

Sworn brothers

Hilary: First of all, I laughed when Jason said “I’m close to being a ghost.” Talk about dark humor. 

I was a little surprised that Jason’s reasoning for TJ to get married was so he could “be a better role model” for his brothers. It wasn’t to strengthen his position in the gang which is what you’d expect out of marriage where an alliance through marriage would bolster your standing within the gang. We don’t know exactly what being a role model means in the gang but surprise, surprise, K35 has…morals? Sort of? Kind of? 

TJ calling Ian his only family was a little sad. It speaks to how far back they go and how deep their connection is. On the surface, they look like your everyday friends with benefits. But they really care deeply for each other. The flashback of TJ essentially saving Ian’s life was heartbreaking. We don’t see TJ’s face at all except for the lower half of his face where a tear trickles down his cheek. But it’s enough for us to guess how terrified he must’ve been to see Ian do that. They only have each other.

Which brings me to more questions about TJ. He knows how dangerous drugs are (which is why he slapped the syringe out of Ian’s hands and slapped his face for good measure) so why is he still in K35? He even wants Ian back in the gang (talk about toxic relationships!)

Merve: I’ll keep my mouth shut about TJ’s motives as to not spoil the fun (or misery) but the scene you described was heavy and heartbreaking indeed. There was also mention of them being “sworn brothers,” which is similar to two members of a gang swearing an oath to protect each other. I’ve read that culturally, this is a very significant and heavy promise to make, and it isn’t made lightly. For TJ and Ian to go to such lengths prove how deeply intertwined their lives are.

Hilary: Cruelty, THY NAME IS MERVE. 

Merve: I just don’t want to be canceled lol. I think we covered all the bases! As a closing remark, would you say you’d continue reading Wet Sand, Hilary?

Hilary: As soon as I finished Vol. 1, I was already on Tappytoon because I couldn’t wait any longer. So it’s safe to say, it’s a big resounding YES. 

Merve: It’s a big yes from me as well! I’m waiting for the third season as if I’m waiting for my long-gone husband’s return from war. I’m also curious how the finished, printed product will feel in our hands.

Hilary: Smooth and glossy like Ian’s skin. LMAO

Merve: Hilary, you DIDN’T! 

Hilary: The joke was there and I had to do it. I’d be betraying my inner fujoshi if I didn’t. 

Merve: Yeah, can’t blame you for seeing a chance and taking it. This was so much fun and a big thank you to Inklore for sending us a copy in exchange for our honest thoughts! 

Let us know what you think about Wet Sand by Doyak in the comments!