I’m gonna address this in two parts: Golzine as a character and Golzine’s “love” for Ash. Golzine is a fantastic villain. I hate him. I despise him and want him to go down, and I want him to suffer. But, he’s extremely well-written and is I think a great example of how to write a villain who is a complex character without being remotely sympathetic or morally gray. I think that trying to make him sympathetic would have been a horrific misstep; for him to work, he needs to be hated and despicable. His symbolism and role in the story is excellently done, and he needs to be monstrous for it to work. Not to spoil, but a character who is about to be introduced (whom many manga readers commonly comment is useless, imo is entirely not useless, because he represents an important part of Golzine).
As for love… I think you summarize Golzine’s feelings towards Ash perfectly, but I would not use that word “love" because it can be triggering for people to associate something that should be associated with safety and respect with something so obviously opposite that. Golzine’s feelings for Ash are entirely twisted, obsessive, and possessive like you say. It’s comforting to say that that is not love, and I would be inclined not use that word because it’s clear Ash doesn’t consider it love, and I don’t think the narrative does in any sense either. Dino doesn’t see Ash as a person. He sees him as a thing, and therefore can only have the feeling one has for a trophy, not for an actual human being, because to love a human being (as we see in Ash and Eiji’s love for each other, and at the very end with with two others) means to see their flaws and their strengths, means to not try to control them. That’s pure, beautiful love. Love frees. It does not enslave.
That being said, as an abuse victim who, having been through years of therapy and not around them for years now, does think my abuser loved me, to whatever extent they could (but it doesn’t excuse anything they did to me, and I recognize they will never, ever love me the way they should have loved me), I also recognize that it’s a very complex topic. Suffice to say, people should be extremely sensitive and let victims define their relationship with their abusers. Love or twisted love, not love, it’s up to a survivor to narrate their story. Love does not have one precise “this is love” definition. Many people prefer to keep that word sacred and safe, and that’s okay. But you’re not wrong in your interpretation either.
Maybe it’s love. But it’s something that hurts, which means many will not want to call it love, and it certainly isn’t what anyone aspires to in love. If that makes sense!



