I’ve only read 4 entries but this is going to definitely stay on my top 5 picks. It does basically everything right, the pacing, the characters, and with a charming art style to boot.

Implementation of Theme: Well, it’s the obvious werewolf stories. But also, through a broader lens, it is the stories that get passed down (folklore) that formed tradition. Why must X thing happen in the story? Because tradition says so. It forms the core character conflict and defines the traits of nearly all characters that were shown. Auntie Leda who just resigns to whatever with her tried and true experience but still understand the thoughts of the villagers, Michail being stuck in a prison that is marriage, and the ridicule in the gaze directed at Birdie leading to the emotional breakdowns shown in the story, as well as what happened afterward. Above all, it shows very clearly how stories passed down might deform a person (and I especially love the ambiguity in the choice of Thalis’ story being he passed out and when he woke up again his platoon is gone, as it doesn’t frame 100% certainty on the “witch”’s fault). Both Michail and “Os” also found themself in similar predicaments, with tradition (or “folklore”) being the centerpiece of it all. And also the very blatant mention of folk lores near the end, yup. No notes, I love it so much.

Story: It is definitely smaller in scope compared to other entries that I’ve read, but the author worked with the scope so beautifully that coming out of the story I can only say that I’m satisfied. Aside from the magical aspects, the plot beats are mundane tasks, as Michail is a hunter of a small village. And exactly with this mundane-ness where Michail felt pressured and caged. It creates an excellent contrast with the sense of freedom being in the forest, and that’s where the magical aspect shines. The magic here served as a way out for Michail, but he tried his best to find a balance to avoid repeating the same mistake “Os” did. The characters in this entry all have a voice of their own, shaped by stories, tradition and circumstances. I can perfectly understand and emphasize the “antagonists” (Thalis mainly, the parents less so), and I’ve come to adore each character with their own quirks and personality. The worldbuilding serves as the background for the plot, with the great war being the reason the werewolf folklore was imparted in the first place. It becomes relevant at just the right time to really highlight the character’s backstories and tug at the reader’s heart strings, and doesn’t overstay its welcome to let the character shine during the peak of their character arc. If there’s one thing I would point out though, I would say the pacing of the first scene (before the wolf) was a bit odd. It’s like what was described was somehow simultaneously the first time Michail is setting traps (with the statement of giving up and not going to the forest at night) and he’s used to setting traps for werewolves at night (literally what it says in the narration). It’s not that big of a deal but it does create a bit of confusion at the beginning.

Presentation: I contemplated taking a star off here as at certain points, two tracks switching between each other became quite monotonous, the sprite variations are a bit less than I’d like, as there are points where I just didn’t notice if the sprite even changes or not. Also there are no changes to the menus. However, who cares about that anyway the VN is the most important. Just the charming style and no unfinished assets alone warrants a full rating in my eyes. Especially since the order and the way the story was presented to the character is immaculate (Pls tell me its intentional that Abel’s nose problem is a setup of him being the werewolf). And did I mention how hot the NSFW scene is like omg YES PLEASE (I don’t have anything else to say here). Oh yeah and in one of the CGs it looked like the tip of his dih was uncolored i think.

Writing: Compared to the other aspects of the entry, this one is a bit less of a highlight. Some sentences are confusing to read, some have awkward comma placements, and some forgot to capitalize at the start. Certain descriptions are also lacking: compared to forest and werewolf scenes that were perfect, the ones in the village felt a bit less so, with a lot of descriptions just being MC’s introspective thought process or character actions (but maybe it’s intentional that MC just doesn’t care to describe it, the story is in first person after all)

Creativity: Werewolves are a dime a dozen, but actively wanting to be furry-ized and live as a fluffy wolfie is new to me. The entry also links the transformation with the conflict of wanting to be free (and idk how common this is in tf stories, but it’s unique in my eyes). In war stories, I always have a soft spot for plots that cover the more mundane, to ignore the grandeur of victory or the fleeting loss but instead focusing on how that result impacted normal civilians. It’s not new either, but in a war story, there are only so many viewpoints to pick, and this is certainly more unique compared to others.

Rating: 5-5-5-4-5

(There’s not a lot of criticizing in the review but I just felt like I needed to gush about what I love in this entry lol)

P.S: I can be Abel’s good pup pls tf me too 😭