'The Wolf in the Wardrobe' is one of those really good allegorical coming-of-age stories, with inspirations drawn from stories like 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' and 'The Neverending Story'. The overall general package of the visual novel is clean and crisp, the art is great and sets up the fantasy vibe really well, especially when contrasting it with the 'normal-ness' that is the real world. The story sets itself apart from the previously mentioned references by being a tragedy rather than a hero's journey, which is an interesting twist on the genre. Thus, the crux of this story for the main character, is that this story is portraying the failure in the fantasy world of his own internal contradiction, but he uses that lesson to better himself as a person in the real world.
The major theme from this story is definitely centering around religion and beliefs, and how the strict teachings and threats of punishment can really mess with a growing kid's sense of self-worth and identity. I think the story does a really good job in making those 1-to-1 relations of the fantasy world and the real world: the strict father, the friend confidant, the idea that the fantasy world is an extension of the main guy's imagination, where he's able to will powers into existence, but also be trapped by his own feelings of guilt and self-doubt.
It was a bold choice to kill off the love interest wolf in order to give weight to the actions that the main character did in order to save himself. I can imagine that this might've had a similar a similar 1-to-1 relationship in the real world, and that this story was the main character's way of processing a scenario with his a human best friend where he hung his friend out to dry out of fear, and thus killing their friendship. At least, that's how I interpreted the text. At least in the epilogue, the main character takes this experience and allows himself to grow from it, even going so far as to use the story as a way to bring hope to the next generation with his YA novels. I like to imagine that's what the vision he has with his older wolf signifies, that he rewrote the story to allow him to live a happier life in his books.
The story does rely on the reader to make all these connections, and as a result, the 'as written' plot in the fantasy world and the quest that his wolf is on, does end up feeling arbitrary and hollow. I think that's where I feel that the chemistry between the main character and his wolf could've used a stronger foundation. The first that we see of the main character's lust for him is after a quest when he gets to feel him up and be actively attracted to his physicality, and the implication behind the wolf's lust for the main character does get a bit contrived in a 'convenient-time-to-have-the-main-character-confront-his-gay-feelings' kind of way. It makes me wish the scene where they're delving into a dungeon didn't start during the middle, and we were able to witness more of their dynamic, some more hints to the wolf's and human's suppressed feelings for each other.
The theme for 'light in the dark' I think does get communicated well in this one, but only just shows up in time for the epilogue. I never really got a sense that any of the characters act as a 'light' in a metaphorical sense. There's an interpretation that the dark of the wardrobe, is quite literally the main character being 'stuck in the closet', and it's through enduring a tragedy that he gains the strength to buck the religious doctrine he's been conditioned into. But I think the strongest example is in the epilogue where his stories become the 'light' for other youths, so that they can have the inspiration to make their own choices.
Overall, I rate this story quite high, as it plays around with familiar story structures, it has a tragic angle to it, the art and presentation is great, and there's a hint of saucy time with the wolf. Do I wish that it indulges more into his fantasy world? Yeah, but I can understand the introspective angle that this story wanted to take was a higher priority.