This is an interesting VN, one I quite enjoyed with some caveats. I’ll start by talking about what I really enjoyed. Something about the prose was really nice. It was very easy for me to read the story compared to other VNs which, while good, I have issues keeping my undivided attention on. It’s expressive and evocative while also remaining simple. I unfortunately got spoiled on the twist of the VN, which sucks because this and A Wolf In Charleston, which I intentionally spoiled myself on, were the only May Wolf 2026 entries I got spoiled on. Thankfully, I wasn’t aware of the plot details, and the way it was spoiled made me think the plot was going in a completely different direction, and the way I was expecting things to go would have been much worse than what we have now. While not abstract like a bunch of other entries in the jam, it is very atmospheric, with just three characters in one building, albeit with a sprinkling of flashbacks. It’s quite enjoyable seeing these characters interact with each other and seeing their dynamics unfold, as well as the small worldbuilding it has. It’s hard to describe it, but I like the vibe of the writing. Raimondo is my favorite character, just being a laid-back and confident guy, without the nihilism or bum aspects typical of examples of his archetype. The other two are less likeable, particularly Anna, but they’re still interesting in their own right. The plot is very much teenagers (well, young adults, but you get what I mean) being dumb and stupid, so if you don’t like that sort of scenario, this might not be for you. I didn’t mind it, though; however, I would be lying if I said this was one of the few instances where the VN would be better if the main conflict didn’t exist. The way Fede tells Anna his secret is probably the worst way he could have. Like dude, I get where you’re coming from, but time and place.
The sprites and CGs look very nice; Sikyu’s style has a nice way of looking loose yet cozy. The colors in the CGs look very pleasing and have a high amount of energy in their composition. Anna’s sprite does look very skinny, and her fingers are oddly thick compared to the rest of her body, but that’s just a nitpick. What’s not a nitpick, however, is the background used for the scene discussing the portrait looks fucking terrifying. It’s probably a real photo, but the weird thing is that the portrait looks nothing like what the text discusses. It’s not even supposed to be a photo; it’s supposed to be a painting. Why couldn’t it have been art edited onto the photo? Or even real-life animal heads photoshopped onto a painting? Anything would have been better than that fucking portrait. Okay, now that I got that out of my system, one last thing I’ll say about the presentation is that there’s a distinct lack of music. There are times when having no music would be better, but I think the lack of it was noticeable. Which is a shame because the presentation would have been an easy 5/5 if there was more music. Oh, well. Returning to the story, I think my main issue is how fast it wraps up near the end. It feels like every plot thread was either ignored or resolved hurriedly. That’s why I think this VN would have been better if it were about a bunch of friends dicking around in a mansion while reminiscing about their past.
And now I’ll talking spoilers, so if you don’t want to get spoiled, don’t click on the button below.
Spoilers Section (Click me to view)
Since I mentioned it before, I should probably clarify what I meant. I knew that Fede sucked Rai’s dick in the VN, and that Anna was a bit homophobic/biphobic, but I didn’t know anything else. I thought that the story was going to be the three hanging out together and Anna and Fede were going to do couple things and try to get together at the end. Then Rai spends some time with Fede alone, they enjoy their time with each other, they get frisky in the mansion, and then they fuck before Anna catches them, and then it ends with the three characters growing detached from each other. That would have been a lot less enjoyable experience than what we got.
I think the main issue I have with the plot is that the situation of the characters at the end is the same as the situation of them at the start, except Anna and Rai are now acquainted. Making a VN where the story starts and ends with a straight couple while the cute gay wolf boy is left alone in a space dominated by gay men is certainly a choice, but I feel like it could have been done more smoothly. The whole twist of the Lady being in love with someone else comes out of nowhere and seems to be a red herring, as I’m not sure how it relates to the main story. It seems to suggest that Anna and Fede aren’t meant to be, that Fede is actually in love with Rai, but that’s not what happens. My best guess is that it’s supposed to show that superstitions are silly and you shouldn’t let them take over your life, but I don’t know; something about that seems unsatisfying. I guess you could say that it’s supposed to represent that Fede can be a guy who has sucked a man’s dick before and still be the one for Anna, but that’s a stretch. Please, if you know what the Lady loving another person who wasn’t her husband is supposed to represent, let me know in the comments. Also, Anna just broke property of a tourist attraction; are we just not going to address that? Is someone going to get in trouble? It doesn’t matter that much, but it’s still annoying. It’s also not explained why Anna was unsure if she and Fede could be together when this happens before Fede tells her he likes men. Maybe she was unsure about Rai, but the VN doesn’t imply it. I also feel like it’s anti-climactic how she just forgives Fede. I mean, she just shouldn’t have been mad at him in the first place, but the switch just sorta happens. I like the concept of a guy confronting that he’s had experiences with men before, him wanting to be transparent with his girlfriend, and it not going over well, while also not ending up with the wish-fulfillment of him just ending up with the guy; I just think this VN tripped up in a few spots.
Despite my complaints, this is a pretty nice read, albeit with a slight sour taste with the ending. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys slower, atmospheric types of VNs.
Here are my category rankings since I didn’t get a chance to rate it during the rating period:
Writing: 5/5
Presentation: 4.5/5 (I would have given it 5 stars during the rating period)
Creativity: 4/5
Story: 4/5
Theme: 3/5