Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut

“The path of a cosmonaut is not an easy, triumphant march to glory, as some people make it out to be. You have to put in a lot of work, a lot of sweat, and have to get to know the meaning not just of joy but also of grief, before being allowed in the spacecraft cabin” - Yuri Gagarin The Cold War lived between two opposing blocs, the beginning of a space and arms race, the dangers of a possible nuclear war and its end in the early nineties inspired many writers, artists, cartoonists and the media to create different works that sought to explain,real or fiction, what was happening at the front (and in secret) between the United States and the Soviet Union. And although this war "ended" more than 30 years ago, many current works are inspired by some elements taken from the two political models, or from the occasional conspiracy theory that is usually drawn in this regard... Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu (Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut) tells the story from the point of view of Lev Leps, a young civil servant who would have been punished and relegated from his position as a candidate for cosmonaut after disobeying and beating a superior and, However, he is granted the opportunity to work as a tutor for N44 (whose real name is Irina Lumidesk): a vampire who was forced to leave her home to pursue her dream of going to the Moon. Irina, who is going to be subjected to mistreatment, discrimination and strange looks from officials in charge of the space race (Except Lev and Anya), shows at first with indifference to humans and then progressively becomes a more sentimental and emotional person with around him (And especially with his own tutor). This simplistic and perhaps silly premise is what perhaps some may not digest very well because it seems far-fetched. I mean, what's so special about adding vampires to a story about space travel? And what makes it interesting? Well, the point here is that the entire setting of the series is inspired by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (abbreviated USSR or Soviet Union) which leads many to want to see to what extent this program can satirize this state and the how can this be mere "anti-Soviet propaganda". However, this is neither satire nor propaganda. Irina is not trying to show us only negative aspects of this representation of the Soviet state, nor is it that you are looking for something more to it. However, what we will see are some real historical references within this fictional universe; includes the falsification of real information about the space mission, an explosion at a rocket factory, some names/aliases that would indirectly make references to different operations of the space mission, we could say that the discrimination towards Irina is barely 1% of what It was the Soviet repression of minorities because it also had concentration camps similar to the German one (This includes also Jews, homosexuals and people who was considered "mentally ill"; that it was actually an excuse for the Soviet government to incriminate and torture people who sought a reform or change in the communist model of the time), even if by the 1960s the gulags were abolished and replaced by psychiatric centers. Since its American equivalent, Arnarck's United Kingdom isn't shown here (in name only), we'll avoid talking and comparing "objectively" what the United States was compared to its Russian rival... Ahem… However, it isn’t only historical data and politics that is shown as the main topic. That’s in the background. Instead of an Orwellian story about totalitarianism, use that historical context to tell us a romantic story between two people whose origins and classes are quite different. It is like listening to the song "Nikita" and being delighted to know what happens with that forbidden love between two people who shouldn’t be related, and this is what happens in Irina. The main thing here is that the series combines and intersperses between drama and comedy (With romance in the middle), seeing how these two characters spend it together in the tests, walking around the city, drinking lemon soda, etc. An entertaining aspect of this is the main character Irina himself, who is often the subject of jokes between Lev and Anya (the scientist in charge of Irina) whose tsundere side will make the viewer amuse the "cute" side of the character (Prepare for some funny faces that this vampire will do in every episode of the show). However, she doesn’t remain an object of jokes, we will also see a development of her personality and background as information about her past, myths about vampires and the different situations that Irina has to go through with characters like Rosa, Ludmilla or the Vice-Director. Despite the fact that at first she shows to be indifferent to these mistreatments, we will see later how this affects her psychologically. And that is where Lev comes in, who in charge of Irina's life must also watch his back before any declaration or action he takes within the space mission. A kind and calm boy who seeks the integration of Irina with her comrades. However, it’s very remarkable and understandable how he, who committed a serious offense earlier, feels unable to help Irina when she is spun on one of the testing machines or when she is hit with a garlic necklace and insulted by the Vice-Director. There are people who can treat this character as soft and weak, however, would you be able to raise your voice to a high-ranking official in a country that is defined as authoritarian? Remember Franz when you watch this show. Despite that, Lev makes an effort to get to know the vampire more and show his support for every challenge she faces on her way to space which sometimes puts him in danger of being taken to a prison (Not to say gulag…). The romance between these two is beautiful, first of all because they both begin to talk naturally to each other progressively, which leads to both of them smiling and feeling the need to be closer together each time. Second, because they both begin to put aside their differences when it comes to where they came from (For Lev, that Irina was a bloodsucking vampire whose weakness was crosses and garlic; for Irina, that Lev was a disgusting human who would kill vampires). And thirdly, because the script of the show is made to sympathize with Irina. It’s clear that the show will develop a story based on the character, with which the viewer will say things like "I don't want Irina killed!" while the heart beats as the deadline for space flight approaches. Animation adds that special touch to the show. Although it doesn't stand out as much as other current productions, the sets and some details (like the Northern Lights) are well done and are a good sight for the eyes. Let us highlight, for example, the scene in which Irina dances on ice. However, not everything is perfect and that is why there are times where the animation seems to decline in the less relevant moments of the series. It can be strange that the best scenes have a high quality of animation while in scenes with only dialogue we see some inconsistencies in the movement of the characters or proportions. Fortunately, this is not necessarily a problem for the entire program. One thing that I would highlight is the soundtrack. Except for the Opening and Ending, the music used fits well into the sixties style, it feels relaxed. Outside of that, I would like to say that I was fascinated by the Opening Hii no Tsuki by ALI PROJECT whose composition and style closely resembles that used in the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni remake. The ending Arifureta Itsuka by Chiima is more of a pretty chill and cute pop ballad. Despite many notable things about Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut that it may have (and that it goes unnoticed in the anime community), there are also negative aspects with it: I really appreciate the elaborate worlbuilding done in this series, as I said above, I really like the settings and environment where Lev and Irina live. However, something that I could hardly understand was the alphabet used in this program (which is obviously inspired by the Cyrillic alphabet). Of course this is to add aesthetics to the show, but I wish it had a translated subtitle as well. It’s a minor problem, however, there are times when this alphabet is highlighted in some scenes, such as in a diagram where they show the connections of all the anime characters for example. The viewer may not understand what the text is saying if they are interested in knowing what it says there. Another aspect that the viewer may not be able to follow is the slow beginning of the program, uninteresting and somewhat boring, especially when at times it shows more politics than the main characters. Fortunately, over time, as we learn more about Irina and the space mission, we begin to understand and become interested in what may happen later. And another aspect, I repeat, is the animation that sometimes loses consistency in some scenes (Like the Vice-Director hitting Irina with a garlic necklace)... As you can see, Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is not exactly a totally perfect historical fantasy series and sadly goes unnoticed compared to other more popular anime. However, Irina isn’t satisfied with that and takes the most it can to make us enjoy each moment between the main characters in the story. I honestly had high expectations with this show because it was inspired by my favorite part of history and I’m satisfied with it. The voices of Megumi Hayashibara and Kouki Ichiyama performed very well and added essence to the personality of their characters. I didn’ notice anything else in their performances and their roles felt natural. So if you like the story, you can probably be offended by using an extinct country as the basis for a romance story, its inaccurate data, or something that sounds like "propaganda" to you. However, for those who also like history will be entertained by a romantic sixties-style story, historical references and nastoyka. So, comrade, prepare your uniform that Irina goes to the Moon!

Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu a.k.a Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is a show that if you'd ask me how can I recommend this series to anyone, I would say this: "Imagine if the actual "Man of the Moon" historical feat never happened with the US of A's Neil Armstrong's iconic "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." sentence. The Space Race during the Cold War happening between 1955 and 1975 is instead won by the USSR a.k.a the Soviet Union in the same but alternate historical time period, using not just animals but vampires instead." And this is exactly whatnovelist Keisuke Masano had in mind when he penned this sci-fi fantasy light novel, that sadly went under the radar, only to be forgotten and swept under the rug when this is all said and done. It's a shame really, because this series is actually quite unique, and something that I don't really remember seeing before on a wide spectrum, much less authors going out of their way to create something different rather than sticking to the run-of-the-mill stories that we see many too often these days. Really though, props to Keisuke Masano for being the one-in-a-million author to have a work that truly stands out in an intriguing fashion. And truth be told that Keisuke Masano actually did research on the whole Space Race topic of the conflict between the US and USSR, even going as far as to validate the point that mammals were used before sending humans into space, case in point: the US using monkeys and apes, while the USSR used dogs, specifically the first dog that was successfully deployed into space: Laika (that's where you understand why Laika exists in the title). And that's where the story begins: the space race set in the same time period of the 1950s between the alternate US vs. USSR (United Kingdom of Arnack vs. the Republic of Zirnitra a.k.a UZSR) to see who can get their subjects to space first, and their spaceflight experiment dubbed the Nosferatu Project, lies with their trump card: a test subject in the form of the vampire N44, otherwise better known as Irina Luminesk. And in order for her to sustain the growth of trainings until she's of perfect use, the human candidates going after her will supervise that growth, and one young cosmonaut by the name of Lev Leps is assigned to be her handler from start to finish. If you know anything out how the USSR a.k.a the Soviet Union operates back in this time period, it's that anything and everything goes in order to proclaim their superiority in any shape of form. And in this case, it's the usage of test subjects like Irina the vampire as their statement piece, and once they're done with them, their existence is wiped off the earth in favour of humans achieving their prosperity instead. It's definitely a cruel world to imagine how people were like living in the Soviet Union, much less if you're one of the military and/or candidate that witnessed the horrors of going all lengths to prove the possibility of making radical ideals. And Irina being a vampire, the popular legend that vampires prey on humans for their blood only solidifies those who abhor her presence, going as far as to have mitigating measures like cloves of garlic hanging around them to repel Irina's presence away from them. You can't really blame these people for having that claustrophobic mindset of a racist superstition in a time such as this, but harming Irina because of her vampiric roots is just going too far and being too harsh on her. And Lev overseeing her development for the Nosferatu Project is just like what a gentleman should be, protecting the girl from harm in whatever situations and circumstances. If anything, watch this show for the character development, because it's really engrossing. The main vampire lead Irina is a really nice character if you can dismiss most of her intended shortcomings. More than being a test subject, she is undoubtedly human as well, that is if you attach Lev to her side and showcase all of her vulnerabilities and obscenely cute and sweet moments between each other. Irina's origin lies that her parents were both killed in the World War, and that she has always been fascinated by the moon (Tsuki), and from there on, volunteers for the (Nosferatu) project because like the mammal counterparts (Laika), she also has the dream of being the very first being to reach space, even before humans do, at the cost of her own life. It's for this reason that her decision to enter the project comes at the price of being scoffed at by most of the military who deems her existence as a forlorn entity, and that's where Irina's dream would be substantiated by the young Lev Leps, who's a lieutenant in the UZSR's Air Force, whose dream is to fly as well. And oh look, the Nosferatu Project has a position for him to achieve his dream, and thereso sets the crossing of paths between vampire and human. Lev has a strong sense of justice and rebels against unreasonable things, which explains the irony of him protecting Irina when she is being forced to go on unsubstantiated training procedures that are deliberately set to push her limits to the breaking point. That same sense of justice is what is truly lacking in a lot of MCs in this day and age, and Lev really earns my thumbs up for standing up to the cruel amounts of abuse that she got, just because she is a vampire first and foremost. The 3rd party is Anya Simonyan, Irina's right-hand girl who is a researcher at the Biomedical Research Institute, who specializes in studying the biology of vampires, such as with the case of Irina recording her data to the further implementation and uses of the research institute. I know I shouldn't call Anya a 3rd party, but being the winggirl would be the best description to fit her stance because more than checking up on her, she can understand Irina and is not afraid to treat her in a friendly manner. It's like she's a comedy character meant to splice in-between the growing relationship of Lev and Irina, and for that alone, I really greatly appreciate her inclusion to break the mold even for a fair bit. I also know that I don't always try to pair ships in shows, but this is also yet another reason why this show is also quite good and deeply satisfying to watch. Watching both Lev and Irina be paired together from the start, there's lots of tulminous nervousness of how a vampire would react to a human that she has never seen before, only for the same baby steps to reconcile the mindset of the cooperation-turned-relationship between both vampire and human. Irina feels harsh from the get-go because of the preconceived microcosm legend that humans were the ones who burned vampires on the stake, and it largely affected how she would get along with someone like Lev, whom she didn't know would be an ally with or an enemy against her in the venture towards outer space. Thankfully, Lev's sense of justice keeps her afloat even at the worst of times, and seeing this relationship grow to expose Irina's vulnerable-but-sweet side of her to him is just an absolute delight. Examples like lemon soda (or seltzer) telling of the fact that she finds it salty, or that her constant pouts of jealousy that Lev isn't treating her like he should, Irina is just a sweet soul-satisfaction of a vampire girl that even Lev knows what triggers her innerd soul when it comes to love: blood-sucking, the equality of mere humans' tendency akin to kisses. Seriously though, Irina is a demi-human waifu worth protecting, and may the love between Lev and Irina last forever till eternity. The other characters which are the higher-ups of generals and majors all are just plot devices to reinstate the importance of getting Irina up in space by hook or by crook, no second chances are given if it fails, because the love for the motherland is priority before self indulgences. There're too many to account for steam-rolling around the central characters, except for some like Lev's comrades also vying for the position to be the first cosmonaut in space, so less importance is weighed on them until the time they're needed for action. This is Arvo Animation's second venture as a sole studio outside of the Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai a.k.a We Never Learn series, and while Summer 2020's Monster Musume no Oisha-san just looked incredibly cheap and mediocre, Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu is the exact opposite with the same decent animation but gorgeous visuals to boot, especially for such an unique series like this one. The visuals may look dull as heck, but the artwork is just on a whole other level that reminds me of how the modern day Soviet Union a.k.a Russia would actually look like, especially with scenes that point towards the sky out of symbolism. Really though, respect for the amount of work put into this work that's full of originality. Sound design is really well done too for the most part with ALI PROJECT's OP that gives a Final Fantasy-esque sound vibe to it, and Chima's solemn but blissful ED that just nudges my heart from deep within. When it call comes down to it, Keisuke Masano's Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu is a work of art that unless and heavily recommended, it's the epitome of a blasphemy of a total unknown. You most likely won't even budge an eye to see what is this series all about, even more so that the light novel itself hasn't really been fan-translated yet (I've heard that an English translation will come soon, but don't get your hopes all too great) and the target audience really wearing thin. That said, of all the shows in the Fall season, I really, REALLY, have to recommend this show because it's a dark horse and a total breath of fresh air over the many iterations and imitations of genres rehashed before. Try it, you might like it.

Communist Dracula. Flying through space and touching the stars is something everyone dreams of at one point in their lives, but did you dream about having your vampire girlfriend who sometimes wears a muzzle coming along for the ride? Irina: the Vampire Cosmonaut is another anime adaptation of a light novel which I will not sigh at because it is well written, interesting and unique in the light novel space. The space race is one of humanities most interesting events as well as controversial. Through a lightly distorted leans of historical fantasy where the USSR is the Federal Republic of Zirnitra and the USA is theUnited Kingdom (no relation to my country) of Arnack the show explores the dark and dirty side of the space race. Where the UKA might be using some alternative timeline version of Nazi scientists to build their rockets, the FRZ are planning on experimenting on and sending vampires. Irina is one of those vampires. A vampire who volunteered despite being taken from the mountains because she wants to go to the moon before humans defile it and it’s up to her handler Lev Leps to train her well enough to test pilot a rocket before Russi- I mean Zirnitra sends a human. I really love Lev and Irina. They both have fantastic chemistry and the romance that blossoms between the two of them is paced very naturally and satisfyingly. Lev is very kind, but not a wimpy light novel protagonist push over like you usually see. He’s solider and takes himself and his mission seriously. He has the desire to go into space as much as Irina who in contrast is stubborn, stand-offish and somewhat childish. We don’t spend much time with the rest of the cast expect for Anya who is a bit too much of a ganki cinnamon blob to fit into the communist, military regime and everyone else is either prejudiced and hostile towards Irina or aggressively competitive towards Lev. Though this does make it very satisfying to watch both Irina and Lev overcome their peers and show them up. The animation is also pretty polished. Characters look good and move well. There are some absolutely gorgeous back drops and scene settings for those characters to move in and the CGI animation was pretty well done when used. Vampire Cosmonaut was a surprise hit of the fall season which I really enjoyed watching week after week. A well paced and interesting story coupled with a convincing romance in a country of hammers and sickles isn’t something I ever thought I would say, but here we are… Also the animators LOVE mouths and lips. You know what I’m talking about. 9/10 Amazing.

Recommendation: A cute love story filled with nostalgia and old Soviet aesthetics, it's nothing revolutionary but a very pleasant watch overall. Story: The Soviet Union analogue USZR is going to be the first to send a person to space, but desperately wants to avoid international embarrassment by having them die in an accident with the world watching. Their solution is to send a vampire prisoner, Test Subject N44 AKA Irina Luminesk, into space first as an experiment, since she is near-human in physiology but considered closer to a dog than a human, so no one will miss her if something goes wrong. Lev Leps,a cosmonaut candidate who was demoted for righteously hitting a superior officer, is assigned as her handler and trainer. Irina hates and distrusts humans for very understandable reasons, but eventually opens up because of Lev's pure heart and their mutual love of space and the moon, and thus begins their romance. It follows a predictable-but-not-in-a-bad-way path, there really aren't a lot of surprises here, but the story is well told and Lev and Irina's romance is sweet and you'll be rooting for them to overcome the obstacles in their path. The romance in particular has an almost fairy tale quality to it. It's prone more to big, romantic set pieces, like ice skating under the aurora borealis while love songs play in the background, than a more grounded or typical romance series. If you're allergic to corniness, you might roll your eyes at some of these scenes, especially the ending, but it's a treat for pure romance lovers. Audio/Visual: The music is absolutely wonderful. The ED is one of the best of the season, the soundtrack is nice and jazzy in a comfortably nostalgic way, and the insert song selection is always perfect for the scene it's highlighting. The VA work is strong throughout as well, especially Hayashibara Megumi's work as Irina. Visually, inconsistent would probably be the best way to describe it. The direction is nice, if a bit *much* at times (Yokoyama Akitoshi really loves unnecessary camera rotations for dramatic effect apparently). The character design is mostly strong and the show looks decent, but it's very apparent that they were struggling with the budget. The CGI Earth when they're in space does not look good, and there's a lack of attention to detail that leads to embarrassing mistakes in some parts, like a scene where Lev rides off in a motorcycle but leaves his mouth floating in the air behind him. It's not as though it looks awful and many of the errors are small little easter eggs that you won't even notice unless you're looking for them, but it definitely could have been better. Characters: Lev and Irina are the main focus here, and their dynamic is very sweet and makes show work as well as it does. It's much easier to tolerate the corniness when these two are so perfect for each other. Lev's boyish naivete is his defining trait, he's just a big kid who wants to go to space, and he sees Irina simply as a fellow space lover and bonds with her over that while everyone else in Laika, the secret military town where the space program is being developed, is afraid of her or hates her. He quickly gets over his fear of vampires based on the propaganda he's heard and treats her as a human even after explicitly being ordered not to because he's simply incapable of treating her coldly. Irina, by contrast, is a full on tsundere. She talks often about how she hates humans and is only going along with this because she wants to beat them to space and tries to keep Lev at a distance at first, with little success. She's the good kind of tsundere though, where the gap between what she says and how she acts only serves to highlight her cuteness. An example is a scene where Lev gives her a bouquet of flowers, and Irina criticizes him for including too many different kinds and overwhelming her sense of smell, all while being unable to stop smiling in delight. In terms of the characters, there are only 2 real critiques I have here. One is the lack of focus on Lev's fellow cosmonaut candidates. What we get of them is good, and it feels like there is a lot left on the table in terms of developing them and getting to see them interact with Lev. At times it can feel like the focus on Lev and Irina is so powerful that the rest of the cast gets left behind. The other issue is Anya, who is fine for the role she serves in the story, but including a pink haired loli scientist with twintails in an otherwise pretty realistic setting feels incredibly out of place, and some scenes with her that are meant to be dramatic end up feeling kind of slapstick instead, like when a soldier slaps a pair of ice cream cones out of her hands.