DESCRIPTION

CAST

NOVEL RomanceTsuki to Laika to Nosferatu
MANGA RomanceTsuki to Laika to Nosferatu
MUSIC FantasyArifureta Itsuka

REVIEWS

• 

  Feedtheducks27

  90/100
  Maybe Vampires Arent so Bad (No Spoilers)

  This was honestly amazing, enough to say that I watched it all in 2 days, except for the last episode, which for me doesnt happen often.

  The story follows Lev and Irina, Lev a human who dreams of going to space, and Irina, a vampire who also dreams of going to space. They both will do just about anything to achieve that dream. Irina is going to be the first “person” in space, putting Russia in the lead. She will set the example for the humans who will come after her, and Lev is going to prepare her to do just that.

  

  ---

  Characters

  The characters for me were amazing, although I think just about every character is amazing. Sure they were your normal characters that you see in just about every anime, but Lev, Irina and the rest just felt a bit different. They were very well expressed and a lot of the stuff that you expected to happen, didn't. Like you know normally… a girl falls and somehow the dude moves at the speed of light and catches her…and they're instantly in love? Well at least in my opinion that didn't happen at all here, which was quite surprising. So I would say that there was definitely effort put into them, to make them different from your normal character, but they didnt over-do it, which was good.

  Story

  I liked the story quite a lot, the concept was really interesting and they did a job making it “come to life”. Space has always been quite an interesting thing for me, and I’ve always loved learning about it, so maybe I’m a bit biased. So while I would say there were some aspects they could have improved it was overall good. I was definitely expecting it to feel very rushed at the end, but luckily that didnt happen, and they did a good job keeping the pace of everything. I honestly especially liked the underlying romance, because while it wasnt a major theme, it was definitely there. And as the story progressed you could definitely see it playing a more prominent role but still not taking over the whole show which I thought was pretty nice.

  Music and Animation

  The animation wasnt anything too special. I was definitely hoping for more since like its space and all. So I mean it didnt really ruin anything, but it wouldve been better if they had better animation. The music on the hand was definitely pretty good. The ED was amazing and definitely fit the anime. The OP was pretty good too, although it didnt compare to the ED. And the regular music was pretty good too and for the most part they did a good job matching it with whatever was happening.

  Overall

  Overall I liked it alot, and its definitely one of my favorites and I hope the manga and LNs whenever I read them turn out to be just as good. While it could have had improvements I feel like it still matched what I was expecting which wasnt that low of standards. So I would say that a story like this was definitely worth my time and I have no regret of watching it.

  
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• 

  BeatleJews

  90/100
  Up there, in space, there are no borders...

  

  ---

  I still don't know what is the dividing line between being new to anime and being a seasoned watcher. I ask this to myself because I am sure once a person that has a long enough experience in the medium can hardly be surprised by the ideas and tropes that have become so prevalent in the anime industry. I for one, don't think I am close enough to being one of those people. I may know some of the tropes that hide behind some characters but still not enough to consider myself to be jaded by the medium.

  Why am I telling you this?

  Well, it's just my attempt at trying to give you an idea of how impressed I was left by Tsuki To Laika To Nosferatu. One would think that a premise equivalent to a 70s B-movie plot could NOT possibly have such a well constructed story and superb character dynamics like this show did; and I have been proven wrong. The premise in question just consisting of an alternate Cold War setting in the early 1960s in which vampires play an important part in the development of the space race between the East and the West. If this premise doesn’t sound ridiculous enough to you, I would like to make this review as a formal invitation to you, dear reader, to give this show a try and see for yourself what Tsuki To Laika To Nosferatu has in store for you.

  ---

  __THE PREMISE__

  As I said earlier, the show starts off by putting us from the perspective of the Republic of Zirnitra (the equivalent to the Soviet Union) and the Zirnitran space program as it tries to kick off the space race against the United Kingdom of Arnak (the equivalent to the United States) by putting the first cosmonaut in space. The twist here comes when the Zirnitran higher ups decide to make use of their minority population of vampires to use as test subjects through which they can safely put a human in space without going through the hassle that would imply failure in doing so without proper experience –you know, typical soviet tactics—. Among those few vampires we are introduced to one of our protagonists, the namesake to the english version of the anime's name; Irina Luminesk, played by none other than Megumi Hayashibara, one of my favorite seiyuus ever.

  

  We soon realize the amount of contempt Irina garners not only for the already obvious totalitarian nature of the Zirnitran state but for humans in general. In this world, as part of the writers intent of explaining how a sizeable minority of vampire people would look like; they take the time to set up the logic behind the vampire element. And, to their credit, it is all written in way seems believable while also playing on the common stereotypes that come to mind in regards to vampires. (consumption of blood, exposure to sunlight and so on) while also appearing grounded in reality.
  Almost in tandem we are also presented to our second protagonist; Leutenant Lev Leps (played by Kouki Uchiyama). Lev is characterized for being a centered yet idealistic individual with a strong sense of morality and care for those he considers dear. We must not forget though, that he has been drilled in the widespread habit of looking down on vampires and disregarding them as a cursed species, –less than human.
  It is with this mindset that Lev is expected to treat the newly aquired Irina, now renamed as test subject N44 of the top secret Nosferatu Project to experiment around the feasibility of putting a human in space.

  ---

  __THE CHARACTERS__

  If I had to choose a category that encapsulates the best things this show has to offer, it has got to be the strong leads we are given this time around. Without getting into spoilers, most of this show is about the daily training exercises that both Lev and Irina must go through to make the Nosferatu Project; and eventually the Zirnitran space program, –a triumph for the motherland. Tsuki To Laika To Nosferatu does a great job at setting up the background of our characters, their perspective about the sacrifices they have done and will have to do in order to achieve their mutual dream of going to space. Thanks to their shared struggle and similar goals we get to see the development of one of the most sweet anime relationships this season, if not of the entire year. There's not a single moment were that character development feels rushed or undeserved. Add to this the fact that there is a writing on the wall since the beginning of the show that the future of Irina's life is very much doubtful beyond the success of the Nosferatu Project, granted if she even survives it. Thanks to this uncertainty we see Lev's trust in his own government be put into question and get the gears in his head spinning about what he can do to spare Irina from her disposal not only of her, physically speaking, but also of her legacy as the world's first actual cosmonaut.

  

  ---

  __THE MUSIC__

  I really liked the music in this anime, not to even mention the opening by ALI PROJECT and ending by CHiMA which were simply phenomenal. The musical style very much tries to resemble the soviet era popular classical music that was pioneered by icons like Shostakovich. With lots of waltzy pieces and orchestral compositions to play into the whole "soviet" aesthetic that characterized the Zirnitran Republic. And, at the same time, give a bigger role to the theatrics around Irina and Lev's relationship as they slowly get closer.

  The ending also deserves an honorable mention for being both visually moving and an inmediate tearjerker thanks to the song Arifureta Itsuka.

  

  ---

  __CRITICISM__

  While it may seem that I am praising this show ad nauseam I did have some problems that in my opinion hindered this show from being better than it already was.

  One of them being the creativity, or lack thereof of the setting itself. I say this as someone who is familiarized with the actual historic events both internal and internationally that occured during the early years of the Cold War. Taking in consideration that this show throws the vampire element into this familiar world, I expected it to do more with it than we got in the end. Other than explaining how vampires work and are percieved by humanity; There's pretty much nothing in this world that isn't a direct equivalent of a historical fact or event. From the internal destalinization policies and political intrigue surrounding the Zirnitran Politburo to the overall aesthetics and policies of truth manipulation and propaganda that ran so rampant in the Soviet Union.

  

  A harsher critic would call this lazy writing.

  I prefer to play devil's advocate by accepting that the setting would've been better off by trying to do something more unique with the cards it had, I also have to agree that the main focus of the story was not to get us invested in a world oozing with details but the development of our protagonists and, in that sense; I think the setting did a good job of playing as an effective backdrop to some great character drama. But enough talk about the setting, this is an anime review not a god damn history lecture. Moving on...

  The only other aspect of this show that left me wanting more was the development of the side characters. During most of the show's run they are kept pretty one dimensional mostly thanks to the Lev and Irina character arcs taking center stage. It took two thirds of the anime for it to start fleshing out some of the most relevant side characters like Anya, Mikhail or Roza. The development we got was a welcome surprise because, to be frank, I was really expecting them to stay like that until the end. However, I can only say that it was too little development too late.

  

  ---

  __FINAL THOUGHTS__

  Tsuki To Laika To Nosferatu was a ride I am very glad I took, it made me feel a lot of things, it got me very engaged with the character drama and thematic elements of space exploration and the instinct-like desire of wanting to leave a mark on this planet as a proof that we existed not only as a member the human species but also as individuals with goals and dreams we can call our own. I think it is a damn shame that this show got so mercilesly overshadowed by the bigger players in the season of Fall 2021. Mushoku Tensei and Eighty Six, are incredible works of art in their own rights, but we cannot forget that this show; much like Irina Luminesk, deserves to be remembered just as much.

  The fact that I decided to write a review about this show in particular and not of the more mainstream shows out there should be a testament of the potential that hides beneath this story, and, also of my wish to see more volumes of the Light Novel animated in the same quality and better...

  Without further ado I would like to celebrate this great achievement with _kholodets_, while giving everyone involved my thanks.
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• 

  HMashiro

  85/100
  An excellent romance anime set in an under-used era of space race set in a fictional USSR.

  (°ロ°)! MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD!!!

  Note: TLDR at the very bottom.

  Story - 85

  Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is set in the space race era with the Republic of Zirnitra (based on the Soviet Union) and the United Kingdom of Arnak (based on the United State). Irina Luminesk, a vampire was selected to be a test subject before the first human space flight with Lev who was to train and supervise her.

  The world-building is nicely done with explaining stuff like vampires and how humans thought of them or how vampires thought of humans. Things like racial discrimination against vampires, the length the military goes to cover up events and falsification of information. All of this makes the anime world more believable and also in line with how USSR operated back in the day.

  The anime by all means is not a propaganda piece, It is more about the story of Irina and Lev who are both space nuts. Although some event in the story is kept accurate to historical reference (e.g. Laika first dog in space), the author has also taken the liberty to change things to make the story interesting.

  The romance between Irina and Lev is also progress in a natural way. The shared struggles between the two and similar goals make their relationship progress naturally with a lot of wholesome moments. Romanticist elements such as ice skating under the beautiful night sky are included too.

  

  The anime shows the amount of intense training and struggle that a person has to undergo to become a cosmonaut. The amount of competition that exists between the candidates are also showcased.

  The anime also manages to keep me on edge when Irina as days get closer for her rocket to launch into space. Knowing the space tech in that era, the rocket is not exactly the safest thing around and I was praying hard that Irina can return to Earth safely.

  To make matter worse, Irina might be disposed of like some animal after the space flight her over and that is another thing that makes me worry about Irina throughout the anime.

  The balance between politics, space-related topics and romance is perfect. The pacing is excellent, I was worried the ending might be rushed but it ended perfectly. The space race era is an under-utilized theme in anime and the way the romance elements are told is quite a treat.

  Character - 85

  The character development and interaction are the best part of Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut. Irina, Lev and Anya all make the anime so much better to watch.

  

  Lev is the chad of the show. A person with a strong sense of justice. A lieutenant at UZSR’s Air force who got disqualified from being a candidate to go to space because he hit his superior officer. In charge of Irina training and supervision, Lev treats Irina as a person and not an object as others do.

  Irina is a cute vampire who is obsessed with going to space and the moon. She doesn’t care much about being frowned upon by humans or treated like dirt, as long as she got the chance to go to space. She got a bit of a cute tsundere side to her, is stubborn and sometimes childish.

  

  What makes the anime so lovely is the character dynamic and romance between Lev and Irina. Their relationship starts off in caution mode. On Lev side, the propaganda state that vampires are blood-sucking monster. For Irina, all humans are murderers.
  Despite the cautious start and the difference in personality, the chemistry between Lev and Irina is just beautiful. They both put aside their differences and bound naturally. The progression of their relationship is paced naturally and is totally satisfying to watch.

  Lev trains Irina well to make sure she can return back to earth safely even though he might not be chosen as a candidate again, he wishes to see Irina able to get to space. When Irina return from space and Lev got re-initiated as a candidate to go to space, Irina want Lev to be chosen and take the path she have paved in front especially for the rocket development.

  

  Irina become really cute when her relationship with Lev got closer too. Showing her vulnerability and her cute side. Moreover, never knew getting blood-sucked by a vampire romantic, where is my cute vampire girl at?

  Anya is the best winggirl for Irina and Lev. She is another character who treated Irina well. She works as a researcher at a biomedical lab and is assigned to study Irina’s physiology.

  Art & Animation - 70

  The general art and animation are pretty solid. It is not anything special that will make it stand out like high budget animes but it held its own. The overall aesthetic gives a strong feeling that this is set back in the 1960s fictional USSR making the anime more immersive.

  The character arts are pretty decent. They go for a more realistic design thus Lev design might seem a bit plain but his personality made up for it. I like how Irina is designed and her eyes are also very pretty. However, Anya design with her pink hair seems out of place for the era the story is set in.

  Background arts are also above average. Whatever they got on screen got good texture and a decent amount of detail to them. From time to time we are treated with gorgeous shots. E.g. When Irina did ballet dance while ice skating under the night sky or the Northern Lights that look really pretty.

  

  CG is used on vehicles and spaceship but they blend quite well with the hand-drawn art and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
  However, there are drops in art quality but usually, those are in less important moments. The CG of Earth from space doesn’t look as good too.

  Sound - 80

  Both the opening and ending song fit into the 60s themed anime. They are both great songs, but I dig the ending song more. The opening somewhat gives out a USSR-ish feeling with a bit of Dracula mixed in. The ending song is chill and gives out a very comfy vibe.

  The studio nailed the background music to give a 60s feel. All the jazzy pieces fit into the theme of the anime, and to add to that, they also nailed the USSR-like music.

  

  Special shout out to the jazz piece that plays during romantic moments and the vocal piece that plays in special moments. They are both really gorgeous songs.

  Sound effects are also present in places that should be present. Such as when riding in the truck, there is shaking noises of the truck. The sound of a rocket launch also sounds powerful.

  Voice acting performances are excellent and the voices naturally fit into the role and personality of their character.

  TLDR:
  An excellent romance anime set in an under-used era of space race set in a fictional USSR. Accompanying it is a beautiful sound design and character progression that feel very natural.

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