Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu

Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut. Just the title lets you know this is going to be a weird one. I went in having absolutely no idea what to expect, but I was still somehow disappointed by this one. I’m going honest and upfront. This isn't very good. Brought to you from the director of Cutey Honey Universe and a first-time writer, this is an alternate history version of the space race told through the perspective of the Soviet Union. Isn’t that literally just the plot of Royal Space Force? Gainax already did that shit in 1987 during the Cold War. Irina adds one new element to the formula by adding vampires. What do vampires have to do with space exploration? Absolutely nothing. However, Irina wants to preach a message about racism and does so in the most tone deaf, incompetent way possible. When we first meet the vampire girl Irina, she is being used as a test subject by the Soviets. She has fangs and must sleep in a coffin, so you would think the portrayal of vampires will be somewhat traditional. Instead, we learn that vampires don’t have any magical powers. They don’t attack humans or drink blood. They’re just a hated and oppressed ethnic minority who happen to have fangs and sleep in coffins for no reason. During the Bubonic Plague, vampires were falsely blamed for poisoning wells and were hunted down in pogroms. After that, the vampires lived in isolated communities and over hundreds of years many racial myths and negative stereotypes were created about them. This is seriously the route the anime goes in! They basically just made the vampires a stand-in for Jews. It's not subtle about this at all. We’re told that vampires are just a harmless minority early on, but the same researcher who tells us this still hates vampires for no reason and is completely ok with killing them in medical experiments. In the world of Irina, the leading Soviet officials and most of their scientists still believe medieval era myths about the vampires for some reason. Myths that any semi-educated person would have stopped believing centuries ago in a world where vampires are real. That would be like in our world if all the Soviet Union’s top scientists in 1960 believed that Jews have horns and that’s why they wear yarmulkes. Despite showing the space race from the Soviet POV, this anime is Red Dawn levels of anti-Soviet. Every Soviet character besides “nice male MC harem lead” is an evil bastard. They want to use Irina as a guinea pig and make her the first person in space, then kill her and send an ethnic Russian into space. This is not only stupid, but incredibly tasteless and insulting to the first cosmonauts who risked their lives for human progress. Why would you shit on some of the greatest heroes in history? The answer is simply to tell a monster girl story. Remember Monster Musume and how it tried to have this shoehorned anti-racism message? Only the MC is nice to the monster girls, while everyone else is ridiculously horrible to them. Elfen Lied is also kind of guilty of this admittedly. This would be fine in a purely fictional setting, but Irina goes out of its way to use real historical figures where only 1 letter in their name is changed and directly reference real historical tragedies like the Nedelin Disaster of 1960. It wants the audience to think this is basically a 1:1 retelling of the space race only Soviet minorities have been replaced with monster girls. This is especially problematic since the CIA ran a propaganda campaign in the 1960s that the Soviets constantly went through cosmonauts like tissue paper and only achieved historic firsts because they cruelly threw away the lives of their explorers. To back this up, an Italian plant produced faked recordings of Soviet cosmonaut death screams that he somehow recorded off a ham radio. These were later found out to be forgeries. It is absolutely true that the Soviets rushed frantically to achieve their goals and covered up 2 high casualty events that were only discovered later, Nedelin being one of these. Unsurprisingly, the Soviets were not purely innocent. However, they didn't constantly go through cosmonauts, which would be highly impractical considering the time and resources required to train them. The Soviets also never put a self-destruct bomb into their landing capsule in order to prevent the Americans from discovering the easiest part of space exploration and kill their own guys in the process. They also didn't use fatal medical experiments on ethnic minorities. On the other hand, NASA was very confident about survival data such as the exact time humans can survive in zero pressure. That's because NASA had some pretty bad dudes working for them such as notorious war criminal Hubertus Strughold. A man whose best friend was executed at Nuremburg for doing the same experiments. While the Soviet Union did a LOT of bad things during its history, the Soviet space program was one time they were actually the loveable underdogs. They used their own scientists unlike the US, who kissed some a-SS and made a deal with the devil in order to win. The Soviets started from behind and had a small fraction of the money and resources, but miraculously achieved some of the finest feats in the history of engineering. Yet, here we have an anime that wants to repeat propaganda from the Cold War, completely ignore all wrongdoing by NASA, and portray the Soviets as stupid, brutish monsters. All so it can tell a Monster Musume style love story. Fuck this anime. When it isn't being clumsy and totally pointless propaganda, Irina does have some sweet moments. If you like Monster girl stories, the romance between Irina and Lev is serviceable. There are some sweet scenes here and there like Irina going ice skating where the anime is allowed to be kind of good. The show also makes a last-minute decision to reveal some of the Soviet scientists were good guys and have them rebel against the Kremlin. So, in the last episode, it decided to not character assassinate Sergei Korolev. The source novels aren't actually finished BTW, so this was an anime original ending. Whoever wrote the anime at least made a last-ditch effort and I'll give him credit for that. I even raised my rating by 1 based on the last episode alone. Sadly, as a space exploration story, Irina really isn't very good. It's not even comparable to an anime like Royal Space Force or Space Brothers. Both of which are excellent. The monster girl romance detracts from the space focus and the series often veers either intentionally or through sheer ignorance into pretty hateful territory with its historical portrayal. As a monster girl story, it also doesn't work because it's weighed down by its need to tastelessly reference real life tragedies like the Nedelin launch failure that killed around 300 people. It's not quite as bad as when the writer of the Sonic comics tried to tell a 1:1 Holocaust parallel with overly sexualized echidnas, but it's pretty tasteless. So, would I recommend Irina? I'm going to have to go with no. I thought the premise was unusual enough that it had some potential. I don't normally watch seasonals while they air, but Irina hooked me with its bonkers plot alone. As I've covered in this review, the execution leaves much to be desired. It's possible a lot of the problems present in this 12 episode anime aren't quite as bad in the LNs. I've not read them, so I can't say who is to blame for Irina's issues. Unfortunately, this rocket never quite achieves orbit.

“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 whe…

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 what novelist 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 …

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 the United 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.

Welcome to M1c3f's condensed Anime review. I'll be giving you all the necessary information about a show in just a few sentences and a following recommendation. Today featuring: Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu (TLN) First and most important to know: TLN's main purpose undoubtedly is meant to be round earth propaganda. The female lead is a cute tsundere vampire. The story plays in a cliche anime version of the USSR. It picks up antisemitism in a metaphorical way. I felt twilight vibes even though I haven't seen any movies or read books about the series which felt awkward. The show being a drama has an ok dramatic narrative. Featuring a "love that is not meant to be" story. The plot has as many deep holes as the moon has craters. The story is flat and unentertaining because there are no visible tension arcs. Progressing overall doesn't feel rewarding. The main characters lack ... character because: Irina is a generic female lead due to her cliche tsundere characteristic with extremely predictable behavior and development. - She however has a somewhat fleshed-out backstory. - As well as a reasonable and understandable drive and determination. Lev is by any means not a good character because: - His actions and traits cant be traced back to a backstory or specific attributes. - He is as stiff as a tree. He barely changes throughout the season. - He acts explicitly as it is expected in a bad, lame kind of way. The Character and world design are not fitting to the setting and narrative. It's too clishe anime'ish. It features a high quality OST that makes some scenes really enjoyable. Recommendation?: Not my cup of tea, but I can see some points that might make the show likable to the right audience. Particularly the original narrative. However, I do not recommend it unless you have a tsundere vampire fetish. My score: Story: 2.9 Characters: 3.8 Animation: 5.2 Sound: 8.9 Enjoyment: 3.5 Overall: 3.9 (Also refer to my profile for scoring criteria)

When I read the description of "vampires in space" I knew I had to watch this one. Something so wonderfully stupid just had to be entertaining. On some levels it was, but it really dropped the ball in the second half. Let's look at our main characters first. Protagonist-kun wants to go to space, and that's where his character development begins and ends. But, and here's the twist, the vampire girl also wants to go to space. Stunning and brave. I really thought they'd be able to come up with more for these characters to do or some more personality traits beyond the bog standard rom-com couple is forced to spend time together doing something they both enjoy and we're somehow supposed to be surprised they fall in love. These cheesy setups are fine in isolation, I just would have liked too see something a little better suited to the ludicrous tone of space vampires. It's played so straight for something that should be so silly. The ending is where it really lost me. They played up that blonde lady as being some sort of big bad the whole season and the old communist leader guy as being a communist, so you know... evil. When they have a sudden change of heart at the end about vampires and humans living together it seemed too jarring. These guys are clearly evil so what's their angle? Why would an evil communist regime suddenly be preaching open borders for vampire immigrants and racial equality for our new bloodsucking allies? Why would they want to dilute the gene pool of the nation's populous with such a volatile race of potentially violent heathens. The more I thought about it the stranger I found it that the government wanted one of their star cosmonaut candidates to spend practically all of him time isolated and alone with a cute vampire girl around his age who shared his passion for space. They had to have known exactly what they were doing, essentially creating a breeding program for race-mixing with vampires by setting the wheels in motion for this romance to form. A government that views it's citizens and especially it's military as nothing more than objects, subjects to be used and then tossed away, would surely have no qualms about manipulating emotions in such a way. When viewed from this angle the show suddenly becomes an incredibly based indictment of real world communism and how quickly it turns to globalism, establishing itself as progressive while seeking to subvert society and mix races down to a single homogeneous and inferior kind with no culture and no history, and therefor no future. A mutt race that is neither human nor vampire, inheriting only the worst traits of each until there is nothing of value left all the while a secret elite ruling class maintaining it's own selective breeding to foster a false sense of superiority over the ones which they deem to control. But, uh... where was I? Oh yeah the anime. All that is obvious head-cannon brought on by my jaded outlook on real world politics, I don't think the story had nearly that many interesting things to say, but coming up with that bit of fiction as I watched the final moments of this hot dumpster fire of an anime was far more entertaining than just going along with the boring ending they lined up. But the fact that I was able to view this art and extrapolate that silly story out of it maybe means that it's a secret masterpiece? I don't know, I'm going to go with my gut and say it's nothing special. 7/10

The anime is so cute and tired. I like how it treats the space race between the United States and Russia very well. It's a good compilation of history and they put it together with a vampire girl who wants to be an astronaut. I love how they handle the story the main character as you want, you love him, you want everything in life to go well for him. The animation quite well and the soundtrack also the character design is well done. I would have liked it to be more romantic because there are scenes where you say, tell him that you like him and give him a kiss, they end this suffering. But hey taking that out is a very entertaining and cute anime. En español: El anime es re lindo y tireno. Me gusta como trata muy bien la carrera espacial entre estados unidos y rusia. Es una buena recopilacion de historia y la juntan con una chica vampiro que quiere ser astronauta. Me encanto como manejan la historia el protagonista principal como lo queres, lo amas queres que todo en la vida le salga bien. La animacion bastante bien y la banda sonora tambien el diseño de personajes esta bien hecho. Me hubiera gustado que sea mas romantico porque hay escenas donde decis dale decile que te gusta y dale un beso terminen con este sufrimiento. Pero bueno sacando eso es un anime muy entretenido y lindo.

*Spoilers ahead* This is a show which is rather different than usual. On one hand, at its core, its really not that special. The story is based on real event, except it takes place in an alternate universe/world/reality where the alphabet and names of everything are different, but factually everything is exactly the same as the cold war era. Well, aside vampires (that are also different to normal vampires in most regards). The documentation of soviet cosmonaut training and launch isn't something too exciting, unless you're a space and/or history nut, and isn't handled too well here either, despite the addition of a semi cuudere and tsundere immature vampire waifu. Some more things that where added are the discrimination against said vampire and the vampire race, a PROPER non positive portrayal of the soviet union for what it was (an oppressively, dictatorial regime where people could disappear if they said something against the government, etc), and a double launch, which is also not within the realm of possibility because due to the document purges, there may have been many more cosmonauts that where lost and we'll never know, just like many more things from the period. Speaking of document purges and vampires, through them it also mentions the various PEOPLES purges the soviet union did... Though i'd feel it'd be better done without vampires in the mix. So, if the story isn't exactly special, too memorable or impressive, what makes it any good then? Well first of all, as i mentioned before, the negative portrayal of the soviet union, which is something very welcome in a time where communism/socialism is on the rise, is being whitewashed and has been growing in popularity for decades despite being a murderous regime one could argue rivaled the Nazis. And i say that as a Russian, who heard and collected plenty of facts and stories both from historical documents as well as their friends and family. +1 Secondly, it deserves credit for its historical and cultural authenticity, which is something i see in anime very rarely outside of the things related to Japanese culture. I don't know if they fished for it all bit by bit when they made this show or the source material, or called some actual Russian people to be consultants, or the writer themselves is part Russian, but pretty much everything on screen falls in line with my youth in Russia, my family's stories, and old soviet films to a very impressive degree (maybe aside how well they where fed, but that's negligible, it also didn't quite show the relative poverty and deficit of EVERYTHING people faced, but that wasn't really the subject anyway nor where normal people's lives touched upon), to the point it'd make a Russian feel somewhat nostalgic, even if they do hate the Soviet union and/or the current state of Russia (if they don't live there). +1 So that totals out to 5.3+1+1, final score - 7.3. But objectively it might deserve a little less because i realize i can be somewhat bias on the historical and cultural factors being from my country of origin and its past, still, not by much (7-7.1) since i do believe cultural and historical accuracy is quite a great thing because you get to see differing habits, rituals, realities and cultures, making things quite different and adding extra flavor, as well as breaking the staleness of Anime (and other media) being culture locked to its own country's habits, tropes and ways. Not that you see THAT much of that here (certainly not behavioral differences), but enough of everything else to be impressive Still, overall it wasn't too special nor memorable, and just SOMEWHAT entertaining, so only SEMI recommended.

"The Vampire Cosmonaut" has a very high purpose from the moral point of view: a reflection on the importance of equality and the absurdity of the concept of race, creating a parallelism between people considered "inferior" and the vampire species, despised and segregated due to the negative propaganda they suffer from humanity. The purpose has been objectively achieved: during the show we see that our protagonist is abundantly denigrated, so much so that she is considered a simple object on which to experiment, and, subsequently, some merits are recognized, as in any story about episodes of racism. . From a human point of view, however, the story completely lacks those characteristics that are necessary for the transmission of ideals, such as empathy with the characters. In the next paragraphs, the reasons for my criticisms will be adequately explained. STORY (6/10): The story takes place within a communist-style dictatorial system, similar to the former USSR. We can therefore imagine the abuses that are made to keep power stable within this state: in addition to this the state is in strong contrast with the Kingdom of the United States, a state with a strong capitalist imprint, and both are involved in what we now consider the "space race". To advance with the progress, Zirnitra decides that an ordinary soldier, assisted by a young specialist, must train a vampire to secretly prepare for the first launch with an intelligent living being in space. Thus begins the vicissitudes of the show, letting us know the ambitions of the characters and the evil of hatred: however, unlike what we can expect, these are the only aspects within the story, as everything else is completely neglected and/or left to the viewer's imagination. With the continuation of the story, however, the theme of politics and its morality is developed, through intrigues hidden from all to the last and their unlikely consequences. Despite this, history proposes realistically, the difficulties and attempts that have been made by all those who, in reality, have contributed to this eternal enterprise. CHARACTERS (5/10): The big lack of this anime is the empathy with the characters. They, in addition to being flat, have an incomprehensible mentality, as if their actions were created for the sole purpose of continuing the plot, which follows a rigid order of cause and effect, and is not performed by their own choice if they had been real. The possible love affair, which could have been an immense mine of possibilities to create a minimum of interest in continuing this show, is practically abandoned to itself, to the point that it is left incomplete and almost completely hidden. However, some secondary characters can skillfully move the ranks of the story, maintaining a certain level of suspense until the last episode, in which different plots are revealed. ANIMATIONS AND SOUNDS (6/10): The drawings are well done and manage to convey a certain realism, even if the music is not particularly impactful. OVERALL AND TO WHOM I RECOMMEND IT: The anime was developed superficially from the point of view of the plot and the characters, despite the beauty of the historical background that is associated and the important themes discussed: I was quite disappointed with the final results, as can be seen in the length of this. review, which is synonymous with little interest. I don't feel like recommending it to anyone, but it might vaguely interest fans of the subject.

Going into the Fall 2021 Season, I would have never thought an alternate history fiction about a Soviet Vampire going to space will be my Comfy Anime of the Season, but here I am. In spite of its oppressive setting, or maybe even because of it, Tsuki to Laika has been a light and enjoyable viewing experience. One thing the show makes it abundantly clear even in the first episode, is that the Vampire/Dhampir are a catch-all for assorted prosecuted races and ethnicities in the Soviet Union/USA. The show being hard historical fiction with relatively accurate depictions of the Soviet Space program came to me as a surprise. The show doesn't shy away in its depiction of racism, but I would still say it does a reasonable job at portraying its setting without being overly heavy handed. The plot is nothing special, it really just is the early days of the Soviet Space Program with some liberties taken here and there to account for the romantic drama between Lev and Irina. But what truly sells the show are its characters. Placing an otherwise typical Boy-Meets-Girls type romdram inside the Soviet Union does set up a lot of interesting situations you don't normally see in other similar shows, and seeing how the main characters work around or work within the constraints of an oppressive setting such as this makes you root for them even more. And it really is surprisingly comfy despite all this. Not everyone is a monster and the characters all have multiple facets to them, and it is heartwarming to see the team warm up to Irina's successes despite her ethnicity. The moments of respite that Lev and Irina have together are all the more valuable because of the setting, when they have to put up a front almost all the time, it makes the few genuine moments where they can be themselves all the more important. While the show is really lacking on the visual department, and it can look rough a lot of the time, it more than makes up for it with its stellar soundtrack. Special note goes to that jazz piece that plays during all the romantic moments, and that one vocal piece they play occasionally in the plot important moments. Tsuki to Laika is a cute romance, but being set in such an underused setting allows it to distinguish itself from most romantic dramas out there. Do give it a shot if you want something different in your romances, or if you're itching for some early Cold War historical fiction. 6/10

It's very rare to see an anime about vampires that has sci-fi elements nowadays. Both genres are like oil and water, genres that aren't supposed to be mixed together. So after saying all that, is this anime that unique with a rare genres combination? Not really. It's pretty much has the same beats as other 69420 romance anime. What's the point of watching this then? Well, I can at least say that watching this anime won't waste your time. The story is decent but it's unique, like I said before, having sci-fi elements and vampires. But it's mostly a sci-fi anime about the first vampire who goes to space (step aside Yuri Gagarin, we now know who the actual first person to go to space lol). It's romance element is predictable but it's pretty well-done in my opinion. There was build-up and satisfaction for their relationship, so it's not bad. There's also some well-done themes about discrimination, although it was handled well at the beginning, it was kinda thrown away to the sidelines during the latter half of the season. Which really hampers down the potential of this anime because it really cheapens the overall tone of this anime. A shame really. Moving on, the characters are also decent. Some of the characters got the short end of the stick and got shoved to the sideline and had their development done either rushed or off-screen. The main cast though, while not the most well-written nor well-developed, are good characters. Especially Irina who developed so much in this season. The animation is decent. It had some good animation sprinkled out there, but the majority of the scenes have some really iffy off-model characters here and there. The art is good though. The music is good. Especially the ost. The opening and ending are decent. Overall, it's a decent romance anime. My only real gripe (aside from the characters) is that it should've another episode and not just ending it in 12 episodes. It was pretty rush and it's a shame. Still an anime that I recommend though. (6.2/10)

What is this anime? Vampire girl is abducted to be a test-flight experiment to make sure a space flight is safe before humans go into space. MC is her instructor and is cool dude. He tries to get her safely into space and back, while also trying hard to make sure he's the first human in space. Did I enjoy it? It surprised me. From beginning to end it kept me entertained and wondering what would happen next. It's sad that the romance aspect of the show wasn't travelled more, but it is nice as it is. It ends on a good note where, while it could continue, it leaves me perfectly satisfied as to where it left off.

Irina the Vampire Cosmonaut is basically a treat for all the history buffs out there who also manage to think of the "what if" scenarios of the pasts, like when the USSR won the space race against the USA. Here are my Ratings for this show Story is 6/10- Basically established a solid plot but its not bad but its not special either. Art 9/10- Eye Candy to the eyes especially the MOE character design of Irina, Anya and other female characters. Sound 9/10- Want a fictionalized USSR themed OST? you can listen it here and reminisce the past glory of the great USSR! Character 6/10- I'll give it a 6 since most of the character development mostly focus on Irina and Lev. But fair enough for other side characters to be involved, but like what I've said character focus is on the two main characters. Enjoyment 10/10- Vampire cosmonaut is the dessert of my evening course during monday. After watching first the interesting, lighthearted comedy merouko followed by a drama heavy Moshouko tensei, and ends with Vampire Cosmonaut will help you sleep at night because of the calmness of the ambiance of the show. Overall 8/10- Very good anime, although underrated as it's overshadowed by the Giants of the Season which are Jobless Reincarnation, Meruko, Komi and 86.

Irina the Vampire Cosmonaut is a romance story, written in parallel to the real history of the early space race. It makes many changes, such as giving countries, places, and people different names (ie USSR > UZSR), not to mention the Vampire twist. Our main characters start out very distant from one another, growing closer over time while crossing hurdles in the government and people for the goal of being the first people in space. The animation is sometimes inconsistent, occasionally being uncomfortably detailed or approaching chibi levels of simplicity. The soundtrack is nothing memorable, but not bad. The story started to get a little cheesy at the end, turning into an overly simplified fairytale ending in a world which was never fairy-tale like. Overall I enjoyed this, and recommend the anime to viewers who like romance and history with a theme of space-race action.

This incredible gem is egregiously underrated. At first, I thought the premise would be stupid since it's a romance between a human and a vampire, but they both are trying to be astronauts and want to go to space. The art is very beautiful, and the music is fitting. HOWEVER, only other than the cheesy song they played for the jazz scene, it was not cringey at all! It's a super sweet and slow burn romance but nevertheless still very rewarding to watch. Definitely recommend. Wish there would be a season 2, but I highly doubt there will be. Plot: 8/10 Characterization: 8/10 Art: 8/10 Music: 7/10

Story/characters: The premise to Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut is outlandish and watching this series requires one to suspend their disbelief over the idea of inserting a vampire on an otherwise realistic storyline. Not everyone can achieve such a feat and this premise is bound to turn people off. It was not an issue for me as I have learned anime can get a little wacky and hey! So long as all the craziness is provided right at the start, I am willing to give it a go! If you can overcome that obstacle then you will be surprised at how closely this series follows real events of the space race. This adherence to facts is made clear in the first episode as we are told the true fate of our unfortunate dog Laika who perished early on in her Sputnik-2 voyage. These little details are not limited to this fact however and if you play close attention to events and characteristics of certain individuals then you will find there are startling similarities to their real-life counterparts and events making this a series most suitable for space anoraks who are aware of all the finer points in the space race. As such outside some big creative decisions this is largely a hard science fiction story so don’t expect any glaring departures from reality outside the big elephant (vampire?!) in the room. Due to this realism a lot of the early episodes in this show are devoted to Irina’s cruelling training regimen that as time progresses gets increasingly harsh. Again, many of the events seen here are stuff the real cosmonauts did before flying into space. Now the concern many will have with “training” episodes is they are often dull affairs that are a necessary evil to watch before getting to the good stuff. Fortunately, this isn’t the case here as much of the training is used effectively to capture Irina’s growth and subsequent development for she doesn’t just grow physically but mentally as well as the trials and tribulations cast a spotlight on her various strengths and weaknesses. This arduous journey also enables her main handler to slowly develop a teacher-pupil relationship that naturally goes from a relationship of relative distrust to that of mutual respect. It happens slowly but is done in a convincedly manner as the way Irina overcomes her weakness is tackled in a believable way adding potency to the budding relationship. Naturally as the big day slowly approaches the drama escalates as a number of events are thrown in adding a sense of unease to the overall show. On top of that, various ominous hints concerning certain characters are dropped. All of this is then underscored by the fact many of the characters vying for glory are ruthlessly competitive to becoming the top space cadet. This combination of events means we are left wondering over the fates of not just Irina but also Lev. This all culminates in the natural big event when Irina is shuttled into space and we are left pondering not just the outcome of her mission but also the ramifications that come from it. What comes next is perhaps the part when the drama reaches its final crescendo as we learn what is the ultimate fate of not just Irina but also her compatriot Lev. Emotions run high as not only are we left guessing on the motives of some key individuals; we are also unsure how even Lev will react to the unexpected situation he finds himself in. These loose threads, even though hinted at are never really resolved until the final moments in the anime when it decides to throw down all its cards. It is in many ways breath-taking and is likely to stun people. I personally thought it was brilliant but then I could see this rubbing people the wrong way. What I can say is it is no ass pull ending as all of the actions in this final scene had been hinted and foreshadowed in earlier episodes. It is cleaver and is a clear case of keeping tabs of on-going events and never make any rash judgements. Animation/music: This series draws heavily from the Soviet Union’s Vostok space program with the rockets and capsules depicted being an exact copy from its real-life counterparts. Most of these pieces are represented in CGI but it is done in a way where it fits well with the rest of the animated scenes. Computerised imagery is also deployed in some of the motorcycle and training scenes but again this is done with a degree of skill so it is never an eyesore. Character models are good and this was used particularly well in conveying the various emotions of Irina who, I must admit was the star of this show. This means of conveying emotion was also effectively used on other characters adding a greater impact to various key moments. The opening and ending animation sequences are both strong also. As for the music, the opening and ending where both decent but I found the ending song "Arifureta Itsuka" by Chima to be the stronger of the two although "Hii no Tsuki" by ALI PROJECT was also a good effort. Summary: This is a hard sci-fi series that while taking some extreme liberties in certain areas does follow the events of the space race with a remarkable degree of accuracy. If you are space buff who is well versed in events then you will get an extra kick out of seeing the similarities between the anime and the real Vostok space program. Saying that these accurate subtleties are not key to the plot so people less versed can still enjoy the story for what it is. And what we do get are a good number of strong points. The plot, on the whole, is very strong as whilst things do not get off to a flyer, things get better as the stakes slowly increase and this all culminates in a strong finish that will leave many very satisfied. Better than that though is the strong mains of Lev and Irina who are both strong individuals with a great drive that is easy to admire. They don’t fall under the classic anime tropes and the fact neither falls into the Mary/Gary sue archetypes either means we are not rolling our eyes on how perfect they are. It is this great yet flawed characterisation that makes them such powerful characters that it is not only easy to root for but also makes it effortless to understand how the various side-characters can appreciate the manner and type of goals they pursue. If you are a fan of realistic sci-fi stories with a good dose of romance then there is a very good chance you will like this. To me, it is one of the surprise hits of the autumn 2021 that I would recommend viewers to see. Good plot, great characters and lots of enjoyable moments make this a breeze to finish! Story 7.5– The outlandish premise got me interested but the good story got me hooked. The sense of realism of actual events was a big boon but the definite strong point comes in the second half of the series when all the drama goes up a notch. The strong ending ensured this series left a lasting impression. Character 8.5 – It is not often that the two romantic pairing are both as strong as this. While we could argue Irina does have some tsundere tendencies her tenacious nature and ability to follow her dreams regardless of what people say or do is admirable. Lev also comes to his own which is a welcome change to the spineless male MC that are so pervasive in anime. The supporting cast are also strong adding an extra oomph to the story at all the right moments. Animation 7 – Character models are strong and the various expression of the characters was often amusing particularly for Irina. The CGI used for the various rockets, motorcycles and infrastructure whilst noticeable is done well enough. This is accompanied by some pretty solid opening and closing sequences in both the animation and musical department. Overall 8 – Biggest stumbling block is the wild vampire premise in an otherwise realistic space-based plot. If you can overlook that bombshell then you will likely enjoy this series especially if you have a penchant for science and romance. Lots to like here and with the good ending I feel many people will enjoy this series. O…

Mild spoilers A vampire girl who’s an astronaut. An... original idea? I’d dare say “different,” since anime creators are very imaginative. I enjoyed this anime. It doesn’t have the typical over-the-top Japanese comedy clichés (puffed-up faces, the sweat drop, fan service, etc.). It’s a fairly “serious” anime, with just the right amount of humor. It’s a critique and an invitation to become aware of what it means to live under a totalitarian state and what that entails (cruel experimentation on living beings, purges, widespread disinformation, media manipulation, etc.). Both main characters (Lev and Irina) are quite mature, which is a nice change. Irina is the typical sweet girl who means no harm, but she has a strong personality that makes it impossible not to like her; Lev also has that certain something that makes him likable. As for the clichés, there’s the odd cliché villain who mistreats Irina excessively to make us sympathize with her, which isn’t necessary given the maturity I mentioned earlier. Then there’s Roza’s redemption, where she suddenly grows fond of Irina. I’d like to highlight the soundtrack, the setting in a country that would be the former Soviet Union (USSR), and the beautiful, relaxing outro song. Fortunately, since the story takes place in a country that isn’t Japan, we’re spared those filler episodes at the beach or the fireworks festival; and talking about this, one thing I didn’t like is that the characters, none of whom are Japanese, use Japanese honorific suffixes. It doesn’t bother me too much, but it makes the dialogue less realistic; I’ve also seen other anime set in other countries do the same thing. In short, it’s a decent anime. Even if you don’t like the genre, I recommend it; it’s ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon, given its short runtime.

Irina: the vampire cosmonaut It's a show with an interesting premise but that could have been bolder with it. The show is basically a retelling of the Cold War with some changes here and there, mostly names and people, but obviously adding vampires to the mix. To be honest, the fact that the protagonist is a vampire isn't as absurd as you might think, mainly because the way it was presented makes it seem more like an allusion to minorities than a true fantasy vampire. Irina, besides perhaps being a little more physically better than the average, she does not have the traits you'd expect from a vampire; she doesn't turn into a bat, she doesn't transform others into vampires, she doesn't mentally control others, and don't has other abilities you may see in fantasy vampires, she's a very down-to-earth. And that's why if you replaced her with maybe a Black person, it wouldn't change much of the story; obviously, there are a few things here and there that would have to be tweaked, but not that much. Up until now, I've only criticized the show, and that might make you think it's a bad anime, but it's completely the opposite. My criticism stems mainly from my expectation that the show would be bolder in its premise, but aside from that, it has incredible visuals, great characters, a good romance, and excellent sound design with great music. It's a very good anime, but obviously you might find it bad if you're not used to watching slow-paced stories; the rhythm might make it a bit boring if you're not accustomed to it.

An interesting concept of an anime of a pair(Our main characters Leps Lav and Luminesk Irina) of a human and a vampire located in an Ussr-esque superpower which is competing against another rival, another superpower and they have to work together, against the conformity of the society, the rather strangeness of vampires, some discrimination, and overall exocity of the species of vampires. To who contact with vampires like her were accessed... That one will have to watch several anime episodes in to go figure out, but nevertheless. As for the vampirism to which this anime is tagged, it is not very well explored or explained. We get some vampire stereotypes such as adversion to garlic, living on coffins, and overall an atmosphere of eeriness around them. Besides that, a diet of blood, supernatural power online always or nearly always are not epithetical in this anime, but rather the pale appear and pointy ears is the epithet of vampirism of this anime. Hint, hint, this is a spin-off to an actual historical era in history where the Union of Soviet Social Socialist Republics and the United States of America were trying to duke it out to see who can launch the most grandiuos of space launches and expeditions but the history knowledge needed to appreciate watching this show is not necessary. What is necessary is the mentality to always expect some social cue in each episode which would distinguish the pair from others around them. As a result the rating of this anime attached this review is based off of the execution, performance, and straits taken to bridge between events and estrangement of characters in this anime. It is a pair which is not expected in the beginning but have a well development stage at the end and that is the kicker of this anime.