https://animesensai.com/wpcontent/uploads/2021/10/TsukitoLaikatoNosferatu.png I still dont 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 dont 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 its 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 Bmovie 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 doesnt 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 animes name Irina Luminesk played by none other than Megumi Hayashibara one of my favorite seiyuus ever. 270https://i.gyazo.com/9a52c35aa15ae2e1064926b51fe51bc1.gif 275https://i.gyazo.com/0343f4699e65a9b11ddce3688d9d96a6.gif 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. Theres 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 Irinas life is very much doubtful beyond the success of the Nosferatu Project granted if she even survives it. Thanks to this uncertainty we see Levs 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 worlds first actual cosmonaut. https://i.gyazo.com/e7cf47427800c1f9aca1efc83f999529.gif https://i.gyazo.com/6e3a9e0d3b0098c2d3a4e8c4a9d6df5e.gif 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 Levs 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. https://i.gyazo.com/a3d3d174fc196ac638f852d6f4071c24.gif 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 Theres pretty much nothing in this world that isnt 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. https://i.gyazo.com/444304f4b5faaf966c6ca2bb0a5d1291.gif A harsher critic would call this lazy writing. I prefer to play devils advocate by accepting that the setting wouldve 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 shows 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. https://i.gyazo.com/6d3ddf86588f74bbaac3c78ef290a301.gif 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 instinctlike 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. 500https://i.gifer.com/KbIJ.gif