Helen: By what measure is a vampire? Here we have people (classified by the government as non-humans) who can drink blood but may only ever do it as a coming of age ritual, reproduce in the normal way, have an excellent cold tolerance, possess very little sense of taste and smell so garlic doesn’t bother them, are indifferent to religious symbols, and are nocturnal due to an increased sensitivity to sunlight. These Nosferatu are certainly considered vampires by the not-USSR (the Union of Zirnitra Socialist Republics) but readers may be a bit disappointed by just how ordinary they are and how Irina’s status as one has nothing to do with her astronautical abilities, just how she’s treated by others.
From what I recall of the anime, it covered two light novel volumes (this volume definitely marks what I remember as the halfway point of the show) and I do think that the general pacing flows much better here in the original book than it did in the anime adaptation. In the anime this one, relatively slim book was stretched into six episodes and it felt a bit stilted at times; I much preferred it when the book said “and then they continued her training” and immediately moved onto the next event versus where the anime would show the continuing training to use up more runtime. The pacing does feel just right for a story set over a rather quick two months but funny enough, I’m not sure I would have even noticed the pacing that much if it hadn’t been for the anime.
Admittedly I wasn’t in love with the anime adaptation last year — somehow it made the premise of “what if an alternate universe version of the Soviet Union used a vampire as an astronaut test subject” rather bland but I definitely feel much more interested in continuing the light novel series at least. In some ways I prefer the light novels’ few illustrations to the anime’s art, which was also a bit bland when it wasn’t indulging in weird moments like when Irina was eating caviar, although the light novel art does make Irina look even younger and makes you wonder how even Lev bought the lie she was 21. If the anime wasn’t going to take an interesting premise and have visual fun with it then I’d rather read the original work which was simplified by design at least.
Not that the novels don’t also have few weird oddities; as a space nerd some parts of Irina and Lev’s training sounded off to me, like a training plane using jet engines instead of propellers (which would be possible on our world’s timeline but I had to double-check that detail) or how the cosmonaut candidates go through heat training in a room that goes up to 90˚C, even though that’s just below the boiling point of water and human flesh quite literally starts breaking down at an internal temperature of 42˚C. Creator Keisuke Makino brushes off any inaccuracies in the afterword saying “(So please, don’t go telling me that the plot doesn’t match what actually happened.)” but in the same breath they also say that they can’t think of any fantasy series about sending rockets to space, leaving me to wonder what they thought Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise or Oh! Edo Rocket were, so I’m a little skeptical about how well-read they actually are here.
This is less a story for science fiction fans and more one for alternative history fans. The science is a bit squishy and I’m sure most people would argue that it’s a story about the characters anyway. I am interested in reading more, I’ve heard that the volumes not covered by the anime also go into how the space race is progressing in other countries, but I do hope that the next volumes don’t have any of those pesky technical details that make me pause the book and immediately go off to Google it.
Helen’s rating: 2.5 out of 5
Justin: The Great Space War is on, where countries vie to assert superiority in many areas, with space being at the top of two superpowers’ minds. For those in the Union of Zirnitra Socialist Republics (UZSR), they yearn to go to space despite the many dangers, but for Lev Leps, his dream is already teetering on ending real quickly. After an incident involving a superior officer, he’s been demoted and his chances of becoming an cosmonaut are slim. But he has an opportunity to raise his standing if he can train test subject N44 for takeoff before the United Kingdom of Arnack (UK) get to space first.
The issue? N44 isn’t just any person: she’s a vampire — Irina Luminesk — and one who has no love for humans. He ends up finding out Irina isn’t just going to simply accept his presence. But like it or not, for both of them to accomplish their dreams, they each need to work together. Considering who they have to deal with around them, they also can’t be stubborn either…but what if this situation ends up changing the both of them, and how they perceive each other, as the launch into space approaches?
Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut was one of my surprise anime enjoyments of the Fall 2021 season (ending not withstanding), so I’m happy to report that I had a good time reading this first volume and reliving more of Lev and Irina’s struggles, but in text form. I will admit, it has been a while since watching the show so I had to remember if Lev’s personality was different than in text form, but the more I read, the more moments from the anime popped into my brain and I went, “Ah ok, I remember now!”
The obvious difference is just, with more words than what can be animated on screen, we get a bit more in-depth with a number of characters — sans Anya, who felt weirdly underused in the anime but at least in volume 1, she doesn’t really stand out aside from her somewhat bubbly personality. But obvious enemies (Cosmonaut Training Center Vice Director Sagalevich for example) and hindrances within the UZSR who desire to see Irina fail despite the main mission of making sure space flight actually is successful drive much of the story, which makes it all compelling. Lev and Irina end up connecting for a number of reasons, but their desire to reach space is what allows them to put up with all sorts of treatment and challenges.
Well, even then, sometimes politics can be too much, which is what both have to attempt to deal with since they themselves can’t escape it. Lev wants to go to space but can’t go too far out of line due to his attack of a superior officer, while Irina has no family she can go back to and isn’t even considered a person — just some test subject, possibly even worse than how the UZSR treat their dogs. There’s a major goal for the two superpowers, but ego, racism, and maintaining their superiority overwhelm Lev and Irina’s personal goals. That’s why any or all successes they have feel like such a triumph, and that last part makes the essential final act in volume 1 all the more compelling to read since you genuinely want these two to succeed.
It does help that Lev and Irina are good characters, but how they navigate around their own country’s internal issues and desires does enhance the novel. Not even just from those higher up from them, but even from those they know personally — we only get a brief taste from the people Lev knew, but there’s a good chance volume 2 will elaborate further on Lev’s cosmonaut competitors, and how they have to act around him and Irina, for better or worse. If you are in the mood for some space war Sci-Fi featuring a vampire rocketing into space and the surrounding turmoil on her future, then you should definitely give this series a try.
Justin’s rating: 4 out of 5