English Dub Review: Irina: The Cosmonaut Vampire: “The Path to Becoming a Cosmonaut”

 

Overview: Lev (Stephen Fu) and Irina (Tia Ballard) start their cosmonaut training as they will be put through rigorous conditions when they finally take flight. 

Our Take: Lev and Irina’s cosmonaut training regiment brings out their varying types of fear in both of them. From Lev’s fears of vampires stemming from propaganda that is pushed in the media, or in Irina’s case, one in that of heights, it is the unique struggle that each of them is presented with and how they help each other with them that makes the core of this episode truly feel like some actual team building. With Irina’s clarification of how vampires actually eat and taste foods, it also makes strides just how normal and not so dissimilar vampires are from humans, showing a new unique, alternate lore to this alternate world. And with how much Lev has been a proponent for open-mindedness, it brings the reasoning for Lev being chosen to shepherd this mission, by higher-ups, into the forefront with it being directly tied to just how big his heart is. 

Also, it’s sweet and endearing to see how much the two are just beginning to trust each other as a result, with Irina’s reluctance to show just how much she enjoys lemon soda, making her an adorable tsundere to start. But of course, showing just how much Lev is starting to understand her, he sees right through it. They are starting to understand each other on a deeper level and that is starting to come through with how their bonding establishes that, making them a cute pair tease to gush over.