Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is a rom-com anime based on the Japanese light novel series written by SunSunSun and illustrated by Momoco. In this anime, transfer student Alya easily fits into her high school life and often ignores her nerdy classmate, Kuze Masachika. She flirts with him in Russian, not knowing that he understands but pretends he doesn’t. This leads to a growing love story between them. The rom-com series is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
“Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” is a high school drama centered around two classmates navigating their growing feelings for each other. This adaptation has really hit its stride.
Doga Kobo has taken what might seem like a straightforward rom-com and turned it into something special, thanks to fantastic animation, thoughtful direction, and just the right amount of fanservice. The little touches they’ve added really breathe life into the story.
The voice cast is also spot-on, with Yuki being a standout. While some might nitpick Sumippe’s Russian pronunciation, she nails Alya’s personality, blending her cool, modern tsundere attitude with a cute, quirky charm. Alya is this irresistible mix of elegance and dorkiness, wrapped up in a drop-dead gorgeous half-Russian package.
Masachika, meanwhile, holds his character as a solid rom-com lead, and his sister is every bit as lovable and chaotic as you’d expect from the perfect little sister character. Together, the cast and the production team have crafted an adaptation that’s a real joy to watch.
The primary tension arises from miscommunication and hidden truths, while the characters also struggle with self-esteem issues and learning how to foster healthy relationships with their classmates. The anime delves into the complexities of adolescent emotions and the challenges of connecting with others in a meaningful way.
One element that you would enjoy is the backstory between Kuze and his sister. The show hints at something darker, touching on their experience as children of divorce, which adds depth to their relationship—even if there are uncomfortable, borderline incestuous undertones (yikes!). We are curious to see if this will tie into the school’s prestigious nature and how that might affect the characters going forward.
Forced plot and rushed backstory
The main issue with Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is that three episodes in, we are still not entirely sure what the show is trying to be. There are a lot of character dynamics at play, but they either feel disconnected or come together through forced plot devices.
Episode three, for instance, drops most of the main cast’s backstory all at once, and while some of the reveals were interesting, it felt like moments you’d typically expect toward the series finale, not so early on.
However, not everything lands as well. Alya’s backstory, for example, felt rushed. It could’ve easily been expanded into a full episode rather than crammed into ten minutes.
The show also struggles to fully develop her “loner” persona, and when the resolution finally arrives, it lacks the impact it should have had. Overall, there are some promising elements, but the execution leaves something to be desired.
You will surely enjoy Yuki’s eccentric little sister antics and Masha’s nurturing big sister persona. However, several questions remain unanswered, particularly how Masachika will react when he discovers the true identity of the Russian girl from his childhood. That’s the twist we are most looking forward to unraveling in the next season.
Verdict
The first season of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian leaves you both intrigued and at ease, eagerly waiting for the second season. While it’s not the type of anime that delivers intense, spine-tingling moments, it offers a solid storyline with captivating character dynamics. The visuals are impressive, and every character is designed beautifully.
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