Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san

I already gave this show an 8/10: I've halved my review. Look, I might get a bit less agreement from others on this compared to my first review, but I don't think much to the show anymore.

As always with my reviews, HEAR ME OUT. Don't immediately dislike it if you like the show. As I said I have given it an 8 in the past, I understand where you're coming from if you enjoy it, I just don't have your view anymore and here's why.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, or as I like to call it Vladmir-Sama: Love is War, is a romantic comedy, high-school slice of life anime. At first it creates an impression of being a simple monogamous easygoing show. We get introduced to Alya, who seems initially a really enjoyable character who is a good balance of being verbose and cutting while also being the adolescent mess we all were at her age. Alya is on the school council and is seen as the Ice Queen high achieving unapproachable and cunning... let me just sum it up: all this seems just like some lame rip of Kaguya from Love is War, or other similar trope "school council" characters we see so often in Japanese media. This isn't me saying Alya's personality is like Kaguya: quite the opposite, where she is very obviously not as refined and cold as she seems, and she is friendly to people at times, but she isn't the genius like Kaguya. Let me put it like this - where Kaguya Shinomiya is a good character because you see a perfect girl's flaws, Alya is a good character because she is a flawed person who strives for perfection.

But the show definitely struggles with originality in its setting and plot: like other Japanese media, we see the school council is powerful, well-respected and organised, and with this comes the power to disrupt lesson times for school politics and debate. How plausible. This is such a common trope that you can't knock it too much, but I dislike how this show approaches it in particular because it tries to make itself seem plausible, where similar school council shows like Classroom of the Elite are so unashamedly ridiculous that you have to slightly enjoy them no matter how cringeworthy they seem.

And this is my problem with Alya as a whole: it can start with some relatability but fast loses it. You get this cool dynamic of two people falling in love, and that's great, and that can hold even amidst the weird political drama undertones which the show seems to be taking far too seriously. But at the same time, it slips out of that essence of 2 people made for each other and deeply unable to reveal their honest feelings, and decides to make all the mistakes other romances make. Love triangles, for some reason the sister complex disease; unnecessary deviation from everything you love about such romance stories. I wanted to find a monogamous chemistry which was unique in this show, but instead I found the author seemed scared. Scared to progress things quickly at risk of ending the show so fast. Scared to not have a backup plot in case his characters weren't well written enough. And in some ways, I get this logic. By that, I mean the writing is a problem; the show really struggles to find a way to keep characters likeable. For some reason, everyone is so uncompromising, so focused on their goals and ideals, and while for a show like One Piece standing ground in the face of great adversity is a heroic and respected act, in a low stakes romantic comedy every character just ends up being insufferable. It starts around episode 6; every character begins to become so stuck in ideals, static and undeveloped, and you begin to feel the school council plots are holding things back. The protagonist feels like the Kirito of the debate world, an overpowered speaker who wins every debate, where Alya is useless and annoying. You spend episodes trying to redeem characters who alienate themselves completely from you at the moment they come into the show. You get random extra romance opportunities, some weird succession wealthy family nonsense, just so many things that are so completely unneeded for a show which didn't need all this. And it just makes the show detestably bad. A huge disappointment and disservice to the character schematics laid out so well in those first 3 or 4 episodes. And that really hurts me.

Production quality is obviously a marvel, and I can't discredit that. If we were off adaptation quality alone it would probably be higher because it's done a good job in many ways. Although some people claim the source material is far better on here and I've not read it so I don't know. Nevertheless, I disliked the plot to this show quite a bit because it lost its enjoyable qualities so fast. Hence I have to say:

This is not worth your time; it is a poorly written, shoddy and overly serious show which is needlessly plot heavy, even ignoring the added issues of fan service and completely delinquent aspects of the show. The show's tropes deteriorate rapidly, and feel as though they quickly shift from self aware mockery to the author self inserting fantasies about his characters into the show. The characters are static, the protagonist is stupidly handsome and popular for someone who's supposed to be a recluse, and no one who's as popular as him is playing gacha games.

4/10. This isn't worth your time and I refuse to change my mind.

Overview Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is a romantic comedy anime adapted from the Japanese light novel series by SunSunSun and illustrated by Momoco. It follows transfer student Alya, a poised half-Russian high schooler, and her nerdy classmate Kuze Masachika. Unknown to Alya, Kuze secretly understands the Russian phrases she teasingly uses to flirt with him, leading to a charming tale of hidden feelings and romantic misunderstandings. The anime is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.

Plot Summary The story revolves around the growing relationship between Alya and Masachika, set against the backdrop of high school life. It's a lighthearted yet layered exploration of adolescent emotions, self-esteem struggles, and miscommunication. Themes of family dynamics, particularly Kuze's backstory with his sister, add depth to the narrative.

While the premise is promising, the pacing is uneven, with critical backstory elements revealed too early in the series, sometimes through forced plot devices. These moments feel disconnected from the overarching tone, leaving viewers wondering about the anime's intended direction.

Strengths Animation: Doga Kobo's animation elevates the series with crisp visuals, vibrant colors, and fluid character movements. The subtle artistic touches breathe life into everyday high school settings.

Characters: Alya is a compelling mix of elegance and quirky charm, balancing her tsundere attitude with moments of vulnerability.

Masachika stands out as a relatable rom-com lead, complemented by the chaotic yet lovable energy of his little sister.

Supporting characters like Masha add layers of warmth and wit.

Voice Acting: Yuki's performance as Alya captures her multifaceted personality perfectly, while Sumippe's Russian pronunciation, though imperfect, delivers Alya's playful teasing with authenticity.

Weaknesses Pacing Issues: Episode three crams significant backstory into a brief span, creating a rushed feeling that undermines the emotional impact.

Underdeveloped Themes: Alya's "loner" persona and family struggles could have been explored more deeply to strengthen her character arc.

Plot Tension: While the miscommunication trope works as a central tension, some moments feel overly contrived, making the narrative lose momentum.

Themes and Depth The anime explores the complexities of adolescent relationships, including navigating self-esteem issues and fostering connections. Kuze's relationship with his sister introduces darker undertones rooted in their shared experience of parental divorce, adding a layer of intrigue. However, certain elements, like the borderline incestuous implications, may feel uncomfortable to some viewers.

Overall Impression Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian offers a delightful mix of humor, romance, and high school drama. While it stumbles with pacing and depth, the charming characters and gorgeous animation make it an enjoyable watch. Fans of rom-com anime will appreciate its playful approach and subtle emotional beats.

Verdict The first season intrigues with its unique premise and endearing character dynamics, but it leaves much to be desired in execution. A solid choice for rom-com enthusiasts, it sets the stage for a potentially stronger second season.

Rating: 7.5/10.

So, yeah... I decided to watch this anime because I was just browsing Crunchyroll, saw the poster and thought "Hmm... why not?". And honestly, I had a lot of fun watching the anime, and even though sometimes I feel like strangling the protagonist for his stupidity, the story is excellent, especially the "arc" of the battle for class presidency. But what impressed me the most, in fact, was the animation, which I found very beautiful and perfect for a comedy/romance anime. And yes, the title describes the entire anime, so make sure that when you tell someone what you're watching, call the anime Roshidere and not the embarrassing title they gave it. Watch it if you want, but you'll want an Alya for yourself and you'll be regretting that there's no such beauty, you can be sure.

Another interesting series from the summer of 2024.

A promising first episode with all the ingredients for success, a hilarious second episode and then the cold shower !

Episode 5 starts to show signs of running out of breath, already visible in episode 4.

The characters' development starts to slow down, and the personalities and feelings of the protagonists lack exploration.

The synopsis suggests something different : People expect more rejection from people perceived as superior. We need to go deeper instead of just scratching the surface.

The initial idea of a misunderstanding with language goes nowhere.

The ''twists and turns'' are abysmally flat.

There's potential in the male character, particularly with his memories... However, there are a few banalities and stereotypes: The guy is a larva, as is often the case. The girl is a potential tsundere... I hope this will change.

The animation is fluid and some of the shots are pleasing.

The second part will tip the series over to the right or wrong side of the road.

No, this show is not as good for me to call it a miracle. It's a very nice romantic comedy with drama and anything that you'd expect from a typical coming of age anime.

What really flashed me here was the Russian language. You see, I grew up with either Russian movies or American movies where Russian is totally butchered and made fun of. Also, I know that the Japanese like other languages like English or German, but due to their very specific use of the Japanese language, they rarely pronounce anything correctly.

Imagine my surprise and joy when I heard real Russian in this anime! Sure, it's with a heavy accent and the main characters have a better pronunciation than the side characters, but still. There were longer parts where I did not even need to read the subtitles and I understood everything. Kudos to the voice actors!

It was worth it to hire a Belorussian teacher of the Russian language as an advisor. Everyone has done a great job and I am looking forward to the second season.