Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san 時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん

2024 summer | Episodes: 12 | Score: 7.6 (192153)

Updated every Wednesdays at 23:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Sega | Delfi Sound | Kadokawa

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Ani-One Asia | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Bilibili Global

Synopsis

Seirei Academy is a prestigious school attended by the very best students in Japan. Alisa Mikhailovna "Alya" Kujou, the half-Russian and half-Japanese treasurer of the school's student council, is known for her intelligence, stunning looks, and rigid personality. Contrasting her near-flawless persona, Alya's unmotivated classmate Masachika Kuze slacks off during lessons and seems to show no interest in her. Initially irritated, Alya gradually becomes more intrigued by Masachika and starts expressing her affection for him in Russian. However, she is oblivious to his secret—he understands the language fluently! Due to a childhood friend who was temporarily staying in Japan, Masachika has been studying Russian in hopes of reuniting with her. As the two spend more time together, the playful and eccentric relationship between them quickly deepens. In the meantime, both must learn to navigate their new growing feelings for one another. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Voice Actors

Uesaka, Sumire

Amasaki, Kouhei

Kazama, Mayuko

News

Reviews

AeroGunz
01/14/2025, 07:57 AM
“Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” is what happens when an interesting shtick is destroyed by bad writing. This show surprised me in to major ways: 1. That it destroyed its own shtick right from the get to in favour of… practically nothing because nothing comes of it. 2. How boring and devoid of story this show is Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those terms interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page… I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as LisaCron describes them: “What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.” “STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”. If I had to tell what kind of story telling method this show utilises it would be “and then that happened”. About 90% of what happens in the show's 12 episodes happen because the writers decided to show a cliche scene that You saw a million times (with better execution) before and had no idea how to organically implement it. I’m gonna be honest, the first episode is rather solid for what it’s supposed to be. Get an overall view of what we’re working with. The main characters (Kuze and Alya), supporting cast (the most important of which would be Yuki), their relationship and interactions and the great view of the main “conflict”. It’s not exactly a surprise, the title gives it away from the get go. Alya speaks Russian sometimes, mostly to confess her feelings towards Kuze, and thinks the boy doesn’t understand her. But he does and we even get an explanation for that. On top of that the explanation works also as a setup for something that could (wink, wink) happen later. It’s also a bit misleading of the type of way Alya teases Kuze. It’s much more ecchi than the rest of the show. I don’t know if it's bait for the viewers or someone just managed to hide this scene from the higher ups. As far as first episodes go this one is a solid one. It fulfils its function pretty well. It’s mostly downhill from here unfortunately. The problem is there is very little story to this show and what story there is is mostly shown in the last 3 episodes. Everything (well… 90%) before that is just plot. If You want to argue that it’s a story about two people getting close to each other, go right ahead, but their relationship doesn’t change in any meaningful way. They start as friends with one having an obvious crush and they end as friends with one having an obvious crush. The second is an idiot, I’m not counting him for anything. Something I’m not quite sure why was made is giving Kuze the ability to understand Russian. It destroys a lot of mystery from the plot. If he wasn’t able to understand Alya we would have an element of mystery (You could even leave tha translations for the viewers), as we all know, mysteries are sexy. It would add a lot of tension and drama to their interactions. Something that they lack in the finished product. As it stands Kuze is an asshole. He knows the girl is into him. It’s not a guess, she declares her feelings and urges on multiple occasions. If he wanted to, we would have a relationship between those two in episode 3 at the latest. He allows this relationship to be stuck in limbo. I call that being an asshole. It’s not like he is opposed to the idea of a relationship with her either. If he was he wouldn't have those over the top, pseudo-comedic reactions he has everytime he hears her declaring her feelings in russian. I fail to see the reason why the writers would play it that way. They just created a MC that is really hard to root for, because he’s just an asshole. Listen I get it, the name of the game in rom-coms (and romance in general) is the “Will they - Won’t They”. But in most cases it’s based on insecurity and unknowns from both parties or on some sort of conflict that prevents the characters from getting together. In this case we don’t have any sort of unknowns. We, as well as both parties, are more than aware of the fact that Alya is into Kuze. So we should get some sort of conflict as a counterweight, right? Yeah… no such luck. Kuze acts like an idiot and we really don’t get a good reason why. Even in later episodes we are still left in the dark. There is also very little I would call a proper romance set up. This is a rom-com but the “rom” is silent for most of the show. Yes Kuza and Alya have a lot of interactions but they are not what I would call romantic or even pseudo-romantic. Out of all 12 episodes I think there are only 2 scenes that could work as a romance set up, that is if they weren't destroyed. Once by a cheap joke of stunned background characters who clearly have too much interest in other people's interactions. The second time by a fanatical attendant coming by. Those were the only scenes I would call proper for the “rom” part of rom-com. Mostly everything else focuses on comedy. Which is a problem all by itself because even in straight up comedies You need contrast. You need to give jokes room to breathe and sink in. You want to have a lazy joke? Go for it but contrast that with something full on romantic or dramatic. You can’t just feed the viewer only lazy comedy and expect them to not feel fatigue. Granted this show isn’t as aggressive as something like “Grand Blue” but it still has too many jokes and instead of giving contrast by showing scenes more attuned to drama or romance it gives us… nothing. An anime equivalent of a “Please Stand by” screen. Most scenes between are just filler that leads nowhere. It’s all just plot and lazy at that. The only reason I was able to watch this show (apart from having OCD and Asperger) was Yuki. Probably the only character with personality. Her switching between a perverted otaku sister and a proper Young lady working for the student council was actually enjoyable. I wouldn't mind if she was the protagonist of this show. Listen. Not all MC’s have to be blank slates. In most cases it is better for a protagonist to have an established personality and traits. For fuck’s sake Spike from Cowboy Bebop is far from a tabula rasa and is one of the greates MCs in history. Same goes for the kids in “Grave of the fireflies”. I have no idea why the anime industry insists on having bland, tasteless, white bread as protagonists but this shit needs to stop. It destroys their ability to tell actual stories and leaves them with nothing but plot. As it stands this show isn’t a total travesty or an example of how to fail at a rom-com (well… maybe a little) it’s just so damn safe and full of cliches that I see no reason to watch this over any other rom-com on the market. There are moments when the show tricks You into thinking that it will be better. The last 3 episodes are actually better both with plot and story but it’s too little too late for my taste. The worst part? We don’t get any kind of payoff. We watch 12 episodes of this show, how Alya admits to herself about her feelings and Kuze starting to act like he has a spine and… we end with nothing. Everything seemingly returns to status quo so the authors can pretend to know what they are doing all over again in the next season.
PandaRoomster
11/26/2024, 03:21 PM
I realized very early on that I’m probably not the target demographic for this anime—it seems clearly aimed at p*rn-addicted self-inserts. Since I don’t consider myself part of that group, take my review with a grain of salt. I have very mixed feelings about this anime, so I’ll break them down into clear points: Art and Design: Easily the best part of the series. The character designs are beautiful, and the animation is consistently well-executed. I honestly can’t ask for much more in this department—it’s top-notch. Characters: There’s plenty of variety among the characters, but many feel like they exist solely to attract as wide an audience as possible. Themain character is a pitiful attempt at a relatable self-insert—Oh, he’s actually a reliable guy just pretending to be lazy? That feels like a shallow ploy to make romantically frustrated men think, “Oh, he’s just like me!” Yuki, in particular, left me baffled. What was her end goal? Did she want to surpass her brother? Did she wish for her brother to be happy with Alya? Or—disturbingly—was she trying to seduce her own brother? Incest is not okay, and it’s easily the most disgusting aspect of this anime. I genuinely worry about the people who enjoy such a trope in a show. Do better. Plot: The plotline isn’t particularly groundbreaking. The student council setting ensures that at least something is always happening, but it doesn’t reach very deep. The way the student council is treated with such gravity feels a bit over-the-top, though this might be due to cultural differences and it's definitely not exclusive to only this anime, so I won't take points away for that. Given that this is supposed to be a romcom, I personally would’ve liked to see more emphasis on the romance. The comedy element works occasionally, but it often feels cheap and doesn’t leave much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. Fan Service: I understand that fan service makes money, but I don’t understand the appeal of mixing it into an anime. If I’m bored, I’ll watch an entertaining show full of drama. If I want to see women in underwear, I’ll watch an entirely different type of video. Combining the two feels unnecessary and detracts from the overall experience. Furthermore, this series takes fan service to uncomfortable extremes. What did the hypnosis scene add to the plot? Nothing! It just made all of the unga-bungas drool because “haha boobie.” This kind of content is exactly why I feel like I’m likely not the target demographic. Summary: Despite its many negatives, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the show at least a little. It does have its charm, I suppose. I’ll stick around for the second season in the hope that some of these issues are addressed. The potential is clearly there. 5/10 – Average
colelouch
10/31/2024, 10:08 AM
The biggest issue with this show is its lack of a clear focus, making it hard to pinpoint what genre it aims for: romantic comedy, drama, or slice of life. It feels like a mix of *Bunny Girl Senpai*, *Kaguya-sama*, and harem ecchi elements, but without successfully capturing the appeal of any. While the last episode had a strong finish that slightly boosted my rating, the journey felt sluggish. The continuous, linear storytelling creates a semi-realistic vibe but ultimately dilutes the impact of each theme, leading to underdeveloped scenes and character arcs. Alya’s character is reduced to a typical "tsundere" with a Russian-speaking quirk, andthe secondary characters feel ambiguous in importance. It’s unclear whether they’re meaningful to the plot or just filler, as only the main couple, Masachika and Alya, get any real depth. Additionally, the show has a "semi-pretentious" tendency, making trivial problems seem overly serious. The student council drama lacks depth, and attempts at strategic plotting feel forced, more like excuses to introduce plot armor for the main characters. Although the 12 endings mostly showcase Alya’s beautiful appearance, they don’t necessarily improve the narrative or storyline quality. Ultimately, the show could have been stronger if it had focused on one narrative style or balanced its tonal shifts better.
_HellBent_
10/25/2024, 11:27 AM
~~ A HellBent Half Arsed Review™ ~~ Overall Rating: 9/10 ----- Reason for watching? ----- The art style caught my eye, and I figured I'd give romance anime another shot after the disastrous last few attempts ----- Reason for finishing? ----- Surprisingly cute and cosy, far more so than I was expecting ----- Story: 6/10 ----- I'll be completely honest, I'm not super well versed in the "high school romcom" genre of things, it's not really my go to. That being said, it did exactly what it said on the tin; There is indeed a girl called Alya who does in fact sometimes hide her feelings in Russian. Premise be damned, itwas clear very early on that story was not gonna be the thing to keep me watching which frankly I'm okay with as long as other aspects hold up to scrutiny. Also to be fair, as extremely simple as it was, the story was not offensively bad or anything, just clearly not the main focus. - which again to be fair, I don't think is ever the main point of a romcom at least in my experience. ----- Art: 9/10 ----- The art style of this show is gorgeous, genuinely one of the prettiest shows I've seen. The character design and just general look of the show absolutely resonated with me. It was extremely aesthetic even if many static or unimportant shots, and very silly and cute when it needed to be too. Hey, I'm a simple person, give me a pretty enough rock and I'll happily stare at it regardless of if it does anything interesting. ----- Sound: 7/10 ----- Sound design was fine, nothing particularly noteworthy but good. Likewise the ost was good, not super memorable but nothing stood out as bad or off-putting either - The voice acting on the other hand ugh. Chefs kiss. I loved every single performance, especially the sister of the main character. The whole cast did great but she in particular just radiated charisma and I was eating up every single second of it ----- Character: 10/10 ----- This is where the show shines most for me besides the gorgeous visual style. In pretty much every single show, nay every piece of media I've ever seen there is at least one character that I detest and wish was not there because they actively ruin the experience of the show just by existing, but nowhere is this more prevalent than romance anime - And usually it is the main character himself that I cannot stand. However, in this show I can safely say that (as of season 1 at least) there is not a single character that made me want to rip my hair out which I think is genuinely a first for a romcom show. I liked pretty much everyone, and adored the entire main cast. Arguably, the main cast are all simply walking stereotypes but extremely dialled down; The otaku who isn't really that much of a perv and is actually kinda sweet, the tsundere who is not physically abusive nor abrasive, the airhead who is actually not that stupid but is a little etc etc. This concept either works for you or it doesn't, I can safely say it very much works for me, it's extremely refreshing to see these tropes personified in a more realistic and less frustrating way. ----- Enjoyment: 10/10 ----- No complaints on this front. The biggest stand out is absolutely the lack of frustration and/ or anger that usually comes from a romcom. I found myself multiple times per episode saying "Ah yeah this is where she smacks him and runs away and they don't talk for the rest of the episode" or something to that effect and time and again the show just... didn't do that. Again this is definitely a personal preference thing, I can absolutely see how some would see the lack of drama as boring but frankly I appreciate just having this bubbly feel good feeling while watching. And just to be clear it's not that there's no drama at all, but compared to a lot of the other romance shows I've seen it is extremely tame. A criticism I would have is that well... For a comedy it's not really funny like at all. "But why have you rated it a 10/10 enjoyment if it's a comedy that's not even funny?" again this is a personal preference kinda deal, I've long since written off anime for having the ability to be funny to me (as harsh as that sounds lol), the only exception being shows that are so abysmally bad that I laugh due to the suffering they induce. Due to this I just don't even take it into account when rating anything, since it not being funny doesn't actually hurt my enjoyment. The sister character is actually funny though she got a smirk and even a giggle out of me a few times which is frankly a monumental achievement for a romcom to have achieved ----- Rewatchability: Maybe? ----- I don't see why not, but I also don't particularly see a reason to rewatch this one. Come back again future me after seeing the next season when it releases, see if your opinions on this one have changed at all :P ----- Afterthoughts ----- Not really much to say this time, extremely refreshing and feel-good show with fun and enjoyable characters in a comfy slice of life show. Has ecchi elements but that never has bothered me in a show, and it's not really funny but that also has never hurt my enjoyment of a show so it is what it is. I like it, maybe you will too if you like cute and comfy things. ----- Disclaimer ----- A HellBent Half Arsed Review™ is for my own benefit, since I have a hard time remembering shows or why I liked them and I wanna document the journey through this massive anime watch list. To anyone other than future myself who stumbles across this somehow: I don't recommend you listen to me, I'm a dumbass
Neurochitin
10/24/2024, 01:02 AM
Alya-san has an interesting premise that feels like it could make a great romcom. Unfortunately, it has no idea what to do with its premise and instead tries out various other things, none of which really stick. After a few romance-focused episodes, which are good but not outstanding, it suddenly becomes an imouto meme show for a bit, then switches its focus decidedly on student politics which it has no idea how to do in a remotely interesting way. Near the end it almost feels like “we have Classroom of the Elite at home”. The premise which made me interested in the first place isshoved aside to become more of a recurring joke than a central element of the story: “Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” — yes, she certainly does that. And Masachika (the male lead) reacts in the same way every time. There are all sorts of interesting dynamics the premise *could* lead to, but the show never explores any of them. The animation and the music are all solid. Especially the EDs are cool, I like the idea of Alya's VA covering a different old love song each time. There was clearly a lot of effort put into the adaptation, but the story that was presented in the end is just not very interesting. This anime certainly has enjoyable moments. But given the abundance of good romantic comedies, imouto meme anime, and student politics dramas, I see no reason to recommend a show that half-heartedly tries to be all of them at once.
ecktt
10/03/2024, 04:46 PM
TLDR: Potential wasted. The whole premise of the series; speaking Russian while the boy secretly understands, is basically underutilized while the rest of the show is an almost standard romcom, hence the 5 rating. The all-too-common tropes are in there. Honestly, there is nothing fresh beyond the first episode. The sound, voice acting, and animation is fine. The story is uninteresting because...it's been done a million times before. The characters are boring, so you don't get invested, again because it's been done a million times before. I kept watching because I was hoping some fresh would happen, but it didn't. If you're a romcom fan, Iguess it's worth a watch to get your fix but it is not worth the time imho.
Chuy_diazz
09/22/2024, 10:07 PM
A premise of a tsundere who speaks Russian, where in the end that was her only grace, speaking Russian. Roshidere is a typical school romance where, what is intended to be a breath of fresh air to the genre, ends up being the anchor that ends up sinking it. It focuses so much on giving a spotlight to Alya that it ends up showing all the deficiencies that the character has, and unfortunately she does not have what it takes to carry the work as a protagonist should. Any character that appears within the story is more interesting and more charismatic than its female protagonist. Eventhe episodic characters like the grandfather or Masachika's friends stole the scene when they appeared. If the episodic characters overshadowed Alya, the secondary ones constantly buried her. Yuki and Masha have what it takes to replace Alya as the protagonist but the story wants to force you to see Alya as a person who is at the level of those mentioned above. The story doesn't bother to develop its main girl, and yet they put her in a situation where she has to act but she just stays as the pretty face. Giving so much weight to the plot of the school elections and giving us the backgrounds of Yuki and Masachika, automatically give more weight to the skills and ingenuity than to simply being a one trick pony. Masachika tries hard to get the campaign ahead and her greatest enemy is Alya. The girl doesn't even try to put in a grain of effort, she simply limits herself to say sporadic phrases in Russian. It feels like all the characters play in a higher league than Alya, but still something has to be nerfed so that she can even look decent. All this so that in the end the relationship advances only one step. It also doesn't help that the fandom that was generated around this work has become a cult towards the Russian. There are many things that the same fans who read the novel try to justify with facts that were never shown in the anime but are in the novel. This leads me to classify that the anime failed as an independent adaptation. If the only way in which a discussion related to the anime can be had is with information from the novel, then the failure is huge. If the anime cannot show the core of the story in a satisfactory way, then it is not that good. One of the most anticipated anime ended up being the biggest disappointment of the season. This anime worked as a promotion for the novel, as it worked for Sumire Uesaka (they forced her in every possible place). It worked as anything you can imagine but it failed in the most important thing, in being a good story.
Yeetomfg2
09/19/2024, 04:21 PM
YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PROPAGANDA Time to talk about a random rom-com. Surely there isn't any arguing going out on social media about it... Oh... Anyway, I believe that people have been blessed recently with good romance after good romance. It only seems that yesterday people were still talking about "The dangers of my heart". And "Alya-san conveys her feelings in Russian" seems to be the big rom-com of the summer 2024 season. But is it worth to watch? I believe so. The story starts with a black haired, unmotivated high-school boy (where have I seen that before) sitting next to a Russian girl by thename of Alya-san. Now, let me get this out of the way. The people who are mad that there isn't enough Russian in this show are very stupid. I cannot understand being mad that the gimmicky romance you are watching isn't actually that gimmicky. I swear the people who hate the show for that are just Russian bots who got lost after their "X" account got deleted. I was surprised by the story and how dramatic it actually seems. There is a reason I think people have gravitated toward the Masahikas sister rather than Alya herself (other than the fact she is genuinely a more fun character). It's because she is part of this dysfunctional family dynamic that is very interesting. The show quickly show-cases that it has a way more bigger story to tell that it seems, and that the MC i laughed at before may actually have a very complicated and sad background. The idea the there is a bigger story behind the high-school romance we are seeing is really interesting and fun. I was genuinely stuck to the screen every time a serious moment happened. And I still believe the show has yet to show its full hand. Still there are some issues with the story. One big one being that the character the show is named after is actually the 2nd most interesting girl in the show (closer to 3rd than 2nd tbh). It's very important in a romance that when you give the viewer the character who will eventually win the heart of the MC without fail, you make the the most interesting character, without a doubt. But so far, Alya-san has fallen short. Also there is a bit of incosistency in how some characters act. Especially Maschika who cannot decide if he is an charismatic, sarcastic genius or an idiot who cant even speak to a girl and get played with again and again. The animation is decent enough, nothing too crazy but good enough for a romance anime. Another problem I have though is the music. The opening sound like the fucking song that plays when you open Blue Archive and the ending is straight up just bad. And the music through-out the show is pretty basic and bad. I swear this season has been very bad with background noise (Giji Harem and Days with my step-sister) but that is for other reviews. While not impressing on a technical level the show does just good enough. That's why my final rating for "Alya-san conveys her feelings in Russian" is a 8/10. I highly recommend watching this show if you want something good to scratch that romance itch left by all the good shows in the genre recently. It is an interesting story that is bound to pull you in, along with some cute romance scenes that are classic to the genre.
KevintheChuker
09/18/2024, 11:16 PM
9.5/10 (rounded to 10/10) Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is a near perfect romcom. Despite recycling the old romcom-tsundere trope in a High School setting used countless times in anime, it is still unique and interesting with decent story and retaining all the plot elements one looks for in a romcom. -The art is amazing all thanks to studio Doga Kobo -The MC is very respectable -Alya is a very good FMC with good character development -Good side characters (Masha, Ayano) -Russian is a nice touch But all these above still only makes it an 8/10, so why a 10/10?SUOU YUKI She is an AMAZING character, with a great VA. She is the icing in the cake we call Roshidere. She makes Roshidere stand out despite not being the FMC, her interactions with Kuze really bring this show from an 8/10 to a 10/10. The show does become more serious later on, unfortunately making Yuki fall off a bit later on (-0.5 score), which is alright because this was when Alya shines with her cutesy and wholesome moments more so then before. Overall despite it's slight downturn from what would have been perfection, this show is still a masterpiece, I will be very excitedly waiting for season 2.
Kuzu_Yarou
09/18/2024, 07:43 PM
Roshidere has a very intriguing concept, but in my opinion, it doesn't fully realize its potential and seems to decline with each episode. The show's comedy is top-tier, largely due to the captivating dynamic between Yuki and Masachika. Despite the title focusing on Alya, I felt that these two characters carried the show. During the summer of 2024, an abundance of romantic comedy series flooded the anime industry, leading to oversaturation that hindered the success of other rom-coms during that season. Amidst this competitive environment, Roshidere emerged as a standout exception, largely due to its captivating waifu characters and an approach that resonated with rom-comfans in various ways. The series managed to captivate audiences and carve out its own niche in a market filled with similar content. Nonetheless, it remains one of my favorites this season, particularly because Yuki is one of the most compelling characters I've ever encountered and is truly one of the best female characters of all time. I highly recommend the show to those who love the rom-com genre. I am confident that fans of the rom-com genre will thoroughly enjoy it. Overall rating: 8/10
ogblynz
09/18/2024, 02:16 PM
"Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian" is an okay at best romance, but nothing that truly makes it stand out from the crowd. While I enjoyed the chemistry between Kuze and Alya, the central gimmick lost its charm fairly quickly—by episode 4, it already felt stale. The series is filled with cute characters, but most of them lack depth and fail to leave a lasting impression. Kuze ends up carrying much of the show on his own, especially during the second half, which focuses on an underwhelming student council plot. The drama is overly serious for such trivial stakes, making it feel more tediousthan engaging. Ultimately, the show fizzles out and crashes hard. I seriously considered dropping it, but the occasional cute moments and flirty interactions were just enough to keep me watching. I feel like the LN and the manga are much better, maybe its the anime's fault, but it didn't manage to keep me entertained as much as the manga did. Hopefully, the second season adapts vol 3-4, so I don't have to watch 5 more seasons of this.
PanzerIV-J
09/18/2024, 01:47 PM
Honestly, "Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian" ended up being one of the most disappointing anime I’ve watched in a while—not bad, just disappointing. The first few episodes made it seem like it was going to be a fresh and interesting romance, but by the end, it really didn’t live up to that potential. Let me break down why: 1. Romance is mediocre with little development: This is the biggest problem. The relationship between Alya and Kuze barely goes anywhere. (Minor spoiler) By the end of the season, they’re only on a first-name basis, which is pretty underwhelming for a finale. I was expecting something moremeaningful, like Kuze speaking Russian to Alya, but nope. It feels like they’re saving that for season two just to keep people hooked. 2. Student council elections were lame: The student council elections were a big distraction from what the show should have been about: Alya and Kuze’s relationship. It dragged the story down with a lot of unnecessary drama. You can even see the change in opinions here on MAL in the discussions, the disparity between the early episodes and later episodes after the council elections is vastly conflicted. It’s not terrible, but it took away from the characters and their development, which was the main reason I (and probably many others) started watching. 3. Has generic cliches: This is a smaller issue, but the show leans hard into some typical anime clichés. t has the classic "introverted otaku to chad" storyline, where the shy male MC is drawn out of his shell by a random 10/10 girl who invades his personal space. It’s not terrible, but it’s been done a million times. Nothing new here, which makes the show feel a bit generic. Overall, the show isn’t bad, just super over-hyped. I still think it’s decent, and there’s hope that a second season could fix a lot of these issues. 7/10 – Over-hyped, but still worth checking out.
Gsarthotegga
09/18/2024, 12:28 PM
This awkwardly titled adaptation of a light novel is a standard well-produced romcom with quite a few tropes and a slight twist using the Russian language. The concept seems weird at first, since the main understands the language, and you'd think he'd let on that he understood, but he'd look like a bigger cuck than he already is if he revealed that he didn't follow through with Alya's "secret" flirting all that time. For the Russian lines, she mostly compliments the MC, confesses her love to him, or calls for help when she's in trouble. The whole point of a tsundere is basically for thelove interest to act like they're in kindergarten and do or say mean things to the crush whom he or she secretly likes. Tsunderes have a hard time directly expressing their feelings, but they give a lot of hints, yet their aggression will often keep even the most confident at bay. Of course, due to the main understanding Russian, her occasional quips in Russian that reveal bombshells, and even some internal monologuing, Alya is pretty much a broken—half or quarter at best—tsundere or a kind of diet tsundere. She occasionally hits him or calls him an idiot, but she is mostly bland, not offering much else other than to allow a peep at her feet or a yawn-inducing "indirect kiss" or a quick tease without any memorability. While the language twist might be novel, the author doesn't exploit it effectively. It's either not used enough or feels like a crutch for the writer after a while. About the only other thing to say about Alya is that she has an oh-so-dramatic "must protecc!!" cringe backstory to wring sympathy and boohoos out of the viewer, where she's always trying her best but is dismayed by how she can't rely on anyone else, leading to her "tsundereism" and romantic interest in the MC. By this point, the comedic focus of the early portion of the series gradually slips away in favor of a snoozy tonal shift, wherein the author attempts to inject drama and interpersonal conflict with a lot of "feels," but the writing is too lightweight to be emotional or gripping, and the standard "what's your breast size," insults, awkward situations, and other jokes aren't exactly fresh. Worst of all about the language gimmick is how the quirk is often plain annoying, as the MC laughs nervously, rarely acting upon what he hears. He's your typical self-insert MC but not too scummy or anything. Though a mommy complex-induced slacker and otaku, he's an efficient powerhouse when he finds some reason to be committed to a cause. You know, the old routine of pandering to the audience with an OMG just-like-me personage while nodding to some presumed hidden power level or competence. There's a lack of honesty or insight coming from the MC for why he does anything, despite Alya being far too easy to waifu-up with, making the MC seem like the biggest beta orbiter and panty-sniffer on the block. Actual line from the MC: "Anyway, I want a girlfriend who can also be my best friend." Either a woman wrote this, or the author is trying too hard with his NTR fetish. Even with a generic MC and busted tsundere, the series could be salvageable, but we have to talk about the rotting elephant carcass in the room. The student council plot is the most soporific form of moeshit bureaucracy out there. What the author does here is neither interesting nor entertaining. We went into this series looking for a tsundere romcom, but we often instead get, "Send the treasurer over to the clown club to ensure they're not exceeding their budget" or long speeches and debates meant to look professional but acting as a stand-in for a literal cat fight between two badly behaved girls. Many scenes involving the student council have the austerity of walking into a local congressional meeting and trying to stay awake, but nothing they do really matters. I soon forget I'm watching a romcom instead of C-SPAN, just with cute and incompetent girls rather than old coots with dentures. Aside from being a slog, it's also oddly emasculating: Despite cutting into his anime and slacking time, the MC gets roped into joining the student council to fulfill his cuck aspirations of catapulting his waifu into the role of president; he props her up like he's a footstool with an inferiority complex, which was the same role he had for his backstory. Why does he want to promote her to being the president? He gives no special reason, but if Alya found a bf, the MC would probably drop out of the student council immediately. The only decent character, Yuki, has a two-faced role as a prim and proper presidential candidate for the student council but moonlights as an incestuous otaku. Yuki is certainly a wittier character than a mere ice princess puppet with good grades like Alya, and the idea of the latter winning against the former in an election is preposterous. Probably the only other important character is Alya's sister, Maria, but she's pretty much the touchy-feely mommy who functions as a forgotten childhood friend for the MC and a wistful cheerleader for her sister. Her character is the equivalent of guzzling a gallon of corn syrup, and she's a fine example of why the childhood friend love interest almost always fails. The writer attempts to run autopilot on fetish fuel to make up for the dull as dishwater romcom (plus drama dumpster dive) plot and character dynamics that we've seen endlessly but runs out of the diluted fuel he plies upon us all too fast. Alya, being the lukewarm diet soda that she is, runs out of fizz after about two episodes, and the author overcompensates with his sister fucker fetish and accidentally makes an entertaining character in Yuki, though it might leave those with more touristy sensibilities squirming in their seats, even if it's pure incestbait, and she has no more of a chance than the childhood friend. All of these factors make the faint love geometry nearly nonexistent. If there were video games representing the quality of the two main grills, one would be succinct and straightforward: Super Spicy Sister Fucker 4 (Yuki). The other would be a long, unwieldy, LN-like title: Boring Fake-Ass Broken Tsundere Gives You a Clammy Handshake in the Backroom of the Student Council while Rambling in Russian that You Pretend not to Understand (Alya). I'm starting to think this should be advertised more as a siscon series with a whole hell of a lot of filler rather than a tsundere romcom, or Yuki should have her own spinoff. You know a "tsundere" anime is subpar when you're rooting for "wincest."
VSoumith
09/18/2024, 10:11 AM
First three episodes are really good, but later the focus shifted to story rather than Main characters, Coming to story, it was not particularly good, it is just fighting for power, politics, backstabbing and such stuff, Mature minds may not find it enjoyable, it is just OK, Coming to characters, MC is a chad, FMC is a proud yet idealistic woman, naive to the schemes others employ to achieve their ends. So without spoiling the story is how MC supports FMC to get her goal, that is all, and the title part where she tells something in Russian and MC understands Russian well, butacts like he doesn't understand for FMC to reveal her true feelings towards her. In conclusion, while the series isn't a must-watch, it doesn't fall short of expectations either, offering several truly enjoyable moments.
BeetleR19d
09/18/2024, 08:21 AM
Calling 'Summer 2024' a "rare" season for anime might be an understatement. The overwhelming number of romance-centric shows made it truly exceptional. Two of these new romance shows even overshadowed the well-established popularity of "Oshi no Ko" to some extent. One of them was "Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian." So, where does this show stand compared to classic rom-coms? Does it have enough substance to be a top recommendation? Or is it just another generic romance that tries to do everything but fails to deliver convincingly? Art and Animation (8.5/10): Let's begin with the animation and art style, areas that likely won't significantly alter public opinion.While the art style and character design were great, Alya, in particular, stands out as one of the most visually appealing waifus of 2024. Her striking appearance is crucial for two reasons: first, as the titular character and primary heroine, her design sets the tone for the show. And......I will talk about the second reason a bit later. The other characters also looked fine, closely resembling their light novel counterparts. The studio did an admirable job in this respect. The animation quality was above average for a romantic comedy anime. The twelve distinct ending songs, each with its unique visuals, were a noteworthy feature. Although mostly static, they required more effort than a single ending sequence. Plot(6.5/10): Let's be real. "Roshidere" fails to distinguish itself from the sea of generic romantic comedies. The narrative lacks depth, failing to deliver a truly original story or effectively utilize the intriguing setting it presents. Roshidere is a tale of missed opportunities, filled with countless "could have beens" and "should have beens." Despite the elements at the author's disposal, the transition from light-hearted to serious moments felt forced. The comedic moments, especially those featuring Yuki, were good. But not all of them worked for me. For example, the hypnotism scene felt weirdly out of place. It was clearly fan service, but it didn't justify how abrupt it was considering the previous serious conversation between Nonoa and Masachika. The serious elements were done pretty well, but the characters' buildup and motivation still felt lacking. It's probably largely due to the anime's failure to place scenes and incidents in an order that would intensify the main focus: the student council election, not the comedy or the relationships. In its 12-episode run, 'Roshidere' used tropes that have been used many times before. So there's barely anything unique about it, except for Alya's occasional Russian sentences. Does that mean the plot of 'Roshidere' is bad? No, but it does mean you shouldn't expect anything deep from this show's first season at least. Whether it be complex issues, intense drama regarding relationships, or chaos-creating comedy, this show tries to have a piece of all those but fails to achieve a balance. In short, 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian' so far gives off the vibe of an average rom-com." Characters(6/10): I won't be talking about the side characters who barely had any focus put on them in the anime. For example, Ayano, Masha, Taniyama- they had their moments but not enough to be critiqued or praised for their character depth, background, and archetypes. So, it all comes down to three characters: Alya, Masachika, and last but not least, Yuki. Yuki: If you ask me what character I enjoyed most watching this season, I'd probably say her name. So, what makes her character funny and likable at the same time? First of all, she's an otaku, secondly she breaks the fourth wall, thirdly she's sadistic, and fourthly she works as a wingman sometimes. If I list these reasons separately like this, it won't really do justice to Yuki's character. She was fun to watch precisely because whenever she got the chance, she did something that we least expect from a little sister character. She had that surprise in store for the audience. And since I'm trying to avoid giving out spoilers, I won't be talking about her family issues. Masachika: I'm on the fence about his character. While his interactions with Alya are refreshing and he's not the stereotypical clueless rom-com lead, I find the constant reminders of his child prodigy status a bit overdone. It's like a magic trick that loses its luster once you know the secret. The 'child prodigy to laid-back high-schooler' transformation feels like a gimmick that's been overplayed. Alya: Speaking of gimmicks, Alya's occasional use of Russian as a language barrier is an intriguing tactic, though not quite as impactful as the hour-long looped video released by 'Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan'(That was a marketing masterstroke in my opinion). While her occasional Russian dialogue doesn't significantly alter the story, it's a shared responsibility between her, Masachika, and the author. The author's decision to have Masachika pretend not to understand Russian adds a layer of complexity that could have been explored further. As for Alya as the main heroine, she's fallen short of expectations. Her character seems primarily driven by her physical appearance, with limited development beyond the typical tsundere trope. While her final speech was a step in the right direction, it doesn't fully compensate for missed opportunities for independent growth. Her reliance on her looks can be seen as a way to compensate for her lack of assertiveness and social skills, which are crucial for a student council candidate. Her interactions with Masachika mirror a typical tsundere relationship. Whether you find her behavior endearing depends on your personal preference for the archetype. Personally, I'm not a fan of tsundere characters, so I don't have strong feelings about her bashful or jealous tendencies, but I do find her lack of directness somewhat frustrating. Audio and Soundtracks (7.5/10): I'm not a Russian speaker, so I can't comment on Alya's accent. And since she barely spoke Russian, it's not a major concern. That said, Sumire Uesaka is a talented voice actress, and the overall voice acting was satisfactory. The opening song was great. However, I have mixed feelings about using 12 separate ending songs. It limits their memorability compared to having a single ending song or one for each female character, like "Monogatari" . Regardless, the Haruhi ending was a highlight, motivating me to rewatch the series. Overall(7/10): While 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian' isn't entirely groundbreaking, it offers its share of strengths. However, these are often overshadowed by the weaker aspects of its first season. With the announcement of season 2, I'm hopeful for significant improvements in the storyline and character development. There's still plenty of room to explore family dynamics and Masha's past relationship with Masachika. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the second season. As for whether or not I recommend this anime, it depends on your preferences. If you're a fan of the genre, I think you'll enjoy it. However, if you're not particularly into rom-coms and are looking for the best introduction to the genre, I'd recommend "Love is War" instead. Thank you for reading. (If you read the whole thing) :)
Stark700
09/18/2024, 08:10 AM
Taking on a somewhat unique gimmick for a rom-com show, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is exactly how it sounds like. Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou (aka the "solitary princess") is a difficult girl to approach because she sometimes hides her true feelings in Russian. As strange as that might sound, she doesn't realize that her fellow classmate Masachika Kuze understands her. Delivering on the promise of a rom-com, it should be obvious to the audience that Alya harbors feelings for Kuze. Expressed sometimes in Russian, she builds a wall around herself whenever her feelings surfaces. From day one, the anime wants us to understand Alya'spersonality. It's no surprise that she loves to tease Kuze without knowledge that he understands Russian. Kuze plays along and sometimes feigns igornance although most of the time, we see his shocked reaction. The show builds on this pair's relationship through these circumstances and sets the main foundation of the story. One of the main strengths of the show is its colorful character roster. The main characters Alya and Kuze get their background storytelling but a decent amount of screen time is also given to others such as Yuki, Maria, and later Ayano. The most noticable among the female character cast is Yuki who loves to tease Kuze. Even as a sibling, it's strongly implied that Yuki may have a brother complex while relentlessly trying to get Kuze to react to teasing. Deep down, the two share a close relationship that often serves as a comedic element of the show. At school, Yuki acts more like an elegant model student who others look up to. While at home, she acts like a spoiled kid who wants attention. It's kind of the classic sibling relationship that is treated with humor filled with popcorn entertainment moments. And to be honest, that's a delight. Should you expect a love story? While this show adapts romance into its story, don't expect the anime to play out like some dramatic shoujo. The romance is just a part of it, where the plot also indulges on the school elements. The most prominent among this is the student council and and its elections. While some school rom-coms adapts these loosely and ties it up within an episode or two, this becomes a recurring plot that serves with significance. Taking place at Seirei Academy, the student council president position is viewed as a role of pride and honor. The main rivalry builds between Alya and Yuki and throughout this rivalry, we see tension around that venture into their personal lives. Indeed, the anime loves its comedic moments among the main cast. However, when the election gets involved, we see character rivalries reach their apex. The only downside appears to be a loose and incomplete adaptation. Given the show's length of 12 episodes, it couldn't focus on all aspects of the election plot. Thus, this anime fundamentally adapts the election to highlight some emotional moments but falls short on its main execution. However, even if you're not sold on the plot, this show shines most with its character personalities and chemistry. Yuki's on-screen chemistry between Yuki and Alya is a recurring gag that is undeniably entertaining. One might say the recurring moments gets repetitive in nature, but overall, it ignites their personalities. I mean, who wants to see cardboard characters that act like on autopilot? No, we want to be entertained by what see. Even characters such as Ayano can be unintentionally amusing with her stoic appearance and robotic-like mannerisms. The only character I do feel like it's lacking may be Maria. We do short glimpses of her flashbacks, but it undersold in terms of characterization. Out of all the main female cast, her chemistry with Kuze and others is overshadowed. Studio Doga Kobo has a long history of adapting rom-coms to the screens and has earned the audience's trust. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is adapted with care and commitment. There's no drop in production quality throughout the entire run of the show. Character designs for the female cast is especially decorated with elegant features, most prominently Alya and Yuki. Their expressions has variety and while some might some says have similar face models, they stand out like larger than life characters. The OP theme song is exceptionally spellbinding with colorful chereography while dressing up characters in countless ways. There's also theme songs for every episode highlighting the elegance of the cast, most noticably Alya. She's the title character after all and deserves to be the poster girl. Watching this anime from beginning to end has given me a new insight on rom-coms in recent years. Sometimes, it's just fun to see character chemistry and not worry too much about the story's drama. Sure, this sure has its drama but it ultimately did what it said out to do. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian may not be able to compete for anime of the year, but it has the traits of an entertaining rom-com.
Marinate1016
09/18/2024, 08:08 AM
I wish I could say I liked Roshidere as much as other people did, but sadly at this stage in my life goonerbait doesn’t move me. The anime’s over-reliance on incest bait, sexualisation and fanservice just turned me off at times from what was otherwise an actually decent romcom. I want to be clear, I don’t hate the Roshidere anime. As a light novel reader, I felt it did a lot right and even surpassed the LN in some regards such as Sumipe’s amazing portrayal of Alya which really elevated those Russian speaking moments from the books, Fuze and Alya’s relationship, the student council stuff,the DG art and visuals, etc. But there were quite a few things I didn’t like as well, such as the focus on the brocon gimmick and just how degenerate the show gets at times. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a casual romcom viewer you’ll probably like Roshidere. It’s genuinely got some fun moments, good characters and the show looks great, I just think it’s attracted the wrong sort of crowd and it’s turned me off to an extent. I’ve been a big fan of the Roshidere books for a couple years now so when the anime got announced by Doga kobo who are one of my fave studios I was excited. The thing that makes Roshidere in the books so cool is that you’ve got this really nice slow burn relationship between Kuze and Alya that develops, but it’s not the main focus. Instead the focus is on Kuze and Alya both growing as individuals. Alya seemingly has everything going for her. She’s beautiful, intelligent and the envy of the school, yet she’s unable to connect with people and feels alone. Kuze is quite talented himself but is an underachiever. Meeting Alya ends up making him come out of his shell and start putting his talents to use, while he helps improve her social skills, make friends and become someone who people feel that can approach. It’s very much a personal development series first and foremost with the romance secondary and a sprinkling of some fanservice illustrations. The anime does get the Kuze and Alya dynamic down pretty well I think. Every scene of them is so fun and Alya’s tsuntsun gimmick combined with her sweet Russian comments that show her inner thoughts are a joy to watch. I think it’s paced pretty well too so by the end of the season viewers will feel satisfied with the character development. Honestly my favourite part of Roshidere is the side characters though. Masha, Sayachi, Yuki when she’s not doing her bit, etc., are all pretty fun and add some nice spice to the story. While Kuze and Alya are great, it can get a little repetitive seeing the same couple episode after episode, but I think the author and by extension Doga Kobo strike a good balance here, even adding some anime original scenes in to flesh out characters more. I think there’s someone for everyone among the cast to root for. Visually Roshidere is stunning, up there with the very best Doga Kobo have done. The colours are so vivid, the animation is fluid, the character designs are great and the direction is really well done too. Now I know you’re probably like “ok do you like the anime or not, because you complained about gooner shit and you’ve praised it a lot” and like I said before, it’s a bit of both. I do like large parts of Roshidere. I also dislike aspects of it and the crowd its drawn due to the anime focusing more on goonbait than the books. It’s not a black or white thing. I would still recommend it for romcom fans, degens, people who are into Russian and wanna hear a cute anime girl speaking it etc. I just wish they’d focused on the character development more than moments like “good morning my brother” so much. There’s of course fanservice in the books but it’s much more fleeting than the anime. The anime tends to focus on things a lot more via holding shots and frames, extending scenes from the books etc. I’m not a prude, but I just felt it distracted from the actual character development plot and put the focus elsewhere which is why I complain about that so much. Again, most people won’t care and that’s cool. It’s still a solid anime and worth watching. Roshidere gets 8 out of 10.
Ionliosite2
09/18/2024, 08:02 AM
Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san is a series that could be a fun romcom, but due to bad decisions from the author after the first episodes, it just doesn’t work. Simply put, the gimmick of this series doesn’t do anything, sure Alya is Russian and she sometimes speaks it, but this doesn’t really change much, it’s like a different kind of tsundere-ism which would be okay, the problem here is that the series obviously breaks what should be the logical use of its premise by making the MC being able to understand Russian, which is stupid, there’s no point in making acharacter talk a different language so no one can get her just to make the MC being able to get her, and the justification about why he can speak Russian is also pretty dumb in itself. I sometimes wonder why working in a gimmick when you’ll just break it right from the start. The protagonist is obviously meant to be “literally you”, just look at his introduction and you’ll notice it, oh he watches anime, he is an otaku, now he will play his gacha, and I just wanted to roll my eyes because once again I’m supposed to believe that the most beautiful girl in the class is in love with the MC who has nothing going on for him, and perhaps the author noticed that too and that’s why he also decided to make him someone proficient at everything he tries, you could replace him with Sakuta from Bunny Girl Senpai or Ayanokouji from CotE and it wouldn’t change anything because he is a charismatic god and a genius like nobody else that has ever existed but he NEEDS to hide his power level by being lazy and will only show it from time to time, the fact that he is a otaku is irrelevant, because he isn’t one, he does nothing to actually show it except saying that he is because the audience needs to self-insert as him, and by being called an otaku it makes it easier for the audience to think they are like him. Honestly, I’m not sure why there was a need to do two completely different versions of him in the same character or which one is worse. If I was more invested in this series I would get shivers by thinking that Alya beating Yuki at the student council elections is completely plausible because she is the main female character and has the MC that can do absolutely everything by her side, because Alya most definitely doesn’t deserve to win it, she breaks down the second the MC isn’t holding her hand to cross the street as if she was a little baby that needs to be taken care of at every moment, there are multiple examples of this like the baseball club and football team, she needed to be saved by the MC despite the fact that that this is her job in the student council because she is the treasurer, she cannot even do that correctly and I just can’t see why she should win, maybe she’ll be able to actually stand in her own two feet at some point in the future, but even if she does how is she supposed to compete with Yuki when she actually has experience since she won in middle school? Alya was originally characterized as someone who is just so above everyone else and that only she is competent and that’s why she is alone, which barely explains why this girl who gets so much attention as the “solitary queen” has no friends, but she isn’t able to pull off things alone, it makes it funny when she got called out by the glasses girl that she was a pretty face with good notes and nothing more, because that’s true. We just get constantly told by the MC and the series that she is a hard worker and that you should support her for it, but we never see that being close to reality. Of course, this problem wouldn’t exist if the author didn’t add the student council plot to take over everything about the series, because it is easily the worst part about it. Which takes me to the absolute best point of this series, that is, Yuki. She singlehandedly carried the show by being an actual character and not the boring and lazy attempt at making a tsundere that is Alya, from her way of talking being so polite that the subtitles cannot even begin to show that her manner of speaking would make a butler blush, and then when in private with her brother she is basically a brocon, playful and actually bounces well with the MC. Honestly, I agree with the glasses girl that they are the perfect duo and the show would be much better if she was the main girl because she got actual chemistry with him, even if she couldn’t salvage how shit the student council stuff is. She is actually fun to watch when she isn’t being serious, and when it comes to the student council presidential election, she actually has drive and ambition and will do terrible shit just to win, for example, using Alya’s own foolishness against her was actually nice and was basically playing 4D chess the entire episode, which seeing how stupid the other characters are, is not even surprising how she pulled it off. Even if she wasn’t easily the most entertaining thing about the series by a landslide, it’s not like she got much competition, Masha is not a character, she was a plot device to make the MC learn Russian because they met in the past, but that isn’t relevant, because they don’t do anything at all with that information because the MC doesn’t know she is her childhood friend, the fact that she knows and decides to do nothing about it and just let Alya have the MC makes all of this irrelevant as you aren’t even getting something out of it, just as an example. Telling you that the first two episodes were the best part of this series would be the truth, after that, it jumped to Alya’s “sad” past and then to student council shenanigans which I honestly cannot care much about, it could be an actually entertaining romcom when it tries, which is almost any Yuki scene, but the fact that the gimmick it had is basically thrown to the side to the point Alya won’t speak in Russian in some episodes tells you everything that you have to know about the series, “the main girl is a Russian” is an extremely weak gimmick, so I’m not sure if the author actually thought about making this a full-fledged series in the first place. Honestly, this should’ve just been the Yuki show, that would’ve been great, but sadly it isn’t, instead we’re stuck with this bad excuse of a tsundere and a perfect self-insert MC. Thank you for reading.
ZeroMajor12
09/18/2024, 07:58 AM
I'm not going to sugarcoat this, I really liked Roshidere. An anime that has vibrant production and character designs doesn't come often, paired up with actual witty dialogue and some good characters. With these strengths, Roshidere could have easily been a recommendation for everyone to take as a fan-favorite rom-com. However, as every episode came later, it couldn't stand to the height of what new romcoms have already achieved. I hoped for it to live up to the qualities of post-modern rom-coms, but sadly it has come to an end. When you hear a studio like Doga Kobo especially if the anime has a cast filledwith female characters, Doga Kobo will surely deliver that level of expectation in creating the cutest waifu material you could find in this Summer arsenal. It's bright, but nowhere to the level of being nauseatic, and the animation is consistent and high-quality for the entire run, Such to say in simpler terms, it's a buffet for the eyes. Although most female characters look oddly the same if you disregard their hair color, styles, and apparel, it's pretty much a waifu fest for anyone intending to find a favorite waifu. Speaking of Waifus, who would have thought the imouto ended up being the best character in this anime? Yuki Suou is easily the best character and has the most personality out of all the waifus the anime shows on a redundant scale. Despite showing up as a talented, high-class lady who's polite and charming, her scenes with the male MC are just the absolute best to watch, the VA did a magnificent job to make her stand out and has so much taste in comparison to other waifus in this anime. To describe her in a single word, she's just BASED. How can you make a character who's so blatantly 'shameless' not cringe and ACTUALLY charming to watch? That's a big plus for anything I've seen trying to portray Otakus. Her dialogues combined with an incredible voice just make her almost impeccable and a top-tier performance to be beholden. Likewise, the anime's strongest part is the performance of the voice actresses, and that includes the main voice actress herself. Imagine a voice actress who is so dedicated to Russian culture, that she can speak fluent Russian while doing vocal performances for the opening and different endings. You got yourself a reason to like Sumire Uesaka even more if you didn't watch her previous performance in other anime before. It was like the role was specifically tailored for her. I think it's enough for the performance praise and actually focus on the anime, as such. I find it discouraging to realize there were more flaws than there were strengths in this anime. The list being: 1. Weak supporting cast - They are mostly decent on first impression and aren't unlikable, but when you have characters like Yuki or Alya being genuinely likable to watch, the cast pretty much looks stale compared to these powerhouses. Masachika is not by all means a bad character, but by making your male character witty, smart, talented, and hang around multiple girls at the same time like how most male characters are written nowadays, you could change him with another similar male character, and the anime would still proceed without any hindrance. The only reason he's viable to be in the cast was simply because of Yuki's sheer existence (the brother to the most BASED character in this anime). - I'm not trying to say you should avoid tropes, but I think the anime got a bit too comfy with introducing tropes just for the sake of it. Ayano Kimishima and Masha are the characters I'm speaking of, with the latter being the one I'm genuinely more disappointed in. How are they still churning out maid characters? I don't understand what is so endearing about showing stone-faced ladies looking at you, doing your every bid by any means. You would mostly see her together with Masachika or Suou, only to add a little spice of dialogue to the duo, but even then, I don't see much reason to add her other than to be another fanservice for the audience. Turning to Masha however, I was disappointed with her lack of character development despite being the ONLY character to recognize Masachika from his childhood's past. Her development is nowhere to be seen as later episodes go on, despite signaling her attachment to Masachika. She, unfortunately, falls flat from other characters that have received more depth and attention as the anime goes on. 2. Lack of romance development - Speaking of development, the romance progression is honestly the reason why the anime can't be recommended as a satisfying rom-com by today's standards. If you would compare it to 2010's romcoms, the anime does it by the book, a perfect anime to define one, but it comes in stale compared to new rom-coms that have better or more accurate 'FASTER' romance progressions than what Roshidere has come to offer. It starts as your regular rom-com would normally start; - You get introduced to an eccentric yet charming girl, she shows her personality, the male character feels a bit off but accepts it nonetheless, somehow finds the chance to rizz her, the girl somewhat reciprocates or blushes, male character blushes too from his actions or vice versa, repeat. It's a standard procedure but very effective when you add more features to the romance, leading to drama or conflicts, it could have been a good romance anime. - The trouble starts when the anime decides to divide the attention between different love interests that might hit it off or pretty much have different appeals for different audiences. The quality screen time that could have been given to Alya is unfortunately divided by other contending waifus who are defined by their tropes alone. It gives the anime a lot of downtime and is pretty frustrating for anyone who's looking for meaningful screen time between the main couple. Even worse, it decided to show the student council election arc, eliminating the majority of romance for even more characters introduced and causing more downtime for romance later to come. Along with adding Masachika's backstory to the picture, you get lesser romance appeal as the later episode goes on. The only thing that stays consistent in the anime is the comedy and fanservice the anime proudly showcases to you in a silver picture. It is a shame, that I held it in the regard of contesting favorable rom-coms, but the anime couldn't reach the level of what is considered great in romance terms. If you're looking for some fun personalities in anime portrayal, this one would cater to your needs most deservedly, otherwise, you might not be able to find this romance anywhere diabetic.
rrakku
09/18/2024, 07:52 AM
Long title, name of the heroine slapped on top, and a slight twist that makes up the girl's entire personality, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is everything wrong with the contemporary anime/light novel scene. It's the same old romcom story told in a different way, this time, particularly cringe. Bottom line is, Roshidere is a show written by a degenerate, for degenerates: its characters over-analyses, over-dramatises, and of course, are over-sexualised. The pain point that makes this show especially insufferable is the utter sincerity in which the cast do and say the most disturbing and idiotic things, yet we are supposed to believe theystudy in one of the most prestigious high schools in Japan. The story often side-tracks and whatever happens in the show happens because it would work as a device to serve to deliver on a trope, a gag, or fan service, with very little exceptions. What results is a story that feels, to put it generously, inorganic and stiff. As opposed to the characters driving the plot forward, things happen in the show for the characters to "have a moment". Perhaps the most infamous example here is the hypnosis scene in episode 7: the Mikhailovna sisters literally start stripping at school in the middle of the day, and for what? Novel readers might argue that the scene is a vital device to deliver on critical foreshadowing (no spoilers, you'd have to guess), I disagree. That is but a by-product of what is otherwise a scene dedicated to be otaku-bait fan service, and if the author really wanted to do foreshadowing, there were a million other more tasteful ways to do it. The anime is filled to the brim with these blocks of disconnected trope-filled scenes that the author tries so badly to smash together, and oftentimes, it's just bad fan service. That brings us to the problematic elephant in the room. Now, one can of course appreciate a fan service scene if it's well-executed. To this, Yuki's "good morning, my brother" in episode two comes to mind: the nonchalant attitude of Kuze towards his sister serves as good character building and a funny meta gag by contrasting the audience's reaction from his own. But the majority of these scenes in Roshidere stand in stark contrast to that moment of brilliance. Instead, fan service in Roshidere is often awkward with no satirisation, no thematic, characterial, or plot significance, only pure titillation designed to arouse your average anime viewer. Within the same episode, for example, Roshidere decides to show us multiple angles of Alya changing when trying out different clothes in the store; or in episode five, when Kuze stared into the breasts of the two sisters during PE lessons. The show constantly jumpscares you with unwarranted and uncomfortable scenes that are simply not for anyone with a developed brain. And this fundamental issue for Roshidere runs even deeper: the story—and hence, the fan service the author so desperately wants to add—needs to focus on Alya; yet, the awkward relationship dynamic she has with Kuze, the POV character and protagonist, makes for some mind-numbingly stupid and boring sequences. Let me give an example. Halfway through episode one, Alya takes off her socks in front of Kuze in the middle of a serious conversation and asks him to put on new ones for her. Predictably, she is too ashamed to carry through with it, and predictably, the remainder of the whole episode is dedicated to this pointless exercise of Kuze getting back on good terms with Alya. This chronic lack of chemistry between the two are not only highlighted in fan service scenes that the author likes so much, but also brings problems into the main plot. A show being unequivocally and unapologetically cringe might not a deal breaker for many people (it is for me, but I digress), but even if you can look past that and engage with Roshidere authentically—it's just a bland character drama featuring a low-stakes conflict. The goal of our main duo is to become the student council president, why? Well, we're not sure. All there is to know is Alya's borderline psychopathic backstory and Kuze's mystery secret past somehow powers them to do it. So my big question is, what do Kuze and Alya have to lose if they fail to achieve their goal? Nothing—nothing's on the line for the two except for their ego. They are good friends with all the prospective candidates, so their position in the council is always safe; their relationships aren't at risk either, as long as they can swallow their pride, their friendships with Yuki, Sayaka, Nonoa, or any number of their friends would remain the same no matter if they win or lose. This is not to mention how dull the presidential debates, psychological warfare, or anything related to the election is, but I think I've said enough on that. Ultimately, it's this mundane main plot that breaks Roshidere for me: every episode, I sit down to watch whatever disconnected shitshow had popped into the author's mind, and any resemblance of a well thought out plot or a coherent storyline is heavily undermined by the sheer unimportance of it to the life of the cast. Before I get into the only redeemable elements of Roshidere, can I also mention how tiring the "Alya hides her feelings in Russian" gimmick is? The author doesn't play around with the concept at all, instead does exactly what it says on the tin, EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, sometimes multiple times in one. I'm so done with the Alya says something in Russian → Kuze struggles to keep his poker face up → Alya laughs at Kuze for not knowing Russian (when in fact she's the clueless one) loop that the author feels mandatory to include every three seconds. So, a boring and fragmented story, uninteresting main duo, an unexciting main plot, and an annoying gimmick that's repeated to death, what is there to like in Roshidere? Not much. DogaKobo and the voice actors have done an exceptional job, yet even in the production side of things, I have a bone to pick with Roshidere. In the context of being slapped on top of such a poorly planned story, a different ending song for each episode feels like the production pandering to the otaku psyche, so much so to the point it feels patronising. The only way in which it compliments the story well, and not in a good way, is how detached the songs are to the actual content of the episode. That is not to say it diminishes all the stuff DogaKobo and the voice actors have done right in Roshidere. Maruoka Wakana really killed it with her impression of Yuki, Itou Routa did a great job in reworking the novel into a script that turns a repulsive read that is the novels into something that's narrowly watchable show, and the team as a whole that has put so much effort into animating this mess. Despite the horribleness that's oozing through the screen everytime I watch this show, their efforts and passion is apparent. Ever since its publication in 2021, Roshidere has constantly topped the best selling light novel charts in Japan. I'm seriously puzzled. Look slightly beneath its hype, what you find is a bad IP that got saved by a decent adaptation that wraps its terrible writing, questionable narrative choices, and lazy characterisation into something that's barely consumable. If you find Roshidere enjoyable, I'm sorry, but you're way lost in the anime sauce, might I suggest touching some grass.

Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san 時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん

2024 summer | Episodes: 12 | Score: 7.6 (192153)

Updated every Wednesdays at 23:30 | Status: Finished Airing

Type: TV

Producers:Sega | Delfi Sound | Kadokawa

Streaming: Crunchyroll | Ani-One Asia | Bahamut Anime Crazy | Bilibili Global

Synopsis

Voice Actors

Uesaka, Sumire

Amasaki, Kouhei

Kazama, Mayuko

News

Reviews

AeroGunz
01/14/2025, 07:57 AM
“Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” is what happens when an interesting shtick is destroyed by bad writing. This show surprised me in to major ways: 1. That it destroyed its own shtick right from the get to in favour of… practically nothing because nothing comes of it. 2. How boring and devoid of story this show is Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talking about “plot” and “story”. Many people use those terms interchangeably. I’m not one of those people, so to make sure everyone is on the same page… I use the definitions for “plot” and “story” as LisaCron describes them: “What happens in the story is the PLOT, the surface events.” “STORY is about how the things that happen affect someone in pursuit of a difficult goal, and how that person changes internally as a result”. If I had to tell what kind of story telling method this show utilises it would be “and then that happened”. About 90% of what happens in the show's 12 episodes happen because the writers decided to show a cliche scene that You saw a million times (with better execution) before and had no idea how to organically implement it. I’m gonna be honest, the first episode is rather solid for what it’s supposed to be. Get an overall view of what we’re working with. The main characters (Kuze and Alya), supporting cast (the most important of which would be Yuki), their relationship and interactions and the great view of the main “conflict”. It’s not exactly a surprise, the title gives it away from the get go. Alya speaks Russian sometimes, mostly to confess her feelings towards Kuze, and thinks the boy doesn’t understand her. But he does and we even get an explanation for that. On top of that the explanation works also as a setup for something that could (wink, wink) happen later. It’s also a bit misleading of the type of way Alya teases Kuze. It’s much more ecchi than the rest of the show. I don’t know if it's bait for the viewers or someone just managed to hide this scene from the higher ups. As far as first episodes go this one is a solid one. It fulfils its function pretty well. It’s mostly downhill from here unfortunately. The problem is there is very little story to this show and what story there is is mostly shown in the last 3 episodes. Everything (well… 90%) before that is just plot. If You want to argue that it’s a story about two people getting close to each other, go right ahead, but their relationship doesn’t change in any meaningful way. They start as friends with one having an obvious crush and they end as friends with one having an obvious crush. The second is an idiot, I’m not counting him for anything. Something I’m not quite sure why was made is giving Kuze the ability to understand Russian. It destroys a lot of mystery from the plot. If he wasn’t able to understand Alya we would have an element of mystery (You could even leave tha translations for the viewers), as we all know, mysteries are sexy. It would add a lot of tension and drama to their interactions. Something that they lack in the finished product. As it stands Kuze is an asshole. He knows the girl is into him. It’s not a guess, she declares her feelings and urges on multiple occasions. If he wanted to, we would have a relationship between those two in episode 3 at the latest. He allows this relationship to be stuck in limbo. I call that being an asshole. It’s not like he is opposed to the idea of a relationship with her either. If he was he wouldn't have those over the top, pseudo-comedic reactions he has everytime he hears her declaring her feelings in russian. I fail to see the reason why the writers would play it that way. They just created a MC that is really hard to root for, because he’s just an asshole. Listen I get it, the name of the game in rom-coms (and romance in general) is the “Will they - Won’t They”. But in most cases it’s based on insecurity and unknowns from both parties or on some sort of conflict that prevents the characters from getting together. In this case we don’t have any sort of unknowns. We, as well as both parties, are more than aware of the fact that Alya is into Kuze. So we should get some sort of conflict as a counterweight, right? Yeah… no such luck. Kuze acts like an idiot and we really don’t get a good reason why. Even in later episodes we are still left in the dark. There is also very little I would call a proper romance set up. This is a rom-com but the “rom” is silent for most of the show. Yes Kuza and Alya have a lot of interactions but they are not what I would call romantic or even pseudo-romantic. Out of all 12 episodes I think there are only 2 scenes that could work as a romance set up, that is if they weren't destroyed. Once by a cheap joke of stunned background characters who clearly have too much interest in other people's interactions. The second time by a fanatical attendant coming by. Those were the only scenes I would call proper for the “rom” part of rom-com. Mostly everything else focuses on comedy. Which is a problem all by itself because even in straight up comedies You need contrast. You need to give jokes room to breathe and sink in. You want to have a lazy joke? Go for it but contrast that with something full on romantic or dramatic. You can’t just feed the viewer only lazy comedy and expect them to not feel fatigue. Granted this show isn’t as aggressive as something like “Grand Blue” but it still has too many jokes and instead of giving contrast by showing scenes more attuned to drama or romance it gives us… nothing. An anime equivalent of a “Please Stand by” screen. Most scenes between are just filler that leads nowhere. It’s all just plot and lazy at that. The only reason I was able to watch this show (apart from having OCD and Asperger) was Yuki. Probably the only character with personality. Her switching between a perverted otaku sister and a proper Young lady working for the student council was actually enjoyable. I wouldn't mind if she was the protagonist of this show. Listen. Not all MC’s have to be blank slates. In most cases it is better for a protagonist to have an established personality and traits. For fuck’s sake Spike from Cowboy Bebop is far from a tabula rasa and is one of the greates MCs in history. Same goes for the kids in “Grave of the fireflies”. I have no idea why the anime industry insists on having bland, tasteless, white bread as protagonists but this shit needs to stop. It destroys their ability to tell actual stories and leaves them with nothing but plot. As it stands this show isn’t a total travesty or an example of how to fail at a rom-com (well… maybe a little) it’s just so damn safe and full of cliches that I see no reason to watch this over any other rom-com on the market. There are moments when the show tricks You into thinking that it will be better. The last 3 episodes are actually better both with plot and story but it’s too little too late for my taste. The worst part? We don’t get any kind of payoff. We watch 12 episodes of this show, how Alya admits to herself about her feelings and Kuze starting to act like he has a spine and… we end with nothing. Everything seemingly returns to status quo so the authors can pretend to know what they are doing all over again in the next season.
PandaRoomster
11/26/2024, 03:21 PM
I realized very early on that I’m probably not the target demographic for this anime—it seems clearly aimed at p*rn-addicted self-inserts. Since I don’t consider myself part of that group, take my review with a grain of salt. I have very mixed feelings about this anime, so I’ll break them down into clear points: Art and Design: Easily the best part of the series. The character designs are beautiful, and the animation is consistently well-executed. I honestly can’t ask for much more in this department—it’s top-notch. Characters: There’s plenty of variety among the characters, but many feel like they exist solely to attract as wide an audience as possible. Themain character is a pitiful attempt at a relatable self-insert—Oh, he’s actually a reliable guy just pretending to be lazy? That feels like a shallow ploy to make romantically frustrated men think, “Oh, he’s just like me!” Yuki, in particular, left me baffled. What was her end goal? Did she want to surpass her brother? Did she wish for her brother to be happy with Alya? Or—disturbingly—was she trying to seduce her own brother? Incest is not okay, and it’s easily the most disgusting aspect of this anime. I genuinely worry about the people who enjoy such a trope in a show. Do better. Plot: The plotline isn’t particularly groundbreaking. The student council setting ensures that at least something is always happening, but it doesn’t reach very deep. The way the student council is treated with such gravity feels a bit over-the-top, though this might be due to cultural differences and it's definitely not exclusive to only this anime, so I won't take points away for that. Given that this is supposed to be a romcom, I personally would’ve liked to see more emphasis on the romance. The comedy element works occasionally, but it often feels cheap and doesn’t leave much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. Fan Service: I understand that fan service makes money, but I don’t understand the appeal of mixing it into an anime. If I’m bored, I’ll watch an entertaining show full of drama. If I want to see women in underwear, I’ll watch an entirely different type of video. Combining the two feels unnecessary and detracts from the overall experience. Furthermore, this series takes fan service to uncomfortable extremes. What did the hypnosis scene add to the plot? Nothing! It just made all of the unga-bungas drool because “haha boobie.” This kind of content is exactly why I feel like I’m likely not the target demographic. Summary: Despite its many negatives, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the show at least a little. It does have its charm, I suppose. I’ll stick around for the second season in the hope that some of these issues are addressed. The potential is clearly there. 5/10 – Average
colelouch
10/31/2024, 10:08 AM
The biggest issue with this show is its lack of a clear focus, making it hard to pinpoint what genre it aims for: romantic comedy, drama, or slice of life. It feels like a mix of *Bunny Girl Senpai*, *Kaguya-sama*, and harem ecchi elements, but without successfully capturing the appeal of any. While the last episode had a strong finish that slightly boosted my rating, the journey felt sluggish. The continuous, linear storytelling creates a semi-realistic vibe but ultimately dilutes the impact of each theme, leading to underdeveloped scenes and character arcs. Alya’s character is reduced to a typical "tsundere" with a Russian-speaking quirk, andthe secondary characters feel ambiguous in importance. It’s unclear whether they’re meaningful to the plot or just filler, as only the main couple, Masachika and Alya, get any real depth. Additionally, the show has a "semi-pretentious" tendency, making trivial problems seem overly serious. The student council drama lacks depth, and attempts at strategic plotting feel forced, more like excuses to introduce plot armor for the main characters. Although the 12 endings mostly showcase Alya’s beautiful appearance, they don’t necessarily improve the narrative or storyline quality. Ultimately, the show could have been stronger if it had focused on one narrative style or balanced its tonal shifts better.
_HellBent_
10/25/2024, 11:27 AM
~~ A HellBent Half Arsed Review™ ~~ Overall Rating: 9/10 ----- Reason for watching? ----- The art style caught my eye, and I figured I'd give romance anime another shot after the disastrous last few attempts ----- Reason for finishing? ----- Surprisingly cute and cosy, far more so than I was expecting ----- Story: 6/10 ----- I'll be completely honest, I'm not super well versed in the "high school romcom" genre of things, it's not really my go to. That being said, it did exactly what it said on the tin; There is indeed a girl called Alya who does in fact sometimes hide her feelings in Russian. Premise be damned, itwas clear very early on that story was not gonna be the thing to keep me watching which frankly I'm okay with as long as other aspects hold up to scrutiny. Also to be fair, as extremely simple as it was, the story was not offensively bad or anything, just clearly not the main focus. - which again to be fair, I don't think is ever the main point of a romcom at least in my experience. ----- Art: 9/10 ----- The art style of this show is gorgeous, genuinely one of the prettiest shows I've seen. The character design and just general look of the show absolutely resonated with me. It was extremely aesthetic even if many static or unimportant shots, and very silly and cute when it needed to be too. Hey, I'm a simple person, give me a pretty enough rock and I'll happily stare at it regardless of if it does anything interesting. ----- Sound: 7/10 ----- Sound design was fine, nothing particularly noteworthy but good. Likewise the ost was good, not super memorable but nothing stood out as bad or off-putting either - The voice acting on the other hand ugh. Chefs kiss. I loved every single performance, especially the sister of the main character. The whole cast did great but she in particular just radiated charisma and I was eating up every single second of it ----- Character: 10/10 ----- This is where the show shines most for me besides the gorgeous visual style. In pretty much every single show, nay every piece of media I've ever seen there is at least one character that I detest and wish was not there because they actively ruin the experience of the show just by existing, but nowhere is this more prevalent than romance anime - And usually it is the main character himself that I cannot stand. However, in this show I can safely say that (as of season 1 at least) there is not a single character that made me want to rip my hair out which I think is genuinely a first for a romcom show. I liked pretty much everyone, and adored the entire main cast. Arguably, the main cast are all simply walking stereotypes but extremely dialled down; The otaku who isn't really that much of a perv and is actually kinda sweet, the tsundere who is not physically abusive nor abrasive, the airhead who is actually not that stupid but is a little etc etc. This concept either works for you or it doesn't, I can safely say it very much works for me, it's extremely refreshing to see these tropes personified in a more realistic and less frustrating way. ----- Enjoyment: 10/10 ----- No complaints on this front. The biggest stand out is absolutely the lack of frustration and/ or anger that usually comes from a romcom. I found myself multiple times per episode saying "Ah yeah this is where she smacks him and runs away and they don't talk for the rest of the episode" or something to that effect and time and again the show just... didn't do that. Again this is definitely a personal preference thing, I can absolutely see how some would see the lack of drama as boring but frankly I appreciate just having this bubbly feel good feeling while watching. And just to be clear it's not that there's no drama at all, but compared to a lot of the other romance shows I've seen it is extremely tame. A criticism I would have is that well... For a comedy it's not really funny like at all. "But why have you rated it a 10/10 enjoyment if it's a comedy that's not even funny?" again this is a personal preference kinda deal, I've long since written off anime for having the ability to be funny to me (as harsh as that sounds lol), the only exception being shows that are so abysmally bad that I laugh due to the suffering they induce. Due to this I just don't even take it into account when rating anything, since it not being funny doesn't actually hurt my enjoyment. The sister character is actually funny though she got a smirk and even a giggle out of me a few times which is frankly a monumental achievement for a romcom to have achieved ----- Rewatchability: Maybe? ----- I don't see why not, but I also don't particularly see a reason to rewatch this one. Come back again future me after seeing the next season when it releases, see if your opinions on this one have changed at all :P ----- Afterthoughts ----- Not really much to say this time, extremely refreshing and feel-good show with fun and enjoyable characters in a comfy slice of life show. Has ecchi elements but that never has bothered me in a show, and it's not really funny but that also has never hurt my enjoyment of a show so it is what it is. I like it, maybe you will too if you like cute and comfy things. ----- Disclaimer ----- A HellBent Half Arsed Review™ is for my own benefit, since I have a hard time remembering shows or why I liked them and I wanna document the journey through this massive anime watch list. To anyone other than future myself who stumbles across this somehow: I don't recommend you listen to me, I'm a dumbass
Neurochitin
10/24/2024, 01:02 AM
Alya-san has an interesting premise that feels like it could make a great romcom. Unfortunately, it has no idea what to do with its premise and instead tries out various other things, none of which really stick. After a few romance-focused episodes, which are good but not outstanding, it suddenly becomes an imouto meme show for a bit, then switches its focus decidedly on student politics which it has no idea how to do in a remotely interesting way. Near the end it almost feels like “we have Classroom of the Elite at home”. The premise which made me interested in the first place isshoved aside to become more of a recurring joke than a central element of the story: “Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” — yes, she certainly does that. And Masachika (the male lead) reacts in the same way every time. There are all sorts of interesting dynamics the premise *could* lead to, but the show never explores any of them. The animation and the music are all solid. Especially the EDs are cool, I like the idea of Alya's VA covering a different old love song each time. There was clearly a lot of effort put into the adaptation, but the story that was presented in the end is just not very interesting. This anime certainly has enjoyable moments. But given the abundance of good romantic comedies, imouto meme anime, and student politics dramas, I see no reason to recommend a show that half-heartedly tries to be all of them at once.
ecktt
10/03/2024, 04:46 PM
TLDR: Potential wasted. The whole premise of the series; speaking Russian while the boy secretly understands, is basically underutilized while the rest of the show is an almost standard romcom, hence the 5 rating. The all-too-common tropes are in there. Honestly, there is nothing fresh beyond the first episode. The sound, voice acting, and animation is fine. The story is uninteresting because...it's been done a million times before. The characters are boring, so you don't get invested, again because it's been done a million times before. I kept watching because I was hoping some fresh would happen, but it didn't. If you're a romcom fan, Iguess it's worth a watch to get your fix but it is not worth the time imho.
Chuy_diazz
09/22/2024, 10:07 PM
A premise of a tsundere who speaks Russian, where in the end that was her only grace, speaking Russian. Roshidere is a typical school romance where, what is intended to be a breath of fresh air to the genre, ends up being the anchor that ends up sinking it. It focuses so much on giving a spotlight to Alya that it ends up showing all the deficiencies that the character has, and unfortunately she does not have what it takes to carry the work as a protagonist should. Any character that appears within the story is more interesting and more charismatic than its female protagonist. Eventhe episodic characters like the grandfather or Masachika's friends stole the scene when they appeared. If the episodic characters overshadowed Alya, the secondary ones constantly buried her. Yuki and Masha have what it takes to replace Alya as the protagonist but the story wants to force you to see Alya as a person who is at the level of those mentioned above. The story doesn't bother to develop its main girl, and yet they put her in a situation where she has to act but she just stays as the pretty face. Giving so much weight to the plot of the school elections and giving us the backgrounds of Yuki and Masachika, automatically give more weight to the skills and ingenuity than to simply being a one trick pony. Masachika tries hard to get the campaign ahead and her greatest enemy is Alya. The girl doesn't even try to put in a grain of effort, she simply limits herself to say sporadic phrases in Russian. It feels like all the characters play in a higher league than Alya, but still something has to be nerfed so that she can even look decent. All this so that in the end the relationship advances only one step. It also doesn't help that the fandom that was generated around this work has become a cult towards the Russian. There are many things that the same fans who read the novel try to justify with facts that were never shown in the anime but are in the novel. This leads me to classify that the anime failed as an independent adaptation. If the only way in which a discussion related to the anime can be had is with information from the novel, then the failure is huge. If the anime cannot show the core of the story in a satisfactory way, then it is not that good. One of the most anticipated anime ended up being the biggest disappointment of the season. This anime worked as a promotion for the novel, as it worked for Sumire Uesaka (they forced her in every possible place). It worked as anything you can imagine but it failed in the most important thing, in being a good story.
Yeetomfg2
09/19/2024, 04:21 PM
YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO PROPAGANDA Time to talk about a random rom-com. Surely there isn't any arguing going out on social media about it... Oh... Anyway, I believe that people have been blessed recently with good romance after good romance. It only seems that yesterday people were still talking about "The dangers of my heart". And "Alya-san conveys her feelings in Russian" seems to be the big rom-com of the summer 2024 season. But is it worth to watch? I believe so. The story starts with a black haired, unmotivated high-school boy (where have I seen that before) sitting next to a Russian girl by thename of Alya-san. Now, let me get this out of the way. The people who are mad that there isn't enough Russian in this show are very stupid. I cannot understand being mad that the gimmicky romance you are watching isn't actually that gimmicky. I swear the people who hate the show for that are just Russian bots who got lost after their "X" account got deleted. I was surprised by the story and how dramatic it actually seems. There is a reason I think people have gravitated toward the Masahikas sister rather than Alya herself (other than the fact she is genuinely a more fun character). It's because she is part of this dysfunctional family dynamic that is very interesting. The show quickly show-cases that it has a way more bigger story to tell that it seems, and that the MC i laughed at before may actually have a very complicated and sad background. The idea the there is a bigger story behind the high-school romance we are seeing is really interesting and fun. I was genuinely stuck to the screen every time a serious moment happened. And I still believe the show has yet to show its full hand. Still there are some issues with the story. One big one being that the character the show is named after is actually the 2nd most interesting girl in the show (closer to 3rd than 2nd tbh). It's very important in a romance that when you give the viewer the character who will eventually win the heart of the MC without fail, you make the the most interesting character, without a doubt. But so far, Alya-san has fallen short. Also there is a bit of incosistency in how some characters act. Especially Maschika who cannot decide if he is an charismatic, sarcastic genius or an idiot who cant even speak to a girl and get played with again and again. The animation is decent enough, nothing too crazy but good enough for a romance anime. Another problem I have though is the music. The opening sound like the fucking song that plays when you open Blue Archive and the ending is straight up just bad. And the music through-out the show is pretty basic and bad. I swear this season has been very bad with background noise (Giji Harem and Days with my step-sister) but that is for other reviews. While not impressing on a technical level the show does just good enough. That's why my final rating for "Alya-san conveys her feelings in Russian" is a 8/10. I highly recommend watching this show if you want something good to scratch that romance itch left by all the good shows in the genre recently. It is an interesting story that is bound to pull you in, along with some cute romance scenes that are classic to the genre.
KevintheChuker
09/18/2024, 11:16 PM
9.5/10 (rounded to 10/10) Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is a near perfect romcom. Despite recycling the old romcom-tsundere trope in a High School setting used countless times in anime, it is still unique and interesting with decent story and retaining all the plot elements one looks for in a romcom. -The art is amazing all thanks to studio Doga Kobo -The MC is very respectable -Alya is a very good FMC with good character development -Good side characters (Masha, Ayano) -Russian is a nice touch But all these above still only makes it an 8/10, so why a 10/10?SUOU YUKI She is an AMAZING character, with a great VA. She is the icing in the cake we call Roshidere. She makes Roshidere stand out despite not being the FMC, her interactions with Kuze really bring this show from an 8/10 to a 10/10. The show does become more serious later on, unfortunately making Yuki fall off a bit later on (-0.5 score), which is alright because this was when Alya shines with her cutesy and wholesome moments more so then before. Overall despite it's slight downturn from what would have been perfection, this show is still a masterpiece, I will be very excitedly waiting for season 2.
Kuzu_Yarou
09/18/2024, 07:43 PM
Roshidere has a very intriguing concept, but in my opinion, it doesn't fully realize its potential and seems to decline with each episode. The show's comedy is top-tier, largely due to the captivating dynamic between Yuki and Masachika. Despite the title focusing on Alya, I felt that these two characters carried the show. During the summer of 2024, an abundance of romantic comedy series flooded the anime industry, leading to oversaturation that hindered the success of other rom-coms during that season. Amidst this competitive environment, Roshidere emerged as a standout exception, largely due to its captivating waifu characters and an approach that resonated with rom-comfans in various ways. The series managed to captivate audiences and carve out its own niche in a market filled with similar content. Nonetheless, it remains one of my favorites this season, particularly because Yuki is one of the most compelling characters I've ever encountered and is truly one of the best female characters of all time. I highly recommend the show to those who love the rom-com genre. I am confident that fans of the rom-com genre will thoroughly enjoy it. Overall rating: 8/10
ogblynz
09/18/2024, 02:16 PM
"Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian" is an okay at best romance, but nothing that truly makes it stand out from the crowd. While I enjoyed the chemistry between Kuze and Alya, the central gimmick lost its charm fairly quickly—by episode 4, it already felt stale. The series is filled with cute characters, but most of them lack depth and fail to leave a lasting impression. Kuze ends up carrying much of the show on his own, especially during the second half, which focuses on an underwhelming student council plot. The drama is overly serious for such trivial stakes, making it feel more tediousthan engaging. Ultimately, the show fizzles out and crashes hard. I seriously considered dropping it, but the occasional cute moments and flirty interactions were just enough to keep me watching. I feel like the LN and the manga are much better, maybe its the anime's fault, but it didn't manage to keep me entertained as much as the manga did. Hopefully, the second season adapts vol 3-4, so I don't have to watch 5 more seasons of this.
PanzerIV-J
09/18/2024, 01:47 PM
Honestly, "Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian" ended up being one of the most disappointing anime I’ve watched in a while—not bad, just disappointing. The first few episodes made it seem like it was going to be a fresh and interesting romance, but by the end, it really didn’t live up to that potential. Let me break down why: 1. Romance is mediocre with little development: This is the biggest problem. The relationship between Alya and Kuze barely goes anywhere. (Minor spoiler) By the end of the season, they’re only on a first-name basis, which is pretty underwhelming for a finale. I was expecting something moremeaningful, like Kuze speaking Russian to Alya, but nope. It feels like they’re saving that for season two just to keep people hooked. 2. Student council elections were lame: The student council elections were a big distraction from what the show should have been about: Alya and Kuze’s relationship. It dragged the story down with a lot of unnecessary drama. You can even see the change in opinions here on MAL in the discussions, the disparity between the early episodes and later episodes after the council elections is vastly conflicted. It’s not terrible, but it took away from the characters and their development, which was the main reason I (and probably many others) started watching. 3. Has generic cliches: This is a smaller issue, but the show leans hard into some typical anime clichés. t has the classic "introverted otaku to chad" storyline, where the shy male MC is drawn out of his shell by a random 10/10 girl who invades his personal space. It’s not terrible, but it’s been done a million times. Nothing new here, which makes the show feel a bit generic. Overall, the show isn’t bad, just super over-hyped. I still think it’s decent, and there’s hope that a second season could fix a lot of these issues. 7/10 – Over-hyped, but still worth checking out.
Gsarthotegga
09/18/2024, 12:28 PM
This awkwardly titled adaptation of a light novel is a standard well-produced romcom with quite a few tropes and a slight twist using the Russian language. The concept seems weird at first, since the main understands the language, and you'd think he'd let on that he understood, but he'd look like a bigger cuck than he already is if he revealed that he didn't follow through with Alya's "secret" flirting all that time. For the Russian lines, she mostly compliments the MC, confesses her love to him, or calls for help when she's in trouble. The whole point of a tsundere is basically for thelove interest to act like they're in kindergarten and do or say mean things to the crush whom he or she secretly likes. Tsunderes have a hard time directly expressing their feelings, but they give a lot of hints, yet their aggression will often keep even the most confident at bay. Of course, due to the main understanding Russian, her occasional quips in Russian that reveal bombshells, and even some internal monologuing, Alya is pretty much a broken—half or quarter at best—tsundere or a kind of diet tsundere. She occasionally hits him or calls him an idiot, but she is mostly bland, not offering much else other than to allow a peep at her feet or a yawn-inducing "indirect kiss" or a quick tease without any memorability. While the language twist might be novel, the author doesn't exploit it effectively. It's either not used enough or feels like a crutch for the writer after a while. About the only other thing to say about Alya is that she has an oh-so-dramatic "must protecc!!" cringe backstory to wring sympathy and boohoos out of the viewer, where she's always trying her best but is dismayed by how she can't rely on anyone else, leading to her "tsundereism" and romantic interest in the MC. By this point, the comedic focus of the early portion of the series gradually slips away in favor of a snoozy tonal shift, wherein the author attempts to inject drama and interpersonal conflict with a lot of "feels," but the writing is too lightweight to be emotional or gripping, and the standard "what's your breast size," insults, awkward situations, and other jokes aren't exactly fresh. Worst of all about the language gimmick is how the quirk is often plain annoying, as the MC laughs nervously, rarely acting upon what he hears. He's your typical self-insert MC but not too scummy or anything. Though a mommy complex-induced slacker and otaku, he's an efficient powerhouse when he finds some reason to be committed to a cause. You know, the old routine of pandering to the audience with an OMG just-like-me personage while nodding to some presumed hidden power level or competence. There's a lack of honesty or insight coming from the MC for why he does anything, despite Alya being far too easy to waifu-up with, making the MC seem like the biggest beta orbiter and panty-sniffer on the block. Actual line from the MC: "Anyway, I want a girlfriend who can also be my best friend." Either a woman wrote this, or the author is trying too hard with his NTR fetish. Even with a generic MC and busted tsundere, the series could be salvageable, but we have to talk about the rotting elephant carcass in the room. The student council plot is the most soporific form of moeshit bureaucracy out there. What the author does here is neither interesting nor entertaining. We went into this series looking for a tsundere romcom, but we often instead get, "Send the treasurer over to the clown club to ensure they're not exceeding their budget" or long speeches and debates meant to look professional but acting as a stand-in for a literal cat fight between two badly behaved girls. Many scenes involving the student council have the austerity of walking into a local congressional meeting and trying to stay awake, but nothing they do really matters. I soon forget I'm watching a romcom instead of C-SPAN, just with cute and incompetent girls rather than old coots with dentures. Aside from being a slog, it's also oddly emasculating: Despite cutting into his anime and slacking time, the MC gets roped into joining the student council to fulfill his cuck aspirations of catapulting his waifu into the role of president; he props her up like he's a footstool with an inferiority complex, which was the same role he had for his backstory. Why does he want to promote her to being the president? He gives no special reason, but if Alya found a bf, the MC would probably drop out of the student council immediately. The only decent character, Yuki, has a two-faced role as a prim and proper presidential candidate for the student council but moonlights as an incestuous otaku. Yuki is certainly a wittier character than a mere ice princess puppet with good grades like Alya, and the idea of the latter winning against the former in an election is preposterous. Probably the only other important character is Alya's sister, Maria, but she's pretty much the touchy-feely mommy who functions as a forgotten childhood friend for the MC and a wistful cheerleader for her sister. Her character is the equivalent of guzzling a gallon of corn syrup, and she's a fine example of why the childhood friend love interest almost always fails. The writer attempts to run autopilot on fetish fuel to make up for the dull as dishwater romcom (plus drama dumpster dive) plot and character dynamics that we've seen endlessly but runs out of the diluted fuel he plies upon us all too fast. Alya, being the lukewarm diet soda that she is, runs out of fizz after about two episodes, and the author overcompensates with his sister fucker fetish and accidentally makes an entertaining character in Yuki, though it might leave those with more touristy sensibilities squirming in their seats, even if it's pure incestbait, and she has no more of a chance than the childhood friend. All of these factors make the faint love geometry nearly nonexistent. If there were video games representing the quality of the two main grills, one would be succinct and straightforward: Super Spicy Sister Fucker 4 (Yuki). The other would be a long, unwieldy, LN-like title: Boring Fake-Ass Broken Tsundere Gives You a Clammy Handshake in the Backroom of the Student Council while Rambling in Russian that You Pretend not to Understand (Alya). I'm starting to think this should be advertised more as a siscon series with a whole hell of a lot of filler rather than a tsundere romcom, or Yuki should have her own spinoff. You know a "tsundere" anime is subpar when you're rooting for "wincest."
VSoumith
09/18/2024, 10:11 AM
First three episodes are really good, but later the focus shifted to story rather than Main characters, Coming to story, it was not particularly good, it is just fighting for power, politics, backstabbing and such stuff, Mature minds may not find it enjoyable, it is just OK, Coming to characters, MC is a chad, FMC is a proud yet idealistic woman, naive to the schemes others employ to achieve their ends. So without spoiling the story is how MC supports FMC to get her goal, that is all, and the title part where she tells something in Russian and MC understands Russian well, butacts like he doesn't understand for FMC to reveal her true feelings towards her. In conclusion, while the series isn't a must-watch, it doesn't fall short of expectations either, offering several truly enjoyable moments.
BeetleR19d
09/18/2024, 08:21 AM
Calling 'Summer 2024' a "rare" season for anime might be an understatement. The overwhelming number of romance-centric shows made it truly exceptional. Two of these new romance shows even overshadowed the well-established popularity of "Oshi no Ko" to some extent. One of them was "Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian." So, where does this show stand compared to classic rom-coms? Does it have enough substance to be a top recommendation? Or is it just another generic romance that tries to do everything but fails to deliver convincingly? Art and Animation (8.5/10): Let's begin with the animation and art style, areas that likely won't significantly alter public opinion.While the art style and character design were great, Alya, in particular, stands out as one of the most visually appealing waifus of 2024. Her striking appearance is crucial for two reasons: first, as the titular character and primary heroine, her design sets the tone for the show. And......I will talk about the second reason a bit later. The other characters also looked fine, closely resembling their light novel counterparts. The studio did an admirable job in this respect. The animation quality was above average for a romantic comedy anime. The twelve distinct ending songs, each with its unique visuals, were a noteworthy feature. Although mostly static, they required more effort than a single ending sequence. Plot(6.5/10): Let's be real. "Roshidere" fails to distinguish itself from the sea of generic romantic comedies. The narrative lacks depth, failing to deliver a truly original story or effectively utilize the intriguing setting it presents. Roshidere is a tale of missed opportunities, filled with countless "could have beens" and "should have beens." Despite the elements at the author's disposal, the transition from light-hearted to serious moments felt forced. The comedic moments, especially those featuring Yuki, were good. But not all of them worked for me. For example, the hypnotism scene felt weirdly out of place. It was clearly fan service, but it didn't justify how abrupt it was considering the previous serious conversation between Nonoa and Masachika. The serious elements were done pretty well, but the characters' buildup and motivation still felt lacking. It's probably largely due to the anime's failure to place scenes and incidents in an order that would intensify the main focus: the student council election, not the comedy or the relationships. In its 12-episode run, 'Roshidere' used tropes that have been used many times before. So there's barely anything unique about it, except for Alya's occasional Russian sentences. Does that mean the plot of 'Roshidere' is bad? No, but it does mean you shouldn't expect anything deep from this show's first season at least. Whether it be complex issues, intense drama regarding relationships, or chaos-creating comedy, this show tries to have a piece of all those but fails to achieve a balance. In short, 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian' so far gives off the vibe of an average rom-com." Characters(6/10): I won't be talking about the side characters who barely had any focus put on them in the anime. For example, Ayano, Masha, Taniyama- they had their moments but not enough to be critiqued or praised for their character depth, background, and archetypes. So, it all comes down to three characters: Alya, Masachika, and last but not least, Yuki. Yuki: If you ask me what character I enjoyed most watching this season, I'd probably say her name. So, what makes her character funny and likable at the same time? First of all, she's an otaku, secondly she breaks the fourth wall, thirdly she's sadistic, and fourthly she works as a wingman sometimes. If I list these reasons separately like this, it won't really do justice to Yuki's character. She was fun to watch precisely because whenever she got the chance, she did something that we least expect from a little sister character. She had that surprise in store for the audience. And since I'm trying to avoid giving out spoilers, I won't be talking about her family issues. Masachika: I'm on the fence about his character. While his interactions with Alya are refreshing and he's not the stereotypical clueless rom-com lead, I find the constant reminders of his child prodigy status a bit overdone. It's like a magic trick that loses its luster once you know the secret. The 'child prodigy to laid-back high-schooler' transformation feels like a gimmick that's been overplayed. Alya: Speaking of gimmicks, Alya's occasional use of Russian as a language barrier is an intriguing tactic, though not quite as impactful as the hour-long looped video released by 'Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan'(That was a marketing masterstroke in my opinion). While her occasional Russian dialogue doesn't significantly alter the story, it's a shared responsibility between her, Masachika, and the author. The author's decision to have Masachika pretend not to understand Russian adds a layer of complexity that could have been explored further. As for Alya as the main heroine, she's fallen short of expectations. Her character seems primarily driven by her physical appearance, with limited development beyond the typical tsundere trope. While her final speech was a step in the right direction, it doesn't fully compensate for missed opportunities for independent growth. Her reliance on her looks can be seen as a way to compensate for her lack of assertiveness and social skills, which are crucial for a student council candidate. Her interactions with Masachika mirror a typical tsundere relationship. Whether you find her behavior endearing depends on your personal preference for the archetype. Personally, I'm not a fan of tsundere characters, so I don't have strong feelings about her bashful or jealous tendencies, but I do find her lack of directness somewhat frustrating. Audio and Soundtracks (7.5/10): I'm not a Russian speaker, so I can't comment on Alya's accent. And since she barely spoke Russian, it's not a major concern. That said, Sumire Uesaka is a talented voice actress, and the overall voice acting was satisfactory. The opening song was great. However, I have mixed feelings about using 12 separate ending songs. It limits their memorability compared to having a single ending song or one for each female character, like "Monogatari" . Regardless, the Haruhi ending was a highlight, motivating me to rewatch the series. Overall(7/10): While 'Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian' isn't entirely groundbreaking, it offers its share of strengths. However, these are often overshadowed by the weaker aspects of its first season. With the announcement of season 2, I'm hopeful for significant improvements in the storyline and character development. There's still plenty of room to explore family dynamics and Masha's past relationship with Masachika. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the second season. As for whether or not I recommend this anime, it depends on your preferences. If you're a fan of the genre, I think you'll enjoy it. However, if you're not particularly into rom-coms and are looking for the best introduction to the genre, I'd recommend "Love is War" instead. Thank you for reading. (If you read the whole thing) :)
Stark700
09/18/2024, 08:10 AM
Taking on a somewhat unique gimmick for a rom-com show, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is exactly how it sounds like. Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou (aka the "solitary princess") is a difficult girl to approach because she sometimes hides her true feelings in Russian. As strange as that might sound, she doesn't realize that her fellow classmate Masachika Kuze understands her. Delivering on the promise of a rom-com, it should be obvious to the audience that Alya harbors feelings for Kuze. Expressed sometimes in Russian, she builds a wall around herself whenever her feelings surfaces. From day one, the anime wants us to understand Alya'spersonality. It's no surprise that she loves to tease Kuze without knowledge that he understands Russian. Kuze plays along and sometimes feigns igornance although most of the time, we see his shocked reaction. The show builds on this pair's relationship through these circumstances and sets the main foundation of the story. One of the main strengths of the show is its colorful character roster. The main characters Alya and Kuze get their background storytelling but a decent amount of screen time is also given to others such as Yuki, Maria, and later Ayano. The most noticable among the female character cast is Yuki who loves to tease Kuze. Even as a sibling, it's strongly implied that Yuki may have a brother complex while relentlessly trying to get Kuze to react to teasing. Deep down, the two share a close relationship that often serves as a comedic element of the show. At school, Yuki acts more like an elegant model student who others look up to. While at home, she acts like a spoiled kid who wants attention. It's kind of the classic sibling relationship that is treated with humor filled with popcorn entertainment moments. And to be honest, that's a delight. Should you expect a love story? While this show adapts romance into its story, don't expect the anime to play out like some dramatic shoujo. The romance is just a part of it, where the plot also indulges on the school elements. The most prominent among this is the student council and and its elections. While some school rom-coms adapts these loosely and ties it up within an episode or two, this becomes a recurring plot that serves with significance. Taking place at Seirei Academy, the student council president position is viewed as a role of pride and honor. The main rivalry builds between Alya and Yuki and throughout this rivalry, we see tension around that venture into their personal lives. Indeed, the anime loves its comedic moments among the main cast. However, when the election gets involved, we see character rivalries reach their apex. The only downside appears to be a loose and incomplete adaptation. Given the show's length of 12 episodes, it couldn't focus on all aspects of the election plot. Thus, this anime fundamentally adapts the election to highlight some emotional moments but falls short on its main execution. However, even if you're not sold on the plot, this show shines most with its character personalities and chemistry. Yuki's on-screen chemistry between Yuki and Alya is a recurring gag that is undeniably entertaining. One might say the recurring moments gets repetitive in nature, but overall, it ignites their personalities. I mean, who wants to see cardboard characters that act like on autopilot? No, we want to be entertained by what see. Even characters such as Ayano can be unintentionally amusing with her stoic appearance and robotic-like mannerisms. The only character I do feel like it's lacking may be Maria. We do short glimpses of her flashbacks, but it undersold in terms of characterization. Out of all the main female cast, her chemistry with Kuze and others is overshadowed. Studio Doga Kobo has a long history of adapting rom-coms to the screens and has earned the audience's trust. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is adapted with care and commitment. There's no drop in production quality throughout the entire run of the show. Character designs for the female cast is especially decorated with elegant features, most prominently Alya and Yuki. Their expressions has variety and while some might some says have similar face models, they stand out like larger than life characters. The OP theme song is exceptionally spellbinding with colorful chereography while dressing up characters in countless ways. There's also theme songs for every episode highlighting the elegance of the cast, most noticably Alya. She's the title character after all and deserves to be the poster girl. Watching this anime from beginning to end has given me a new insight on rom-coms in recent years. Sometimes, it's just fun to see character chemistry and not worry too much about the story's drama. Sure, this sure has its drama but it ultimately did what it said out to do. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian may not be able to compete for anime of the year, but it has the traits of an entertaining rom-com.
Marinate1016
09/18/2024, 08:08 AM
I wish I could say I liked Roshidere as much as other people did, but sadly at this stage in my life goonerbait doesn’t move me. The anime’s over-reliance on incest bait, sexualisation and fanservice just turned me off at times from what was otherwise an actually decent romcom. I want to be clear, I don’t hate the Roshidere anime. As a light novel reader, I felt it did a lot right and even surpassed the LN in some regards such as Sumipe’s amazing portrayal of Alya which really elevated those Russian speaking moments from the books, Fuze and Alya’s relationship, the student council stuff,the DG art and visuals, etc. But there were quite a few things I didn’t like as well, such as the focus on the brocon gimmick and just how degenerate the show gets at times. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re a casual romcom viewer you’ll probably like Roshidere. It’s genuinely got some fun moments, good characters and the show looks great, I just think it’s attracted the wrong sort of crowd and it’s turned me off to an extent. I’ve been a big fan of the Roshidere books for a couple years now so when the anime got announced by Doga kobo who are one of my fave studios I was excited. The thing that makes Roshidere in the books so cool is that you’ve got this really nice slow burn relationship between Kuze and Alya that develops, but it’s not the main focus. Instead the focus is on Kuze and Alya both growing as individuals. Alya seemingly has everything going for her. She’s beautiful, intelligent and the envy of the school, yet she’s unable to connect with people and feels alone. Kuze is quite talented himself but is an underachiever. Meeting Alya ends up making him come out of his shell and start putting his talents to use, while he helps improve her social skills, make friends and become someone who people feel that can approach. It’s very much a personal development series first and foremost with the romance secondary and a sprinkling of some fanservice illustrations. The anime does get the Kuze and Alya dynamic down pretty well I think. Every scene of them is so fun and Alya’s tsuntsun gimmick combined with her sweet Russian comments that show her inner thoughts are a joy to watch. I think it’s paced pretty well too so by the end of the season viewers will feel satisfied with the character development. Honestly my favourite part of Roshidere is the side characters though. Masha, Sayachi, Yuki when she’s not doing her bit, etc., are all pretty fun and add some nice spice to the story. While Kuze and Alya are great, it can get a little repetitive seeing the same couple episode after episode, but I think the author and by extension Doga Kobo strike a good balance here, even adding some anime original scenes in to flesh out characters more. I think there’s someone for everyone among the cast to root for. Visually Roshidere is stunning, up there with the very best Doga Kobo have done. The colours are so vivid, the animation is fluid, the character designs are great and the direction is really well done too. Now I know you’re probably like “ok do you like the anime or not, because you complained about gooner shit and you’ve praised it a lot” and like I said before, it’s a bit of both. I do like large parts of Roshidere. I also dislike aspects of it and the crowd its drawn due to the anime focusing more on goonbait than the books. It’s not a black or white thing. I would still recommend it for romcom fans, degens, people who are into Russian and wanna hear a cute anime girl speaking it etc. I just wish they’d focused on the character development more than moments like “good morning my brother” so much. There’s of course fanservice in the books but it’s much more fleeting than the anime. The anime tends to focus on things a lot more via holding shots and frames, extending scenes from the books etc. I’m not a prude, but I just felt it distracted from the actual character development plot and put the focus elsewhere which is why I complain about that so much. Again, most people won’t care and that’s cool. It’s still a solid anime and worth watching. Roshidere gets 8 out of 10.
Ionliosite2
09/18/2024, 08:02 AM
Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san is a series that could be a fun romcom, but due to bad decisions from the author after the first episodes, it just doesn’t work. Simply put, the gimmick of this series doesn’t do anything, sure Alya is Russian and she sometimes speaks it, but this doesn’t really change much, it’s like a different kind of tsundere-ism which would be okay, the problem here is that the series obviously breaks what should be the logical use of its premise by making the MC being able to understand Russian, which is stupid, there’s no point in making acharacter talk a different language so no one can get her just to make the MC being able to get her, and the justification about why he can speak Russian is also pretty dumb in itself. I sometimes wonder why working in a gimmick when you’ll just break it right from the start. The protagonist is obviously meant to be “literally you”, just look at his introduction and you’ll notice it, oh he watches anime, he is an otaku, now he will play his gacha, and I just wanted to roll my eyes because once again I’m supposed to believe that the most beautiful girl in the class is in love with the MC who has nothing going on for him, and perhaps the author noticed that too and that’s why he also decided to make him someone proficient at everything he tries, you could replace him with Sakuta from Bunny Girl Senpai or Ayanokouji from CotE and it wouldn’t change anything because he is a charismatic god and a genius like nobody else that has ever existed but he NEEDS to hide his power level by being lazy and will only show it from time to time, the fact that he is a otaku is irrelevant, because he isn’t one, he does nothing to actually show it except saying that he is because the audience needs to self-insert as him, and by being called an otaku it makes it easier for the audience to think they are like him. Honestly, I’m not sure why there was a need to do two completely different versions of him in the same character or which one is worse. If I was more invested in this series I would get shivers by thinking that Alya beating Yuki at the student council elections is completely plausible because she is the main female character and has the MC that can do absolutely everything by her side, because Alya most definitely doesn’t deserve to win it, she breaks down the second the MC isn’t holding her hand to cross the street as if she was a little baby that needs to be taken care of at every moment, there are multiple examples of this like the baseball club and football team, she needed to be saved by the MC despite the fact that that this is her job in the student council because she is the treasurer, she cannot even do that correctly and I just can’t see why she should win, maybe she’ll be able to actually stand in her own two feet at some point in the future, but even if she does how is she supposed to compete with Yuki when she actually has experience since she won in middle school? Alya was originally characterized as someone who is just so above everyone else and that only she is competent and that’s why she is alone, which barely explains why this girl who gets so much attention as the “solitary queen” has no friends, but she isn’t able to pull off things alone, it makes it funny when she got called out by the glasses girl that she was a pretty face with good notes and nothing more, because that’s true. We just get constantly told by the MC and the series that she is a hard worker and that you should support her for it, but we never see that being close to reality. Of course, this problem wouldn’t exist if the author didn’t add the student council plot to take over everything about the series, because it is easily the worst part about it. Which takes me to the absolute best point of this series, that is, Yuki. She singlehandedly carried the show by being an actual character and not the boring and lazy attempt at making a tsundere that is Alya, from her way of talking being so polite that the subtitles cannot even begin to show that her manner of speaking would make a butler blush, and then when in private with her brother she is basically a brocon, playful and actually bounces well with the MC. Honestly, I agree with the glasses girl that they are the perfect duo and the show would be much better if she was the main girl because she got actual chemistry with him, even if she couldn’t salvage how shit the student council stuff is. She is actually fun to watch when she isn’t being serious, and when it comes to the student council presidential election, she actually has drive and ambition and will do terrible shit just to win, for example, using Alya’s own foolishness against her was actually nice and was basically playing 4D chess the entire episode, which seeing how stupid the other characters are, is not even surprising how she pulled it off. Even if she wasn’t easily the most entertaining thing about the series by a landslide, it’s not like she got much competition, Masha is not a character, she was a plot device to make the MC learn Russian because they met in the past, but that isn’t relevant, because they don’t do anything at all with that information because the MC doesn’t know she is her childhood friend, the fact that she knows and decides to do nothing about it and just let Alya have the MC makes all of this irrelevant as you aren’t even getting something out of it, just as an example. Telling you that the first two episodes were the best part of this series would be the truth, after that, it jumped to Alya’s “sad” past and then to student council shenanigans which I honestly cannot care much about, it could be an actually entertaining romcom when it tries, which is almost any Yuki scene, but the fact that the gimmick it had is basically thrown to the side to the point Alya won’t speak in Russian in some episodes tells you everything that you have to know about the series, “the main girl is a Russian” is an extremely weak gimmick, so I’m not sure if the author actually thought about making this a full-fledged series in the first place. Honestly, this should’ve just been the Yuki show, that would’ve been great, but sadly it isn’t, instead we’re stuck with this bad excuse of a tsundere and a perfect self-insert MC. Thank you for reading.
ZeroMajor12
09/18/2024, 07:58 AM
I'm not going to sugarcoat this, I really liked Roshidere. An anime that has vibrant production and character designs doesn't come often, paired up with actual witty dialogue and some good characters. With these strengths, Roshidere could have easily been a recommendation for everyone to take as a fan-favorite rom-com. However, as every episode came later, it couldn't stand to the height of what new romcoms have already achieved. I hoped for it to live up to the qualities of post-modern rom-coms, but sadly it has come to an end. When you hear a studio like Doga Kobo especially if the anime has a cast filledwith female characters, Doga Kobo will surely deliver that level of expectation in creating the cutest waifu material you could find in this Summer arsenal. It's bright, but nowhere to the level of being nauseatic, and the animation is consistent and high-quality for the entire run, Such to say in simpler terms, it's a buffet for the eyes. Although most female characters look oddly the same if you disregard their hair color, styles, and apparel, it's pretty much a waifu fest for anyone intending to find a favorite waifu. Speaking of Waifus, who would have thought the imouto ended up being the best character in this anime? Yuki Suou is easily the best character and has the most personality out of all the waifus the anime shows on a redundant scale. Despite showing up as a talented, high-class lady who's polite and charming, her scenes with the male MC are just the absolute best to watch, the VA did a magnificent job to make her stand out and has so much taste in comparison to other waifus in this anime. To describe her in a single word, she's just BASED. How can you make a character who's so blatantly 'shameless' not cringe and ACTUALLY charming to watch? That's a big plus for anything I've seen trying to portray Otakus. Her dialogues combined with an incredible voice just make her almost impeccable and a top-tier performance to be beholden. Likewise, the anime's strongest part is the performance of the voice actresses, and that includes the main voice actress herself. Imagine a voice actress who is so dedicated to Russian culture, that she can speak fluent Russian while doing vocal performances for the opening and different endings. You got yourself a reason to like Sumire Uesaka even more if you didn't watch her previous performance in other anime before. It was like the role was specifically tailored for her. I think it's enough for the performance praise and actually focus on the anime, as such. I find it discouraging to realize there were more flaws than there were strengths in this anime. The list being: 1. Weak supporting cast - They are mostly decent on first impression and aren't unlikable, but when you have characters like Yuki or Alya being genuinely likable to watch, the cast pretty much looks stale compared to these powerhouses. Masachika is not by all means a bad character, but by making your male character witty, smart, talented, and hang around multiple girls at the same time like how most male characters are written nowadays, you could change him with another similar male character, and the anime would still proceed without any hindrance. The only reason he's viable to be in the cast was simply because of Yuki's sheer existence (the brother to the most BASED character in this anime). - I'm not trying to say you should avoid tropes, but I think the anime got a bit too comfy with introducing tropes just for the sake of it. Ayano Kimishima and Masha are the characters I'm speaking of, with the latter being the one I'm genuinely more disappointed in. How are they still churning out maid characters? I don't understand what is so endearing about showing stone-faced ladies looking at you, doing your every bid by any means. You would mostly see her together with Masachika or Suou, only to add a little spice of dialogue to the duo, but even then, I don't see much reason to add her other than to be another fanservice for the audience. Turning to Masha however, I was disappointed with her lack of character development despite being the ONLY character to recognize Masachika from his childhood's past. Her development is nowhere to be seen as later episodes go on, despite signaling her attachment to Masachika. She, unfortunately, falls flat from other characters that have received more depth and attention as the anime goes on. 2. Lack of romance development - Speaking of development, the romance progression is honestly the reason why the anime can't be recommended as a satisfying rom-com by today's standards. If you would compare it to 2010's romcoms, the anime does it by the book, a perfect anime to define one, but it comes in stale compared to new rom-coms that have better or more accurate 'FASTER' romance progressions than what Roshidere has come to offer. It starts as your regular rom-com would normally start; - You get introduced to an eccentric yet charming girl, she shows her personality, the male character feels a bit off but accepts it nonetheless, somehow finds the chance to rizz her, the girl somewhat reciprocates or blushes, male character blushes too from his actions or vice versa, repeat. It's a standard procedure but very effective when you add more features to the romance, leading to drama or conflicts, it could have been a good romance anime. - The trouble starts when the anime decides to divide the attention between different love interests that might hit it off or pretty much have different appeals for different audiences. The quality screen time that could have been given to Alya is unfortunately divided by other contending waifus who are defined by their tropes alone. It gives the anime a lot of downtime and is pretty frustrating for anyone who's looking for meaningful screen time between the main couple. Even worse, it decided to show the student council election arc, eliminating the majority of romance for even more characters introduced and causing more downtime for romance later to come. Along with adding Masachika's backstory to the picture, you get lesser romance appeal as the later episode goes on. The only thing that stays consistent in the anime is the comedy and fanservice the anime proudly showcases to you in a silver picture. It is a shame, that I held it in the regard of contesting favorable rom-coms, but the anime couldn't reach the level of what is considered great in romance terms. If you're looking for some fun personalities in anime portrayal, this one would cater to your needs most deservedly, otherwise, you might not be able to find this romance anywhere diabetic.
rrakku
09/18/2024, 07:52 AM
Long title, name of the heroine slapped on top, and a slight twist that makes up the girl's entire personality, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is everything wrong with the contemporary anime/light novel scene. It's the same old romcom story told in a different way, this time, particularly cringe. Bottom line is, Roshidere is a show written by a degenerate, for degenerates: its characters over-analyses, over-dramatises, and of course, are over-sexualised. The pain point that makes this show especially insufferable is the utter sincerity in which the cast do and say the most disturbing and idiotic things, yet we are supposed to believe theystudy in one of the most prestigious high schools in Japan. The story often side-tracks and whatever happens in the show happens because it would work as a device to serve to deliver on a trope, a gag, or fan service, with very little exceptions. What results is a story that feels, to put it generously, inorganic and stiff. As opposed to the characters driving the plot forward, things happen in the show for the characters to "have a moment". Perhaps the most infamous example here is the hypnosis scene in episode 7: the Mikhailovna sisters literally start stripping at school in the middle of the day, and for what? Novel readers might argue that the scene is a vital device to deliver on critical foreshadowing (no spoilers, you'd have to guess), I disagree. That is but a by-product of what is otherwise a scene dedicated to be otaku-bait fan service, and if the author really wanted to do foreshadowing, there were a million other more tasteful ways to do it. The anime is filled to the brim with these blocks of disconnected trope-filled scenes that the author tries so badly to smash together, and oftentimes, it's just bad fan service. That brings us to the problematic elephant in the room. Now, one can of course appreciate a fan service scene if it's well-executed. To this, Yuki's "good morning, my brother" in episode two comes to mind: the nonchalant attitude of Kuze towards his sister serves as good character building and a funny meta gag by contrasting the audience's reaction from his own. But the majority of these scenes in Roshidere stand in stark contrast to that moment of brilliance. Instead, fan service in Roshidere is often awkward with no satirisation, no thematic, characterial, or plot significance, only pure titillation designed to arouse your average anime viewer. Within the same episode, for example, Roshidere decides to show us multiple angles of Alya changing when trying out different clothes in the store; or in episode five, when Kuze stared into the breasts of the two sisters during PE lessons. The show constantly jumpscares you with unwarranted and uncomfortable scenes that are simply not for anyone with a developed brain. And this fundamental issue for Roshidere runs even deeper: the story—and hence, the fan service the author so desperately wants to add—needs to focus on Alya; yet, the awkward relationship dynamic she has with Kuze, the POV character and protagonist, makes for some mind-numbingly stupid and boring sequences. Let me give an example. Halfway through episode one, Alya takes off her socks in front of Kuze in the middle of a serious conversation and asks him to put on new ones for her. Predictably, she is too ashamed to carry through with it, and predictably, the remainder of the whole episode is dedicated to this pointless exercise of Kuze getting back on good terms with Alya. This chronic lack of chemistry between the two are not only highlighted in fan service scenes that the author likes so much, but also brings problems into the main plot. A show being unequivocally and unapologetically cringe might not a deal breaker for many people (it is for me, but I digress), but even if you can look past that and engage with Roshidere authentically—it's just a bland character drama featuring a low-stakes conflict. The goal of our main duo is to become the student council president, why? Well, we're not sure. All there is to know is Alya's borderline psychopathic backstory and Kuze's mystery secret past somehow powers them to do it. So my big question is, what do Kuze and Alya have to lose if they fail to achieve their goal? Nothing—nothing's on the line for the two except for their ego. They are good friends with all the prospective candidates, so their position in the council is always safe; their relationships aren't at risk either, as long as they can swallow their pride, their friendships with Yuki, Sayaka, Nonoa, or any number of their friends would remain the same no matter if they win or lose. This is not to mention how dull the presidential debates, psychological warfare, or anything related to the election is, but I think I've said enough on that. Ultimately, it's this mundane main plot that breaks Roshidere for me: every episode, I sit down to watch whatever disconnected shitshow had popped into the author's mind, and any resemblance of a well thought out plot or a coherent storyline is heavily undermined by the sheer unimportance of it to the life of the cast. Before I get into the only redeemable elements of Roshidere, can I also mention how tiring the "Alya hides her feelings in Russian" gimmick is? The author doesn't play around with the concept at all, instead does exactly what it says on the tin, EVERY SINGLE EPISODE, sometimes multiple times in one. I'm so done with the Alya says something in Russian → Kuze struggles to keep his poker face up → Alya laughs at Kuze for not knowing Russian (when in fact she's the clueless one) loop that the author feels mandatory to include every three seconds. So, a boring and fragmented story, uninteresting main duo, an unexciting main plot, and an annoying gimmick that's repeated to death, what is there to like in Roshidere? Not much. DogaKobo and the voice actors have done an exceptional job, yet even in the production side of things, I have a bone to pick with Roshidere. In the context of being slapped on top of such a poorly planned story, a different ending song for each episode feels like the production pandering to the otaku psyche, so much so to the point it feels patronising. The only way in which it compliments the story well, and not in a good way, is how detached the songs are to the actual content of the episode. That is not to say it diminishes all the stuff DogaKobo and the voice actors have done right in Roshidere. Maruoka Wakana really killed it with her impression of Yuki, Itou Routa did a great job in reworking the novel into a script that turns a repulsive read that is the novels into something that's narrowly watchable show, and the team as a whole that has put so much effort into animating this mess. Despite the horribleness that's oozing through the screen everytime I watch this show, their efforts and passion is apparent. Ever since its publication in 2021, Roshidere has constantly topped the best selling light novel charts in Japan. I'm seriously puzzled. Look slightly beneath its hype, what you find is a bad IP that got saved by a decent adaptation that wraps its terrible writing, questionable narrative choices, and lazy characterisation into something that's barely consumable. If you find Roshidere enjoyable, I'm sorry, but you're way lost in the anime sauce, might I suggest touching some grass.

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Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san 時々ボソッとロシア語でデレる隣のアーリャさん

'Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san' 2nd Season in Production

Summer 2024 Simulcast List [Update 6/6]

'Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san' Reveals Additional Staff, Second Promo

Summer 2024 Preview

PV Collection for Mar 18 - 25

'Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san' Announces Additional Staff, Supporting Cast

'Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san' Unveils Main Staff, Additional Cast

Light Novel 'Tokidoki Bosotto Russia-go de Dereru Tonari no Alya-san' Receives TV Anime