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

Watched on: 15-17 May 2025

Having been released the preceding year, this anime gleams like a rare crystal amidst languishing railroad tracks: a superb amalgamation of romantic comedy and high school drama. With all honesty, it is a delightful mix of humor and sincere moments that took me by surprise with its charm.

Let me try to break it down - from the very first scene, we can see that the heroine Alya often flirts with the hero Masachika in Russian but that she is unaware of the fact that Masachika understands the Russian language perfectly well. The whole fun begins with Alya dropping casual romantic or emotional lines in Russian, and while she thinks that Masachika is unaware, he actually understands every single word.

Many times we viewers can pretty much guess what Alya is saying from her expressions. And yes - I, myself, would pause the episode and Google for the translations for words such as:

"Milashka," "Ya tee-BYA lyu-BLYU," "ty ta-kóy mí-lyy, glúpiy, moy mál-chik, slát-kiy" - and many more. Honestly, I feel so Milashka (cute) hearing these lines that I can't even describe it with words.

Masachika understood every one of those but never let Alya know that he did. That sort of secret romance and unspoken tension made this show downright enjoyable for me.

Besides their romance, the anime also covers various school activities and gently touches upon the intrigues of student politics, so not to say that Alya and Masachika are the only things going on.

In short - if you're into rom-coms, school dramas, or slice-of-life anime, then this is the one to give a try. No anime is perfect;

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings exceeded expectations! Well-developed characters, balanced humor and heartache, and stunning animation.

Alya shines as the quirky, vulnerable princess. Masachika's complex past ripped my heart apart. Yuki's brother complex adds humor, while Maria's kindness makes her a favorite.

Character development is evenly paced; no one feels like a side character. Writing superbly balances humor and emotional depth.

Masachika's childhood history is tough to swallow, connected to a major plot point. Cliffhanger ending left me eager for Season 2!

Highlights: lovable characters, witty dialogue, poignant storytelling. Lowlights: some plot points feel rushed.

A must-watch for school rom-com fans! Comparable to "Toradora!" and "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU."

Another interesting series from the summer of 2024.

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

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

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

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

The initial idea of a misunderstanding with language goes nowhere.

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

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

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

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

In my opinion, it is an interesting anime with an amazing story. It can be said that I was reading the manga before the anime was released, and the graphics and art of the manga were also interesting, and then I realized that the anime will be released.

I also noticed that it is going to be animated by a studio that animated Oshi no ko anime, and again this made me want to follow the anime more.

I hope the story will continue well and even a second or third season will be considered for this anime.

Cool comedy romance genre.

I would like to add that apart from the characters of the anime, the Voice actors of the characters are also interesting to me.

I'm used to the rom-com genre, and this one has a good start, but slowly falls off over the last 4 episodes

Putting aside some unnecessary fan service and the fact that they flirt with incest, the male protagonist starts acting very mature for his age and neutral towards a certain female, but in the end you see the opposite, so it seemed to me that they forced the usual unexpected romance to extend the anime for at least one more season (which is supported by the fact they avoided to touch the background of certain characters and instead focused on a random debate)

I'll watch the second season for the sake of closure, and I hope they don't take the typical direction (but probably they will if most of the fan base wants that in order to please them)