Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Episode 11, “An Unexpected Prelim,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
AsAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russianreaches its season finale, the narrative has taken on a somewhat graver tonality. This episode’s stark contrast tolast week’s playful tonewas expected, though the events of the current week are still rather surprising. From a glimpse into Masachika’s gloomy past to the revelation of Yuki’s underhanded tactics,Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian’ssecond-last episode has surely taken viewers by surprise.
Arguably the most jarring of these events was the display of what Yuki is truly capable of. Herperverted antics and Otaku quipsmay have entertained audiences, yet this was merely a facade that hid the true identity of a person who isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. However, Yuki isn’t the only one with a few hidden traits, as Masachika’s competitive side has also come to light with these events.
Yuki’s Underhanded Antics
Yuki Reveals Her True Cunning Persona
Yuki’s eccentric persona had already hinted at a layered characterization, and her low-blow tactics have now revealed her true antagonistic disposition. Taking advantage of Masachika’s absence due to his cold, Yuki confronted Alya and called her out for underestimating her, with Alya’s retraction of hervictory against Taniyamabeing the basis of this accusation.
Without any defense, you enter my home turf so nonchalantly.
However, this was merely a ruse to catch Alya off-guard later on in the midday broadcast. With an apology right before the broadcast, coupled with a fabricated backstory, Yuki threw Alya for a loop by forcing her to question her own motivation for becoming thestudent council president. With such a calculated move, Yuki tarnished Alya’s chances at becoming president by presenting an image of an incompetent student council member.
Yuki may present herself as a hare-brained otaku at times, yet her cunning side is almost always apparent. The events of the latest episode showcase exactly what she is capable of, with her display of utter apathy and psychological warfare being a reflection of her true persona. Yuki’s motivation to prove herself as the Suou family’s heiress is certainly a valid reason to aim for the position of president, but using underhanded tactics such as these are rather uncalled-for.
The Series' New “Antagonist”
Yuki Has Taken On the Role of the Show’s Antagonist
As a romantic-comedy,Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russiandoesn’t exactly feature a definitive role of an antagonist. While Taniyama and Nonoa had taken on this role for a brief moment, the two were eventually redeemed, even joining forces with Alya and Masachika to beat Yuki. However, it wasn’t long before Yuki filled in this role by presenting her cunning side, which was expected to a degree given her ambiguous persona and playful antics.
Since the very first episode ofAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Yuki has remained a fan-favorite character. Be it her otaku tropes orher banter with Masachika, Yuki has charmed viewers through and through. However, with her antagonistic side now on display, Yuki’s character will certainly divide audiences. Nevertheless, Yuki’s place as the series’ antagonist is likely to be temporary.
I want to use this opportunity to crush you as much as I can.
A 2008 Classic in Alya’s Voice
This Week’s Ending Theme Features a Cover of Kimagure Romantic
Each episode ofAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russianhas featured iconic J-Pop song covers in Alya’s voice. This week is no different, withthe ending themefeaturing Ikimonogakari’s classic romance song from 2008 — Kimagure Romantic.
Ikimonogakari’s J-Pop titles have been featured in various anime, andAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russianhas become the latest series to give the rock band’s songs another stage. The song’s romantic subtexts sit perfectly with the series’ theme, with the anime’s colorful female cast adding another charming touch to the outro.
