English Dub Review: Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian ” Alya Hides Her Feelings in Russian; So Much For Childhood Friends “

Overview

“Alya Hides Her Feelings in Russian”

Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo, also known as Alya, is the ice queen sitting atop the social hierarchy of Seirei Academy. Despite her cold demeanor, she often flirts with her crush, Kuze Masachika but only in Russian. However, Kuze may know more than he lets on…

“So Much For Childhood Friends”

Alya runs into Kuze and Yuki while they’re out shopping and continues to question the nature of their relationship. Yuki takes the opportunity to invite Alya out to a super spicy ramen restaurant…



Our Take

The first two episodes blend comedy and fan service, with standout moments like Alya teasing Kuze and humorous scenes. The animation by Doga Kobo maintains high production standards, and the introduction of characters like Alya’s sister Mariya, and Yuki adds depth to the story. Despite some clichés, the lighthearted story and enjoyable character interactions make for a promising start to this rom-com. The inclusion of subtitles for Russian dialogue in the dub version is quite a big deal, as Crunchyroll dubs usually don’t bother to translate text messages, signs, scenery text, and song lyrics. Compared to the show “Golden Kamuy,” where Russian characters, language, and culture play a prominent role in that show’s historical context, Russian-speaking dialogue is only translated in the subbed version while the dub leaves it untouched. The real question remains: how many episodes until Alya learns the truth about Kuza secretly knowing every word she’s saying?