Summary
The following contains spoilers for Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Episode 7, “The Storm Approaches,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
With the anime halfway through its run,Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian’snarrative is undergoing a few turbulent changes, coupled with new character introductions and revelations.Yuki and Masachika’s complicated pastwas already a mystery, yet the current episode has further added a layer of intrigue to it by introducing the Suou Family’s current head.
Masachika’s decision to side with Alya in the presidential elections has brewed another storm on the side, with two new characters gunning to take down Alya. These revelations have certainly upped the ante forAlya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, as the stakes continue to rise for the two primary characters and their audacious presidential campaign.
New Characters Join the Fray
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian’scharacter roster continues to expand, largely due tothe student counciltaking center stage in the series' narrative. The current president and Chisaki Sarashina were first introduced as characters once the storyline expanded, though their introduction felt more subtle and natural.
The current episode has introduced two more characters under the pretense of the presidential elections, and their addition has been everything but subtle.Taking Alya’s sidein the elections has proven to be quite a predicament for Masachika, as he continues to make new enemies merely for choosing Alya over Yuki.
The Suou Family’s Retainer
The first character to make an appearance is Ayano Kimishima, Yuki’s current retainer. Her role is to merely serve as Yuki’s aide and stay by her side, acting asher personal maidthroughout the day. After Masachika decided to side with Alya for the presidential elections, Yuki was forced to bring in Ayano as her partner for the elections, effectively making her a member of the student council.
However, Ayano has a much deeper relationship with both Masachika and Yuki, one that is yet to be revealed in full detail. It seems that there was once a time when Ayano also served as Masachika’s retainer, though this arrangement came to an end once the latter was cut off from the Suou family. Ayano has dedicated her life to serving Yuki, meaning she’s willing to go to any lengths just to ensure her mistress’ victory.
A Former Rival Makes an Appearance
The second character to be introduced into the narrative is Sayaka Taniyama, who was Yuki’s competitor during their presidential elections in middle school. However, Sayaka’s character is one of many mysteries, as she has publicly called out Alya for stealing Masachika and running for president against Yuki. One would expect Sayaka to do the opposite, since she lost to Yuki in middle school, yet she seems to hold a sort of reverence forher former rival.
To actually do something so vulgar, aren’t you ashamed?
To make matters even more bizarre, Sayaka thinks of Masachika as a pathetic lowlife, an opinion that entirely contradicts everyone else’s viewpoint of him. For now, their heated argument has led to a general meeting being called, a debate that will make or break Alya’s campaign for the presidential elections. Sayaka’s character is still largely unknown, yet it’s clear that she is set to play a crucial role in the narrative.
Masachika’s Estranged Ties
The Mystery Behind Masachika’s Past Deepens
The current episode has also revealed that there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to Masachika’s history with the Suou family. It’s clear that Masachika went his separate way and left Yuki for a little while, though his decision continues to haunt him to this day. Their grandfather now detests Masachika for his actions, even going as far as disowning him altogether.
Masachika’s decision to side with Alyahas been met with a staunch reaction from the Suou family, with their grandfather viewing his actions as an act of betrayal towards Yuki. Masachika’s past might be a complete mystery, yet these small snippets of his backstory continue to build up intrigue for his character.
Why is Master Masachika, who abandoned the Suou family, still getting in Mistress Yuki’s way?
An Ode to a 90s Classic
This Week’s Ending Theme Features a Cover Of a 90s Song
Continuing the tradition of featuring a new ending theme each week,Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russianhas aired a 90s classic this week, adding a touch of nostalgia to the ending. A cover of the theme song of the live-action drama Tokyo Love Story has been featured in this week’s ending, albeit with a more colorful background of Alya herself.
Bringing back such a classic song showcases the producers’ commitment to paying tribute toiconic J-Pop songsfrom times bygone. Each week’s ending theme is a surprise for viewers, and this week surely did not disappoint. However, viewers continue to wait for a classic Russian song to debut in the series’ ending, though it seems unlikely considering only J-Pop songs have been featured so far.
