Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 review: Doga Kobo's clinical production nails Alya's confession scene

Produced by Doga Kobo, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 aired on July 24, 2024. The episode, titled An Outpouring of Emotion, witnessed Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo, aka Alya, confessing her feelings to Masachika Kuze after the boy promised to stay by her side and ensure she wins the student council's presidential election.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 captured the iconic moments from SunSunSun's light novel, from Alya's confession to Masachika Kuze's heroism. However, the credit has to go to Doga Kobo's production, which ensured the anime surpassed its source material.

The focal point of the episode was Alya and Masachika's relationship. From the background OST to storyboarding, every aspect elevated the crucial moments, ensuring a spectacular experience for the viewers.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 review: Evaluating Doga Kobo's production for Alya's confession, Masachika's heroic entry, and more

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One of the key aspects that elevated Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 was not only the confession scene but the way the narrative reached that culmination point.

The student council president, Kenzaki, sent Alya to resolve a dispute between the baseball club and the football club. Kenzaki felt it would be an experience for Kujo, an integral member of the student council.

However, Alya's constant self-doubting of her abilities led to her developing a lack of confidence. The silver-haired girl recalled how she pushed back everyone in the past. She felt she wasn't worthy to influence them. Pressured by the whole situation, she cried for help in Russian in a faint voice.

Masachika Kuze in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 (Image via Doga Kobo)

At that moment, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 saw the heroic entry of Masachika Kuze. Exuding confidence, he effortlessly handled the situation and resolved the dispute with a cunning strategy. Undoubtedly, Doga Kobo didn't fail to give Masachika the heroic light he deserved.

He represented the "Knight" for Alya, who couldn't help but appreciate the boy's efforts. From a production perspective, Doga Kobo magnificently set up Masachika and Alya's moment. The boy arrived at a time when Alya was in peril.

Even though he originally wanted to let Alya experience the situation, the girl's faint cry moved his heart. He knew how helpless Alya was when she blurted out her feelings in Russian. However, this is the exact reason why she's unable to connect with people in general.

Alya and Masachika, as seen in the episode (Image via Doga Kobo)

The esteemed studio's storyboard for the episode was top-notch, as every scene had its impact on the narrative. Audiences learned about Kenzaki, the student council president, who transformed himself to become worthy of a girl he loves. He assured Masachika that he didn't need to have lofty ideals to become a part of the student council.

A short flashback in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 also gave the audience a glimpse into Masachika's time as the student council's vice president in middle school. Even though he appears a "laid-back" person, Masachika knows his capabilities, something Alya is perhaps oblivious to.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 expertly probed into this aspect. The episode further unraveled Masachika and Alya's characters and showed how appearances can hide a lot about individuals.

Masachika helps Alya (Image via Doga Kobo)

Later, we saw Masachika Kuze joining the student council. Alya asked the boy whether he accepted the offer to stand in the student council presidential election with Suou Yuki. Masachika countered her question, asking what if he was.

At that moment, the narrative for Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 truly shone Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo's character. Although the narrative has occasionally projected Alya as a damsel in distress, she wasn't like that.

Otherwise, the girl wouldn't have said she would confront Masachika and run against him in the election. Perhaps she would've faced trouble, but no one can deny her resolve. Alya's passion and desire might have resonated with Masachika as he assured the girl that he would help her win the election.

Kuze offers his hand to Alya (Image via Doga Kobo)

Doga Kobo's brilliance as a production studio was at its forefront during that moment. With a captivating OST playing in the background, Masachika Kuze offered his hands to Alya, confessing that he would be there only for her.

Masachika's words moved Alya to the core as she couldn't help but express her unfiltered emotions of love in the Russian tongue, completely oblivious to the fact that the boy comprehended the language. The direction, the camera movement, and the exposition elevated the significance of the scene.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4: Focusing on the animation quality, the voice acting, and the adaptation

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Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 faithfully adapted the moments from SunSunSun's original light novel series. Hiroshi Haraguchi, the episode director, wonderfully planned the events to ensure the episode reached the culminating point of Alya's confession.

Besides that, one has to appreciate how the studio storyboarded the final moments of the episode, following the confession scene. After the ending credits, the episode saw Alya return home and become embarrassed about the whole situation.

One might argue that the studio could have left that scene for the next episode. However, it was a necessary addition as fans witnessed the girl's reaction. Additionally, the inclusion of Maria in the final moments, with her warning Alya that someone may take Masachika away if she doesn't directly approach him, contributes a lot to the narrative.

Maria, as seen in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 (Image via Doga Kobo)

Ryota Itoh's scripts for Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 equally deserve credit. Coming to the animation, once again, Doga Kobo hit it out of the park. From the art quality to the fluidity in animation, everything added essence to the episode.

Lastly, the voice actors have done a commendable job, especially Kohei Amasaki as Masachika Kuze. For the first time, Sumire Uesaka's performance was overshadowed in the series. That said, Alya's voice actor did the character justice, especially in the scene where the Russian-Japanese girl faintly asks for help in Russian.

Conclusion

Alya, as seen in the episode (Image via Doga Kobo)

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 4 captured the essence of SunSunSun's light novel in animated form, thanks to Doga Kobo's wonderful production. The esteemed studio ensured Alya and Masachika's iconic moment was given justice.

Not only from the animation perspective, but the entire production allowed the episode to surpass the source material spectacularly. The episode added another layer of complexity to Alya and Masachika's relationship, allowing the audience to further connect with them.