Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 review: Doga Kobo continues its excellence with Yuki and Alya's fanservice

Produced by Doga Kobo, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 aired on July 31, 2024. The episode titled, Different People, Common Undercurrent, saw Doga Kobo chiefly focusing on fanservice, with Yuki Suou and Alya aka Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo.

It wasn't the first time the esteemed studio delivered an episode, where the narrative hung on fan service moments. However, it was certainly an episode, where without fan service, the narrative would have lost its shape and charm.

Those aspects engaged fans and added layers of complexities to Masachika's relationship with Alya, Yuki, and even Maria. Doga Kobo's credit lies in the fact that it didn't allow the fan service elements to appear "crude" or "meaningless." As a result, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 5 received wide praise from the fandom.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 review: Evaluating the Yuki-Alya fanservice, Doga Kobo's production, and more

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An integral aspect of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russsian Episode 5 was the way Doga Kobo production studios handled the fan service. Without a doubt, Masachika's dynamics with Yuki Suou and Alya took a proper shape, thanks to those "fan service" sequences.

While to some the "fan service" may seem redundant, from a narrative perspective, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 demanded those scenes. It was already established in Episode 2 that Yuki Suou has a frank relationship with her brother, Masachika.

She continuously likes to tease him with "taboo" subjects from manga and anime. Yuki loves to enact situations, where she can embarrass her older brother. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 wasn't different in this respect.

Yuki and Masachika in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 (Image via Doga Kobo)

The episode saw Yuki set up a "walking in on her changing" scenario from fiction for Masachika. However, Masachika knew his sister's antics. As such, he wasn't overtly affected by her act. Rather, he countered it saying that it would have been effective if it were a "sneak peek" moment.

Yuki clad in a bathrobe, teasing her brother, certainly falls into the "fan service" category. However, rather than being crude, these moments only solidified the pure brother-sister affection the characters have for each other.

Otherwise, Masachika wouldn't have apologized to Yuki right after those moments for planning to make Alya the next president, when he knew that he would have to go against his sister. Likewise, Yuki wouldn't have thrown tantrums rather than be depressed about Masachika's decision, if she hadn't had a solid affection for her brother.

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

Yuki knew about Masachika, and that the boy needed someone to motivate him. While she was upset that it couldn't be her to do it, she was glad that he found Alya. That said, she refused to give up.

Undoubtedly, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 contributed a lot to Masachika and Yuki's relationship. However, from an adaptation's perspective, Doga Kobo toned down on the fan service.

In the light novel and manga, the scene occurs in the washroom, where Yuki knowingly walks in on her brother, to enact the same embarrassing situation. The scene would have had more fan service sequences, had the studio remained faithful to the source material.

Yuki Suou throws tantrums in the episode (Image via Doga Kobo)

That said, the anime has done justice to Masachika and Yuki's relationship. Besides Yuki, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 focused on Masachika's dynamics with Alya through the device of fan service.

Whether it was Alya tying her hair, drinking water from the tap, or checking in on Masachika to see if he has a fever, several scenes showcased Alya in a "fan service" light.

Alya ties her hair (Image via Doga Kobo)

However, Alya's fan service moments in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 weren't crude or improper. Rather, Doga Kobo used them to engage the audience with the narrative.

If we look past the fan service, the narrative strengthened Alya's relationship with Masachika. The silver-haired girl was visibly worried when Masachika didn't act like his usual self. She felt the boy was trying to change his lifestyle for her sake.

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

However, she became furious when she learned that Masachika had been acting strange because he hadn't had breakfast. Even then, Alya and Masachika's chemistry didn't falter, as they giggled and gushed over Kenzaki and Sarashina's lovely moment as a couple.

From a production perspective, the episode could have slightly more background OST to complement the fan service. While the animation was almost similar to the previous installment, the OST could have made more difference to the episode.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 review: Masachika recalls his past and his views on "love"

Masachika Kuze in the episode (Image via Doga Kobo)

Besides using heavy fan service in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5, Doga Kobo dexterously added Masachika's views on love and his reaction to Alya's confession.

The boy was embarrassed, as he recalled the conversation he shared with Alya. At the same time, he wondered whether Alya truly meant the words of love she said to him. Masachika then recalled a painful past, where his parents were seen fighting.

He felt he shouldn't dabble much into the "flimsy" concept of love. As such, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 revealed that there was more to Masachika's character than what had been shown in the first four episodes. The complexity of Masachika's character not only contributed to the episode but also to the entire series.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Rusian Episode 5: Maria's scene and the introduction of Chisaki Sarashina

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

The trope of fan service was extended to Maria Mikhailovna Kujo as well, who shared a moment with Masachika. Seeing the boy soaked, she offered to dry off his hair. Interestingly, Doga Kobo's execution of the scene contributed to the over-arching fan service.

On the other hand, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 introduced a new character, Chisaki Sarashina. It was revealed in the previous installment that Chisaki was the student council's vice president and Kenzaki's girlfriend.

Sarashina and Kenzaki (Image via Doga Kobo)

However, the episode didn't show the girl. The latest installment revealed Chisaki Sarashina as a "rowdy" girl with a tomboyish appearance. While she dealt with problems with "mild violence," the girl was head over heels for Kenzaki.

The narrative expertly showed their chemistry. Undoubtedly, Doga Kobo has done a fine job of portraying Chisaki and Kenzaki's relationship.

Conclusion

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Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 didn't deviate much from what made the series popular: a perfect balance between fan service and rom-com elements. The episode saw Doga Kobo expertly handle Masachika's chemistry with Alya and Yuki.

At the same time, Masachika's moment with Maria was icing on the cake. The episode was one of the instances where the narrative revolves around fan service. While Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Episode 5 didn't contribute much to the plot progression, it focused on strengthening the bonds among the characters.