Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 review: Doga Kobo blends drama with rom-com to elevate the iconic moments

Produced by Doga Kobo, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 aired on August 21, 2024. Titled Rom-commy with a Chance of Hypnosis, the episode was a beautiful blend of rom-com genre moments with a dash of drama, something Doga Kobo has mastered delivering.

Whether it was Yuki Suou's scene with her grandfather or Masachika's confrontation with Nonona, multiple aspects contributed to the show's drama. At the same time, the episode balanced it out with Alya's rom-com stare at Masachika and the final "hypnosis" scene.

Undoubtedly, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 was exactly what the light novel reader could have hoped for. Although Doga Kobo had to omit certain scenes from the source material, the pacing felt just and natural.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 review: Doga Kobo's focus on drama with Yuki's opening scene and romance with Alya-Masachika's moment

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From a critical point of view, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 was a near-perfect episode because it combined the narrative elements of drama and rom-com. The series has been playing with such a blend for a while now, which is why, it's not unusual for fans not to expect it in every installment.

Yet, Doga Kobo continues to surpass expectations, with its brilliant production that elevates the written words from SunSunSun's light novels. A similar thing happened, as Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 brought the light novel's chapters to life, showcasing Yuki, Masachika, Alya, and other characters.

The episode hit it out of the park in terms of narrative depth with the first scene, which revolved around Yuki Suou and her grandfather. It was impressive how Yuki could muster courage and smile through her grandfather's unreal expectations of her. To the elder Suou, familial affections seem to matter less than status and legacy.

Yuki as seen in the opening scene (Image via Doga Kobo)

He lamented that Masachika Kuze chose to go out of the Suou household, wasting his precious "gifts." However, not for once he looked at his grandson as a normal human being, with emotions of his own. Yuki Suou retained those affections, and yet she showcased a brave front to her grandfather.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 confirmed that Yuki learned to live with her grandfather's expectations. Only a hug from Ayano was all it took to shrug off the burden. On the other side, the episode showed Yuki and Masachika's mother. It was evident that she didn't have much to say because she knew it was futile in a patriarchal household.

Interestingly, the drama set by Yuki's grandfather was lessened by the girl herself. Although she knew that she had to overcome the challenge against her brother and win the election, she just didn't want those expectations to affect her mental health.

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

Moving on, the episode saw Alya reacting to other students' badmouthing Taniyama since the girl had run away from the stage. Alya knew the actual reason why Taniyama left, so she couldn't bear to see others make fun of her. Alya's compassionate nature was displayed in the episode.

She wanted Masachika to do something about it, even if it meant their victory would mean nothing. The boy didn't want to let Alya down, so he accepted. At that moment, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 brought the elements of rom-com into play, with Alya staring at Masachika with lovely eyes.

The tension in the atmosphere was intense for Masachika, who knew that Kenzaki and Sarashina were eavesdropping on them. Eventually, he called them out and eased the tension. The whole scene created a nice diversion from the drama and acted as a relief for fans. It also showed how Alya truly felt about Masachika Kuze.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 review: Nonoa's relationship with Taniyama, and the hypnosis scene

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Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 turned to drama once again, with Masachika confronting Nonoa to ask for her help regarding Taniyama's case. She took him to an empty room and wondered whether Masachika wanted to ask her out.

Nonoa added that she would be fine with it, considering she was not seeing anyone. However, Masachika told her that it wasn't why he wanted to see her. The episode then revealed that Nonoa had never dated someone with feelings of love because she could never comprehend them.

Masachika advised her that she shouldn't sell herself short. The boy's response had Nonoa recall the same words spoken to her by Taniyama once, except, the girl had slapped her before telling them. These moments heighten the tension further and bring drama into the narrative again.

Masachika and Nonoa (Image via Doga Kobo)

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 also delved into a flashback to show how Taniyama slapped Nonoa in the past. However, Nonoa knew that her best friend didn't have ill intentions.

As such, she followed Masachika's advice and spread a rumor to give a plausible explanation as to why Taniyama was absent and why she left the stage on the student congress day.

Shortly after, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 returned with rom-com elements, with Yuki teasing Masachika about Alya. Likewise, the silver-haired girl saw a fascinating moment to become closer to Masachika during their study session.

Masachika hypnotizes Alya and Masha (Image via Doga Kobo)

However, the main highlight of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 was the hypnosis scene. From a critical perspective, the hypnosis scene was the icing on the cake for fans who wanted fanservice.

Masachika read a few tricks from a book on hypnosis, which was originally confiscated by Chisaki. To his shock, his tricks worked as Maria and Alya fell under the spell. Yuki with her mischievous nature saw the opportunity to command the girls to go unrestrained on Masachika.

Eventually, they were turned to normal by Sarashina Chisaki, who demonstrated her special "reset" trick. The episode ended on a funny note, with Chisaki asking Masachika whether he would like to try her "reset" move.

Conclusion

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

From a narrative perspective, Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 9 was truly stunning as it contained several elements. Doga Kobo dexterously weaved the thread to tell a compact tale to fans, that had both drama and rom-com.