Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 8 review: Doga Koba’s masterclass direction gives Masachika the spotlight

“In the recently released Russian episode 8 of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings, which aired on August 21, 2024, the animation studio continues to deliver top-notch content without holding anything back. This is evident in the intense showdown between Taniyama and Masachika featured in episode 8.”

The focus of episode 8 of Student Congress was on the direction and voice acting. Taniyama’s depiction of frustration towards Masachika and Alya’s determination to support her partner despite facing discrimination from the audience were excellently portrayed. Furthermore, the episode’s conclusion, where Taniyama experiences despair, left a poignant impact.

Note: This article includes spoilers from episode 8 of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Episode 8 Review – An Absolute Cinema at the Student Congress

In episode 8 of the Russian version, Alya was seen hiding her emotions. The main focus of the episode was the Student Congress debate between Taniyama’s and Masachika’s teams. As anticipated, the episode prioritized the dialogue rather than the visuals, as the debate revolved around the exchange of words between the two sides.

The beginning of Taniyama’s discussion was quite impactful, as all of her grievances were aimed at Masachika, who had been personally recruited by the Student Council President to join his team. Additionally, she raised several more points in her argument, strengthening her case and potentially placing pressure on the opposing side.

Alya, as seen in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 8 (Image via Doga Koba)

Despite Alya’s surprise, she remained composed and her counter-argument sparked a lively discussion among the crowd. The credit for this can also be attributed to Alya’s voice actress, whose tone of voice conveyed a sense of calmness and composure in her character.

Despite the strange comments from the audience about Alya’s outsider status, she couldn’t help but express horror on her face. This was crucial as the room had become a battlefield, and she was taken aback by her opponent’s unexpected move.

The Animation Studio Shines a Spotlight on Masachika’s Win

Despite Alya presenting a decent counter-argument, she struggled to handle the criticisms from the audience. This was when Masachika seized the opportunity to give his partner a break. What made Masachika’s subsequent speech stand out was the confidence in his delivery and the flawless composition of the scene, even though his argument could have been challenged.

As Masachika cited the example of a model student to bolster his argument, Taniyama’s emotions became overwhelming and she couldn’t resist fleeing from the congress room.

This development finally allowed the male protagonist of the series to grow and develop as a character, as he had previously only been depicted as a supporting role. Despite his desire to remain in a supporting role, the plot armor consistently aids him on his journey throughout the series.

Final Thoughts

Miyamae Nonao, as seen in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian episode 8 (Image via Doga Koba)

The addition of Miyamae Nonao in episode 8 of Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian provided the fandom with another opportunity to admire the series’s visually appealing and seamless character designs. The anime elevated the stunning character designs found in the light novel and manga adaptations to a new level.

Momoco, the illustrator for the light novel series, collaborated with Yuuhei Murota, a seasoned professional in the anime industry since the late 2000s, to produce stunning character designs for the anime, making it one of the highlights of the series.