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As much as I enjoyed this episode, I almost felt like it was a waste that it was the season finale. This definitive twist marked the end of the season while also opening the door for future events in season two. However, I wish we had gotten all the elements of this episode earlier in the show. The idea of an argument-style story with an outsider slowly bringing everyone together through her unique charm is a great premise. Why did I have to wait twelve episodes before it felt like we were starting that story? This kind of ending made me rewatch the entire show and realize that not only was there a lot of things that were messy, but there were things that contradicted what the show was trying to establish.
I loved every second of the Kuze and Yuki dynamic. They exude some of the strongest sibling rivalry energy I've seen in a while. I love how the show blurs the line between what Yuki wants and the role she's trying to play. There's very little passion behind Yuki wanting to be student council president, and you can see that she's only doing it for the good of her family. However, she also wants to prove herself to be a worthy rival to her brother. There's probably a bit of guilt going on there, and by the end of the showdown, it's revealed that she's not trying to play the bad guy as much as she's trying to win her way. The show is able to break down different modes of communication with the audience in a way that's very relatable, and that shouldn't be underestimated. We're getting a simplified version of political theater. My involvement in introducing the student council and announcing the campaign is a testament to the power of writing.
But then we get to Alya, and I’m confused. I like the idea of her using her fluent Russian as an icebreaker to ease the tension. This is supposed to be the moment Alya solidifies her resolve, but the speech isn’t nearly as profound or inspiring as the show tries to make it out to be. Alya believes she’s the best person for the job because she works harder than anyone else. Even though she knows she lacks the skills to be a good board chair, she believes she’ll eventually get there. I don’t think I have any reason to assume that Alya works harder than anyone else on the show, especially since Kuze does a lot of the heavy lifting for her. While she is the one who makes the decisions, he is the one who makes the plans, he is the one responsible for making sure they are completed, and even the compliment I just gave her about starting her speech in Russian was HIS idea.
If anything, we've seen multiple instances in the show where she's crossed the line into compromising herself because of distractions or falling prey to other people's instigation. Twelve episodes in, and I can't think of any worthy achievements she's made purely through hard work or perseverance. If the idea was that she'd continue to work hard to win people over, that's fine, but that doesn't feel like a speech that would have happened at the end of season one. This speech could have set the stakes earlier in the show and then we could have seen the gradual buildup to that ideal.
Kuze talks about how Alya draws people together and how he finds himself drawn to it, but she has no friends outside of the student council. I don't know if he's hyping her up or if he actually believes it, but I'm not sure if that's part of the problem. I've had opportunity after opportunity to root for its main character, but it hasn't worked out. It shows a lot of respect in Kuze and Yuki's relationship. Still, I'd rather watch a show about them than see Alya finally become the better character the show promises. Maybe things will get better in season two, but I'm not holding my breath.
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AJ also regularly streams on Twitch as the indie Vtuber Bolts The Mechanic where they talk about and play classic vehicles!
Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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