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This episode is probably my favorite of the series so far and it’s also the one where I hate Alya the most. The episode ends with a direct challenge to Kuze but I like that Alya turns the attention back to herself. While you could argue that she’s just there for her man, she needs to prove to the students and the audience that she has what it takes to run for this position in the first place. She’s a new student and has barely interacted with anyone, so it’s easy for people to project their own interpretations of her. It’s hard for someone like that to run for a position where the goal is to interact with other students and build community. However, it’s a good step for her to fill that role in a way that seems believable.
I was really drawn to the argument itself and would have liked the back and forth between Alya and Sayaka to last a little longer. However, I liked the undercurrent that caught Alya off guard. If she could do everything on her own right here, I don't think she would feel like it was worth it considering her previous interactions in extremely tense situations. But I did like how things were unraveling with her insecurities and how Kuze empathized with that. If this was brought to the forefront as something she needed to overcome, I might have started to like her character more. Plus, this argument plays into the whole idea that Kuze and Alya are basically two sides of the same coin. They're both very smart but maybe emotionally satisfying to each other, even if they're not ready to admit it.
The idea of having your perceptions projected onto you, however, ties into the final third of the episode when Sayaka reads the lesson. I was surprised at how clear the writing felt at the end. A lot of the messages could have been delivered a little more gracefully: Sayaka outright says that she's projected this idealized version of Kuze and Yuki onto them and that's why she needs to pick that fight. It feels messy because most of the episode is tightly written without being clear. But what doesn't hurt is that this is actually a step forward for our main duo as a team. They handle their first argument well and even open up a little emotionally. I'm excited to see more progress in the rest of the season.
PS The ending with Yuki overseeing everything and monologuing like some super villain is probably the funniest joke in the entire series.
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Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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