In a recently rediscovered interview, the author of the popular romantic comedy “Alya sometimes hides her feelings in Russian“, revealed interesting details about the origins of the story. The serieswhich is currently being adapted into an anime with great success and is widely praised for its animation quality and its attractive protagonist, Initially it was going to be an isekai story.

• «Originally, I wanted to write about a cute but unhappy heroine who sinks into a sense of superiority by 'pouring' affection in a language she thinks her partner doesn't understand, saying 'fufun, you don't understand, do you?' The first idea that came to my mind for this type of character was a reincarnation scenario in another world, an 'isekai'. The reincarnated heroine would shower affection on the protagonist in Japanese, saying 'fufun, you don't understand what I'm saying, do you? (with an air of superiority)', but it turns out that the protagonist is also a reincarnated person who understands Japanese. I initially planned to make this a short story.
• However, as I thought about it, I realized that I could do it in a foreign language in the real world. Reincarnation into another world required complicated explanations of the setting and context, so I decided to go with a real-world romance story. When I considered which language to use, I ruled out English because not many people understand it. I wanted the heroine to have foreign blood and a completely different appearance from the Japanese one. At that moment I thought… Russia. I had the image of Russian girls as mystical beauties, almost like fairies. That was the reason I chose Russia».

The story of “Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian” revolves around Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou, a half-Russian, half-Japanese girl who is considered the idol of her school. With her long silver hair, hypnotic blue eyes, and exceptionally fair skin, she has captured the hearts of several male students and is highly admired by all. However, due to his seemingly unapproachable attitude, everyone around him is cautious.

Masachika Kuze, Alisa's partner, is one of the few who receives her attention.. Although he is an ordinary boy who spends his days watching anime and playing gacha, Masachika is the only one who understands the Russian that Alisa uses to express her affection, although he pretends not to understand her for his own amusement. As they exchange witty and playful comments, their relationship becomes more romantic and charming.and Alisa could finally learn to openly express her true feelings.

The anime adaptation of this work was widely praised for its Doga Kobo's high-quality animation and the appealing characterization of its protagonistconsolidating itself as one of the most popular series of the moment.

Source: Otakomu