About

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russia is a romantic comedy anime and light novel series centered on Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou, a stunning, half-Russian honor student known for her cold demeanor. Though she acts distant, she sometimes lets her true feelings slip out -- in Russian -- assuming no one around her can understand. However, her classmate Masachika Kuze secretly knows Russian and hears every sweet or embarrassing thing she says. Instead of revealing his secret, he plays along, which leads to a charming mix of misunderstandings, hidden emotions, and slow-burn romance. The series blends school life with cultural quirks and a cute language twist, making it a refreshing take on the tsundere trope.

History

It was originally published online as two short stories on the novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on May 6 and May 27, 2020, respectively, before being acquired by Kadokawa Shoten, who have published the series since February 2021 under their Sneaker Bunko imprint.
Because of its popularity, it was picked up for a light novel adaptation with illustrations by Momoco, published by Kadokawa under their Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko label. The first volume was released in February 2021, and the series continued to grow from there.
Soon after, a manga adaptation followed in October 2022, illustrated by Saho Tenamachi, serialized on Kadokawa’s Shonen Ace Plus website.
An anime adaptation was officially announced in 2023. The anime is produced by Doga Kobo, known for high-quality romantic comedies like Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun and My Senpai Is Annoying. The anime is set to premiere in July 2024.

In March 2024, Yen Audio, a subsidiary of Yen Press, announced that produce an English-language audiobook based on the light novels. The first audiobook was published on August 13, 2024, with Taylor Meskimen as narrator.
On July 17, 2024, the production of a smartphone game titled Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian: Puzzle Party! for Android and iOS devices was announced, and the pre-registration phase started. Developed by Poppin Games Japan, the puzzle game was released on September 19, 2024.
A VTuber model of Alya debuted in July 2021 to promote the release of the second light novel volume.

Reception

In the 2021 Next Light Novel Awards, the series clinched 1st place in the Librarian's Choice category, 2nd in Web Publication, and 9th overall.^[1] It secured 9th place in the Bunkobon category of Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! 2022, rising to 5th in 2023, and further to 3rd in both 2024 and 2025 editions.^[2] By August 2024, the series surpassed 5 million copies in circulation, marking it as the first romantic comedy under Kadokawa's Sneaker Bunko imprint to achieve this feat in its 35-year history.^[3] At the 11th Anime Trending Awards, the series won: Slice of Life Anime of the Year, Supporting Girl of the Year for Yuki Suou. It also received eight other nominations, including Anime of the Year.^[4] Voice actress Sarah Natochenny, who portrays Alisa Mikhailovna "Alya" Kujou, was nominated for Best Voice Artist Performance (English) at the 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.^[5]
On IMDb, the anime holds a rating of 7.2/10 based on over 3,300 user reviews.^[6] Rating Graph reports an average rating of 7.6/10 across 12 episodes, with a total of 4,228 votes.^[7]
In the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, Kadokawa reported that the franchise was its fifth most successful, generating approximately 1 billion yen in revenue. This encompassed sales and licensing of the light novels, manga, and streaming rights for the anime series.^[8]

Impact

It subtly influenced several niche subcultures, particularly within the anime community and among language learners. Its unique bilingual twist sparked interest in the Russian language, with fans eagerly picking up phrases Alya used and incorporating them into memes, fan art, and online jokes. Language learners and content creators began using scenes from the series to teach basic Russian, giving the language a new level of romantic charm within the anime fandom.
The tsundere trope also saw a creative refresh, as writers explored similar bilingual misunderstandings in their own works.

Fandom

Fans of "Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian" congregate across various online platforms like Reddit, Twitter, Discord, and TikTok, where they engage in lively discussions, share fan art, and create viral memes related to the show.
Alya's striking character design and cultural duality inspired a wave of cosplay and fan art that blended Russian motifs with anime aesthetics. Even voice acting and music communities engaged with the series, celebrating its multilingual performances and creating Russian-language covers and edits. Overall, the show became a cultural spark for fans who love when languages and love stories collide.

Related Meme

Yuki Suou Wakes Up Her Brother

Yuki Suou Wakes Up Her Brother refers to a scene from Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian, in which the main character's sister, Yuki Suou, tries to wake up her brother from sleep.

Yuki Suou

Yuki Suou is the main character and the sister of the main character from the anime Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian.

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Wikipedia – 2021 Next Light Novel Awards.

^[2] Wikipedia – Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!.

^[3] Leosign – Alya sometimes hides her feelings in Russian

^[4] Wikipedia – 11th Anime Trending Awards.
fn4. YouTube – Meme Mashup Remix

^[5] Wikipedia – 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

^[6] IMDb – Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

^[7] Rating Graph – Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

^[8] Wikipedia – Kadokawa.