Tag: alya sometimes hides her feelings in russian

Animanga Releases of 2026

TiberiusLeave a comment

New Year, New Animanga

By the luck of the gods, I’ve returned to my post on the same day and I’m not terribly fatigued.

The Year of Cordis Die, the Year of the Snake, the Year CoD S[gunshots]t It’s Respect Out is out, and the Year of the Horse, the Uma 「馬」is in.

I don’t consume Umamusume anything, but it makes the rounds in my favorite spaces, so I can’t ignore it if I wanted to.

Now a bunch of these have been announced yonks ago and were set for debut sometime in December, January or much later in 2026. I can’t really count series that began in 2025 and will finish, at least, a season in 2026, but I will include those that will debut at some point this year. That’s pretty much my only criteria. As such, here’s the list:

  1. The Elusive Samurai Season 2 (July 2026)
  2. Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Season 2 (2026)
  3. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2 (January 2026)
  4. Akane-banashi (April 2026)
  5. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (January 2026)

All of these I’ve written about or mentioned in the past, and I hope to do so once again as the respective series’ all continue and when they eventually conclude, at least in animated form since Vigilantes’ manga wrapped up a few years ago. Keep in mind, this isn’t an exhaustive list as I want to see what else will come out this year, but for brevity’s sake I’m sticking with my bread and butter, starting with:

The Light-footed Hojo Prince returns to us with a stern endeavor against the treacherous Ashikaga clan who have since reneged on their deal with Emperor Go-Daigo. I’ve never been prouder to be a manga reader because I can take a wild guess on how far this season is going to go and who will join the previous season’s repertoire of opportunistic samurai. In the last season, the primary antagonists were Ashikaga Takauji, Ogasawara Sadamune, and Ichikawa Sukefusa, joined together in the latter half with the disgraced bandit daimyo Hirano Shogen and the merciless (if fruity) Kokushi of Shinano.

Slight History Lesson: sometime during the Kamakura Shogunate, the position of Kokushi (comparable to a provincial governor today) was established to manage the vast territory of the land. These Kokushi were personally selected by the imperial court, but come the late Kamakura era, they lost favor to the more powerful military/shogunate-aligned Shugo. Their duties typically boiled down to taxation and revenue among their most notable administrative duties, but with the Shugo came the shift from civilian rule to military rule that would define Japanese rule during the subsequent Nanboku-cho period, then to the Sengoku period all the way up until the Meiji Restoration.

I’m not gonna spoil it as heavily but I will say that both Hirano and the Kokushi return as enemies, and personally, being in the military in a support MOS myself, the parts of the manga I’m currently reading touch on more than just the infantry aspect to show that complex military operations are a time-honored tradition. There’ve always been chaplains, communications units (though mass communication is a recent concept), medical units (imperfect and sometimes deadlier than just dying on the field in battle), and others.

As for new enemies that have come on gone by the point that I’ve caught up to, as I recall, they were there near the beginning, but didn’t get a lot of panel time in the manga. The Ashikaga initially allied with the Nitta clan, distant cousins through Minamoto brothers, Yoshiyasu, who was the ancestor of the Ashikaga, and Yoshishige, the ancestor of the Nitta. In real life, only the Nitta stood by Go-Daigo’s side while the Ashikaga double-crossed the imperial court and it happens again in the manga.

For allies to the Hojo and Suwa Grand Shrine, fortunately Tokiyuki has another uncle that doesn’t betray him like what Godaiin Muneshige did to Tokiyuki’s half-brother, Kunitoki. The uncle in question is Hojo Yasuie and there’s something about him that harkens to Matsui’s previous work, Assassination Classroom in a way…

Not entirely sure if its the forehead writing gag or what, but something about him makes me think of Koro-sensei sans tentacles

After him, comes Sasaki Mima, the Kitabatake clan, and Ko no Moronao, not necessarily allies to Suwa or the Hojo (definitely not Moronao), but certainly leverageable as enemies against the Ashikaga. So far, I only see the Kokushi and Hirano Shogen coming back as well as more tasteful shots of Nitta Yoshisada and Prince Moriyoshi. Now, I’ve said before that in real life, the Kamakura never rose after Ashikaga’s betrayal and after that, Hojo Tokiyuki managed to eke out a resistance for the next twenty years until his head was on the ground. We’ve got until the end of the manga to see if Yusei Matsui is gonna do the same thing and I hope to every deity I’m able to pray to that it ends well, not unlike what Aka Akasaka did to Kaguya-sama and Oshi no Ko, allegedly.

Второй:

To tease Masachika Kuze once again, My Hafu-Russian Classmate Who Doesn’t Know I Understand her won me over so much that I regularly check the associated Discord server like the Eye of Sauron. My busy schedule doesn’t allow me to check up on the light novels or the manga as much as I’d like, but I’m not really in any hurry to get a drop on the series like some others. For that matter, regarding animanga, I usually just play it by ear. Not every series I follow gets an anime, but if it does, then great. If not, then c’est la vie.

Of the listings up above, Alya Won’t Stop Flirting in Russian doesn’t have a specific release date for the second season. In fact, it was announced very late in 2025 and we’re definitely gonna get our information through drip feed. Google-san’s swanky new clanker assistant tells me that a section of the second season will be dedicated to a summer vacation arc.

I don’t really have much to add with so little information available. The only thing of value I’ve got is, catch up on the first season if you haven’t already and if you feel so inclined, why not take a look at the source material? I’m not certain if there’s variance between the LNs and the manga, and I don’t think I have the space in my barracks to house all that manga. I barely had enough in my apartment back in New York. Fingers crossed I can build a library of whatever I goddamn want among other things.

This includes a closet’s worth of cosplays.

A Terceira:

I’m taking my time with this one, to be honest. It’s popularity has not waned ever since it was put on Netflix nor even when Viz Media licensed the manga for weekly scanlation. My binge-watcher days are behind me, but I do like the approach I’ve adopted ever since. From looking at others talk about the manga and describe it in a non-spoiler-y way, it’s very much dedicated to a posthumous character’s life when he was a hero. Yeah, I already know it’s Himmel.

My absorption of this series began with a bunch of out-of-context memes, which is still the case with Neon Genesis Evangelion, at least until I finally finish the damn anime and get a move on with End of Eva.

I don’t even know what I’m missing, but it’s absolutely crucial that I watch it all.

Same thing for Frieren. It’s a 2-cour anime for once and I’m certainly gonna watch it to completion and make my Netflix subscription feel known this time. The second season is gonna start in two weeks and is said to have a different director from the first season. AFAIK, Netflix doesn’t plan on moving it away from the platform, but if it does once Season 2 wraps up then Crunchyroll and Hulu and the Banner of Gen Z is always an option.

On that note, I’ve got some catching up on One Pace to do.

四番目：

Of all the anime debuting this year, this was the last I expected to ever get an adaptation, and truth be told, I stopped having expectations thousands of years ago. That’s why I was so surprised when Black Torch was greenlit for an adaptation and I wasn’t the only one to get slapped in the face with that news. The short version here is that a rakugoka practices night and day for a big performance only for the Rakugo Grandmaster to shut it all down in front of a live audience. The budding rakugoka’s dream now becomes to dream of his daughter, Akane Osaki, who will not rest until she’s the best of the next generation of rakugoka.

Mighty big geta to fill, especially since I think Akane-chan is only around 5-foot, and although I haven’t read the manga in ages, I recall there being one hell of a stiff competition between her and her dreams. Maybe one day I’ll play catch ups with this series, advance a bit further in Chihayafuru and compare the two in an efficient way. Ballpark estimate: Q3 2026. Why that time frame specifically? Because.

And lastly:

In Dragon Ball Z announcer voice: Last time on My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Knuckleduster had fought well against the Queen Bee Quirk puppeteering his daughter, Tamao’s, body. With the parasite dealt with, what is next for Knuckleduster, Koichi Haimawari, and Kazuho Haneyama? Find out now.

Going off of memory from the first season, Knuckleduster saved his daughter who was a host for the Queen Bee Quirk. In the manga, he vanishes for a time while Koichi and Pop-Step continue the investigation for the designer drug Trigger… in Japan. In the manga, Knuckleduster gets a lead that a distribution site could be Hong Kong, so he goes over there to dish out some two-hit justice not seen since Inspector Tequila saved a hospital full of newborn infants.

嗰個寶寶唔知，但係佢救咗龍舌蘭督察。[Hopefully Google Translate has improved over time.]

Tangentially related to Knuckleduster’s past, a sycophantic villain attempts to emulate the man even down to the scar on his face and it unleashes a new flavor of hell. And here my memory of this arc starts to break down. I remember how it’s resolved and Knuckleduster’s secret, but out of respect for you, the reader, I will not reveal it until the second season concludes.

The year just began, and this list is probably gonna get an update come springtime. The list of topics I have lined up so far only goes to the first week of April, set to be added onto by March ideally if life doesn’t get funny by then.

Final note: an honorable mention:

July.

In Soviet Russia, Waifu Confesses To You

Tiberius1 Comment

She doesn’t know you’re also fluent in Russian

Summer romcoms have seen a boost as of late as seen by the evidence below:

Credit: Gigguk

The sussy sisters suspiciously spouting sexually suggestive sayings was far from expected, but also far from uncommon. Yosuga no Sora fans and Coffin of Andy and Leyley fans know what’s up. In this case where a romance anime has comedy and a sussy imouto, I present to you Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian.

The most interesting thing about this is that it may or may not be responsible for a new -dere type. For those who’re new, -dere in Japanese is a onomatopoeic term for “lovey dovey” or “fawning over someone.” The suffix refers to the type of affection displayed by the love interest. The most common types being:

Tsundere – where the love interest feigns disgust while secretly wanting you to lust after them (think: playing hard to get on hard mode)

Deredere – where the love interest wakes up with you on their mind, erection notwithstanding and counting down the days where they wake up next to you as a loving spouse

Kuudere – where the love interest acts distant and uninterested but keeps a heart-shaped locket with a picture of you inside, longing for the days where you two can be one; and

Yandere – where the love interest only thinks of you and no one else and you yourself better not think of anyone else or you’ll lose other people you care about in your life. It’s not the obsession that can lead to complete disaster, it’s the suspicion that this obsession isn’t reciprocated that makes yanderes so dangerous.

In the case of -dere types, the origin of this archetype–RoshiDere–is a derivative of the light novel’s Japanese title: Tokidoki Bosotto Roshiago de Dereru Tonari no Ārya-san. RoshiDere is a romcom about a highschooler named Masachika Kuze and his budding relationship with a childhood friend Alisa Mikhailovna Kujo. Being half-Russian, Alisa and her sister Maria have the distinct honor of being hafu characters. Short summary: a hafu is anyone of partial Japanese dissent, as in only one parent is Japanese (alternately known as half-Japanese).

There aren’t very many characters of this kind in most Japanese media, but there are a few that stand out, some of which you probably didn’t think about.

Japanese dad, British-American mom (that the fandom keeps forgetting; his knowledge of the English language is not a surprise whatsoever).

Plot-wise, Alya-san is a bog standard romcom but nearly functions like a harem anime of sorts all things considered. Circling back to -dere types, Alya the Russian GF is the chief RoshiDere, but sometimes has her tsuntsun moments.

Not that locking a character into a specific archetype makes them a one-trick pony, but the course of the anime opens viewers up to multiple different sides of the characters. Call it the benefit of a small cast, the creators can focus on a small band of misfits as opposed to tripping over their own two feet trying to make the audience fall in love with everyone else. Shortfalls plagued by a lot of Shonen manga, especially My Hero Academia and Naruto.

For what the characters do in the series, Alya’s an overachiever with the beauty to match her brains while Masachika engages in the otaku lifestyle watching the best series of all time until 3AM (obligatory: he just like me fr), leaving him the narcoleptic, sleepyheaded underachiever and the subject of Alya’s romantic teasing. She thinks she’s being coy by speaking русский язык (Russkiy yazyk), but little does she know Masa-kun is no stranger to the Russian language. As a matter of fact (spoiler), she’s not the first girl to speak it to him, having had a childhood friend from Russia itself. So her passing her flirting off as snide remarks is merely her footing herself in the mouth.

To my knowledge, the only other person who knows his bilingual fluency is his sister, Yuki Suou, as seen in this clip:

Credit: Momka Weeb

I haven’t read the light novels yet (will I? Maybe I will and write about it [patrick_scheming.jpg]), but I imagine a scene where Alya shouts in Russian, Masa-kun walks up to her, translating outloud and Alya’s cool and confident demeanor shatters under the weight of her crush’s knowledge of her native tongue.

Not so much as a gotcha, remember she has tsundere traits and will likely be upset that he knew and didn’t reciprocate up until that point, but part of me can’t help but be the fly on the wall who witnesses that encounter. Gonna pop some popcorn real quick, BRB.

Away from the main events of Russian Girlfriend Problems, Masa-kun’s sister, Yuki, is the Queen of the Otaku vying for the Degeneracy Crown currently resting on the head of one Sydsnap.

Link to her channel if you’re interested.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWH4JkQWioU3vTAritHDnAA

It’s explained that Masa’s and Yuki’s parents divorced and went to live separately. Yuki grew up as a quasi-aristocrat being viewed by the school as rivaling Alya academically, but Masa-kun knows how she’s like behind closed doors. A hardcore otaku who makes numerous references, points to the camera Deadpool-style, and wears her otaku flag on her sleeve. Don’t let her perception of innocence deceive you, she’s actually a cunning young lady and wanted for theft of every scene she’s in:

If the romance between Alya and Masa is the main course, I think we can safely call Yuki’s shenaniganry as the appetizer or dessert. It’s a cutesy little series that has a lot of fun with the premise and the use of multiple languages, that I haven’t seen really since Golden Kamuy, and considering that series takes place mostly in Hokkaido and Sakhalin (with flashbacks to the Korean peninsula where the Russo-Japanese war was fought), that part goes without saying.

Alya Likes to Flirt in Russian is available on Crunchyroll and other streaming sites of questionable legality. If you can stomach the ads, Crunchyroll is the way to go. If you have the cash to spend and can go premium, by all means. And for those of us, who are learning the right lessons from One Piece, HiAnime, AniWatch, and similar piracy sites are still up as of writing this. Enjoy them while they last, especially HiAnime which appears to have caught the eye of the U.S. government.

This week’s YouTube recommendation is NFKRZ.

https://www.youtube.com/@roman_nfkrz

Run by Russian-born Roman Abalin, NFKRZ is a channel that makes videos on Russian life, life in the former Soviet Union along with personal anecdotes sprinkled in. It’s a hybrid vlog/semi-documentary commentary channel that sheds light on this part of the world, often dispelling popular myths of this region with personal anecdotes having grown up in the city of Chelyabinsk (which is close to Kazakhstan). The link to his channel is above.