If you’re going to change the things you don’t like about yourself— the things that led to relentless bullying during your middle school years and kept you from making meaningful connections—you ought to take steps forward just a little at a time. But what if you’re too afraid even to do that? This is exactly what Uka Ishimori is struggling with as a first year in high school. Like the nickname she was saddled with in middle school, “Stoney,” Ishimori remains stuck in place, unable to move forward. But an incident at the beginning of this school day in which apparent delinquent Kai Miura accidentally sprays his honey lemon soda on Ishimori, may be the push she needs to start changing her life. But there’s no way this super shy girl can do it alone. Will she find the help she needs or will life remain as it has always been?
My personal aesthetic is “Falls in love with every romcom anime in its first episode and immediately declares it to be the anime of the season!” But not this time. I have mixed feelings about the premiere of Honey Lemon Soda. First, the good: the animation is lovely (there’s a beautiful, cherry blossom shot early in the show, for instance), the character designs are appealing, and the music is catchy. Also, the last five minutes are quite awesome, featuring a “yeah!” moment and the doki doki feels that we all watch shoujo to experience. But the rest of the episode kind of had me annoyed, starting with Ishimori herself. You have to relate to what shoujo heroines are feeling, even if your struggles are not their own, but sometimes a character will trend a little too much toward “obnoxious” to relate to and care about. Ishimori isn’t all the way to the end, but she is almost there. It’s like…girl, if you’re so smart, hatch a plan that helps you move forward a step at a time. Ugh! In fact, I think I feel about her quite like Miura does in this episode: he’s annoyed by Ishimori, even as he can tell she’s probably a lovely person. My hope is that episode one is a little over the top because, well, shoujo. Similar things can be said about Miura’s characterization. It’s a little discomfiting to see the “love interest bullies the nice girl to help her grow” trope that he exhibits. But there is hope. Again, the last few minutes are pretty great, and in part because the leads’ extreme characterizations are lassoed in a bit. It’s that, along with Laura’s strong reviews of the manga series, that provides me with this hope. And so, while I realize I’m probably one of the few who is giving a harsh review of this opening episode (oh gosh, don’t get me started on “honey lemon soda” being shown or mentioned no less than seven times in the first eight minutes—subtle much?), I do so while emphasizing that I’m going to stay tuned because of the high quality of the production, the potential for growth in the leads, and most of all, the friendships, which already feel like they’ll be the high point of the series (and judging by the ED, maybe expand to include Ishimori’s bullies?!). I’m eager to hear reactions from those who read the manga; other than the one thing I can spot, which is the change in design for Miura (I think he looks far plainer in the anime than in the manga), are there other changes for good or bad in this adaptation? And for the rest of us—if you think like me while watching it, maybe you can also join me in having a little patience and giving Honey Lemon Soda a few more episodes like I intend to do.
Honey Lemon Soda is streaming on Crunchyroll.
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[…] The protagonist Uka Ishimori has struggled with bullying during middle school, which left her feeling socially anxious and outcast. Enter Kai Miura, whose accidental spill of honey lemon soda is a catalyst for change. Their evolving relationship illustrates how connection and tenderness can gently dissolve the pain inflicted by others. Through small steps and shared support, Uka learns that her past doesn’t define her, and she can rewrite her own story – source. […]