Honey Lemon Soda – Episode 1

Content Warning: bullying

What’s it about? Quiet and shy Ishimori Uka has been nicknamed “Stone” and bullied since middle school. Thankfully, upon entering Hachimitsu High School, she’s given the chance to leave her past behind and start healing from it. There, she meets a boy named Miura Kai, who reminds her of a fizzy beverage. But he’s popular and Uka’s not: will their worlds ever cross?

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I may not know much about Honey Lemon Soda, but I know of it and its popularity. A contemporary shoujo romance, it focuses on high schooler Uka, a young girl who’s been treated quite callously and nicknamed “Stone” (likely taking from her family name) by her classmates because of her shy, quiet nature. Where we start, thankfully, is with her fresh start, which will serve as the foundation to see how she grows and heals from her past. Yet one question remains: is this adaptation of one of the most popular recent shoujo series fizzy and fresh, or is it flat on arrival?

Episode 1, “Because I Met You,” opens with Uka questioning her place and what school she should go to. What’s immediately apparent is that she’s incredibly sad, heartbroken by the treatment of her classmates. Then she meets a boy carrying a bottle of honey lemon soda that matches his appearance. It’s then that a decision is made, starting Uka down the path of taking control of her future.

Flash forward to the start of a school day and we see that the boy who helped Uka is named Miura Kai, and one thing is immediately clear: he’s quite popular and a bit of a rebel. Unfortunately, his mild bad boy streak results in him splashing Uka with an entire bottle of honey lemon soda, soaking her uniform and hitting her directly in the face. It’s something of a meet-cute moment for Kai and his friends: they recognize Uka, eventually, as their classmate, and a unique one at that. But instead of resulting in more trouble for Uka, it results in the start of her new high school life.

Honey Lemon Soda isn’t revolutionary: there’s a storied history of shy, quiet girls meeting mildly jerkish boys with actual hearts of gold. In many ways, Honey Lemon Soda stands with shoujo of the past, not on their shoulders, a continuation of a well-loved type of story. 

That said, I really, really liked this premiere from the start and will be investing in the manga ASAP.

Uka is instantly likable: she’s not pitiable at all, but rather, is relatable. Your heart hurts for her in a way that feels human rather than like being shown a wet dog for easy sympathy points. I think that marked difference is what really set up Honey Lemon Soda to feel like it has incredibly human characters versus a story where everyone feels like too much of a trope and completely untethered to any semblance of Japanese high school actuality.

It helps that the rest of the characters in Uka’s orbit are relatable as well: Kai, while a bit too cool for school, clearly has the capacity and willingness to be kind. His friends, who take Uka under their wing, are disgusted by what’s coined the Butthead Brigade and later, the Ugly Trio and detest how they treat and tease Uka. While Uka’s past isn’t completely behind her, she’s starting to find her voice and courage. It might be small, but sometimes, all we need is to start. Sometimes, all we need is someone to reach out and help us so we can have courage to take action and change our future.

So much of this premiere is Uka coming to the realization that she doesn’t have to be afraid and that she can start moving on from her past, even if her tormentors are still trying to get a rise out of her. She can’t change her past: she can’t wipe away the pain dealt to her. But she deserves to have friends and be happy, and so much of this premiere is that realization. It’s a story that unfortunately is a tale as old as time, and if you’ve been bullied, you’ll immediately feel your gut clench seeing Uka have flashbacks and regress in the wake of being called her middle school nickname.

I think that everyone should give Honey Lemon Soda not just a try, but a three episode try. I found it really refreshing, a quiet and kind entry to the wonderful world of shojo adaptations. While it’s definitely got its share of archetypal characters, I look forward to Uka getting her comeuppance by finding her stride and being happy. After all, that’s the best revenge, and I think she’s going to find it with Kai and his friends, who are already being shaped up to become her friends as well.

I really, really think this is quietly special. Please consider giving it a try.