High school dramas often gloss over the deep emotional scars of bullying, but Honey Lemon Soda offers a candid narrative that directly confronts those experiences. Just like the sizzle and pop of a newly opened soda, the characters confront their challenges and forge meaningful connections with one another to make personal changes. Honey Lemon Soda touches upon the dream of a bullying victim to be saved and explores themes of personal growth and self-discovery.
The meeting between Uka and Kai in Honey Lemon Soda is indeed a lucky encounter between two people who would have never crossed paths. Kai is the popular, good-looking guy at school with lemon-colored hair, while Uka is more reserved and quiet, a victim of middle school bullying. Defeated by an encounter with her bullies, Uka finds herself on the brink of tears, ready to let go of all her hope of escaping her fate in high school. However, at that moment, she meets Kai who inspires her to change her life and enroll at Hachimitsu High School, the same school he plans to attend. Although Uka and Kai’s first interaction is brief, it sets the stage for their developing relationship throughout the series.
While Kai’s dazzling blonde hair makes him stand out and leaves a strong impression, his overall personality in the anime is hard to grasp. In Episode 1, he appears cool and calm, playing the silent but ever-attentive type of character. However, that all changes in Episode 2 when he screams at Uka at the top of his lungs to go home and even gets into a mini brawl with students from a different school. His sudden change in attitude is a little jarring and inconsistent with his initial established character. Moreover, his actions seem a little unrealistic for a freshman in high school who has just met another girl.
After encountering Kai, Uka begins to break out of her shell and finally makes the changes she’s been wanting for a long time. Uka’s character is compelling as she attempts to grow at her own pace, with encouragement from Kai and his friends. Her journey from being nicknamed “Stony” due to her dull-like demeanor to slowly embracing her true self adds emotional depth to the story. She’s finally able to stand up to her bullies, which opens new doors for her to create new friendships and experiences she had always dreamed of in high school.
As for the visuals and soundtrack, the background piano music stands out and enhances the atmosphere of the scenes. While most of the anime embraces typical shojo romance tropes, it does manage to evoke nostalgia. Even though I may have outgrown some of these themes, Uka’s emotions and aspirations resonate with memories of my own freshman experiences. The anime’s attention to yellows, such as Uka’s eyes, follows the visual theme of honey and lemons.
This yellow motif seems to be a recurring element throughout the series, potentially symbolizing the sweetness and brightness that Uka is discovering in her new life. While I look forward to seeing how Uka and Kai’s relationship might develop, I’m concerned that it could turn out a little uneventful and fall into the trope of other typical romance anime. The character design and soundtrack are certainly appealing, but the characters themselves will need more depth to make the show truly worth watching. Honey Lemon Soda might not deliver a fresh take on the high school romance genre, but I’m willing to give a few more episodes a try.
Honey Lemon Soda is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Staff:
Director: Hiroshi Nishikiori
3DCG Director: Shunsuke Kasuga
Art Director: Ryoko Itaya
Color Designer: Ayaka Iwamoto
Director of Photography: Yurina Yagi
Series composer: Akiko Waba
Character designer: Aimi Tanaka
Music composer: Akira Kosemura
