REVIEW: ‘Honey Lemon Soda’ Season 1 Is Burdened By A Slow Start

With a clash of colorful vibrancy and initial, dour melodrama, it takes a minute for Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 to find its groove. Based on the manga written and illustrated by Mayu Murata and serialized in Shueisha’s shojo manga magazine Ribon, the adaptation from J.C. Staff isn’t going to surpass well-established favorites. It can’t even quite reach the heights of one of the more recent highlights, A Sign of Affection. However, as it shakes off the growing pains, it creates a pleasant, visually interesting series. But, as with many other recent shojo adaptations (barring obvious exceptions), it’s also ending by the time it gets interesting.

Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 follows the shy and insecure Uka Ishimori (Kana Ichinose). After dealing with relentless bullying in middle school, dubbed “stone” due to her bottled expressions, she’s attempting to turn a new leaf as she enters High School. This results from a chance meeting with a boy, Kai Miura (Shōgo Yano), who inspires her to become more confident by being more outgoing in school. However, that road is a long and repetitive one. As the two get to know one another and grow closer, Uka develops romantic feelings for him, and their dynamic becomes one of the series’ first, most notable weak spots.

Neither Uka nor Kai is very likable at the start. Uka, at the very least, is empathetic for the bullying she endured. However, she’s perpetually positioned as a victim needing saving or protection from Kai, and it becomes tiresome. It’s a shame because the longer the series progresses, the more agency Uka develops, but it takes so, so long to get to that point. It’s not until Episode 6 that she gains some level of independence not tethered to Kai’s influence.

The developing ensemble helps overcome the protagonist’s shortcomings.

Similarly, Kai is a frustrating character due to the hot and cold treatment she gives Uka. While these aloof romantic male interests are hardly novel, at the very least, we understand where they’re coming from or are certain about their feelings. In the early episodes, the series has to force us to believe that he cares about Uka when it should be a given. Again, this develops further into the series, but the tough love approach isn’t endearing.

It makes them as the central couple a bizarre aspect because, technically, Uka has a lot of growing to do before latching on to her first relationship. Kai does, too, but the show doesn’t spend as much time with him as with her. She’s deeply affected by the opinions of others, from her father’s overprotective nature to Kai’s incessant desire to see her stand up for herself. The scenes between her and her female friends work wonders in the first half because they offer a reprieve from those expectations. Some of the best sequences involve the ensemble, which grows more distinct and fun throughout the series.

All that said, Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 makes a tremendous leap in quality once it rounds the corner into the back half. While Uka is still prone to tears and the series loves Kai, who suddenly appears to play protector, it loosens up on the rigid redundancy of its storytelling for something lighter on its feet. This is mainly driven by the flexible and playful animation that first arrives in Episode 6. Suddenly, the series isn’t so suffocated by the dramatics and the rain cloud energy that hovers overhead at the start.

This matches Uka’s becoming more independent. She’s happier, so the animation lightens up, too. The character design (aside from Uka’s, which is too flat) has energy and distinctive areas that highlight character personalities. The animation finds a lot of warmth and depth in exterior settings, utilizing lighting and shadows to create a greater sense of time and place. The series is tethered to nature, which carries over into the interior of Uka’s room. It comes to life through the variety of plants that adorn her walls.

Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 has two fantastic episodes. 

The animation truly comes alive through the efforts of director Kiyotaka Ohata, who directs and storyboards Episodes 6 and 11. Infused with frantic energy and choppy, non-stop edits, the direction takes a looser-limbed approach to the style and aesthetic. In comparison, other episodes have stilted perspectives and inconsistent character designs, while Episodes 6 and 11 lean into exaggeration. The direction simplifies characters for the sake of strong comedy.

Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 has pockets of sneaky humor when wielded well, and it’s done best in Kiyotaka Ohata’s episodes because the visuals match what’s being said. And yet, Episode 11 also finds some of the greatest sense of romance when Uka realizes that for her and Kai to be on equal footing, she needs to be the protector and the one who flies to defend him. This characterization and development are lacking in other portions of the series.

We only get hints of what else lies beneath Kai’s “cool guy” veneer. We needed more writing to condense certain story parts to allow for more exploration. It’s a shame that not every episode could hit the peaks of its very best. Especially the ones that succumb to soap opera dramatics, such as Episode 9. But those hints of visual flavor go a long way.

Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 struggles to consistently deliver on its promise. While there are the makings of something excellent, the adaptation can’t quite perfect itself aside from two standout episodes from director Kiyotaka Ohata. That said, if nothing else, there’s enough charm and heart to point towards the manga to continue a story that, despite the closing declaration, feels like it’s only just getting started.

Honey Lemon Soda Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.