Honey Lemon Soda Anime Adaptation Was Worth the Wait

Honey Lemon Soda was a staple in Shueisha’s Ribon, running in the manga magazine since December 2015. We’ve read about Uka Ishimori’s growth and developing relationship with Kai Miura for years. We saw series that ran alongside it, like Tsubasa to Hotaru and Acro Trip, inspire animated series. Now Honey Lemon Soda finally gets its change with an anime streaming worldwide on Crunchyroll, and I feel like the J.C.Staff and TMS Entertainment adaptation might have been worth the wait.

Editor’s Note: There are minor spoilers for the first episode of the Honey Lemon Soda anime below.

 Honey Lemon Soda is one of those series in the vein of Fruits Basket or Kimi ni Todoke, where you have a downtrodden heroine who gets a chance to finally be accepted and find a place for herself. Uka Ishimori found herself bullied throughout school. One of the only exceptions was the lemon soda-loving Kai Miura, a stranger who was kind to her and there for her at a pivotal moment. As a result of their meeting, she ended up at Hachimitsu High School alongside him. And even in instances when people might hassle him for his popularity or blond hair, he doesn’t let that get him down and handles it.

It’s because of one of those interactions that Uka finds herself in Kai’s life and circle again. When heading to Hachimitsu one day, some classmates attempted to bully Kai. He responded by shaking up the lemon soda he carried and opened it to dowse them. Uka ended up caught in the crossfire, which in turn brings her to his attention and helps her find actual friends in people like Ayumi Endo. It’s the impetus for her to finally get a chance at the “cheerful and fun high school life” she wants. 

Given the nature of the series, we aren’t going to see major development in the first two episodes of the Honey Lemon Soda anime. But there are strides we already get to see in these initial moments. Kai recognizing Uka and her struggles and showing consideration, even though he’s initially painted as a more quiet or stand off-ish individual, by wearing his gym uniform and helping her get the courage to greet people. Uka reaching out to Ayumi to help her after being helped a previous day. Accepting an invitation from potential friends. J.C.Staff and TMS Entertainment handle these initial moments really well, and the depiction of them ensures they feel poignant as they happen.

I also appreciated how the anime adaptation of Honey Lemon Soda never minimizes what Uka went through in the past either. We see how the trauma and stress from past bullying triggers a flashback to a past memory after getting soda splashed on her in the introduction. When others from her middle school spot her at Hachimitsu and use her nickname “Stony,” Uka panics and runs even though she’d been invited. However, Kai, Ayumi,  Satoru Seto, and Tomoya Takamine don’t blame her for the altercation, instead identifying correctly the bullies as the issue, and Kai finds and encourages her to react and get help. The resolution of the first episode left me in satisfied tears as the group banded together.

For years, Ribon readers and people following the Honey Lemon Soda manga have gotten to gradually see Uka recover, find friends, and develop a relationship with Kai, and it feels like the new anime adaptation is going to do that story justice. After seeing how it’s started, it seems like the pacing and development is taking the proper care to address the situations and bonds between characters. It feels like it could end up being quite heartfelt, and I hope more people get to appreciate this shojo classic as a result.

The Honey Lemon Soda anime is airing in Japan and streaming on Crunchyroll worldwide as part of the WInter 2025 season, and Yen Press handled the manga outside of Japan.