If there is one thing that Honey Lemon Soda continues to prove that there is magic in simplicity. In a vast animated landscape filled with action-packed sequences, fantasy worlds, demon kings, mysteries and heavy lore, Honey Lemon Soda keeps the story character-driven and focused on hopeful themes.
Episode 1, “Because I Met You,” introduced anime fans to a slice of life for Uka Ishimori, whose life completely changed after the gruff but handsome Kai Miura suggested she date the same high school than him. Once there, she crosses paths with him again and, with the help of Kai and his group of friends, vows to find a way to regain his confidence. While this character arc may seem like nothing new under the anime sun, episode 2 confirms that it’s best to follow the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” .
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Episode 2 of Honey Lemon Soda hits another home run
The anime sticks to hopeful themes and delivers on its promises
Nothing grabs the audience more than a great story and Honey Lemon Soda definitely has that. Picking up thematically immediately after the events of the first episode, Episode 2 brings the audience back with Ishimori returning to school a day later and doubting whether or not things are different with Kai and his friends. Much to his surprise, perhaps not entirely the audience’s, Kai and his friends all greet Ishimori who, in anime fashion, flees the scene completely embarrassed.
It’s these moments of lightness and kindness that make Ishimori such an endearing protagonist. His shyness and self-doubt could cripple his character’s connection with the audience, but instead it draws the audience in more to the point of rooting for him like Kai and his friends. We want to see her win, and that’s where the anime succeeds. Honey Lemon Soda At its core, it’s about good vibes and episode 2 builds on that. While some might call this a cheesy anime, it’s definitely the right kind of cheesy anime.
The anime is about good people helping good people and the entire cast embodies this notion in every scene. However, where the episode suffers slightly is in how far the bullies were willing to go in this episode to get revenge on Ishimori. Her middle school bully calls her boyfriend and sends him after Ishimori. While this decision seems entirely relevant, it also seems too early for such a thing to happen. After all, the anime is still on its second episode.
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The ensemble cast of Honey Lemon Soda is a joy to watch
Kai, Tomoya, Satoru and Ayumi are vibrant characters
Not only is it Honey Lemon Soda Featuring a great protagonist, its cast of supporting characters are also a pure joy to behold. Full of life, kindness, and good vibes, Ishimori’s new group of friends each have a role to play in the main arc. What makes this even more entertaining, however, is the fact that Episode 2 gives each of these supporting characters their own moments to shine. What’s great about these characters is that they each have such distinct personalities.
Where episode 1 barely scratched the surface of who they are, episode 2 dug a little deeper. Although the story primarily focuses on Ishimori’s growth, the audience also gets to witness the stories of those around him through his eyes. In a short scene that occurs in the second episode, Ishimori notices how Satoru and Ayumi act towards each other and inwardly wonders if they are actually dating or interested in each other. other in this way. In doing so, Ishimori plants the same question and excitement in the audience’s minds.
In the episode’s post-credits scene, it is hinted that Tomoya might be interested in pursuing Ishimori. It remains to be seen whether Kai’s friend is expressing this to light a fire under Kai’s butt so that he’ll hasten his opening up to Ishimori, or because he’s actually interested in her. It takes a pretty talented writer to handle all of these characters in a twenty minute episode and do it in such a way that each of the characters gets a moment that not only feels natural to the plot, but also important.
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Kai from Honey Lemon Soda is destined to melt hearts
Kai is the heartthrob of this anime season, and for good reason
The anime lacks great main male characters, but every once in a while a character pops up in an unexpected way and gets the audience going. Kai is that character this season. Although he inhibits stereotypical tsundere behaviors, there is something entirely different about the way he inhibits them. His harshness comes not from his coldness or indifference, but rather from his frustration that Ishimori does not see himself as he sees her.
His character development over these first two episodes has been quite fascinating to watch. While tsundere characters are known for having walls and being difficult to break down, Kai is anything but. Her walls are barely up and the cracks are all starting to show, and therein lies the genius of her character arc. Her tsundere behavior almost seems like a red herring. The story wants the audience to think Kai is a tsundere only to have him say one of the most romantic lines ever uttered in an anime.
You may be a stone, but you are a precious stone. -Kai Miura
Nearly breathing life into Ishimori, Kai tells her that she is a precious stone and that she should be greedy and look down on those who have ever judged or belittled her. It’s refreshing to see a character doing his best to remind the person he cares about to reclaim their power. In this scene, Kai flips the script on what Ishimori’s middle school nickname means.
A word that used to depress her is now a word that empowers her. He asks her what else is she hiding about her skills and what she is good at. Kai sees the beauty and power hidden within Ishimori and wants to see that courage blossom from within, if only she would allow it. His aggressive behavior towards her is not bullying but rather tough love.
Despite a very generic animation, Honey Lemon Soda succeeds in all other ways. Sure, it might not be a visual treat, but its story is strong enough that audiences won’t even care. In a perfect world, Honey Lemon Soda should have the same quality and standard of animation as Your lie in April. There is no doubt that this slice-of-life anime will continue to touch the hearts of its audience and continue to improve with each episode.
Episode 2 of Honey Lemon Soda builds on everything that worked in Episode 1 and takes it even further. As Uka unexpectedly shows some of her hidden talents, Kai continues to push her to see herself as he sees her… like a gem.
- Release date
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January 8, 2025
- Creator(s)
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May Murata
- Cast
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Kana Ichinose, Shogo Yano, Rie Takahashi, Miyari Nemoto, Shunichi Toki, Taku Yashiro
- Seasons
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1
- Studio
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JCStaff, TMS Entertainment
- Creator
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May Murata
- Based on
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Manga
- Character(s)
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Uka Ishimori, Kai Miura, Serina Kanno, Ayumi Endo, Tomoya Takamine, Satoru Seto
- The ensemble cast shines
- Feel-good story
- Kai’s Character Growth
- Hopeful Themes
- Bully Subplot Happened Too Soon
- Animation could be better