If there’s one thing that Honey Lemon Soda keeps proving, it’s that there’s magic in simplicity. In a vast anime landscape filled with action-packed sequences, fantastical 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 slice-of-life anime fans to Uka Ishimori, whose life completely changed after the gruff but handsome Kai Miura suggested she attend the same high school he does. Once there, she crosses paths with him again and, with Kai and his group of friends’ help, vows to find a way to regain her confidence. While that character arc may seem like it’s nothing new under the slice-of-life anime sun, Episode 2 confirms that it’s best to follow the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” motto.

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Honey Lemon Soda Episode 2 Hits Another Home Run

The Anime Sticks to Solid Hopeful Themes and Delivers

Nothing keeps an audience around more than a great story and Honey Lemon Soda definitely has that. Thematically picking up immediately after the events of the first episode, Episode 2 drops the audience back in with Ishimori returning to school a day later and doubting whether or not things will be different with Kai and his friends. Much to her surprise, maybe not entirely the audience’s, Kai and his friends all greet Ishimori who, in great anime fashion, flees the scene utterly embarrassed.

It’s these moments of levity and cuteness that make Ishimori such an endearing protagonist. Her shyness and self-doubt could cripple her character’s connection with the audience, but instead it just pulls the audience in more to the point of cheering her on like Kai and his friends. We want to see her win, and that’s where the anime succeeds. Honey Lemon Soda at its core is all about good vibes and Episode 2 builds on that. While some might call this a cheesy anime, this is definitely the good kind of cheesy.

The anime is all about good people helping good people and the ensemble cast embody that notion in every single scene. Where the episode suffers slightly, however, is in the revving up of how far the bullies were willing to go in this episode to get back at Ishimori. Her junior high bully calls her boyfriend and sends him after Ishimori. While this decision seems very much in character, it does also feel too early for something like this to happen. The anime is still in its second episode, after all.

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Honey Lemon Soda’s Ensemble Cast Are a Joy to Watch

Kai, Tomoya, Satoru, and Ayumi are Vibrant Characters

Not only is Honey Lemon Soda blessed with a great protagonist, its supporting cast of characters is also a pure joy to witness. Full of life, kindness, and just all around good vibes, Ishimori’s newfound group of friends each have a part to play in the lead’s arc. What makes this even more entertaining, however, is the fact that Episode 2 grants each of these supporting characters their own moments to shine. The great thing 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. While the story focuses mostly on Ishimori’s growth, the audience also gets to witness the stories of those around her through her eyes. In a short scene that occurs in the second episode, Ishimori notices how Satoru and Ayumi are behaving towards each other and internally questions whether they are actually dating or even interested in each other in that way. By doing so, Ishimori plants that same question and excitement in the minds of the audience.

In the episode’s post-credits scene, it’s hinted that Tomoya may be interested in pursuing Ishimori. Whether Kai’s friend is expressing this to light a fire under Kai’s behind so that he hastens his opening up about Ishimori, or because he is in fact interested in her remains to be seen. It takes quite a skilled writer to manage all these characters in a twenty-minute episode and do so in a way where each of the characters gets a moment that not only feels natural to the plot but important as well.

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Honey Lemon Soda’s Kai is Destined to Melt Hearts

Kai is This Anime Season’s Heart-throb and, for Good Reason

Anime is short on great leading male characters, yet every once in a while, a character comes along in an unexpected fashion and whisks the audience off of their feet. Kai is that character this season. While he does inhibit stereotypical tsundere behavior, there is something quite different about the way he inhibits them. His harshness doesn’t come from being cold or uncaring, but rather from his frustration that Ishimori doesn’t see herself the way he sees her.

His character development across these first two episodes has been quite fascinating to watch. While tsundere characters are known to have walls up, and to be difficult to crack, Kai is anything but that. His walls are barely up, and the cracks are all starting to show, and herein lies the genius of his character arc. His tsundere behavior is almost like a red-herring. The story wants the audience to think that Kai is a tsundere only to have him deliver one of the most romantic lines ever uttered in anime.

Almost breathing life into Ishimori, Kai tells her that she is a gemstone and that she should be greedy and look down on those who have ever judged her or belittled her. It’s refreshing to see a character who tries his best to help remind the person they care about to reclaim their power. In that scene, Kai flips the script on what the nickname Ishimori was given in junior high means.

A word that used to bring her down is now a word that empowers her. He asks her what more she’s hiding regarding her skills and what she is good at. Kai sees the beauty and power hidden within Ishimori and wants to see that courage bloom from within, if only she’d let it. His aggressive behavior towards her isn’t bullying but rather tough love.

In spite of it having very generic animation, Honey Lemon Soda succeeds in every other way. Sure, it may not be a visual feast, but its story is strong enough that the audience shouldn’t even care. In a perfect world, Honey Lemon Soda should have the same animation quality and standard as Your Lie in April. There’s no doubt that this slice-of-life anime is going to keep tugging at its audience’s heart strings and continue getting better with every episode.

Episode 2 of Honey Lemon Soda builds on everything that worked in Episode 1 and takes it even further. While Uka unexpectedly showcases some of her hidden talents, Kai continues to push her to see herself the way he sees her… as a gemstone.

Release Date

January 8, 2025

Creator(s)

Mayu Murata

Cast

Kana Ichinose
, Shogo Yano
, Rie Takahashi
, Miyari Nemoto
, Shunichi Toki
, Taku Yashiro

Seasons

1

Studio

J.C.Staff, TMS Entertainment

Creator

Mayu Murata

Based On

Manga

Character(s)

Uka Ishimori
, Kai Miura
, Serina Kanno
, Ayumi Endo
, Tomoya Takamine
, Satoru Seto

Pros

• Ensemble cast shines
• Feel good story
• Kai’s character growth
• Hopeful themes

Cons

• Bully subplot happened too early
• Animation could be better

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