Manga Adaptation by J.C.Staff
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Premise
Previously bullied in middle school, Uka Ishimori is determined to make her high school experience a more positive one. However, old habits die hard, and she has not been able to make friends or shake off her ingrained fears. That all changes when Kai Miura, a popular blond-haired classmate with a devil-may-care attitude but a kind heart, steps up to help her fend off a clique of old bullies.
Artemis’ verdict: Not Sweet On It
I was looking forward quite a bit to Honey Lemon Soda; as possibly the only real high-profile shoujo series to get an anime adaptation this season, I was hoping for plenty of addictive drama and swoon-worthy romance (although not being a manga reader, I never know what I’m going to get and do my best to remain blissfully unaware of anything besides the general premise going into pretty much every show).
Unfortunately, Honey Lemon Soda doesn’t really hit the sweet spot with me. I understand why it would appeal to its primary demographic; just about anyone who’s ever been bullied or so much as gone through a shy phase (i.e. almost everyone) would be able to relate to its main protagonist on some level. Add a cool, mysterious hot guy to the mix who actually (gasp) displays human decency and pays attention, all while showcasing some manly protective instincts, and it’s probably a match made in heaven for many viewers. For me, MC Uka is just so passive and so painfully socially delicate that she annoyed me. I’m not saying the rippling effects of bullying can’t be drastic and wide-reaching, but purely in terms of viewing experience, she’s not someone I found myself rooting for so much as being continually frustrated by. Her bullies, meanwhile, are almost comically cliché, complete with a scene where they run away after getting a mild comeuppance while all but shouting the classic, “Just wait, we’ll get you back for this!”
On a lesser note, Honey Lemon Soda probably also deserved a bigger budget considering its popularity. The character designs could have been fun, but they have a tendency to read as generic in anime form; I was left with the feeling that J.C.Staff wasn’t sending its best with this one.
