Honey Lemon Soda

Plot

Quiet and shy high school girl Uka Ishimori has been nicknamed "stone" since middle school. Upon entering Hachimitsu High School, she meets a boy named Kai Miura, whose appearance and personality reminds her of lemon soda. As the two become acquainted with one another, Uka's relationship with Kai inspires her to become more confident, make more friends at school, and realize she has fallen in love with him.

Characters

Uka Ishimori (石森 羽花, Ishimori Uka)

Voiced by: Kana Ichinose (Japanese); Monica Flatley (English)

Portrayed by: Ai Yoshikawa

A timid and shy 15-year-old high school girl with a history of being bullied during middle school, and being nicknamed "stone" for never having the courage to stand up for herself. She falls in love with Miura, who constantly helps her come out of her shell, make new friends and gain a newfound sense of confidence in herself.

Kai Miura (三浦 界, Miura Kai)

Voiced by: Shōgo Yano (Japanese); Chris Hackney (English)

Portrayed by: Raul

A handsome and popular high school boy with lemon hair, who is Serina's ex-boyfriend and Ishimori's love interest. At first glance, he may appear as indifferent, passive aggressive and even cold towards Ishimori and others, but in reality, he's a kind and compassionate person who is always helping Ishimori gain confidence and enjoy her high school life with her new friends. Though initially in denial, Miura eventually realizes he is in love with Ishimori, and they begin dating.

Serina Kanno (菅野 芹奈, Kanno Serina)

Voiced by: Rie Takahashi (Japanese); Ezra Vervin (English)

Portrayed by: Mayu Hotta

A beautiful and popular high school girl and Miura's ex-girlfriend. She is constantly the target of many boys' affection, which led to several female students in middle school turning on her out of jealousy. She is a kind, caring and compassionate girl who understands Ishimori's struggles with the fear of being alone, and becomes close friends with her.

Ayumi Endo (遠藤 あゆみ, Endō Ayumi)

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Mayu Murata, Honey Lemon Soda was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon from December 28, 2015, to April 3, 2026. As of May 2026, 31 tankōbon volumes have been released. Two side stories tankōbon has also been released.

In July 2022, Yen Press announced that they licensed the series for English publication.

Live-action film

In September 2020, it was announced that the series would be getting a live action film adaptation, starring Snow Man member Raul as Kai Miura and Ai Yoshikawa as Uka Ishimori. The film was produced by Office Crescendo and directed by Kōji Shintoku, based on a screenplay by Nami Kikkawa, with music composed by Erika Fukasawa. Shochiku released the film in Japan on July 9, 2021. Snow Man performed the film's theme song "Hello Hello".

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on March 1, 2024. Produced and planned by TMS Entertainment, it is animated by J.C.Staff and directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori, with Akiko Waba writing series scripts, Aimi Tanaka designing the characters, and Akira Kosemura composing the music. The series aired from January 9 to March 27, 2025, on Fuji TV's +Ultra programming block. The opening theme song is "Magic Hour" and the ending theme song is "Wonderful World", both performed by &Team. Crunchyroll is streaming the series. Plus Media Networks Asia has licensed the series in Southeast Asia and broadcast it on Aniplus Asia.

Reception

By July 2024, Honey Lemon Soda had over 13 million copies in circulation.

In 2021, the series was nominated at the 45th Kodansha Manga Awards in the shōjo category. It also ranked 40th in Da Vinci magazine's "Book of the Year" list for that year. In 2026, the anime adaptation was nominated for Best Romance at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards. It was also nominated in the Daruma for Best Romance Anime category at the Japan Expo Awards in the same year.