Honey Lemon Soda Episode 2 Review: Nice, But Pretty Bland

This episode of Honey Lemon Soda presented another very decent episode. Let’s see how this turned out.

Honey Lemon Soda Episode 1 Recap

This episode introduces us to Ishimori, a classic loner determined to improve herself and leave her troubled past behind. During her middle school years, she was often bullied for being clumsy and awkward, earning her the cruel nickname “Ishi” (stone) and even facing physical abuse.

Despite having the option to escape her tormentors by enrolling in a prestigious school for elites, an unexpected encounter altered her course entirely. Ishimori decides to attend a more ordinary school, one that she believes will allow her to turn her life around. This pivotal moment is brought about by her meeting with Kai, a charismatic yet reserved boy who is everything she is not, i.e., confident, bold, and surrounded by a loyal group of friends.

Kai’s direct nature and magnetic personality deeply inspire Ishimori, sparking her admiration and becoming the driving force behind her decision to step outside her comfort zone. She dreams of transforming into a more self-assured version of herself, but the road ahead is far from easy. Their second meeting doesn’t exactly go smoothly, with Kai accidentally spilling honey lemon soda all over her. Additionally, Ishimori’s past bullies may still linger, posing challenges to her journey of self-discovery.

Honey Lemon Soda Episode 2 Review

A little bit more confident about herself, Ishi reaches school to find Kai and his gang at the entrance. As usual, every girl gushes about the hot new first year with the bright yellow hair. Ishi herself is enamoured by this rude but kind boy who has tried to protect her time and time again. Thus, for the very first time, we see Ishi saying good morning out of her own free will to Kai and quickly trying to escape from the scene. However, Kai stops her for wishing too timidly and again gives her the confidence to greet him properly.

Right off the bat, we can see that Kai is a good influence on Ishi, whose entire personality depends on her apologizing for every small thing, even her existence. Her confidence is at rock bottom, and the constant bullying from middle school only heightened that. It was here she first expressed her wish to act like a normal teenager. Surprisingly, that wish gets squashed readily by Kai, who suddenly becomes quite annoyed with her, and we later get to know about the reason.

But, it is true that he is the one who is positively pushing her into directions that she has never ventured before. He’s also giving birth to feelings that she never thought she possessed. Here, Ishi finally comes to terms with the fact that she has fallen in love with Kai. But, she understands that she cannot confess it now. As she believes she is a bother, she first wants to work on herself, get enough confidence, and then confess even if she might get rejected.

Kai, on the other hand, is a pretty complex character whose goodness comes out in bits and pieces. It is apparent that he has trouble expressing himself and acts cold to hide his feelings. He does care for Ishi and his friends, but at the same time, doesn’t want others to know about it. Here, it is also very clear that she is affecting him, but he tries to act as if she is just an annoyance and nothing else.

Verdict

Today’s episode was decent, with very predictable plot progression and character development. The animation is okay, and the pace is moderate. If you are into shoujo anime, you should like this one, but at the same time, it does become a bit monotonous.

Must Read: Honey Lemon Soda Episode 1 Review: A Decent Start To A Typical Shoujo