Honey Lemon Soda Quantity 1 by Mayu Murata
I used to be conscious that there was an excessive amount of anticipation when Honey Lemon Soda was licensed, and the primary quantity lived as much as the hype! Widespread boy inexplicably adopting an extremely awkward lady is a well-known plot in most shoujo manga, however Honey Lemon Soda takes this premise and runs with it, making the reader really feel immediately sympathetic with the introverted heroine in query. Uka Ishimori’s will get in the best way of an errant blast of lemon soda wielded by Kai Miura. She freezes up and is unable to reply to his associates’ expressions of concern and he or she runs away when Miura apologizes to her. His associates remark “It’s kinda like she’s residing out a distinct style than the remainder of us” which is an efficient approach of summarizing how disconnected Uka is from individuals her personal age.
In center college, Uka was bullied, with classmates calling her “Rocky” on account of her final identify and stony expression. She’s decided to make associates and alter in highschool, and picked a college to go to based mostly on its extra laid again and flashy repute as an alternative of going to a college the place individuals are dedicated to learning. Each potential social interplay has Uka caught up in her anxious ideas, as she has to power herself to supply to assist a classmate with the reply to a query. Miura begins taking an curiosity, teaching Uka via some primary greetings. When she truly calls on him for assist, he leaps in and defends her from a few of her former center college bullies. Uka begins expressing herself extra usually, though generally she’s so tense about speaking with others that her ideas come out extra like yelling by chance.
Miura may look tremendous cool together with his effervescent blond hair, however he additionally appears to have extra compassion than is typical in a shoujo hero, and he retains dropping feedback designed to assist Uka turn out to be extra comfy with herself. Murata’s character designs are enticing, and there are many dynamic panel layouts because the characters make their approach via emotionally fraught conditions. After studying the primary quantity, I’m wanting to see how Uka modifications on her journey to interrupt out of her shell and specific herself extra.
