Honey Lemon Soda, Vol. 5

ハニーレモンソーダ [Honey Lemon Soda] #5

by Mayu Murata, Amanda Haley (Translator)

It’s summer vacation, and Uka’s social circle is dazzling! Hanging out at the beach, texting, going to karaoke…Uka has never had so many opportunities to experience fun with friends. But the start of her second term at Hachimitsu may signal storm clouds on the horizon, as her overprotective father doesn’t take so kindly to her new lifestyle. Will the friendships Uka has always dreamed of be ripped away as quickly as they came together?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Young Adult, Shojo, Contemporary, Graphic Novels, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2017

About the author

Name (in native language): 村田真優

Works (in chronological order):
- Dokuro X Heart [ドクロ×ハート] (2007)
- Mousou Cinderella [妄想シンデレラ] (2009)
- Nagareboshi Lens [流れ星レンズ] (2010-2014, 10 volumes)
- In the chocolate [インザチョコレー] (2011)
- Mata Ashita [またあした] (2015, 3 volumes)
- Fukashigi Closet [不可思議クローゼット] (2015)
- Honey Lemon Soda [ハニーレモンソーダ] (2016, 26 volumes ongoing)

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer is here and that’s a dead giveaway that the beach is upon us. Besieged by rivals and bullies on all sides, Uka’s about to learn what having a life is really like, but it’s a mere prelude to her growing up and somebody else being hellbent against it.

Phew. Light drama and then high drama marks this instalment of this very good shojo about a girl who thinks she’s plain and the boy who won’t let her because he knows how special she is.

There’s something about this story that manages to do really well for itself, even though I am still no great fan of the art style. Despite that, it gets the job done and the writing handily carries the rest.

While you won’t be surprised to see Serina show up in a bikini, the story doesn’t have some amazing reveal of Uka that it plans to spring on Kai or her classmates. No, it keeps things strictly in character by having her just not own one - why would she, when she never expected to have fun with friends? It’s a good choice.

This entire beach section really goes a lot harder on plot points than it does the eye candy, which is a welcome twist on things. The friendship born of rivalry between Serina and Uka is just the cutest thing. Yeah, I don’t think Serina needed to want Kai back, but I get the unfinished business of it all. Which gets pretty settled this chapter anyway in satisfactory fashion.

And there’s tons for Uka to do on her own, as she stands up to the bullies who were all over her in an earlier volume. It’s a little odd to see bullies actually face repercussions rather than becoming sports heroes or senators, but I will allow it and the way Uka handles herself here is not what you’re probably expecting.

Which leaves us with Kai and his own thoughts on Uka, which become pretty clear. He doesn’t necessarily seem to want to acknowledge them just yet, but he’s very much made a choice. I love the way Serina sums up the difference between her and Uka towards the end of this section.

The next chapter is basically an excuse for Kai and Uka to be terribly cute (sorry Kai, your posturing amuses me). It’s an extension of how they work - Kai gives Uka the support she needs, with minimal pressure and doing it for her, and she just becomes a stronger person and takes charge of her life for a change. There’s even a little bonus Ayumi fleshing out for good measure.

Uka’s realizing she can be herself, not the person people have told her she is, and that’s an important step in anybody’s life. Look, if I can internally cheer over asking for flipping contact info, the manga’s doing something really right.

The back portion will probably prove more divisive, as it turns out that Uka’s a real daddy’s girl, at least in her father’s eyes, so when she actually ends up having a life at this second choice school, it really triggers his protective urges.

It’s the most selfish extension of parental love - he thinks Uka’s being corrupted by her friends and bullied by her class, so he must save her, despite what she actually wants. And when it turns out that he didn’t even know the hell that was her middle school, it’s clear that he’s protecting an ideal more than anything.

Still, he only wants her happy and safe, he just won’t listen to anybody. The story takes pains to make him not completely unlikeable, although I debate how effective it is because I couldn’t stand his ‘I know best’ attitude and tendency to stick his nose in way, way over the line.

But, it’s a point in favour of the series that I really thought this was done about as well as it could be, even if it’s a bit much for my own tastes. And the moments scattered throughout, including Kai’s debut as a second-story man, are worth the ride.

I can’t see the resolution to this not devolving into utter schmaltz, but this story has more than earned the benefit of the doubt and there’s no denying that it handled the first part of the father arc a bit better than I was expecting.

4 stars - fantastic first half, decent second half. We’ll just let it sit right in the middle between based on that, but this is still a highly recommended series and I’m pretty stoked that it’s going to be getting an anime.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our class wouldn't be the same without you, Uka-chin."

Another deeply impactful volume in this series!

I was fully expecting that this volume would foray into a blooming love triangle amidst Uka making a new friend (or at least growing closer to Serina), but surprisingly it never even went that direction! :o

I'm thankful as a reader that it's a lot more obvious that Kai has feelings for Uka. I know she may not see it, but others are definitely seeing that Uka is more to him than just a friend whom he wants to encourage to step out fearlessly. I mean, he still wants that for her and I always appreciate how he is encouraging our sweet girl forward, but there felt more sparkly and beautiful panels where you can just see from the way he looks at Uka he is falling for her hard.

I want to say more about Kai, but first, WOW to that ending! IT WAS SO INTENSE!! This volume took a very different turn that I haven't seen captured in shoujo before. Yeah, I've seen it be a touching point, but that's all it was: a touching point. This new struggle that Uka is facing is deep, meaningful, and painful. I never expected Kai to encourage her the way he did when she voiced how frustrated she was. When he could have fully said the character in question is being horrible, he simply told her that neither she nor the other character is wrong. BOTH things they value are important.

That completely blew my mind and really shows a mature side to that Kai I didn't quite realize he had! I'm thankful that Uka has been influenced by him to "grow a backbone" and continue to be brave. You can definitely tell before the new struggle/arc takes a focus that she is THRIVING! I don't know how the other character can't see that she is living so joyfully with a huge smile on her face. She is a changed young woman and is the happiest she has ever been!

Which makes this certain character's actions and words all the more frustrating. I get where they're coming from. I really do. But it's no excuse.

I'm very desperate for the next volume and seeing what brave thing Uka will do next! She's so courageous and inspiring and know she will only continue to be so!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uka's father is such an interesting character, in part because I can absolutely see where he's coming from - in his mind, she'll always be a little girl, his little girl. She's protected him from the reality of her life as much as he's (wanted) to protect her, and that relationship has now reached its breaking point.

[Ângela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
They are simply too cute

[Isabel Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the subplot about uka's dad as I think it's very realistic to have these kind of helicopter parents (and it's also kind of clearly seem from how she behaves that she would have really protective parents) so I will say that it's a good link to the story and helps us to understand her better.
However, in all honesty it is not my favourite part of this manga but I do really appreciate them diving into this all the same.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying how Murata keeps adding little elements to keep the story going without it feeling like she's just dragging it out. Every new revelation and event adds to the story and builds the characters.

[m ٠ ࣪⭑ · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOREVER MINE

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storyline became significantly more dramatic in this volume, and not in the way I expected it to! Uka and Kai are continuing their rather awkward relationship, with Kai still pushing her to have more of a backbone, and it is still the cutest thing. The drama I expected, with Serina, never really materialized and was instead handled rather well. The drama with her family I was not expecting, and was also not expecting Kai to be so mature when helping Uka through it. While I may like Uka’s father a little less now, I definitely like everyone else a lot more!

[Ella Zegarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"the flow" 😂🧢

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It becomes really obvious in this volume that while Uka's parents obviously care for her, they actually don't really know anything about her school life and their own ideals and goals for her are very contrary to the life she is trying to learn to live opening up to her new friends and feelings. Her father especially seems to have some rather harsh preconceived notions about the other kids at her school and how wrong they are for his daughter. It's pretty moving to see the whole class instantly rejecting the idea of Uka no longer being their classmate though, especially when it wasn't that long ago that she still thought she could disappear and it wouldn't matter. Seems the next challenge has been set, but Uka has her cheering squad, even if she can't hear them herself all the time while sequestered.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Encore une belle évolution pour Uka. Qu’elle soit fictive ou non, il faut du courage pour affronter ses anciens bourreaux…

En revanche, la relation entre Uka et son père me laisse beaucoup plus perplexe. Qu’un parent soit protecteur, d’accord, mais ici, il y a une certaine forme de manipulation. Déjà, cette remarque insidieuse : "Tu n’as plus besoin de nous maintenant." Ensuite, le fait qu’il juge la vie et les fréquentations de sa fille sans même lui en parler directement. Il ne remet jamais en question l’idée que, sous prétexte qu’elle réussissait à l’école, tout allait forcément bien pour elle. Et ça, franchement, ça ne passe pas. À aucun moment il ne prend du recul sur son propre comportement, et c’est vraiment frustrant.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beach vacation was an intresting scene to read and how Uka opened up even more, she confronted her bullies and talked to them with no fear. Kai and Serina finally had the talk they needed to have, to resolve any lingering hurts and feelings from their past relationship. Uka is so wonderful in how she worries for everyone and how she responds to their texts was hilarious and brilliant. She was so brave and lovely, with asking for Kai's number. This new conflict with her Father was going to happen with how over protective her parents are and it will be intresting to see how Uka resolves it. This was so worth the read and so enjoyable.

[Ady Weasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uka va de vacaciones con sus compañeros a la playa y se divierte con ellos, pero después de ello no ve a nadie por el resto de sus vacaciones, aunque por casualidad se encuentra con Kai

El padre de Uka es muy sobre protector, y la verdad no me cayó bien su forma de actuar, espero que Uka pueda hablar claramente con él

[TheBookishHobbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this volume and finally feel like the stakes are being raised here. Good for Uka for finally growing a backbone, I hope to continue to see her character growth as the series goes on.

[Makinu Nisshoku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce tome est vraiment un grand pas en avant pour Uka, c'est vraiment chouette de voir les progrès qu'elle fait pour exprimer ce qu'elle ressent, ce tome-là est vraiment une consécration à ce niveau pour moi puisqu'il signe LA discussion qu'elle aurait dû avoir avec ses parents il y a bien longtemps.

[Bell Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quieres zarandear al papá de Uka, pero con cierto diálogo de Kai, ya no tanto. ¡Tú puedes, Uka!

(Aviso: lectura hecha en ejemplar en español, publicado en México. La presente nota se modificará cuando se dé de alta en GR la edición correspondiente).

[Célia ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❑ Version : French

🌸 Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💮 Previously : Honey Lemon Soda #4 : ★★★★☆.

[dobpizzazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫4.55)

[Amy Gideon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So it went a bit off the rails towards the end, but otherwise, this was a fun read. Also, there is a lot of progress with our main couple. 

[Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s so nice to see Uka appreciated! Though I am worried for her. Her father certainly interesting

[rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

her dad is such a bitch wth

[ⓘⓣⓐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 goal 150/92

[Tachan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classique série lycéenne au long cours, Honey Lemon Soda cache tout ce qu'il faut dans le cahier des charges du genre mais n'en reste pas moins une lecture intéressante grâce aux réflexions que l'autrice y ajoute.

Il y a d'abord eu l'expérience de la rivale qui a permis à l'héroïne de montrer qu'elle n'était pas aussi fragile qu'on le croyait et que, elle, contrairement à la précédente copine de Miura, elle s'affirmait au lieu de s'effacer en sa présence.

Désormais, c'est un nouveau champ qui s'ouvre, celui de l'autorité parentale et de la piété filiale. On découvre dans ce tome qu'Uka est ainsi car elle est sur-protégée par son père depuis toute petite qui veut en faire la fille parfaite. Or, elle grandir, s'affirme, change, ce qui ne lui plaît pas. L'autrice fait ici un bon portrait à charge de ce père aux valeurs douteuses et on espère bien qu'elle va finir par lui mettre un bon coup de pied au derrière pour le faire progresser à son tour et réaliser le côté toxique de sa ''protection''.

Pour le reste, c'est mignon tout plein. On a une jeune fille timide qui apprend s'ouvrir aux autres, à affronter ses peurs, à dialoguer avec tous. C'est touchant de la voir prendre ses marques même si je suis loin d'être fan de ce type de personnage et qu'ici c'est tellement accentué que cela me sort par les yeux parfois. Il en va de même pour sa chevalier servant peroxydé, l'autrice tourne en rond avec lui et il serait bon qu'elle le fasse enfin avancer pour casser un peu le moule.

Entre sympathiques moments de vie lycéenne et leçons de vie, voici un petit shojo classique agréable qui permet aux jeunes de rêver à l'amour et l'amitié mais de voir aussi qu'il est important de se chercher et de s'affirmer, quitte à entrer un peu en rébellion avec ses parents pour leur faire comprendre. On aime.

[Ashley Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. So this has been my favorite volume yet. It's nice to see a series getting better the further I get into it, especially after I paid out the money to buy all available volumes at this current time. lol
Where to start? The volume starts off with Uka and her friends spending the first few days of summer vacation at the beach. We get to see Uka square off against her former middle school bullies. I loved the way she handled it, by just being nice and showing them that she is a person and she deserves to be respected not bullied.
We also get to see Kai and Serina confront each other over their feelings towards one another. Even though I'm of course rooting for Uka, I can't help but feel sorry for Serina as well, because she is such a nice person and she's treated Uka very kindly despite the pair sharing feelings towards the same boy.
Everything seems to be going well for Uka in this book, until another bucket of cold water lands on her in the form of her highly overprotective father. I really want to understand where he is coming from when he does certain things in the name of protecting his daughter, but the guy is way to strict and judgmental of others, and it's hard for me to take his side in anything he says. Hopefully things will start to look brighter for poor Uka-chan.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

My initial impressions was that the story felt dull or like conflicts were forced just to culminate to luke warm resolve. But as I gave it a chance I took the serious for what is and found enjoyment in its message of changing and becoming stronger, rather than codependent on others to make decisions for you or help you everytime you're in distress.

My only nitpicks would be the supporting characters. Many of them meld into the background as some mass collective named "supportive friend group".

Ayumi suffers heavily from side character syndrome, where new characters with and without names get more focus than her. I like Ayumi, but I don't know her from a can of paint other than "she's cheerful and likes Uka". I wish would get a productive storyline or be more involved in the current plot. I feel that she's neglected too much.

I hope that the personalities of the other students will shine more when the anime (hopefully) comes out soon.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So that little preview really did play out about the way that I expected. I'm happy for Uka, but sad for Serina, but I think it went the best way it could.

Uka's dad makes me so mad. He's controlling and overbearing and manipulative. What an ass. Hopefully this will all get resolved in the next volume and he can see how his shitty overprotectiveness is what caused Uka to get hurt to begin with. As for Kai it seems like he's softening up a lot. Like he was a lot more blunt and pretty rude the first volumes, but now he's being all cute and caring towards Uka. It's sweet.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uka's friends dye their hair, and one wears big earrings. How scary!!

I can see both sides here, though one is very obviously in the right. The role of protector is transferring from dad to Kai, and Uka is starting to assert herself as a person with her own wishes and motivations. Dad is not fading into the background without a fight, even if his actions end up making Uka miserable.

Kai has his act together far better than most 15-year-olds, but I've absolutely met teenagers that made me feel neurotic and irresponsible in comparison, even at my grandmotherly age.

[mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manga often omits parents, or they're just kind of goofy, or they're the source of torment for the main character, so it's really refreshing to see a helicopter parent be explored instead, and how that can be just as detrimental as a neglectful one.

[Kristin ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUPER MAD AT HER DAD