Honey Lemon Soda Manga Reaches Its Grand Finale
There is some really big news for shoujo fans today. Mayu Murata's super popular manga series, Honey Lemon Soda, is finally coming to an end. The final episode is going to be featured in the May issue of Ribon magazine by Shueisha, which is actually hitting the stands tomorrow on April 3rd. It has been a long journey for the fans who have been following this sweet story for about ten years now.
Above is the cover page of the final episode of Honey Lemon Soda (c) Mayu Murata/Shueisha. It looks quite emotional, no? For those who don't know, this is a beautiful youth love story about Hana Ishimori. She is a first-year high school student who really struggled in middle school because she was bullied and people used to call her "stone". But her life starts changing slowly after she meets Kai Miura, a cool boy who has that distinct lemon-colored hair. This is exactly why this sweet romance is a must read and must watch for fans across the world.
A Massive Legacy and Future Adaptations
The serialization of this manga actually started way back in the February 2016 issue of Ribon. Since then, it has become a massive hit. The total number of copies published has already crossed 16 million, which is including the digital versions too. Because of this huge popularity, we already saw a live-action movie in 2021, and now everyone is waiting for the TV anime that is coming in 2025.
If you are planning to collect the physical copies, Volume 31, which will have this final episode, is going to be released on May 25th. Also, Shueisha is giving some nice gifts to the readers. The June issue of Ribon (releasing May 2nd) will have a 32-page full-color "Honey Lemon Soda Illustration Book Jewelry Box." Even the July issue will have another special appendix for the series. It's quite a treat for the loyal followers.
Exciting Collaborations and New Series in Ribon
Apart from the big finale, this issue of Ribon is packed with other cool stuff too. There is a special 17-page one-shot titled Chibi Maruko-chan: Maruko Meets Shinnosuke. This is a very rare collaboration between Momoko Sakura's Chibi Maruko-chan and Yoshito Usui's Crayon Shin-chan. It was written by Botan Kohagi from Sakura Productions. They mentioned that fans should enjoy the cute interactions which are very unique to these two legendary works. They are even giving away a "manmaru pouch" with illustrations of both characters to celebrate this.
Also, a brand new series by Ari Rino called Mikami-kun's fascinating secrets is starting in this same issue. It follows En Shiozaki, a cool girl who likes her lonely life, and a handsome guy named Shu Mikami who suddenly shows up. Rino-san said she will try her best to make it a fun mix of gags and romantic comedy. Plus, Noriko Asaka, who we know from The Unparalleled Evil Woman is Favored by the Demon Prince, has a new one-shot called Kidnapping Pretend which is about escapist love. There is just so much to read for manga lovers right now, especially seeing why this sweet romance is a must read and must watch for fans as it concludes its legendary ten-year run.
