Kaoru Mitsuya has all but given up on living a meaningful life. Ensnared at a young age by the temptations of organized crime, he has neither a penny to his name nor anything he holds truly dear. It is at this lowest point that he encounters Yuichiro Shirouzu—a delicately beautiful florist with a secret or two hidden beneath his kind demeanor. When Yuichiro offers Kaoru a job at his nighttime flower shop, it marks a turning point for Kaoru, both in how he lives his life, and whom he wishes to spend it with…

Honey Bee & Lemon Balm has a story and art by Jil Hashikura. English translation is done by Adrienne Beck and lettering by Adnazeer Macalangcom. Published by Kodansha USA (April 7, 2026). Rated 16+.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

It genuinely makes me sad not to rate this higher, because there's a lot about Honey Bee & Lemon Balm that I like. I'm a sucker for a good redemption story, for one, and Kaoru's is one that's deserved. A young thug who joined the yakuza for nebulous “reasons,” he was duped into taking the fall for his higher ups with the promise of a promotion if he did some time for them. But when he emerged from prison, they kicked him out of the gang – it wasn't a chance at a promotion for him, it was a way for them to get rid of him. Now broke and homeless, Kaoru is desperate to find anything that will help.

Naturally, that's when he stumbles upon Yuichiro, a florist, collapsed on the street. Despite at first thinking he's a woman, Kaoru quickly falls for Yuichiro, who in turn offers him a job at his flower shop and a place to stay. And sadly, this is where things start to fall apart.

The greatest failing of this book is that it has no idea how to show rather than tell. Apart from some blushing, there's no indication that Kaoru has fallen in love with Yuichiro; he just suddenly starts saying it. The flower shop's clientele being the underworld and nightlife sectors is likewise barely touched on and feels unimportant, especially since Yuichiro's siblings are cops and have zero problems with their brother's business. It's got an “everything and the kitchen sink” sort of feel to it, as if the creator wasn't quite sure how to cram everything they wanted into the story and still have it make sense. It comes close a few times, but ultimately simply doesn't work.

I do like the art quite a bit – it's attractive and soft enough to give Yuichiro the sort of otherworldly beauty we're told he has. Kaoru's got that generic thug-with-a-heart-of-gold thing going on in both his design and personality, and I rather like Yuichiro's brother Ryo, even though he doesn't get a ton of personality. And maybe in the next volume, things will even out in terms of storytelling. I might pick it up at the library – but I don't think I'd spend money on it.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

This is hardly the first romance between a gentle soul and a Bad Boy ™. It's very likely not the first BL with that premise, but Honey Bee and Lemon Balm is a kind- hearted look at the story, with just a dash of gender-bending whimsy thrown in for color.

Yuiichiro is a good guy, Mitsuya is just enough of a screw up to be sympathetic. They bond quickly, so there isn't going to be volumes of “what is this feeling?” I appreciate that. Yuichiro's siblings are ridiculous and I loved them right away. They'll be having laughs at Mitsuya's expense in future volumes, but it's good-natured, and Mitsuya's reactions are pretty cute.

The opening gambit is a little silly, and when Yuichiro's twin shows up, the story just doubles down on the gender-bending, but, eh, who cares. It's a cute story full of cute people. Theres no doubt that Mitsuya and Yuichiro will get their happily ever after, even if the story is set up for a few predictable complications for any future volumes.

Art here is sleek and gentle, it's 100% character over plot. Honey Bee and Lemon Balm is a fun read, especially if you like opposites attract-type BL.