Too Much Information – an online comic
An old house, a geek, a cute transvestite, a very tall lesbian, and at least one ghost–what could happen? – Adult situations and artistic nudity. Not suitable for children.
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It often gets left out in descriptions of the Japanese honorific system, but using no honorific at all implies a very close relationship that requires no formalities at all (for example, a deeply romantic couple).
In most circumstances, it would be seen as rude or presumptuous. Akane (who sees Ace as being of higher social standing than herself) would certainly not volunteer to adopt a no-honorific degree of familiarity between them… but she clearly doesn’t hate the idea.
Also, that they’re all speaking in English kind of muddles the whole issue. Ace is American, so Akane likely didn’t think anything too odd about how he normally calls her by name without adding an honorific. That he specifically asked her to drop them when she refers to him is a bit more meaningful (in her eyes, at least. I imagine Ace just finds the one-way formality awkward and wants it to stop.)
Because here in the USA we tend to not use the formal forms of address anymore, it is often forgotten that the elimination of that formality has got to come from higher to lower. Ace can request they move to informal mode, but Akane would never think to ask Ace if she could refer to him that way.
She almost became an honourary Orion by calling him “Just Ace” 😀