Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari

Yes, I'm making an MAL anime review after five years. And I'm glad I made myself do it for this show! Let's set the scene first, remember how this anime got pre-released a month before its actual TV airing? Yeah, I have to avoid this show for a month since I want to experience this week-by-week. Either way I handled that, what I just watched from July until September was one of the most refreshing, fun, and daring slice-of-life takes that got animated into life! It was such a fun slice-of-life show, filled with gags, obviously with some unhealthy practices, but mostly a comforting series about two people sharing a smoke break behind a supermarket during midnights. Just the basic premise alone with the now-iconic back side of the supermarket has proven to be one of the most catchiest hooks in anime this decade. A lot has been said about the dynamic between Sasaki and Tayama, and to me, it is such a beautiful and healthy (just not for their lungs) relationship between two working adults who formed a genuine connection with each other. Sasaki, now, he can be a bit to handle with. You think he is still a teenager with the way he casually stumbles through Tayama/Yamada's dealing and teasing of his emotions. But still, he is an UNC who is smart enough to act like an adult. And in some points of the anime, he delivered it to us, like that one scene where he comforts a younger Yamada in the past (probably one of my favorite scenes of the season). Speaking of which, TAYAMA/YAMADA IS A QUEEN. They crafted a strong female character, her design alone can compete with other big hits in the industry. Her personality, ugh, it's perfect, perfect, down to the last minute details. The rest of the cast were decent as well, but what matters is how strong of a duo both Sasaki and Tayama are, and the anime made sure that we won't leave the show disappointed. Easily one of my favorites from the Summer 2026 season, and remember, smoking is still bad for us. But when it forms an undeniable bond between you and another person, then it'll be the most guilty pleasure feeling of a lifetime.

I thought this started off well, the setting is a vibe and the characters are likeable enough. Nothing happens in this show though, there's no meaningful character progression and I don't know why more than 12 episodes are needed. What really irks me is this is a rare anime where everyone is actually an adult, yet the 40 year old man acts more oblivious than most children in anime. It's truly a shame that the only reason these characters are adults is because they smoke, not because it's a story that contains nuance. I felt like this one had potential and just fell flat.

Behind the simple premise of two people smoking together, this anime packs a lot of sociological commentary. You see, first it’s about a romance with a big age gap of 20 years between its main characters, with the older one being the man but the assertive one being the woman, thus it’s a spin on usual gender dynamics in romance anime. Second, it’s about the stressful and tiresome working life in Japan that only leaves time of the day to rush to the supermarket nearby to grab some junk that replaces a proper meal of some actual fucking food. Third, it’s about how the only worth things left to live for are the little moments and expressions of human connection, reflected in the main guy brightening his day only by seeing the woman of his dreams smile, and as you may know if you navigate through the Internet, the most beautiful women that walk over this Earth are random cashiers. Related to that, fourth, it’s about how other few things worth living for are the little moments of relaxation, such as sitting down to grab a smoke, and look at how well it’s connected with the theme from before, as that’s another form of human connection, shared between the protagonist and the woman he likes pretending to be another one. Hold on, does that mean that women are liars?? Well I don’t know, there aren’t any of those on the Internet. No, you see, fifth, the girl hides her real identity from the guy to check his intentions and whether he’s a creep or not, so the anime tells about the daily sexual harassment suffered by women. Heck, sixth, even in the past she was targeted by a male customer to complain about her for no reason, so it’s about women being looked down and belittled by misogynists and their power play in mind as well. And as she comments, seventh, she puts up an image in order to seem friendlier and sell more as she was trained to do, it’s capitalism applied to the bodies themselves. And when you look at the dynamic of the relationship between the main characters, eighth, it’s about how people are attracted to an ideal version and image of others more so than their real selves. Ninth, from the perspective of the girl, it is also about being insecure about yourself and being afraid to show your true self to others, even the one you like. But as the man himself says, there’s nothing bad about people being more of what you know of them, finding out more facets of them does not mean they are hysterical and liars, so the viewer knows that he would comprehend her and be fine with her and they would be a good couple, thus leaving us wanting to see when he finally connects the two women as one and they start to go out. So it reminds me of romance series from the past like KareKano, Horimiya or Wotakoi, the latter which did not have a couple only showing their true selves to the others but the protagonist was afraid of people finding out about her otaku self. Tenth, despite the female main character being assertive, she wants the male to connect the dots and find her out, so it’s also about being scared to take a step forward in a relationship yourself and leaving that step and task to the other person. And finally, eleventh, since smoking is a big deal here, it’s also about the changes of public spaces over time, reflected in the changes of public spaces where people can smoke between the current time in the story and the flashbacks we see in the series. Truly a masterpiece of an anime that deserves to be among the most popular and highly rated of its season and year, with only one issue, it’s still ongoing so we didn’t get the ending we all wanted where all these wonderful themes connect and get a closure and the characters find catharsis and love together, thus I can only score with a 9/10. Nah, just kidding, that was just me overthinking a simple premise to make it a grandiose concept to feel like I’m watching something extraordinary and justify my consumption of meaningful, insightful and valuable art during my limited time on Earth. Ok no that was also a joke, except for the first part, I did think about all of those things while watching the anime but only so briefly, and only by overthinking single lines of script. It could have easily been done by a really annoying kind of anime fans that luckily for this show, instead focused on the other smoking series of the season, Yani Neko, and left this one alone. So yeah let’s see how those things from my long ass first paragraph actually appear in the anime. First point, the age gap is real and apparently there was a bit of controversy that thankfully didn’t reach me. For once I don’t mind much, it’s a bit weird but I do know a real couple like that. Well they are 15 years apart, not 20, but still. And the woman from the show is an adult and she is the assertive one so I don’t see much to complain about here. Just in case my wording here gives you weird ideas, the real couple I know of are both adults as well. The second point is the most present throughout the show actually, but since this is a lighthearted romcom with very little drama, even the tiresome working life in Japan is shown more in a comical manner than an actual critique of it. Third and fourth points are real but way too exaggerated by me. The guy does indeed look forward to see the cashier every day, while she in return is amused to get reactions out of him as her real self, and they do share a good smoke most of the time, but it’s more about sharing time together and talking about their lives than anything else. They sit down, complain a bit, they bent, one of them gives some advice to the other, she teases him, moving on. It’s a nice adult dynamic for a change but not enough to blow it out of proportions like I previously did. The fifth point is real but appears as a throwaway line at the very beginning of the series, while the sixth does happen during a flashback but is treated more as an isolated case than a general and systematic problem. It’s more about playing the usual card of the main characters knowing each other from way back without realizing, so at that point their dynamic becomes ironic. The woman gets pissed that the man is dense and does not take advances, but she herself does not connect that the guy she likes now is the same she liked in the past, and once again the viewer is hoping for the moment when they notice that they like each other from way back and start going out together. The seventh point is mentioned but as a single throwaway line at the beginning of the series, just like the fifth, and no mention of the systematic issue and cause whatsoever. The eighth, ninth and tenth points do appear as an important aspect of the main dynamic, as the man do likes the ideal constructed version and image of the woman a lot more than her real self that he unknowingly also knows about, and that’s why she gets pissed a lot of the times, and other characters did tell her that she should be honest and upfront with him and stop playing third wheel with herself, but once again it’s more of a lighthearted wholesome dynamic than anything else. The dude does tell her those things about people being more than what they show and the audience does want for them to realize it and get together, however. If you do want to see more about romances where main characters do hide aspects of themselves to others, I do recommend checking out KareKano, Horimiya as a weaker alternative to it, and Wotakoi for the otaku protagonists. However, the first and third ones aren’t finished so going for their source materials is also a must, while the second was adapted incompletely once and in a rushed and out of order way the second time, so maybe you would do well to do the same as with the other ones. The eleventh point appears as a throwaway concept as well, more of a visual gag and the setup for the main space where the main characters interact, but not much else. As you see, the concepts I attributed to the series are either lies or me blowin…

Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari It is strange that I do not know what to say in the introduction, so I will start directly. The initial idea is interesting, but regarding the beginning of the relationship and its buildup, it is ridiculous and illogical. Sasaki cannot tell that Tayama and Yamada are the same person even though the difference is extremely obvious. What makes it even worse is that Sasaki is in his late forties, not a child or a teenager. This was justified by saying that Sasaki is an idiot, but that is not enough justification at all. The buildup of the relationship sacrificed logic just to make it start. Even though this idea, despite being illogical, seems entertaining because of how ridiculous it is, that does not make us forget the illogical weakness within it. The idea of smoking is nice, and how smoking is what brings them together, etc. And regardless of ignoring the fact that the anime may encourage smoking, the idea of smoking is not explored deeply. For example, imagine if they actually went deeper into the meaning of smoking, why they smoke, how it brought them together, the meaning of escaping from work through smoking, and what it means on a deeper level to Sasaki and Tayama. But most of the time, smoking is presented in a somewhat superficial way. Also, this is something minor, but we see Sasaki smoking excessively, and yet his medical examination in episode 6 was not that bad. Even the idea of him stopping smoking and the relationship ending was not used well. I mean, it came quickly and as a light problem. The weight of the problem, despite logically being the biggest problem in the anime, is the same as any other problem. This is also a big problem, as most of the problems that happen in the episodes come with the same weight and are handled narratively through the same structure every time, and we get a solution in the end. I wish there had been an episode where they did not reach a solution. The characters are mostly stereotypical. Sasaki, although he may seem like a stereotypical loser-type character, has a difference here, if we consider it an actual difference. He is old, has a job, and is not just a stupid high school teenager, but an old stupid man at work. Well, regarding Sasaki, I see the biggest flaw in his character as the exaggeration of his stupid side. Sasaki is confined to his stupid side more than necessary, and we rarely see other sides of his personality. Also, regarding his design, he does not look that old. For example, just remove the dark circles under his eyes and make him a little shorter, and he may look like he is in his twenties. Not to mention that the anime makes Sasaki seem ridiculously stupid, like a child. Yamada is also not very stereotypical, and thanks to the contrast between Yamada and Tayama's personalities, where although she can be cold and reserved, she becomes a kind and bright person in the store, this made her more interesting. Her background also made her more interesting, even though for some reason we still do not see much about Sasaki's background. As for the rest of the characters, they are all stereotypical, and you will forget them. The challenge is remembering the name of a character other than the two protagonists one week after finishing the anime. Well, the dialogue in an anime like this should be good and deep, especially since there is no excuse for the two characters not to be mature. Unfortunately, no. The dialogue is mediocre and very inconsistent. It is often about extremely ordinary topics and casual conversations that you can turn your brain off and understand. The dialogue also does not support the writing of the two characters. It may support Tayama somewhat, but Sasaki is boring in the relationship because, as I said, he has one side that keeps repeating, which is his stupid side. Regarding the dialogue as well, either it is a casual conversation like: "How are you?" "I'm fine." "Take this jacket and put it on." "Oh, Sasaki, Yamada also likes this jacket." "Oh, oh, why did you tell her that? Aaaah." And regarding these casual conversations, I consider them the weakest aspect. The comedy between them is also repetitive. Either it is about Yamada, where Tayama hints at her, or it is where Tayama suddenly does something sexual that makes Sasaki embarrassed. Or it is a dialogue like this, or in short, it is advice, such as Tayama giving Sasaki advice about something. There may be some exceptions, but they are few. The dialogues rarely show the maturity of the characters and how they see the world. Although the work's dialogues are repeated, they are not explored deeply except for a few rare exceptions, such as Sasaki's dialogue where he connected smoking in the morning to his university days and said that it gives him a strange feeling. The dialogues do not really show you that these two people are actually adults, and I accept the criticisms saying that they are like high school students with an older age on the outside. Regarding the relationship, I think the age gap between the two characters made the relationship more unique and interesting. Also, despite the age difference, the chemistry between the two characters is impressive, but the rest of the aspects are somewhat negative. There are some other flaws in the work, the most notable of which are: Sasaki's situations at work are extremely repetitive and boring. Either his friend is bragging about his wife, the air conditioner breaks down, or the manager reprimands Sasaki. The development of the relationship is very slow. Although I do not see this as a major flaw because I think the slowness suits this relationship, this slowness will hurt the story, as the viewer will get bored over time. It may also seem illogical that despite the relationship taking all this time, its development is this slow. The flashback that was supposed to create a parallel, where Sasaki helped Yamada and now, after 8 years, Yamada is the one helping Sasaki, was illogical. It feels as if the writer did not plan this flashback from the beginning. Yamada saw and talked to Sasaki for around 3 minutes, and on top of that, his words affected her, but she said she did not remember his face. And I do not even want to talk about Sasaki in this matter, because he is way too stupid. In short, Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari is not a revolutionary romance anime or something that may be great from a writing perspective. Rather, I see it as just an anime that you watch simply for enjoyment. And I will not lie, I enjoyed it a lot despite my problems with it, and I loved its atmosphere. The OP and ED are both legendary. I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but it reminds me of Takamine-san. They have several things in common, such as the protagonist being extremely stupid, the comedy relying heavily on misunderstandings, and the faces of the other characters not being properly drawn. Anyway, my final rating for it is 6.0/10.

Let me start by saying that the choice to release the mini episodes so long before the anime itself was a bit odd. I had to wait ages for the continuation, and by the time it finally arrived I had already forgotten a few things. But with that equally mini rant out of the way, I really want to praise Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You. The chemistry between Sasaki and Yamada/Tayama is off the charts, and I found myself loving almost every second of watching these two together. Considering how many romance anime take place in high school, which I love and am absolutely not trying to slander, this felt incredibly refreshing. It was simply something different. Everything feels much more grounded, and while I am not a smoker myself, I think the smoking gimmick adds a surprising amount to the atmosphere of the show. The two protagonists regularly meet behind a supermarket to smoke, and that little space slowly becomes the place where their relationship starts to blossom. And I do mean slowly. This is a very gradual romance, and you are not going to watch them make huge steps toward becoming a couple within this season. But honestly, I think that fits the story perfectly. Sometimes love does sneak up on you slowly. It builds over months through conversations, little gestures and simply becoming part of someone else's everyday life. During these talks, Sasaki and Yamada slowly learn more about each other, support one another and give each other the motivation to deal with their own problems. At the end of the day, that is what a healthy relationship looks like, whether it remains a friendship or eventually becomes something more. Now yes, the gag of Sasaki somehow not realizing that Yamada and Tayama are the same person does get a tiny bit annoying because you REALLY want to see his reaction once he finally figures it out. But it never reached the point where I hated it. It is more annoying in that silly and endearing way where you are sitting there begging the poor man to connect the dots already. Sasaki is a bit dense and clumsy, but he is also extremely lovable and kind. That honestly makes him relatable to me. There is no perfect human being out there, and I really enjoy when anime characters are written with little flaws that make them feel more human instead of being polished into perfection. Yamada/Tayama is equally wonderful and basically ties the whole thing together. Her playful side works really well against Sasaki's more awkward personality, and the two of them carry this anime incredibly well. The side cast, on the other hand, is mostly pretty forgettable with a few exceptions. They are not necessarily bad characters, but very few of them left much of an impression on me. In a strange way, that only makes Sasaki and Yamada stand out even more. This anime lives and dies by their chemistry, and thankfully that chemistry is easily strong enough to carry it. I also want to praise the production because it gives the entire anime such a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Asahi Production did a wonderful job bringing it to life. I usually watched the episodes late at night, which honestly felt like the perfect way to experience it. There is something about the quiet conversations, the lighting and the general mood that makes the anime feel incredibly cozy. You could argue that the lack of major romantic development is a negative, but I do not necessarily see it that way. Not every romance needs to end with some grand love confession or dramatic kiss to feel successful. Sometimes watching two people simply become important to each other is enough. That being said, I do think the ending is probably the weakest part of the season. It left me with a very strong "That's it?" feeling. It does not feel like the story actually ends. It feels like the anime simply stops somewhere in the middle of it. That is especially frustrating because by that point I was completely invested in these two. I want to see what happens next. I want to see Sasaki finally put everything together. I want to see their relationship actually move forward. So I REALLY hope this eventually receives another season. If it does not, I might honestly have to pick up the manga because the anime successfully got its claws into me. At the end of the day, I think Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is a romance anime that a lot of people can enjoy, especially if they are looking for something outside of the usual high school setting. It is relaxed, charming and carried by two incredibly lovable leads with fantastic chemistry. Even if you are not a smoker like me, there is still plenty here to enjoy. Whether it ever gets a sequel remains to be seen, but I sincerely hope it does because this story does not feel even remotely finished yet. Give this one a try if you like the romance genre. I really do not think you will regret it.

I watched this trash, so you don't have to. I'm not going to talk about the age gap or the weird personalities of the main characters. Everyone has already talked about those things, and honestly, I'm tired of hearing about them. What I don't understand is why this anime is rated so highly. Gigguk had a positive opinion of the manga years ago, and the public reception was also pretty good when the anime came out in July. Fine, I get that. But why are people still rating it so highly now that it's finished? Look, the story is boring. At some points, it's genuinely annoying. And because everyone kept talking about this anime, I forced myself to watch it like it was a homework assignment. Doing that every week was exhausting. 😩 If you try to binge-watch all 12 episodes in one day, I bet you'll fall asleep before reaching episode 7 or 8. Maybe it'll hit differently when I'm 40? Nah. I wouldn't want to waste my time rewatching it even 100 years from now. The only good thing I can say about it is that the animation is decent. Not amazing, not revolutionary. Just decent. And the ending is amazing! Wait, Night Dancer isn't even the official ending. 😂 I wanted to explain the anime's weaknesses, but the problem is that I can barely think of any strengths worth mentioning. The characters aren't interesting enough to keep me invested. I don't care what happens in the next episode because the story fails to hold my attention. Conversations make up a huge part of the experience, yet I can't remember a single memorable one. Even my six-year-old brother could come up with a better story. I understand that the creators wanted to do something different, maybe even something revolutionary for the anime community. I respect the ambition. Unfortunately, this wasn't their lucky season, because we have Yani Neko. 😂 I'm comparing these two because they're both about smoking, but Yani Neko is far more enjoyable to me. And that's what makes this even funnier: an anime with a similar premise managed to entertain me so much more. My biggest problem with Smoking Behind the Supermarket is how overrated I think it is. There are so many shows out there that I find far more enjoyable, yet their ratings are sitting around 5. I genuinely don't understand it. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this anime just isn't for me. But after forcing myself through the entire season, I can't pretend I enjoyed it. So, if you haven't watched it yet, don't feel obligated to just because everyone else seems to love it. Save your time. Don't turn anime into homework like I did.

Do you like Romance? Better yet, do you like the idea of Romance? Do you like your Romance that develops like watching paint dry? Well, this show is for you. Most characters in this show are likeable (except Sasaki's boss and his colleague) and the show hooks you with the idea of a romance, but then you check the theme of the show "Love Status Quo." Oh snap, I fooled myself again. That's the main problem with this show, you really cheer for Sasaki and Tayama to be together, but the glacial pacing of this show eventually might catch up to you and you feel like: "why isn't there romance in my Romance show?" Ironically, the author places a character in this show, Gotou, Tayama's manager, that is the same as us: waiting for any development in the relationship, and I am sure if she was in-screen more often we would see her reacting like "man, why aren't they doing anything? I need to see them become something else!" As for why the romance never develops and the story is very slow: every new episode you will either start thinking "oh yeah... this time for sure something is going to happen" or you will end the episode thinking "oh yeah... that was some good development, for sure next episode they won't act like this progress didn't happen and I am in running in circles." Here's my problem with some of the reasoning implied as for why nothing ever happens, Sasaki is 40 years old he feels like Tayama is doing a favour to an old man allowing him to smoke with her in the back of the super market, he legit thinks that they are in a grey region between acquaintances and friends. They have been smoking and talking for months, the manager went to talk to him about "normally she wouldn't allow it, but she would make an exception" I'm not saying they have to skip phases and making out in her workplace, but please.... As for Tayama, she is not in the same page as him, even though she pretends, especially to Gotou, that she isn't that into him- oh.. she is -, but she is conflicted: "who does Sasaki likes: the bold Tayama or the gentle Yamada?" he has over and over again she likes the "idea" of Yamada, he likes her as an otaku likes an idol and if he keeps coming back to keep talking to Tayama, why is she so self-conscious about it? Especially with her being so young and how women her age are more open with taking the first step, yet she doesn't, which okay, fair, but it sort of feel contradictory to her character as a more brave person. So that's why the author ends up backtracking most of the development that happened in the previous episode, because otherwise we would actually see some romance going on, and God forbid any hint of romance in a Love Status Quo.

There aren't many adult romance anime, so I was curious from that perspective. Everything was going well at first, but after a certain point, there is no progress at all. We only see something different when new characters arrive, but the relationship of our main couple neither got better nor worse, which after a while makes it feel like watching the same thing. I'm not even talking about the age gap. Despite their ages, the characters act like standard anime clichés most of the time, and watching it leaves me like, 'Uh...?' Aside from that, the animation was very nice. It doesn't bother you while watching. The music was pleasant to the ear.

An adult romance anime is a breath of fresh air amongst the sea of high school love stories. Finally, something different from the loser nerd x hottest gyaru in the entire school. Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is an incredibly adorable show that does the romantic parts just right. Two adults sharing intimate moments after work over cigarettes. After watching countless romances, I can confidently say the anime hits the nail on the head when it comes to delivering playful romantic interactions. Yamada teases Sasaki in all the right ways, yet is no stranger to her own flusters. The right things are said at the right time, and what I wholeheartedly crave happens. The anime provides the satisfying relationship that I love so much: a character knowingly having a crush and reacting to the actions of the other while the other is unaware. Yamada's character design is absolutely gorgeous; I love everything about her. The outfits are stylish, her hairstyle and piercings are beautiful, her personality is teasingly fun, and her seiyuu fits so well. Her voice reminded me of Arima Kana from Oshi no Ko, but it turns out that she is voiced by Seena Hoshiki. A relatively new VA, having done work for a few supporting characters, with this being her first major main role. She did a phenomenal job portraying Yamada. Sasaki was also a good character. While he is rather oblivious and constantly embarrassed, he is kind and respectful. He's handled in a way that isn't annoying or frustrating. Even though he's shy, he doesn't feel like the wimp you see in most high school romances. Several other reviewers mention their biggest issue with the show is that it's essentially a nothing burger, and they're kinda right. While I sang high praises for the show thus far, the theme is an adult cast love status quo. Which means nothing really happens; we simply get to witness cute moments between crushes that ultimately lead nowhere. The first two-thirds of the anime were perfect. Then towards the last few episodes, we're introduced to a new character who honestly killed the momentum, and I really question why they were even included. The entire focus of the show had been on the two main characters and minimal support from side characters. Yet we spent the entirety of episode 10 on the crippling introverted struggles and romantic crush of a side character I couldn't care less about. They provided nothing of value to the main characters or the story, just an annoying character and a waste of screen time. After that, we came right back to a solid episode, only for the final episode to deal with a personal problem of Sasaki with support from Yamada, instead of just purely focusing on their relationship. Had the show continued its stride, increasing the romantic tension solely between the two and eventually them ending up together, it would've been a masterpiece rather than feeling lackluster. I genuinely wanted to give this show a 10 at first, with how exceptionally well the romance was done. Truly sad to see what would've been a full score drop the ball. Only the Japanese could write such good stories and, like clockwork, absolutely fumble or, for no reason at all, ruin the ending in some capacity. I am disappointed by what could've been.

Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari is one of the most wholesome slice-of-life romances I’ve watched. It’s an adult-cast romance between Sasaki (a salaryman) and Yamada/Tayama (a cashier). The core message that I interpret is that you can find the best relationship with the most unexpected people. It’s also about being more honest with our feelings and the importance of companionship. At least, that’s how I interpreted it. First of all, something to highlight about the animation is the characters’ expressions. As expected, the expressions are exaggerated in comedy moments (there’s also a kind of chibi version of the characters). But particularly, I have to mention that in serious moments the expressions truly reflect the characters’ inner conflicts — they are so expressive. Something funny is that the extra characters don’t have faces haha. The main characters are Sasaki and Yamada. Their chemistry is perfect; they complement each other wonderfully and the dynamic is brilliantly built. They feel like really three-dimensional characters. You can really understand why they need each other and why their relationship becomes stronger with every chapter that happens. On the other hand, the supporting characters fulfill their function. The only ones who are more explored are Gotou and Obata; the rest are just supporting. But Suzuki is really funny (he just wants to spend time with his wife). The script, as it’s a slice of life, doesn’t really have a traditional way to move the plot forward, but the structure of each chapter usually has one or two situations related to each other. It works brilliantly because they give you hints about future situations and help you understand the characters better. Personally, it’s my favorite anime romance of the Summer 2026 season. I think it’s an anime more similar to Frieren: an anime where “nothing happens,” but everything happens. The important thing is the journey. I recommend it if you’re a fan of wholesome romcoms.

This series is a romance anime with a basic premise and the same structure in every episode, and nothing more. However, I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing. Even though the show's premise seems impossible to sustain under normal circumstances, it works well because of its enjoyable characters. Their interactions, thoughts, and even the moments when they simply sit down and do nothing are fun to watch. Because of this, you can overlook the lack of realism in the show. One of my biggest problems with this show is that there is no change in pacing. It always follows the same structure, with no real progression and no change in the places where they meet or in their interactions. The biggest difference between the episodes since the first one is the addition of new characters. Although I find this structure fun to watch, this repetition prevents me from giving the show a higher rating. Secondly, the show does not indicate any of the dangers of smoking. I know this makes me sound like a boring authority figure, but when you portray something that has been proven countless times to be unhealthy as something cool and as a way to meet people and find love, I find it disturbing. There are countless episodic romance shows with a basic structure, but this is one of the most successful ones. I would definitely watch a second season if there is one.

Mixed feelings on Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You. On one hand, I love getting adult romances where the characters feel like grown ups with normal grown up issues. On the other hand, there’s still some tropey anime shenanigans going on here that take me out of of the immersion from time to time. I felt the characters at times were still stuck in that anime high school teenager phase where they do or say things that would feel out of place for adults. The amnesia gimmick is also lame to me, how do you really not recognize someone who had such a profound impact on your life? I have a good memory so I just always find stuff like that hard to believe, but it is a very solid romance. There’s some nice character development and I enjoyed the two leads just sitting back and shooting the breeze about life. I think the older you get, the more chaotic life gets and the less of those sort of quiet tranquil moments you can have so being able to have your own little safe space is really sweet. Not without its flaws and not as good as it was hyped up to be, but a solid romance. I don’t know what big tobacco invested in the animation industry this season, but to have two shows on the same day that revolve around characters being nicotine addicts is hilarious. This is definitely the better of the two shows, though and generally has a much more realistic depiction of adult smokers. While nothing will ever convince me smoking cigarettes isn’t one of the grossest things ever, at least here it was presentable and used to bring our leads and eventual side ships together. I think working and living in Japan would make a lot of people want to take a smoke so fairs. This show is basically two people who helped each other at different points in life coming back together by coincidence and not remembering each other somehow which is just funny af to me because they both look almost exactly the same. First of all, the Tayama and Yamada distinction is hilarious given they have the same eye color and hair color.. there’s no way any reasonable person wouldn’t put two and two together that they’re the same person! Yamada not recognizing the MC also makes no sense, but at least he’s visibly older and more stressed these days.. I just couldn’t really take that plot point seriously, but when the couple were together and just talking about life and giving each other advice, I enjoyed it. I’m not a big fan of the age gap in this show. Sasaki is like 45 and Yamada is in her 20s.. they’re both adults, but it just feels weird. Never goes into predatory because if anything, Yamada is the dominant one here so there’s that, but man why not just make him in his 30s or something? At least they gave Sasaki the actual wisdom of a 45 year old salaryman and he does genuinely help Yamada out of a lot of tough spots as she does for him. They have a healthy, mutually beneficial friendship with heavy romantic undertones, both are obviously in love with each other, but they prioritize the other over themselves and are very selfless. Sasaki in general is such a cool wise dude, he’s awkward, but when you need to hear something, he’ll be there to tell it, whether it’s Yamada or the other characters in the show. At this point, he should just be the supermarket’s counselor. But yea, romance is solid here. I heard someone once say this is a better version of angel next door spoils me rotten, and I’d agree because it’s not really wish fulfillment and the characters feel way more realistic. The show looks solid, nothing crazy, but voice acting and the soundtrack are amazing. I hate that they got rid of imase track for the ed from the short episodes, but the new Zutomayo op bangs. Overall, smoking behind the supermarket with you isn’t the best romance ever, but considering most of the stuff we get, it’s very solid. Not the most realistic situation ever, but the leads are competent for the most part and very sweet. Smoking behind the supermarket with you gets 8 out of 10

ID : Salah satu anime yang awalnya ga ada niat buat nonton karna emang termasuk orang yang kurang suka sama hal berbau rokok dan ngira bakal sekedar anime biasa. Tapi pas nonton anime ini bener-bener beres dalam satu dudukan, di satu hari, tanpa ada delay sama sekali. Anime ini jujur menurutku ngegambarin banget yang namanya "Rumah Kedua" nyeritain 2 manusia yang punya kehidupan masing-masing dan kerjaan yang bisa dibilang beda 180 derajat, tapi satu hal yang bisa ngebuat mereka sama itu ngerokok. Punya tujuan setelah ngelewatin hari yang cape tu bener-bener bisa ngerubah gimana orang ngejalanin hidupnya, Sasaki yang menurutku dulunya flat gitu-gitu aja cuma kerja pulang kerja pulang and repeat, dua orang itu juga diliat mereka ngelakuin pekerjaannya bagus dan serius, kita emang kadang gaperlu punya orang yang deket banget, tapi kita juga pasti harus ada orang yang bisa diajak ngobrol dan ngehargain satu sama lain. Visual jujur puas banget selama nonton, detail kecil dibuat bagus dan bikin nontonnya juga nyaman. Kelakuan mereka yang kadang emang suka lebay tapi dikemas dengan ekspresi yang ga kaku dan ga bikin canggung pas nonton. Cerita dari anime ini kaya nyeritain keseharian mereka aja, salah paham, Yamada ngejailin terus make mode Tayama nya itu. Ga berat sama sekali ceritanya yang bisa ditonton sambil chill banget tapi bisa bikin ketagihan juga, dari dua karakter juga punya beberapa problem masing-masing yang akhirnya terselesaikan dan dilanjut dengan ngerokok di belakang supermarket. Ini kayanya review paling panjang yang pernah kuketik deh wkwkwk, karna jujur anime yang bisa bikin feel di tahun 2020-2023 tu kembali gatau kenapa, jadi excited buat nonton anime lagi. Mungkin karena emang aku udah sering ngalamin kaya gitu walau sama cowo tapi emang feel saling cerita sama orang mau ngerokok atau engga itu waktu yang gabisa digantiin sama sekali. Overall my rating is 9/10 dan ga kusebut ketinggian, deserve banget buat dapet rating tinggi dan semoga bisa dapet season 2. PLSS PENGEN LANJUT NONTON!@!!! #Yatamayada #LANJUTSEASON2PLEASE ENG : This was one of those anime I had zero intention of watching at first. I’m not really into anything involving smoking, and I figured it’d just be another generic show. But once I hit play, I ended up bingeing the entire thing in a single sitting, all in one day, without stopping once. To be honest, this show perfectly captures what a "second home" feels like. It tells the story of two people with completely different lives and polar opposite jobs, but the one thing bringing them together is taking a smoke break. Having something to look forward to after an exhausting day can genuinely change how you go through life. Sasaki’s routine used to feel so flat just work, go home, repeat. Yet both of them are actually great at their jobs and take them seriously. It really reminds you that you don't always need someone super close in your life, you just need that one person you can talk to and genuinely respect each other. Visually, I was super satisfied. The little details were done so well, making it such a cozy watch. Sure, their antics can be a bit over-thet op at times, but it’s delivered with fluid, expressive animation that never feels stiff or awkward. The story just follows their daily routine, minor misunderstandings, and Yamada constantly teasing him in her full "Tayama mode." It’s not heavy at all super chill to watch, yet surprisingly addictive. Both characters carry their own personal baggage that gradually gets resolved, always wrapping up with a nice smoke behind the supermarket. This is probably the longest review I’ve ever written lol. But honestly, it brought back that magical anime feeling I haven't felt since around 2020–2023, and it legit got me excited to watch anime again. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced similar moments myself even if it was just hanging out with the guys where that feeling of opening up and chatting with someone, whether over a cigarette or not, is totally irreplaceable. Overall, my rating is a solid 9/10, and I don't think that's overhyped at all. It fully deserves a high rating, and I really hope we get a Season 2. PLEASE I NEED MORE TO WATCH!@!!! #Yatamayada #CONTINUESEASON2PLEASE

One of the best endorsements for smoking I've seen. Instead of going the route of making it look cool, just tell em they'll get a cute goth GF. Also, the male lead looks like Saito from Rurouni Kenshin. Very cool. And now I'm gonna keep typing because apparently that wasn't good enough. Why is there a minimum word cap, there's not enough here that's worth talking about here. The plot is virtually non-existent and the characters (aside from the leads) are pretty one-note, though given they aren't that important, I'll let it slide. The end. Now, I gotta start screaming and going apeshit.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is the wholesome romance slice-of-life anime of this season. It is the kind of show that you watch when you just want to relax and listen to two people talk about mundane things. It does not necessarily have a unique concept, complicated plot, or touching drama; it really is just a comforting slice of anime for people who are tired of their repetitive work life. The show revolves around Sasaki, a stereotypical Japanese "salary man", and Yamada, a cashier at a local supermarket. Each episode is mostly just the two of them talking about life while smoking. In society, a stigma exists against smokers or smoking in general, which is really understandable considering its health effects and how people can be excessively addicted to it. This anime shows us the perspectives of a young woman and an old man toward this activity. To them, smoking is not simply to satisfy their need to consume nicotine; it is a break from their stressful lives and pressure from society. The show does a great job showing the audience this kind of perspective.

IT'S A ROMANCE FOR TIRED ADULTS ✨ THE GOOD : it feels like two actual adults talking to each other ,in anime? in deed it is the true one piece no destiny, no harem circus and no f*cking high-school melodrama just some awkward conversations my lovely sponcer nicoteine and convenience store breaks the chemistry worth noting too tbh 🚬 THE VIBE: if most romance anime are sugar, this one is black coffee , but if we're being honest nothing f*cking happens really the show is built on tiny moments and slow pacing wich i understand but , it's not everyones cup of tea 🎯 FINAL VERDICT a semi mature, low key romance that trades anime theatrics for atmosphere and chemistry won’t be everyone’s favorite, but if its clicks it's incredibly easy to love ✔ Watch if: you’re tired of teenage romance bullsh*t ❌ Skip if : you're not into chill slow burn stuff 🎤 Best paired with :late night exhaustion, convenience store coffee, and my lovely sponcer nicoteine unless you're not addicted then just be thankfull asshole!

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (2026) is another cozy anime with a modest premise, held together by one thing: the interactions between Sasaki, a middle-aged bachelor and office worker, and Yamada/Tayama, the cheeky supermarket cashier with a peculiar way of flirting with him. Honestly, I liked that the episodes initially ran for about twelve minutes—roughly half the length of a standard episode. I wouldn’t mind seeing more simple stories like this embrace that format. As Shakespeare put it, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” After finishing the series, I found myself thinking that Sasaki’s life is, in some ways… depressing. I mean, he has unhealthy habits, a toxic job, and a seemingly lonely existence. And yet, he doesn’t come across as bitter or weighed down by it all. Yamada seems to have her own problems, too: throughout the episodes, there are several hints that her coworkers needed some time to get used to her personality. There’s a reason she had to put on such a different persona when dealing with customers… That’s what makes it so sweet and funny to watch this (almost) couple stumble into awkward situations born of clumsiness and misunderstandings. The conflict rarely revolves around Sasaki discovering Tayama’s identity. Instead, the episodes play with little everyday situations, setting up a joke early on and building toward the punchline. And somewhere between the teasing, the mix-ups, and the cigarettes, the two find a little moment of happiness in their daily routines. My favorite was definitely the episode where Sasaki thinks he’s fallen ill because of his smoking habit. I really fell for that one!

This show is pure wish fulfillment, similar to something like Senko-san. A burnt out salaryman gets to smoke all he wants with a pierced up alt lady who treats him like a pet dog. It works wonderfully for the target audience, but if you aren’t specifically looking for that flavor of escapist fantasy there’s a pretty good chance it’ll fall flat on its face. The plot leans way too much on dramatic irony. The core premise is that a man cannot recognize his crush if she isn’t dressed in her work uniform. It’s as goofy as it sounds, and it’s used heavily to set up various punchlines. They often break their own rules on how Sasaki recognizes Yamada, so functionally Yamada can just shapeshift into whoever she wants to make a given scene work. The character interactions are fun enough that it didn’t bother me too much while watching, but it took me out a few times. I’d hesitate to call it good writing. It’s a slice of life romance, so the story beats are focused around the protagonists growing closer to each other and how they slip up along the way. This is managed well, and I really connected with the way they portrayed adult crushes. The characters juggle busy schedules and expenses for just a slim chance of seeing a cute stranger one more time, doubting themselves all the way. “Nothing happens” in this story, but that seems to be what it’s going for. This isn’t a show about kidnappings or kaiju–it is a series of conversations between two normal people, and the audience is to live vicariously through them as they flirt and enjoy each others’ company. The pace is relaxed without relying on obnoxious recap or over-explanation. It has a straightforward modern day setting, but the nostalgic atmosphere they establish is killer. It had me reliving my college days. They nail the contrast between the 9-5 slog and the bubble of safety that is a cozy back-alley smoke during a storm. The dead inside casual banter and gossip of the supermarket employees is spot on and had me laughing. Sasaki’s overblown reactions are unrealistic, but it’s addressed directly that he’s behaving strangely in-universe. A few characters are flat enough to be set pieces, even when they get significant screentime. Gotou is cool, but I could not wait for Obata and Suzuki to get the hell off screen. Even as bit characters, I wish they were more likable. The main character arcs are clean, but plain. Sasaki struggles to find value outside of work, and Yamada wrestles with insecurity even as she puts on a show of being bold and provocative. Tried and true archetypes executed well but they aren’t saying anything new. The art is simple but cute. Yamada’s outfit designs are excellent, and as you’d expect there’s some nice smoke animation. The music selection was a big surprise, and it's actually stellar. Lots of high quality jazz tracks with quotes to standards. Watch it if you’ve got a thing for alt girls telling you what to do, but otherwise there isn’t a whole lot going on.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, or simply YaniSuu as I will call it throughout this review based on its Japanese title, has become one of my favorite romance anime from the new generation that I have watched recently. The Romance of YaniSuu When people talk about romance anime these days, school based romances are often considered cliché. Personally, I do not think that way at all. I can enjoy ordinary romance stories because despite all their similarities, I believe they also have many differences between them. However, even though I enjoy conventional romance, I naturally have a lot of respect for romance stories that use newer or less common themes, and YaniSuu belongs to this group. This is not simply because YaniSuu has adult characters who have jobs. Anime with adult working characters are not unusual. However, when you pay attention to other romance anime with adult characters, you can notice that many of them are actually similar to school based romances in several ways. This is not because these anime portray their adult characters like children or give their stories childish themes. Rather, it comes from a certain way of designing characters that can be seen in both types of romance. In school based romance anime, younger characters are sometimes portrayed with a more mature mindset, while still being given childish behaviors. It is almost as if the characters are designed with an adult understanding of their personalities, and then additional childish behaviors are given to them in order to make them feel younger. In romance anime centered around adults, something surprisingly similar can happen. Even though the characters are designed with an adult mindset, childish behaviors can sometimes be added because the story wants to create a more comedic or engaging atmosphere. These behaviors help the story achieve the comedic or engaging tone that it is aiming for. I understand the reasoning behind both approaches, and I understand why stories are designed this way. Younger people can behave in mature ways, while adults can also behave in childish ways. There is nothing strange about either of these things. But when I compare ordinary romance anime with adult working characters to YaniSuu, I feel that YaniSuu does many things differently, and in some cases even does them better than other anime within the same genre. Work, Life, and Romance When YaniSuu focuses on the working lives of its characters, it is able to show a surprisingly deep and honest side of that life that many anime with working characters struggle to portray. In many anime of this type, the two main characters are coworkers. Because of that, the way the story portrays their working lives often becomes closely tied to the interactions between the two characters. If something happens to one character and the other helps them, that situation can then be used to develop the romance between them. Because of this, the actual experience of working and the characters' professional lives can sometimes be pushed into the background and receive very little opportunity to be explored on their own. YaniSuu avoids this problem through one very important aspect of its setup: Yamada and Sasaki are not coworkers. Because they work separately, the anime can focus on their professional lives independently. It can show the difficulties they experience, explore their individual working environments, and portray more realistic relationships between them and their respective coworkers. At the same time, the story still has to find a way to bring these two characters together and create a meaningful connection between them, and I think YaniSuu does this in the best way possible. The Beauty of Small Things Beyond these differences and similarities, YaniSuu is a story about enjoying the small things in life. It is about finding peace after a difficult day at work. It is about listening. It is about comforting someone. It is about building connections behind a supermarket. YaniSuu is an anime filled with peace, funny moments, and heartfelt advice between its characters. There is something incredibly comforting about watching these people simply spend time together, talk to each other, support one another, and gradually build connections in such a simple place. Sasaki and the Humanity of Its Characters Speaking of advice, Sasaki is the kind of character that might make someone watching the anime think, "How can a character possibly fail to notice something this obvious?" If you have watched the anime, you know exactly what I mean. You might even find yourself thinking, "How can Sasaki possibly be this dense?" But beyond all of that, Sasaki is a character with a lot of life experience. He is extremely kind, honest, and warm hearted, and the anime makes it very clear that Sasaki is someone who has genuinely experienced life. Sure, there are moments where he behaves in a more childish way, or moments during conversations with new people where he struggles to express exactly what he means, but I think all of these things actually make Sasaki feel more real. And when I say that Sasaki is a character with life experience, the most important moments are when his kindness leads him to give advice to Yamada and Obata, or when the way he talks to them allows him to recognize their hard work and remind them of it, praising their efforts simply through the way he understands what they are saying. Of course, this also comes from Sasaki's kind nature, but being able to recognize the hard work of people even when they do not explicitly talk about it, simply by understanding the way they speak, is one of the things that makes Sasaki such a kind and genuinely mature adult character. Every character in the story adds a sense of reality to it and makes the story more engaging. Even characters such as Oono and Maezawa, who we do not get to see nearly as much as some of the others, still create genuinely enjoyable moments, especially from a comedic perspective. Although the main focus is on Sasaki and Yamada, followed by Gotou and Obata, all of these characters can be examined through the way they are written, and I genuinely enjoyed the beauty and realism in their characterization. The way the characters support each other also makes this anime incredibly heartwarming. The "I Wish" Category I absolutely love the story and characters of YaniSuu, but there is a category of anime that I personally think of as the "I Wish" category. These are anime where many people say, "I really love this anime, but I wish this particular thing was not in the story," or "I wish this never happened," or "I wish this genre element was not part of the story," or "I wish the characters were not like this." First of all, I want to make it very clear that I do not put YaniSuu into this category at all. I genuinely love everything about this story, or at the very least I understand and appreciate why everything that exists in it is there. There is one particular element that has caused a lot of people to put YaniSuu into that category, but I do not want to directly discuss that specific subject here. What I will say is that this is something that exists in the real world, and there are people connected to it who live happy lives. It does not harm other people, and it does not harm the people involved either. It also happens after a certain stage in life, so from an ethical perspective I do not see a problem with it. Because of that, I feel that if I complained about this particular element in fiction, I would almost be disrespecting real people who live perfectly happy lives with it. That is why I do not want to bring this subject into my discussion of YaniSuu at all. Beyond all of this, the way a particular subject is portrayed is extremely important, and YaniSuu never presents this aspect with a sense that something is inherently wrong about it. That was all I wanted to say about this part. Production When it com…

Look, I know this show is totally male age gap fantasy, but the main couple is so cute together that I can't help but love it. And yes, I see plain as day that it's a trap for introverted 40-something male anime fans, but I don't care because it's executed so damn well. I crave escapism and Yamada-chan doth provide. After laboring through the endless droves of high-school-centric romance animes, shows like this that focus on older chararcters in the workplace are always refreshing to me. Even better is the fact that even though you could call this a romcom, it doesn't dwell in cheap hacky comedy (except the Obata episode. The Obata episode sucks.) and really does the romance part right. It doesn't tell you how to feel as much as it just lets you come along for the ride. The male protaganist Sasaki is the biggest golden retriever character ever. The show even directly says so. Yet, he manages to do exactly the right thing at exactly the right time whenever it's needed. It really hammers home the chemistry between the wise older man and the playfulness of the younger woman that works so well in this series. I think one of the things that makes this show great is that it cuts out everything in the character's lives that isn't important. The editing is superb. You get a few of Sasaki's work dilemmas, and a rare shot of Yamada outside of the supermarket, but other than that it's all just focused on their conversations and what they're feeling in the moment. Absolutely nothing is filler. Many of the side characters barely get developed, but it feels very purposeful and not flawed at all. The background characters don't even get the luxury of having eyes. I did think it was odd that they switched out the super catchy ending theme Night Dancer that was used in the mini-episodes for a still catchy but much less so song from Imase for the full episodes. I can only assume it was a push by Imase's label. The opening theme I found quite skippable aside from the obligatory first and last episode where I make a ritual of never skipping anything. The show's attitudes surrounding smoking and health are pretty hilariously at points. I won't spoil it, but there's an episode around mid-season that just has the most ass-backwards way of looking at one's health that it should be given some ridicule. But I suppose whatever's clever when it keeps you from having to stop talking to the cute girl who's half your age. Also, waking up before dawn just to purposefully smoke in the freezing cold is peak health. I'd like to talk about the ending more but it would wind up being spoiler territory. I just know that while it wasn't what I was expecting, it still felt good in it's own way. I think they were just being careful not to wreck anything and I would say they achieved that gracefully. Anyways, this show is straight up adorable. Watching Sasaki and Yamada slowly losing the battle of playing dodgeball with their feelings is completely addictive. You may ask yourself things like "Why doesn't a super attractive girl like Yamada have tons of other people in her life?" but just ignore those silly rational thoughts and have fun watching this banger of a series for what it is: a great romantic comedy. If this doesn't get another season I might die inside. 9/10