Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You
Anime Info
Synopsis
Sasaki is a forty-five-year-old salaryman worn down by the daily grind of corporate life. His only real comforts are cigarettes and the warm smile of Yamada, the cheerful cashier at his neighborhood supermarket.
One evening, after an especially exhausting day, Sasaki arrives to find that Yamada's shift has already ended. Dejected, he goes looking for somewhere to smoke and instead meets a striking, aloof woman named Tayama, who invites him to a hidden smoking spot behind the store. The two strike up an easy, unspoken camaraderie over their shared vice — but Sasaki has no idea that his new smoking buddy and his favorite cashier are one and the same person.
Told through quiet, smoke-filled conversations, the series follows the odd-couple bond that grows between the tired office worker and the woman living a double life, exploring adult loneliness, comfort, and the small moments that make the daily grind bearable.
Anime Poster & Key Visual
Teaser Trailer & PV
Characters
Our Review
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You stands out by leaning into a genuinely unusual premise — a tired, middle-aged salaryman and a guarded young woman bonding over cigarette breaks — and turning it into something quietly touching rather than gimmicky. The slow-burn chemistry between Sasaki and Yamada/Tayama gives the romance real weight instead of relying on typical genre tropes.
Asahi Production's animation captures the mundane beauty of late-night convenience-store life well, and the atmospheric, low-key visual direction suits the story's themes of adult exhaustion and small comforts.
This is an easy recommendation for viewers who want a mature, understated romance away from the usual high-school setting — a refreshingly different, must-watch entry in this season's romance lineup. — DIDARUL ISLAM [Chief Editor]
