Official Trailer
Rating: 0/10 | Genre: Animation, Drama, Comedy | Seasons: 1 | Episodes: 12 | Status: In Production
Starring: Seena Hoshiki, Takuya Sato, Shinya Takahashi, Toa Yukinari, Megumi Toyoguchi
I went into “Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You” with zero expectations. The title alone is weird enough to make you curious, and the 0/10 rating on TMDB honestly made me want to check it out even more. Sometimes the worst-rated shows are actually just misunderstood, you know? After binging all 12 episodes, I can say this show is… something. Not bad, exactly. Just really strange in ways that work sometimes and completely fall apart other times.
The premise alone is hilarious if you think about it too hard. A middle-aged guy finds meaning in life by smoking behind a supermarket with a girl he just met. It sounds like a premise that could only exist in anime, and honestly, that’s kind of the charm. But the show is genuinely trying to be heartfelt underneath all the weirdness, and that’s where it gets messy.
Season 1
The season kicks off with Sasaki, our burned-out protagonist, discovering this secret smoking spot with Tayama. She’s this mysterious biker girl who shows up at exactly the right moment to invite him to break some unspoken supermarket rules. The chemistry between them is awkward at first, which actually feels real. They’re two strangers bonding over cigarettes and complaining about life.
Early episodes are genuinely fun. The comedy lands when it’s trying to be subtle. Sasaki’s interactions with his coworkers feel painfully authentic. The way he just exists at work like a ghost, counting down the hours, is something a lot of people will recognize. And then he goes to the supermarket hoping to see Yamada, this cashier he has a crush on, and it adds this layer of loneliness to his character that makes sense.
But here’s where the show starts losing me. By episode 5 or 6, the drama shifts in ways that feel unearned. The show suddenly wants you to care deeply about these characters and their backstories, but it hasn’t really given you enough reason to. Tayama’s character gets a heavy episode about her past, and while it’s trying to be emotional, it just feels like it’s happening to you rather than with you.
The middle episodes drag a bit. There’s an episode focused on cigarette smell management that’s kind of funny but also kind of pointless. The show has trouble deciding if it wants to be a comedy about two weirdos bonding or a drama about broken people finding connection. It tries to be both and succeeds at neither sometimes.
The last few episodes pick up again though. Once the show stops trying so hard to be deep and just lets these characters exist together, it works better. There’s a moment near the end where Sasaki and Tayama just sit in silence for a full minute, and it says more than all the heavy dialogue in earlier episodes.
The Characters
Sasaki carries the entire show. His voice actor, Takuya Sato, makes him sound exhausted in a way that’s almost funny. You believe he’s someone who has given up on joy until this random girl shows up. He’s not likable exactly, but he’s real.
Tayama is harder to pin down. She’s supposed to be mysterious and cool, but sometimes she just comes across as annoying. The show wants her to be deep and layered, but there are episodes where she feels like a plot device instead of a person. Her chemistry with Sasaki gets better as the season goes on, but early on it’s stiff.
The rest of the cast doesn’t really matter much. Yamada, the cashier Sasaki has a crush on, barely appears. The coworkers are forgettable. This is really a two-character show, and that’s both its strength and weakness.
So should you watch this? That depends on your patience for weird, slow-burn anime that doesn’t always know what it’s trying to say. If you like character studies and don’t mind watching people just exist for 12 episodes, there’s something here. If you want plot-driven drama or consistent comedy, you’ll be frustrated. The show has moments where it really works, where you forget how silly the premise is and just feel something. But those moments are scattered between episodes that feel like filler.
I don’t regret watching it, but I’m not sure I’d recommend it to everyone. Does the concept of a show that’s basically just “two broken people bond while smoking” sound appealing to you, or does it sound like a waste of time?
Episode Guide
Season 1 (12 Episodes)
Episode 1: Episode 1
Tired office worker Sasaki gets invited to smoke behind his usual supermarket. / Sasaki confronts Tayama about what she told Yamada.
Episode 2: Episode 2
Sasaki is down in the dumps after an incident at work, and Tayama wants to know. / Tayama gets a complaint at work and talks to Sasaki about it.
Episode 3: Episode 3
Tayama coaches Sasaki on post-smoke scent care. / Sasaki runs into another supermarket employee in the smoking area. Will this spell trouble?
Episode 4: Episode 4
Sasaki's flip phone dies, and he's forced to pick up a smartphone. / Sasaki has a new topic to talk to the youth about: personality tests!
Episode 5: Episode 5
In the middle of a heat wave, Sasaki has a wet accident in the supermarket's smoking area. / Things get super hectic at Sasaki's workplace. How will he navigate this death march?
Episode 6: Episode 6
It's health checkup season, and Sasaki receives some disturbing news. / Yamada's come a long way from her part-timer days, which the staff reminisce about.
Episode 7: Episode 7
Episode 8: Episode 8
Episode 9: Episode 9
Episode 10: Episode 10
Episode 11: Episode 11
Episode 12: Episode 12
Where to Watch
Stream on: Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, Sony Liv