Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari

Sasaki, who appears to have reached the pinnacle of his career and achieved all his dreams, realizes at the age of 45 just how exhausted and unhappy he truly is. Office life, meetings, and stress have become unbearable for him. His only refuge is encountering Yamada, a supermarket cashier. Yamada's warm demeanor and gentle smiles create a small but powerful impact on Sasaki's heart. For this reason alone, he goes shopping at the same supermarket every day and checks out at the same register.

One day, an intense work pace and constant fatigue wear Sasaki down completely. After his shopping, he heads to Yamada's register, but suffers a great disappointment upon seeing that his beloved cashier Yamada is not there. He steps outside the supermarket to smoke and, while looking for a spot to light up, encounters a beautiful and mysterious woman behind the store who says she wants to smoke with him. The woman introduces herself as Tayama. Tayama, who guards her secrets and draws attention with her cool attitude, immediately captures Sasaki's interest. Sasaki is drawn to Tayama's different world and enjoys spending time with her.

However, there is something Sasaki is unaware of: Tayama is actually someone he has known for a long time. But who? This mystery forms the main theme of the anime. Sasaki's exploration of his inner world, his confrontation with the simple yet meaningful details of daily life, the complexity of relationships, and the unexpected emergence of love transform Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari (Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You) from an ordinary romantic anime into a structure that both makes the viewer think and emotionally moves them.

Production

Masato Suzuki directs the anime, with Takuya Satou voicing the main character Sasaki and Seena Hoshiki voicing Yamada. The series was produced by Asahi Production and consists of 12 episodes. It premiered on June 3, 2026, as an early exclusive broadcast in a 12-episode mini format on the ABEMA and Crunchyroll platforms, while its television broadcast is scheduled to begin on July 9, 2026.

Review

The anime progresses in a way that differs slightly from classic romantic comedy tropes. In particular, its focus on the characters' inner worlds and the small details of daily life offers the viewer a warm and sincere atmosphere. Sasaki's loneliness, the sense of emptiness at the peak of his career, and how even a simple act like smoking has become such an important escape point for him—all of these are handled in a very natural and convincing manner. The characters Yamada and Tayama also represent vastly different worlds. This situation not only makes Sasaki's choice difficult but also creates curiosity and an emotional connection in the viewer.

The strongest aspect of the anime is presenting love not merely as a romantic feeling, but as a result of human relationships, loneliness, communication, and sometimes misunderstandings. Furthermore, its attention to the small joys within daily life and the value of human bonds shows that the anime makes you think just as much as it entertains you.

If you are looking for an anime that is sincere, warm, romantic, and emotionally deep, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You might be perfect for you. I also cannot help but mention that it is a series that conveys the message that "love can sometimes appear in unexpected places and in unexpected forms" beautifully.