I remember watching one of Gigguk’s videos about Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, where he gushed over the manga; however, I never picked it up because the last thing I needed at the time was another manga to read. After all, reading 50 concurrent series was a bit much. Now, as I sit here reading close to 80 concurrent series, I wonder if I should have just picked it up, to begin with? Thankfully, it received an anime adaptation, so I decided to check it out to see if I was missing anything. Was I?
Let’s go!
First Episode Synopsis
Sasaki is a salaryman who works long hours, buries his face in spreadsheets, walks around and helps out anyone who asks for it, and somehow, still gets chewed out by his boss on the regular. The one thing about his boss is that he loves long, pointless meetings, and this keeps Sasaki at work until very late hours… sometimes until midnight; however, he has one reprieve in his life… a girl at a supermarket named Yamada.
He goes there every night, buys a couple of beers and a bag of mochi chips, and lines up at Register 2 just to hear Yamada’s cheerful voice. While he doesn’t truly do anything except stand there and be a paying customer, just being able to interact with her, even if it’s on a professional level, is enough to lift his spirits.
One night, he’s kept at work until after Midnight, and sadly, Yamada had already finished her shift. As a backup to his lack of cheerful interaction, he decides to smoke a cigarette; however, when a couple of people pass by and call him disgusting for trying to smoke in a no-smoking area, he wanders around looking for a place where he can light up. He makes his way to the back of the supermarket when he hears a voice call out to him. There, he meets Tayama, a girl dressed in a leather vest who invites him over for a smoke.
She mainly wanted him because she didn’t have a working lighter, so she wanted to bum a light from him. The two of them begin to talk, and as they do, he realizes that she knows about him lining up at Yamada’s register. The next time he goes back, Yamada mentions that Sasaki thinks she brightens up his day and is flattered… then… the subtle “show, don’t tell” reveal happens, and you realize that Yamada and Tayama are the same person, but Sasaki is quite clueless.
And so begins our tale of a salaryman who just wants a little bit of happy interactions with Yamada in his life, but instead, finds a smoking buddy in her alter ego, Tayama.
Worth Watching?
YES – I know this anime had a preview, to which everyone ranted and raved about it, but I refrained from watching it because I wanted to see it as it aired. I can say that while the first episode wasn’t giving off the same vibes that all of the internet hype was giving it, it still was quite an enjoyable watch. If anything, there are a lot of people out there who can relate to Sasaki. Being pushed to high levels of stress at work is par for the course in Japan, so finding something… anything… to unwind is a luxury to some, and that is what Yamada/Tayama is to him.
While I am sure the big reveal will come to the character (versus the audience) at some point, keeping Sasaki in the dark is the major hook for this show. Watching him bumble his way through the register, only to open up and be a bit more forward with Tayama, is like seeing two sides to the same character. The best part is, it’s the interactions with Yamada that are the parts where Sasaki feels out of character.
When you see him at work, putting forth his best effort and being helpful even to rookies, it’s easy to see that’s how he would react around Tamaya. It’s when he’s in front of Yamada that he becomes meek, timid, bashful, and shy… and part of that isn’t really about being nervous, but more like it has to do with Yamada’s smile, her positive attitude, and just the way she presents herself. He’s basking in all of that and finding his calm center. He knows that the exchange is only going to be a fleeting moment, so it’s as if he’s soaking in as much as he can.
Despite it being a short interaction every night, that’s still what helps him get through his day, and to see him look forward to it, and using that as the reason to make it through work, almost seems as if he’s becoming addicted to a drug.
And that’s the interesting part… he’s aware of it, too… and yet… he still keeps going back.
I am sure there are more conversations to be had, but despite what they will talk about in future episodes, the hook is waiting for Sasaki to realize they are the same person. How will he react? How will the dynamic change between them? Those are questions everyone wants to know, and I hope they drag it out as much as possible. Heck, I hope he never finds out. Ignorance is bliss, and for Sasaki to feel bliss, he must remain ignorant.
While I don’t feel the show is must-see just yet… the first episode did enough to make me want to keep watching… and I could tell that it did because when the ending theme hit, I couldn’t believe it was already over!
