Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You has reached its emotional peak in episodes 6 through 10. The anime, which premiered on July 9, 2026, has moved far beyond simple cigarette breaks between a tired salaryman and a quirky supermarket clerk . These five episodes deliver health scares, mistaken marriage rumors, and a quiet morning moment that changes everything between Sasaki and Yamada/Tayama.
For newcomers, the show follows 45-year-old Sasaki, a burned-out office worker who finds comfort in smoking behind Supermarket S with Yamada, the cheerful store clerk he admires . What Sasaki does not realize is that Yamada and Tayama—the pierced, punk-dressed woman he smokes with—are the same person. Episodes 6 through 10 turn this simple setup into something much deeper.
Episode 6: A Health Scare That Hits Close to Home
Episode 6, titled “The Scent That Lingers Behind the Supermarket,” aired on August 13, 2026 . The episode begins with Sasaki facing his annual health checkup. The results are not good. His lung scan requires further testing, and he tearfully admits, “Smoking really is bad for your body” .
The news hits Yamada hard. She worries that if Sasaki quits smoking, he will have no reason to visit the supermarket’s back entrance anymore. Store manager Goto suggests she finally tell Sasaki the truth about her double identity .
Yamada prepares to confess, but a phone call interrupts her. The hospital made a mistake. Sasaki’s results were a misdiagnosis. Social media reactions ranged from relief to dark humor. One viewer posted, “What kind of misdiagnosis is that?” while another joked, “His organs can’t be clean, he’s a smoker” .
The episode’s second half flashes back eight years, showing a young Yamada being harassed by an angry customer. A man steps in to defend her. That man is Sasaki . The revelation connects their past in a way neither character fully understands yet.
Anime News Network gave the episode a 4.3 out of 5 community score, calling it “an especially weighty gut punch” .
Episode 7: Lighter Days and a Ghost That Is Not a Ghost
Episode 7, “Summer’s End Behind the Supermarket,” aired August 20, 2026 . The tone shifts to something lighter after the health scare. Yamada studies for a promotion exam, and Sasaki writes her an encouraging message. She keeps it in her phone case .
The episode introduces Maezawa, the energetic chief, who tells Yamada a ghost haunts the back of the supermarket . Yamada tries to scare Sasaki with the story, but he is unfazed. “Real people are scarier than ghosts,” he says, a line that resonated with viewers who understood his workplace exhaustion .
The “ghost” turns out to be Daigoro, a gentle dog the store manager is watching. The dog’s voice actor became a talking point online after directors revealed they asked him at a drinking party .
Anime News Network’s review noted the episode was “more casual and light-hearted” but still effective, giving it a 4 out of 5 rating .
Episode 8: The Ashtray, the Typhoon, and the Hand Hold
Episode 8, “Finding Each Other From Behind the Supermarket,” aired August 27, 2026, and became the emotional high point of this stretch . The episode scored a 4.7 out of 5 on Anime News Network, the highest in this batch .
The story begins with Yamada losing the portable ashtray Sasaki gave her. She searches everywhere, panicking. Sasaki notices her distress and quietly buys a replacement, pretending he just happened to have it .
When Sasaki hands her the new ashtray, Yamada grabs his hand with both of hers in gratitude. Sasaki freezes, his face turning bright red . Viewers flooded social media with reactions like “It’s love!” and “Pure middle-aged man energy” .
The second half takes place during a typhoon. Sasaki waits outside the closed supermarket, his hair wet and hanging over his forehead. Yamada invites him to the back entrance. They talk about why they started smoking. Sasaki says his college girlfriend introduced him to it .
Yamada mentions her admiration for someone from her past—the man who defended her eight years ago. Sasaki asks, “You’ve always looked up to that person, haven’t you?” She blushes and gives a vague answer . The moment is subtle but loaded with meaning.
One reviewer wrote that the episode made them feel like “they’re just dating now” without ever saying it out loud .
Episode 9: The Marriage Rumor and a Morning Shared Apart
Episode 9, “Touching Solitude Behind the Supermarket,” aired September 3, 2026 . Maezawa drops a bombshell: she saw Sasaki shopping with a woman, wearing a wedding ring. “That married man!” she declares .
Yamada is devastated. She avoids Sasaki at the store. When he tries to apologize for grabbing her hand during the typhoon, she tells him, “Go home to your wife” .
The truth comes out quickly. The woman was Sasaki’s sister, and the ring was an old one she put on his finger as a joke. He is single . Yamada’s embarrassed reaction—“I’m so lame”—became one of the episode’s most shared moments .
The episode also features a quiet conversation about Sasaki’s favorite time: early winter mornings on his balcony, when he feels like the only person in the world .
The anime made a notable change from the manga here. In the original, Sasaki sleeps through his alarm. In the anime, he wakes up and enjoys the morning too. They do not call each other. They simply share the silence from their separate balconies . The Fandom Post reviewer praised this change as “poetic,” noting it was the first time the anime broke from the manga and did so effectively .
Episode 10: A New Face and a Christmas Eve Moment
Episode 10, the most recent episode in this batch, aired September 10, 2026 . It introduces Obata, the nervous chief of the produce section. Obata is anxious and eager to please, and he is completely overwhelmed by Goto, the store manager .
The episode takes place on Christmas Eve. Sasaki finds Daigoro the dog jumping on Obata near a spilled box of tangerines. Sasaki helps him and offers simple encouragement. Obata is deeply moved, seeing Sasaki as a source of light in his stressful life .
Obata’s dynamic with Goto mirrors Sasaki’s relationship with Yamada—a quiet, admiring connection that neither person fully expresses. The Fandom Post review gave the episode an A grade, calling Obata “a great member of the cast” and noting the lighter tone was welcome after several emotionally heavy episodes .
The episode ends with a brief but meaningful exchange. Yamada suggests Sasaki will soon be able to smoke with any employee. Sasaki replies that the only person he wants to smoke with is Tayama. Yamada beams, and the moment reveals how much his words matter to her .
The episode’s broadcast coincided with a pop-up shop that sold out completely. Fans celebrated online as merchandise disappeared .
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Where to Watch and What Comes Next
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You streams on Crunchyroll and Netflix . The anime is produced by Asahi Production, directed by Rihito Suzuki and Aoi Mori, with Takuya Sato voicing Sasaki and Seena Hoshiki voicing Yamada/Tayama .
A second season has been announced, though no release date has been confirmed yet.
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