Our lovely little series about two cutie smokers concludes with a work trip, reflections, and maybe an inch or two closer in the distance between Sasaki and Tamaya.
The Shift
Something’s up with Sasaki. He’s usually clueless, of course, but he’s taking it to another level—forgetting things and walking into a pole (twice!). Tamaya also notices that Sasaki has been wearing a nice watch that he usually doesn’t. What does all this mean? Well, something important—and she’s going to press Sasaki to go figure it out.
The Smoke Break
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is, at heart, a typical anime romcom, but stylistically, it exudes a strong noir feel. Most of the meaningful events happen late at night, everyone smokes, the colors are muted, and Tamaya is a mysterious, “dangerous” woman (at least to the clean-cut Sasaki). The music, which I’ve mentioned multiple times, works with the cigarette smoke to create a space where Tamaya and Sasaki can have secret meetings where romance and danger (again, at least to Sasaki) are in the air.
That feel helps create a strong feeling of nostalgia and care for the characters, even though we don’t know a lot about them personally. Well, in the final episode, we learn a little more about one of them (even though it’s still left mostly mysterious). Sasaki is respected in the office and feels more confident there, certainly, than he does with Tamaya, but this entire episode shows him more vulnerable than he’s ever been as he expresses regret at failing his mentor. Again, back to the classic noir feel with flashbacks and feelings of guilt and disillusionment as Sasaki wonders if he should meet again with his old friend.
Although we still don’t really learn much about Sasaki—the exact blunder he committed is never told and as with other people in his personal life, the mentor isn’t even given a face—we care deeply about him and Tamaya by this point. The show has so connected us to these two characters whose backgrounds and personal lives outside of work and the smoking area we barely know.
This episode works as a nice conclusion for this season, too, because Sasaki’s personal event leads to Tamaya thinking more deeply about her feelings for him. She wonders if she’s overstepping her bounds in banning Sasaki until he takes care of the situation with his mentor, but isn’t what she’s really asking herself, “What does he mean to me?” Meanwhile, Sasaki seems to be valuing Tamaya more and more, indicated in this episode by telling his crush, Yamada, that he’ll tell Tamaya a message himself rather than asking her to convey it.
After the Smoke Clears
“So, what is she to you?”
As Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You concludes, our two smokers are lightly confronted with their growing relationship with and care for one another. The final episode was lovely, and avoided pushing the two together too quickly. This series is a slow burn, which is part of why it’s been so fantastic.
I’m going to miss it greatly! Let’s hope we get a season two announcement soon, and that it won’t be too long before it airs!
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
©Jinushi/SQUARE ENIX, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Production Committee
