Crunchyroll just added 12 mini-episodes of this brilliant romance anime

1 week ago 7

Published Jun 4, 2026, 1:16 PM EDT

Immerse yourself in the charming early episodes of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You

An adult man and woman share a tender moment in Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You

This year’s summer anime slate is absolutely stacked, boasting several highly anticipated titles to choose from. On the romance front, the adaptation of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You (which began as a webcomic) has the potential to become one of the best genre entries of 2026. Although this slice-of-life story won't begin airing until July, Crunchyroll just added 12 mini-episodes to the platform ahead of the official premiere.

Each short-form episode is roughly 10 to 15 minutes, functioning as a partial sneak peek into the charming, noir-tinted world of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You. These mini-episodes introduce us to overworked salaryman Sasaki, whose everyday routine of visiting the local supermarket is pleasantly disrupted by an invitation from a stranger. The stranger in question is the mysterious Tamaya, who invites Sasaki to smoke with her behind the store where the bubbly service worker, Yamada, works.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Tayama

While genre anime like The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity or Hana-Kimi have succeeded in spelling out the nuances of adolescent love, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You plunges audiences into the monotonous reality of adulthood. Connections can be fleeting in a world geared to winning the corporate rat race, so a chance encounter rooted in grounded vulnerability makes for a refreshing premise. Romantic love isn’t the primary destination here, as Sasaki and Tamaya build a strong foundation of trust before giving in to emotions that bloom with time.

The official synopsis for Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is as follows:

“Sasaki is an overworked salaryman drifting through the corporate grind, sustained by cigarettes and the cheerful service and smile of Yamada, the clerk at his favorite supermarket. But one night after a grueling shift, he arrives late to find Yamada nowhere to be seen. With nowhere left to smoke, his spirits sink—until a pierced young woman calls out to him: ‘You can smoke here.’”

The early episodes are the best way to gauge individual interest in this upcoming romance anime, which will premiere in July and follow a weekly schedule as a part of Crunchyroll’s summer anime lineup. An official release date hasn’t been announced yet.