Anime Fans Welcome Crunchyroll’s First New 10/10 Series

For a while, Isekai and Shōnen anime dominated the anime scene. Isekai series often focused on ordinary people being sent to another world, where they gained new powers, explored fantasy worlds, and faced dangerous enemies. Shōnen anime, meanwhile, usually features young heroes, intense battles, strong friendships, powerful abilities, and big goals. These shows became popular because they offered exciting stories and high stakes. However, after years of seeing similar stories and characters, some fans began to get tired of the same formulas. Viewers started looking for something different, leading to growing interest in other types of anime and stories.

Summer 2026 has brought an interesting anime that has already won over fans. Unlike the action-heavy Isekai and Shōnen anime that often focus on powerful enemies, unrealistic battles, and world-changing stakes, this series takes a more relaxed approach. It does not need constant danger or huge battles to keep viewers interested. Instead, its fun characters, simple story, humor, and enjoyable moments make it easy to watch. Available on Crunchyroll, the anime has quickly won hearts and shown that sometimes, viewers just want a fun story they can enjoy.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Is Summer 2026’s Best Anime

©Jinushi/SQUARE ENIX,Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Production Committee

The anime, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, is based on the popular Japanese manga of the same name. The manga is written and illustrated by Jinushi and Sasaki, a man in his 40s and a supermarket cashier, Yamada, as their lives slowly become connected through Sasaki’s visits to a local supermarket. The story originally started as a web comic posted on Twitter in March 2022. It later became a serialized manga in Square Enix’s Monthly Big Gangan magazine in August 2022. Since then, the manga has gained a strong following, helping the anime attract attention from fans who were already familiar with the story. On June 3, Japanese streaming platform ABEMA released a special early version of the first six episodes. To mark the early release, ABEMA-exclusive also shared special opening and ending videos were released. These versions feature different songs and animation. The special opening theme, “Kuzuri Nen,” is performed by Zutomayo, while the special ending theme, “NIGHT DANCER,” is performed by imase. You can check the official trailer below:

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You ​​​​​​adaptation premiered in July 2026, much to the happiness of fans who were looking for a refreshing and different kind of story. Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You ​​​​​​combines several genres, including Seinen, slice-of-life, and romcom. The Seinen tag reflects its more mature characters and themes, while the slice-of-life elements focus on the small moments of everyday life. Romance slowly develops between Sasaki and Yamada, while the comedy keeps the story light and enjoyable. Together, these genres give the anime a relaxed and refreshing feel. Additionally, the 7 episodes, as seen on Crunchyroll at the time of writing this article, are around 23 minutes long, making the series an easy and quick watch.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You follows Sasaki, a tired corporate salaryman who spends most of his days working long hours. His daily life is stressful and repetitive, leaving him with very little time to relax. One of the few things Sasaki looks forward to is visiting his favorite supermarket, Super S, where he sees Yamada, a cheerful clerk who always greets him with a smile. Her friendly nature makes his long and tiring days feel a little better. Their conversations give Sasaki something to look forward to. However, one night, Sasaki arrives at the supermarket after another long day at work. It is late, and he expects to see Yamada behind the counter. Instead, she is nowhere to be found. He then encounters a woman named Tayama, who is actually Yamada in disguise. Yamada’s two different personalities allow her to help Sasaki with both his personal struggles and his love life.

While pretending to be Tayama, Yamada helps Sasaki, an older man, with a lot of things. She gradually becomes more comfortable around him while keeping her real identity a secret. Sasaki has no idea that Tayama and Yamada are the same person, which creates many funny moments. Their playful relationship gives the anime a light and funny side. Sasaki is also an older protagonist, which makes Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You more interesting. Unlike the usual young high school leads in romance anime, Sasaki is an adult dealing with work, stress, loneliness, and love, which resonates with older, mature viewers. His age makes his problems feel more relatable and gives the romance a more mature feel.

The chemistry between Sasaki and Yamada is the emotional core of Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You​​​​​. What makes their relationship even more interesting is that they do not spend a lot of time together. Their conversations are usually short, but these small moments slowly bring them closer. Unlike many high school romance anime, where the main characters spend a lot of time together, Sasaki and Yamada’s interactions are brief. Their relationship grows through short conversations and small moments. This makes their romance feel slower and more natural. Since they do not see each other all that much, even their simple meetings feel special.

Per the official Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You ​​​​​description available on Crunchyroll:

On the other hand, Square Enix, which publishes Jinushi’s original manga in English, describes Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You ​​​​​ as: “At age forty-five, office worker Sasaki has had enough of the corporate grind. His only solace is smoking-and the friendly smile of supermarket cashier Yamada. When Sasaki can’t find Yamada after a particularly trying day, a striking woman invites him to smoke with her. The despondent man thinks he’s made a new smoking buddy in the cool, teasing Tayama, but Sasaki doesn’t realize he already knows her!”

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Is A Slow-Burning Romance Between Two Adults

While Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You has been compared to series like Don’t Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro, it has its own style. Both anime focus on relationships that grow through simple conversations and everyday moments. However, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You has a more relaxed and mature story. Instead of following high school students, it focuses on adults dealing with work and daily life. The romance between Sasaki and Yamada is also a slow burn. They do not fall in love quickly. Their relationship grows slowly through small meetings and simple conversations, making their romance feel natural and enjoyable.

Masato Suzuki and Aoi Mori are directing Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You at Asahi Production. Mio Inoue, known for My Awkward Senpai, is handling the series composition, while Tomoka Otaki, known for A Galaxy Next Door, is working on the character designs. The music is being composed by Shin Kono and Sayaka Aoki.

Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You ​​​​is available on Crunchyroll as part of its 2026 lineup with Japanese, English, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese audio. Viewers can also choose from a wide range of subtitle options, including English, German, Latin American Spanish, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Arabic.