Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is the 2026 anime hit that few fans saw coming. This anime started as a quiet little romance about an overworked office worker and a supermarket cashier who is cool and kind, but it soon became one of the most talked-about adaptations of the year.
No swords, no magic, just two people bonding over cigarette breaks behind a store. Sounds simple, right? That’s exactly why it’s working. While it was mostly unknown to the mainstream anime community, manga fans were crazy about it. Let’s take a look at why this anime deserves the title of the dark horse of 2026.
1. The Premise of the Anime Is Grounded Yet Refreshing
-
Credit: Asahi Production -
Credit: Asahi Production -
Credit: Asahi Production
-
Credit: Asahi Production -
Credit: Asahi Production -
Credit: Asahi Production
There is no big twist in this anime other than the fact that the cashier is the same girl who smokes behind the supermarket. The story is as simple as it gets, with a middle-aged character who is completely burnt out and has nothing much to look forward to in his life. A character like this often ends up resonating really hard with the audience.
And the premise that the characters are doing nothing but smoking and having interesting everyday conversations doesn’t sound like it would work for an entire anime. But the way the author makes it work is truly refreshing, as not a single episode feels repetitive.
2. It Won a Major Manga Award Before the Anime Was Even Announced
This isn’t a case of a studio manufacturing hype out of nothing. Long before the anime was even a conversation, the manga had already proven itself to be worthy. It won the 2022 Next Manga Award in the web category, a recognition given to standout digital-first titles in Japan.
That’s a real stamp of quality from an award that predates any anime buzz, streaming deal, or trailer. So when people call this show a dark horse, it’s not just because it’s flying under the radar now; it’s because the source material earned its reputation the hard way, years before a studio ever got involved.
3. It’s the Slow-Burn Romance Standing Out in a Crowded 2026 Lineup
2026 has been full of many amazing anime, including big-budget sequels such as Wistoria: Wand and Sword, action-heavy anime such as Jujutsu Kaisen, and modern fantasy masterpieces like Witch Hat Atelier. One thing common about all of these shows is that a lot of them had a pre-existing international fanbase.
Against all this, a slow-burn anime shouldn’t really stand a chance. It should’ve been really difficult to even get a proper television airing slot considering how many amazing anime we got to see this year already. And yet, this anime came out of nowhere and stole everyone’s heart. Instead of trying to out-spectacle the competition, it’s leaning all the way into its quiet, character-driven pacing, and that contrast is exactly what’s making people stop scrolling and actually check it out.
4. Its Rollout and Soundtrack Are Already Generating Buzz on Their Own
The show isn’t just relying on word of mouth once it airs; its marketing has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting too. The opening themes, “Ichijiku Kemuri” and “Kuzuri Nen,” come from rock band ZUTOMAYO. This group has previously delivered “Time Left”, which was the ending theme for Chainsaw Man, and “TAIDADA” for Dandadan. In contrast, the ending themes, “Fiction” and “NIGHT DANCER,” are performed by musician imase. Both artists already carry serious pull with anime and J-music fans.
On top of that, the rollout itself was unusual: the first 6 episodes were split into 12 ten-minute mini-episodes and released early on ABEMA and Crunchyroll back in June, weeks ahead of the full TV premiere. That kind of early access strategy kept this anime in conversation well before its official debut, which is a big part of why it’s already outperforming expectations.
5. Nobody Expected a Twitter Webcomic to Become This Big
This is by far the biggest reason that makes this anime so unique. Before it was even a manga, a bestseller, or an anime streaming on Crunchyroll, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You was just a webcomic that was posted on Twitter starting in March 2022. There was no publisher backing it, no big marketing push, just chapters going up online and slowly finding an audience.
It wasn’t until August 2022 that Square Enix picked it up for official serialization in Monthly Big Gangan. That kind of jump is rare, and it’s a big part of why the anime’s current success feels so earned. Nobody was planning for a self-published webcomic to end up with a TV anime, a stacked soundtrack, and an award-winning manga behind it, but here we are.
| TITLE | Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You |
| RELEASE DATE | Jul 10, 2026 |
| MAL RATING (as of Aug 2, 2026) | 8.38 / 10 |
| STUDIO | Asahi Production |
| STREAMING | Crunchyroll |
What are your thoughts on this anime so far? Let us know in the comments.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is streaming on Crunchyroll.
