Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You Volumes 2-6 Manga Review

How important is relationship progression to you regarding your enjoyment of romantic comedy manga? Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You's author Jinushi seems to have taken more than a few leaves out of the Rumiko Takahashi book of “one step forward, two steps back” style of storytelling. Six volumes in, our central couple is really not much closer to embarking on a relationship than they were at the start. Yet if we remember Maison Ikkoku, one of my favorite romance manga, the central couple does eventually sort out their communication problems by the end of its fifteen-volume run. I suspect Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You will be similar, as I can't foresee a future where these two doofuses don't end up happily ever after together.

Sasaki and Yamada/Tayama's lack of concrete relationship development sometimes feels more akin to a halting high school romance than a dalliance between adults. I guess there are probably publication guidelines that might prevent a high school romance manga centered around an adolescent couple's shared love of (and harmful addiction to) nicotine.

Sasaki's a very awkward 45-year-old man who works far too many hours, is exasperated and put upon by a demanding boss, and feels that his career is a failure. He's constantly self-deprecating and feels that he doesn't deserve love and attention from anyone. That's relatable, and I think that people can feel that way at any age. It's not like he's never been in a relationship before; there are flashback scenes that show him with his ex. However, lately, he's spent too much time alone in his own head and has no expectations of happiness. He's a simple man without artifice; he doesn't pretend to be anyone other than who he is, and that sometimes gets him into trouble at work.

Yamada, by comparison, is a much younger 24-year-old, which means Sasaki is old enough to be her father, and this may turn off some readers. Yet Sasaki is far from a predator. If anything, it's Yamada that stalks and messes with him. He reminds her of an older man who once inspired her at the beginning of her retail career (almost certainly Sasaki himself, though neither of them currently realizes it). Yamada previously struggled to plaster on a smile for her customers' benefit, but now she can wear this mask with ease, and Sasaki is drawn to her seemingly sunny sincerity. But when she lets her hair down, dons her choker and leather jacket, and slips a cigarette between her lips, she allows her own personality to shine. Sasaki is drawn to that part of her, too, hence his frequent visits to meet with her during her breaks.

Much of the manga depicts the two main characters passing the time together in the late evening, cigarettes perpetually held between their fingers or in their mouths. It stretches credulity that Sasaki remains so dense as to be unaware of the magnetic Miss Tayama's true identity as his unattainable idol, Yamada. By the end of the sixth volume, there are hints that he's beginning to suspect something, so I can only hope that this plot thread evolves into something more substantial in later volumes.

In Sasaki's defense, Tayama and Yamada do look quite different from one another – in terms of hairstyle, dress, posture, and personality. It's almost plausible that someone could mistake them for different people… for a little while. These volumes cover about a year and a half of story time, so I don't think this central conceit can be perpetuated for much longer without it becoming completely ridiculous.

One strategy that author Jinushi employs, Takahashi-style, with mixed effect, is to extend the cast, mainly by focusing on Yamada's fellow employees at the supermarket. Manager Goto, who was introduced in the first volume, remains a lot of fun. She enjoys eavesdropping on Sasaki and “Tayama” and has a fondness for shojo manga and romance in general. Tall but shy, Obata is the head of the produce department and looks up to Sasaki as some kind of mentor. Later volumes introduce the younger woman Kawakami, who idolizes Yamada and sees Sasaki as an enemy. Initially, she seems like a plot device to introduce excessive complications, but she has an interesting backstory of her own, as do most of the supporting cast, yet the chapters that focus on them feel like they're needlessly padding out the manga's length.

I get that once a mangaka stumbles upon a winning formula for a series, they're encouraged to continue for as long as possible. However, I wonder if that's such a great idea for a manga based on such a relatively flimsy premise. Don't get me wrong – I do really like Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You, but I worry for its longevity. It started as a web comic with short, punchy chapters, but since official serialization, the chapter length has increased, allowing for more detailed character work. Overall, this is a good thing, though when it focuses too much on characters other than the central romance, it stumbles.

It's getting to the point now where Yamada needs to own up to Sasaki about the truth and allow their relationship to progress more organically. They're interesting enough characters now that Yamada's lies are no longer needed to prop up the story. In fact, they may be actively harming her chances of happiness with the man she's obviously falling in love with. These two deserve to get to know one another without the crutch of artifice, and I hope that can happen soon.