To begin with, let me say that I find smoking cigarettes (or really, any form of inhaling nicotine, be it through cigars, e-cigarettes, or snuff) to be disgusting. It’s not simply the numerous terrible health effects, the repulsive smell of tobacco smoke, or even the death-mongering tobacco firms’ vile propaganda directed towards young people. No, smoking had a direct negative impact on my loved ones, and I still mourn them.
It seems strange that I would accept to evaluate a manga with two characters that converse only over a carton of smokes and is purportedly about smoking. I’ll confess that I was hesitant, but good art has the ability to pique your interest and let you connect with people whose actions you disagree with. In both cases, Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is undoubtedly successful.
It’s not necessary to be a smoker to enjoy the communal nature of smoking and sharing something a little illegal with others. Since 2006, smoking has been prohibited in public areas (such as restaurants and bars) in Scotland. When spending a night out with friends, it’s common for half of the party to slip outside and gather in small groups to smoke their addiction sticks. The other half usually returns a short while later. There are moments when I wonder if that group might be having more interesting, private chats than those less scented pals who have gone to hang out in the more noisy, smoke-free pub.
A single cigarette shared between two people seems to evoke an intimate feeling, as if there’s some sort of chemical stimulation brought on by shared combustion. This is an uncommon instance of the “secondhand kiss” anime cliché, which isn’t often seen in middle-school romantic comedies for pretty obvious reasons. But, in an early chapter, when the cunning Tayama entices Sasaki with such intimate closeness, he withdraws like a normal bashful middle schooler.
The afterword by author Jinushi states that they drew this manga in part because they liked how smoking is portrayed as “cool” in popular culture. Unquestionably cool, Tayama has a long, straight bangs that cover her vaguely expressionless eyes. She also has a small white stick sticking out of her mouth. But Sasaki seemed worn out. (Note: I’m sure it’s not intentional, but this Sasaki looks a lot like his similarly-aged, similarly employed office-dwelling namesake from the TV anime Sasaki and Peeps, which is currently airing.)
Your enjoyment of this comic will depend not just on how well you handle the many portrayals of smoking but also on how artificial the relationship between Sasaki and Tayama is. Of course, the angelic Yamada and the earthly Tayama are the same person, but Sasaki is too blind to see this. Although Yamada’s Tayama personality looks to be the complete opposite, Sasaki has elevated Yamada to such an extreme that she is practically an impenetrable ideal of a woman. By taking off her hair clip, exposing her tied-up hair, donning a black leather choker and jacket, and exposing her ear piercings, Yamada transforms into her Tayama persona. While Tayama appears to be someone his parents would advise him to stay away from, Yamada appears to be someone a younger Sasaki could bring home and show his parents. It’s the Clark Kent/Superman phenomenon. Never undervalue the benefits that a well-chosen hair clip can provide.
Tayama’s comedic nature and obvious relish in tampering with the (as she puts it, “so weird” Sasaki do assist. She keeps dropping clever clues about who she really is, but Sasaki never seems to notice. He spends a lot of time with Tayama, but they talk about his feelings for Yamada for the most part of it, which makes things emotionally complex. Tayama (and the reader) discover that it’s that mildly devious, slightly sinister thrill that is just as addicting as smoking cigarettes.
After learning from his physician that smoking-related lung damage is shown on his x-ray, Sasaki decides to kick the habit and never see Tayama again. In a scene that gave me the worst emotional whiplash I’ve had in a long time, Sasaki realizes something went wrong and he can continue smoking because his lungs are fine! Cheers… Perhaps they ought to advance to sharing a pack of nicotine replacement gum? This is not the best foundation for a romantic partnership.
In later chapters, Sasaki laments the drastic decline in socially acceptable locations for smokers to smoke in public and examines how smokers today have become social outcasts after his awful boss accuses him of stinking up the office—a claim that is probably true. To be honest, I didn’t feel very sorry for him there.
It’s also important to discuss Yamada’s belief that she must adopt two distinct identities. There’s an intriguing flashback chapter when she’s just starting her job at the supermarket, trying to put on a smile, and getting negative comments from an irate middle-aged man. Perhaps this is a commentary on the expectations placed on women in Japanese society. I wonder if she really is the “real” Yamada, or is it more complicated than that? She has a Tayama personality. I hope that more of her forced dualism will be covered in later volumes.
Jinushi’s artwork may be straightforward and practical, but the face expressions—particularly Tayama’s menacing grins—are spot-on. The way Jinushi manages her transformation nearly makes it seem as though she is two distinct individuals. For example, her eyes seem more buried and enigmatic beneath her bangs than they do when she is working. Every character is immediately identifiable, and the arrival of the vaguely menacing Goto, the store manager, is a hilarious source of mayhem in subsequent chapters.
Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You is a charming, occasionally wickedly amusing, slow-burning love comedy despite its problematic, smokey premise. The best way to enjoy it is to put aside cynicism and refrain from passing judgment on the main characters’ choices of joint activities. Maybe in the world of comics, our favorite couple won’t have to worry about developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Do not feel that you have to imitate them in the actual world.
