Description
In present-day Japan, 45-year-old office worker Sasaki finds some relief from exhausting workdays in cigarettes and the cheerful service of supermarket cashier Yamada. When she is absent one evening, a pierced employee named Tayama invites him to smoke behind the store. Her teasing manner contrasts with his earnest, self-effacing replies, and their brief encounters become a habit.
The romance grows slowly through everyday conversations, small favors, and misunderstandings about how people see one another. The contrast between work personas and private selves drives much of the humor. The mood is mostly warm and gently funny, with a melancholy edge as loneliness, low self-worth, and painful past experiences surface.
Pros
- Playful banter gives the leads strong chemistry.
- Everyday kindness makes the adult cast’s work stress and loneliness feel personal.
Cons
- Sasaki’s obliviousness and repeated misunderstandings can make the romance feel drawn out.
- The large age gap between the adult leads may be off-putting.
Awards
Main characters
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Sasaki
佐々木
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Yamada
山田
