Last Updated: THU Jul 30, 2026 — NOTE: these guides have been written by Humans, not AIs.
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This EPISODE adapts THREE MANGA chapters of VOL#1» Smokes #10 + 13 + 14 (in that order) and is equivalent to the miniepisodes 7+8.
EPISODE 4 - PART 1 » Smoke 11A Smartphone for Sasaki »
What time of the year are we in?
It is the so-called “Golden Week” in Japan—April 29 to May 6. One of the articles in the newspaper talks about a giant Carp streamer, other is entitled “Let’s Build a Great Town”.
Those big fish streamers (koinobori) are flown during late spring to celebrate Children’s Day (May 5th) 🎏
Suzuki’s cute relationship with his wife.
His wife Keiko sends him really cute messages to wish him a good day at work! And he is so appreciative of her food.
«Today’s lunch looks amazing»
What is OINE?
It is the parody brand for LINE, the predominant messaging social network in Japan.
So… our good-hearted guy now HAS to buy a smartphone, and guess who will help him get the ropes of using it? 😉
Tayama, you know how to be a great teacher, so patient with your pupils…
New OPENING » TRIVIA
The 4 seasons represented in the intro sequence —plus other tips— suggest we will see almost a full year pass by during this anime 12-episode season.
Smoking by your side and having such fun… all throughout the seasons!
PART II — I can't use this kind of phoneA funny scene in the train
Sasaki first fears for every possible scam and mobile threat he has heard about on the news: and ends up taking a selfie with everyone around… such amazing clumsiness!
All the possible scams and threats he has heard on the news come to haunt our prudent blue-suited guy.
Tayama’s outfit for today…
…includes matching turquoise jacket + shorts, with a black t-shirt and matching small boots. More comfortable and in line with the forthcoming summer fashion!
He wears glasses?
Apparently this is the first time he uses them in front of our red-haired girl. If those are reading glasses (he’s farsighted) he doesn’t need them except when he’s at work —or reading small text on labels probably.
WARNING: SPOILER FROM THE MANGA. DOES YAMADA LIKE HOW SASAKI LOOKS WITH THEM ON? (click to reveal)
She DOES in fact. But he will not wear them often in her presence, a somewhat disappointing fact for her at times.
(See at the end of SMOKE 36 Interlude, here:)
» ONLY ON THE MANGA [Extra Story]. In the «After Smoke 10» we get a rare sight: Tayama wearing Sasaki’s glasses!
Did you notice?
Seeing Sasaki trying to get anything from reading a phone manual is such a “comically pathetic” moment!
But Tayama completes all lessons and tasks for him, including increasing the font size so he needs not to wear his glasses to read it al the time…
PART III - Yamada prepares for workFUN FACT
Yamada loves RAMEN so much, she even has set it as her phone wallpaper!
Her ritual to do her hair and get ready for the cash line work —is beautifully represented in this lovely day-to-day scene with music.
» ONLY ON THE MANGA [Extra Story]. In the «After Smoke 11» We can check the step by step process. Also, GOTO also asks her what’s her secret to shorten her hair. A secret she’s not ready to reveal just yet! 🤫
The miniEP 7 ends like this, with Yamada smiling at the photo she sneakily took Sasaki the night before… he is really becoming her absolute fix to endure the day, her true pick-me-up, isn’t he?
» END of miniEPisode 7 and MANGA Chapter 11.
PART IV - The PERSONALITY Brand TESTSuzuki is always proud of being the ideal husband for Keiko.
But, it seems fun & young, let’s see how this plays out with Tayama-san, shall we Sasaki?
Sasaki and his best intentions with this personality test… paving the way to hell?
But of course though she sometimes gets suggestive with Sasaki (for fun mostly), Yamada/Tayama is not into “dirty talk”.
Then, the two-faced Tayama/Yamada the test indicates… those are the Dark and Light sides of her!
Sasaki is always a “sorry view”
SASAKI has put down at lightning speed his objects and glasses on the table, and kneels to apologise?
He has been so swift at it, that Tayama asks: «Where’d your cigarette and glasses go?»
Awwww… our good-hearted but naive guy thinks she, Tayama, has a soft side to her.
An enthusiastic Sasaki tells her: «You act all aloof, but you’re really nice!»
So everything ends well after this messy situation. Well, except we have seen the “dark Yamada” burning up in anger when realizing again how DENSE Sasaki can be.
MANGA vs. ANIME
» ONLY ON THE MANGA [Extra Story]. In the «After Smoke 13» Sasaki scolds Suzuki for making him think it was a great idea to mention the cigarette brand test to younger people… explaining how an unnamed woman yanked his tie because of that…!
But of course Tayama/Yamada was not upset for the test itself…
PART V - Back at the SuperAgain those Mochi (OKAKI) crackers!
That music reminds me of…
All along that scene, we can hear on the background the melody of “Fig Jam” the NEW OPENING song by Zutomayo —on its supermarket “instrumental version” of course!!! 🎶 🤣 (On the mini-episodes it was another Zutomayo song that played here “Kuzuri”).
The only appearance of Manager GOTO in this episode is brief but shows (again) how alert she is about any development in the Yamada<>Sasaki relationship.
In the manga, GOTO is replenishing the OKAKI crackers, but on the anime she is moving another kind of sacks, while sniffing around those two “love birdies”.
» This next part adapts manga chapter (smoke) 14.
PART VI - A HOT afternoon.Visiting a nameless client and bringing him a gift— this is an ANIME-only scene not present in the manga.
A heat wave…?
The weather is summer-like in those later days of May, with over 30º celsius (86 Fº)
Heading back home, Sasaki feels envious of a little kid having an ice cream, so he decides to buy some at the Super.
(this little fella APPEARs in the manga).
SASAKI is going to meet the “summer version” of Yamada’s work outfit.
She’s so pr… ecious! (yeah)
What’s the meaning of this phrase…?
«But the store was such a low-cortisol zone that it cooled me down plenty».
On the manga it reads as: BUT THE STORE WAS FULL OF NEGATIVE IONS, SO I INSTANTLY FELT REFRESHED.
Negative ions are tiny electrically charged particles often associated with places like waterfalls, beaches, and mountain air, which people describe as feeling refreshing. A notion more suited for an older person, so logically, Tayama/Yamada does not get what Sasaki is referring to.
Also, there was a nice AC system at the SUPER, that contributed much to Sasaki’s feeling refreshed, but of course Yamada knows what did HELP him the most!
Curious detail: a lot of ICE CREAM is being sold these days at the Super!
Look for the mischievous Tayama…
Can you find these expressions from her during the second part of the episode?
Expectations vs Reality
Tayama thinks Sasaki is going to fluster at the sight of her belly… but he is much like a grandpa: worried about her getting cold around it!
“Belly of the Beauty” (not the beast).
MANGA vs ANIME
Both sides of Sasaki’s “tastes”
So “memeable” right…?
«Shut up, arm man!»
MANGA vs ANIME
Later, at Yamada’s apartment
She lives not far from the Supermarket, so she can walk daily to work and back.
WARNING: BIG SPOILER FROM THE MANGA. WILL SHE WALK ALONE HOME ALWAYS? (click to reveal)
At some point Sasaki will walk her home —back from work— for a while at least. With some great interactions between them on their way there.
What does Yamada eat/drink and how caloric is it?
There are TWO plastic bowls of Deep-fried flavored spicy noodles, and the label indicates they are 603 kcal per meal (134g each)!!
The blue can is «Lemon Sour» with Alcohol, a drink with 46 calories per 100ml with some sugar added.
So… no wonder she is worried about getting “flabby arms” with the kind of nourishment she ingests.
Where in the MANGA ?—THIS last part of the episode is an extended adaptation of the AFTER SMOKE 14, that states that she has probably misunderstood Sasaki’s words.
END of EPISODE 04NEW ENDING lyrics »
The chorus on the song goes (translation):
Fiction / Non-fiction
There might be some truth here and there
Fiction / Non-fiction
The truth and the lie, all of them
Looking for the part of you I still don’t know about
So many things to talk about, time passes by
This world in sideways, gets dark before I realize
Ah, I hope to see you again tomorrow at this same place
Good-bye…
NEXT EPISODE 5️⃣ Hanging Behind the Supermarket with You
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