2 Summer 2026 Anime Are Turning Heads for Their Weirdness (& Raising Eyebrows for Their Content)

As spring ends and summer approaches, it looks like a great season for anime fans! Like the earlier parts of the year, we’ll see both returning favorites and plenty of brand new shows. Everyone is excited about the final part of the popular series Bleach, but some of the new anime coming out this season are also really promising – particularly two shows that have a lot in common.

This summer, two anime series, Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You and Chainsmoker Cat, are generating buzz. As their titles suggest, both shows center around smoking, a clearly unhealthy habit, which might make them inappropriate for younger viewers. However, their appeal lies in their realistic and relatable slice-of-life stories. These anime delve into everyday experiences and human nature, making them potentially captivating watches, for better or worse.

2 Summer 2026 Anime Are Embracing Smoking and Adult Struggles

What makes Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You stand out is its mature take on the romantic comedy genre. Unlike many anime that center on high school romance, this series focuses on the connection between a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s. He’s feeling burnt out at work, and she brings a spark of joy to his life. There’s an interesting twist, though: he meets her in a different guise – as a trendy young woman – and they bond over cigarettes behind the supermarket. The anime tackles adult themes and experiences, offering a fresh and unique story compared to typical modern romance anime.

Although depicting tobacco use isn’t perfect, the anime Smoking Behind the Supermarket With You uses it to create a more relatable and emotionally honest portrayal of adulthood, and is clearly intended for mature viewers. In contrast, Chainsmoker Cat features a cat girl – suggesting they’re commonplace in its universe – who is addicted to cigarettes and spends her final funds on them. What sets this anime apart is its unusual blend of fantasy, appealing character design, fan service, and a focus on a harmful habit. Adding to its appeal is the high-quality, polished animation, already making it one of the most visually impressive anime releases this year.

The announcement of these anime has led to online discussion, with fans wondering why shows with such unique concepts are getting full adaptations. However, these kinds of series offer something often missing in anime. Although the premise of Chainsmoker Cat seems odd, it actually deals with the challenges of adulthood and is clearly made for mature viewers, using smoking as a key element. While these two Summer 2026 anime might initially seem strange or pointless, they could help expand the kinds of stories anime tells. If using smoking attracts an older audience, that’s a deliberate creative decision. However, younger viewers should be careful, as the shows could be seen as promoting smoking – something entertainment should never do, even if it’s trying to be groundbreaking.

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2026-06-02 15:10