Variety is in the spice aisle of the supermarket, so they say. Given that it started out as a twitter gaga manga, there are definitely times when Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari groans a bit under the strain of trying to be a real story. As such diversification is a good thing. A lot of characters who I suspect were never supposed to exist or, at the very least, were planned to be background players have to step up and help shoulder the load. The series is definitely better for having them around and giving us a break from the running gag that is the central pair (at this point of the story).

Enter Obata-kun. I’m pretty sure we’ve seen him in the background a time or two, but he finally enters the story for real this week. We meet him weeping over a spilled box of tangerines, which Daigorou-san is apparently responsible for. This is a potential public emergency – think of the kotatsu if mikan supply dried up. Fortunately Sasaki-san never met a situation he didn’t want to help with, and he steps in to offer assistance. It’s immediately pretty clear that Obata has serious social anxiety, which makes a customer service job a seemingly odd choice.

I’m not sure why Sasaki felt he had to confirm Okata-kun’s misapprehension that he was a condiment sales rep, but that’s the premise for the two of them sitting down for a smoke (because you know, everyone smokes except for Daigorou and the old lady). It’s awkward at first, but Obata clearly responds to the idea of a kindly older dude he can confide to. He’s well aware of his shortcomings and rather than pretend they don’t exist, tries to make up for them by focusing on what he’s good at – which is why he became the produce chief. That’s highly admirable, and Sasaki is both sharp and kind enough to realize that and praise the kid for it.

We get a rare bit of Yamada-Sasaki interaction here, as she flashes a burst of jealousy over him smoking with anyone else (he makes it clear his heart is with Tayama). But the two of them are barely in this ep, really. It’s mostly Obata and Gotou, who Obata deeply admires and is probably crushing on. She’s something of a company legend, a hotshot who left a corporate job to go back to the front lines and has a rep of getting everything right. So when Obata happens upon her weeping in front of her PC, he’s naturally a bit alarmed.

Turns out she was crying over a manga, and is in fact a frustrated mangaka. That’s all well and good, but the point her is that her chats with Obata are really rather sweet. They’re obviously very different people in almost every way (including age) but they see the good in each other. Of course the idea of any romance between them is fraught with peril, given not just the differences but the work situation. Objectively, it’s a terrible idea. But as mentor and mentee and friends, the pair of them have a real charm (that “lean on you” really hit home) and make a nice break from the head-desk mistaken identity drama of the main couple. The supporting characters in Super no Ura are generally surprisingly good – and in a way, I think that’s the series’ real saving grace.