The Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide - See You Tomorrow at the Food Court

Wada is an honor student who keeps to herself and has an air of mystery around her. Yamamoto is an intimidating fashionista with dyed blond hair and a shortened skirt. Though this unlikely duo seems to have nothing in common, it's only during their daily meetings at the food court that they can be themselves.

See You Tomorrow at the Food Court is based on the manga series by Shinichirō Nariie. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Mondays.

A good relationship needs a strong dynamic, and there's one coming into relief between Yamamoto and Wada here. It's good to build up more depth beyond the bokke/tsukommi-esque routine they had in the first episode. It makes them and the food-court-shaped world they occupy feel more real and natural. It also gives viewers more to latch onto about these girls, personality-wise.

Yamamoto, for her part, has her own nuances beyond the archetype of "gyaru who's kind to people." She specifically comes off like she's regularly trying to be aware of other people's perspectives, understand them, and accommodate them. It means she notably doesn't default to taking Wada's "side" any time the latter starts rattling off a story about a slight or conflict she got involved in, and that, in turn, makes Yamamoto a good friend to Wada. When Wada starts trashing on a girl for her appearance and use of toilet paper, Yamamoto points out that as long as she's happy with her looks, it should be fine, and that Wada should just talk things out with her if she's bothered. It effectively sets up the little punch-line when the girl actually appears and saves the day with her toilet paper, because both Wada and the viewers have been made to keep their minds open.

Also, I just think it's funny that Yamamoto counters Wada's "gorilla face" comment by pointing out her resemblance to a monkey. She notices the big ol' ears these character designs have. Wada's tendency to jump to conclusions, both about others and her own feelings for them, means she benefits from Yamamoto's tempering influence. That's apparent in the gacha-game character she's found herself getting findommed by, and her attitude toward affection and relationships in general. Not to want her to get too dependent on someone, but she clearly needs someone like Yamamoto to rein her impulses in. The funny part is that Wada's leaps to decrying relationships at first and her appreciation for Yamamoto talking her through things both point to the fact that she might be figuring out an affection for Yamamoto herself. You'll get there eventually, Wada.

The soft presentation of all this still carries that grounded, conversational tone in Food Court. This is an anime that doesn't mind spending minutes on Yamamoto agonizingly observing Wada fail at a UFO catcher game. More solidly defining those character personalities lets the (comparatively) emotional moments resonate more, so the "aww" provoked when Yamamoto says or does something sweet for Wada—like finding out she was taking reduced shifts so they could hang out a little more—land even more nicely. There's already development being glimpsed in this simple little sit-and-chat show, and that's good. It lets the characters feel like they're growing, and growing closer together.

"Girl talk is a placebo," the gyaru Yamamoto posits partway through the premiere of See You Tomorrow at the Food Court. This is an anime built on slice-of-life girl talk, where Wada, the proper-looking other half of its conversational duo, calls out the rapidity of slice-of-life girl talk. So, it's a densely self-aware anime centered around its basic premise, with the point being to highlight how Yamamoto and Wada's conversations are just interesting enough to carry full-length episodes of a show like this.

Not that See You Tomorrow is getting too ambitious. This adaptation is only slated to run for half a season, which is probably for the best. Still, if the production of this anime tends toward modest and understated, there are still instances of trying to jazz up the conversations with little highlights. The sidebar about aliens is the first glimpse of that, and that's before Yamamoto gets one of her lines sweetly highlighting her affection for Wada as rainbow fireworks go off in the background. Oh yeah, this is going to be a yuri-flavored story, by the way.

Honestly, though, the component most carrying the proceedings is the healthy dose of face game from Wada. She's definitely the "funny" one in this boke and tsukkomi routine (one of the first things she's introduced with is getting her ass beat in the QRTs), though Yamamoto's deadpan delivery must not be underestimated. The most compelling part isn't how funny the conversations are, really, but how they keep up the interest level by naturally revealing details about the leads as they go. Wada's complaints about how she perceives points like the aforementioned girl talk lead Yamamoto to some salient societal points about why some girls choose to talk that way. The girls also comment on each other's style, with Yamamoto actually touching on the countercultural intentions of gyaru looks. Both girls get instances of tilting audience sympathy toward their given "side" of a conversation, which is good as the main/only vector of delivering characterization and "plot" in a show like this.

It can come off dry, but thus far cute in a funny way and funny in a cute way. I had to laugh at the Yamamoto incident, where she incidentally put on Wada's ugly sweater and then still wore it in the next conversation, a scene later. I feel like the atmosphere could be a little stronger, with the titular food court becoming more of a character in its own right. Currently, it's mostly getting by on oddly noticeable real-world food brands that make me wonder if some sort of sponsorship was involved here. But the chemistry between the two girls, as Yamamoto gives Wada nice lil' head-pats and they chat over the ending song intro about whether songs need intros—that's all endearing. The prospect of a full season of this might give me pause, but just six sweet weeks of wherever these discussions lead? This could be a cute enough pick-me-up, even if it's only a placebo.

It's hard to explain why I think I resonated with this episode a bit more than the original premiere. Whereas the first episode focused on the quantity over the quality of the jokes, this one pulled the heartstrings a bit more in terms of its humor and relatability. The episode relied a bit too much on the gacha jokes, as that ended up comprising about half the episode. On the plus side, the conversations and setup here were more about establishing the relationship between our two leads. Not only do we actually get some genuine backstory towards the end of the episode, but I feel like this episode establishes just how much this friendship runs deep.

Whether it's Wada's jealousy or Yamamoto finding just the right words to say to placate Wada's feelings, the conversations were effortless. Yamamoto was able to figure out why Wada was upset based on the conversation and context clues. It never turns into a fight, and the two genuinely want to spend more time together. This episode really does emphasize how precious this time is to the two of them, and they want to do their best to get the most out of it.

I even like some of the visual humor in here, like the constantly changing board post behind them, or all this setup with their classmate having a gorilla face, only for that classmate to show up, and we never actually see her face. That's a good setup and payoff. While the overall premise is a bit boring and won't surpass a certain level, this does a better job of maximizing everything great about the first episode.

Have you ever watched anime and felt like it could've just been a podcast? That's what it's like watching See You Tomorrow at the Food Court. That's not necessarily a bad thing because there is a certain level of appeal to just watching (or in some ways listening) to people go off on a random stream of consciousness. There is no big grand story; there isn't even really a lesson to be learned. We are just watching two people sit at a food court and talk about whatever random thing is going on in their lives at the time, like people complaining on Twitter.

There is certainly a relatability factor to that because all of these conversations are similar to ones that I've had with my friends. Hell, I've had some of these conversations as recently as the past couple of days. However, considering the medium that it's in, there comes a certain point where I worry that it feels like it's more work to watch a show like this than it would be to watch it passively. This is the kind of show that I wish were in English, so I could listen to it while I'm working on other things, because there's a part of me that wants to enjoy the dynamic between our two leads, as typical as it may be. It's a distinctly relaxing noise. Besides, the presentation isn't anything extraordinary, given that the locations are somewhat limited. While we do get the occasional animation flare here and there for the sake of a punchline, I didn't feel like I was getting much from looking at this frame by frame.

However, because I have to read the subtitles to actively watch it, there comes a certain point where enjoying the show feels like a bit of a drag. This feels like a show that should be a short series, where each segment could have been its five-minute episode. I think the show would have been much easier to digest and appreciate if we had gotten in like that instead of a twenty-minute-long collection of disjointed conversations. Again, there is a market for these types of shows, especially if you view them as a breather from other things that demand much more attention. However, unless the show excels in some other way, I find it hard to get into the enjoyment of it all.

I'm really not sure what there is to be said about this episode that I didn't already say in my review of the first episode. Either you're charmed by Wada and Yamamoto's food court chitchat, or you're not. It's not like this episode uncovered new dynamics or personality traits—except maybe that Wada gets jealous if she feels like someone else is taking Yamamoto's attention. But that's always the case in these kinds of shows, isn't it? Their time together is precious, and if something threatens that, then possessive feelings arise. Of course, everything is back to default by the end.

But it does invite the question, “Is this yuri?”

It's not yuri in that there is no textual romantic tension between Wada and Yamamoto—and it's unlikely any will develop. They're just two friends, hanging out and snacking on fast food after school while they talk about whatever pops into their heads. Even Wada's jealousy can be interpreted as purely platonic; she's worried about losing Yamamoto to other priorities. She's not upset because she thinks Yamamoto is smooching him but not her.

On the other hand, some will argue that a close relationship between two girls that can be interpreted to involve romantic attraction is enough to qualify as yuri. Yuri is more than just a love story between two girls. Even though they have completely different interests and outlooks in life, they clearly prioritize their time together. Such closeness between two very different people could be an indicator that there's something other than simple friendship happening. There is a level of kindness and caring between them—even as they occasionally tease one another—that hints at a connection that isn't just platonic. This push and pull of the gulf between their interests and the strength of that connection is in itself yuri to some—whether or not it leads to a shift in the nature of their relationship.

In short, whether or not it is yuri depends on not just how individual audience members interpret the text, but on how one defines the word “yuri” itself. And anyway, this season offers not just one but two indisputable yuri series that depict girls who are attracted to other girls in non-platonic ways, so See You at the Food Court need not be the subject of strenuous debate for anyone desperate for representation.

I've never really cared much for “girls sitting around talking about nothing” anime. My justification was that they always had a vaguely voyeuristic feel to them. The conversations weren't interesting, so the appeal had to be in feeling privy to the kind of chatter male audience members didn't generally get to join, right? After watching See You Tomorrow at the Food Court, however, I am forced to consider something else: maybe they just weren't the right conversations. Or maybe, they just needed to move to a place I've been before: the food court of an Aeon mall, eating KFC.

When my friends cheered out loud at the anime's announcement, I didn't understand. The description sounded like a hundred other shows. Two girls sitting and talking. Best friends but opposites. The gyaru is thoughtful and studious, while the unassuming one is lazy and judgmental. It's nothing I haven't seen a hundred times over. But in practice… I get it. The dialog, as they talk about anything and everything, snaps and sparkles. When Wada groans about an insipid conversation she overheard in line, complaining that it was so bad it gave her a headache, I felt her pain. While I don't get exactly why Yamamoto would love America in this day and age, the crunchy recording of “The Star Spangled Banner” sold the humor of the moment perfectly.

It helps that it has an animation team that understands how important character acting can be for selling these little slice-of-life series. Yeah, about 90% of the action is Wada and Yamamoto sitting at a booth, chit-chatting and looking at their phones. You could make a decent anime of that primarily using still frames. Or, you could put juice into the small gestures like Yamamoto putting down her phone to pat Wada's head and sell their importance. You could make Wada expressive and squishy to contrast with Yamamoto's stoicism, selling their personalities to enhance and reinforce what's being conveyed through dialogue.

And of course, you must make the food they're eating look delicious, even if it's humble food court fare. But that was never in question.

I think the best thing about shows like See You Tomorrow at the Food Court is that they offer all sorts of different ways to demonstrate the friendships between the characters you hang out with every week. When they end up falling back on the same old sitcom tropes, it can just feel tiring, but Food Court is doing a good job of giving Wada and Yamamoto interesting and unique things to do at their everyday hangout spot. The first episode didn't quite sell me on its ability to make a full, half-hour long episode out of what mostly felt like comic-strip scenes, but I think this episode does a much better job.

My favorite sequence of the week might be the very first one, where Yamamoto spies Wada obsessing over a crane game featuring the figure of that gacha-game hottie she was complaining about last time. It's a relatively subtle yet effective bit of physical comedy, watching Wada smush her face against the crane-game glass in frustration while Yamamoto watches awkwardly from the background—not knowing whether this is the kind of thing that a friend ought to intrude on. If the show can throw in even more scenes like this in between all of the talking in the cafeteria booths, I think it will be able to fill out its half-hour time slot just fine.

The other scenes are good, too, with each of them giving us more insight into the girls and their world through their constant conversation. Wada is definitely the louder personality—what with her constantly gossiping about other students and freaking out over gacha-game fanfiction—but her gyaru gal-pal is capable of saying a lot with just a little. The way she gently pushes back against her friend's tendency to be a little too judgmental of her peers feels very realistic, and makes her very likeable. Plus, she gets surprisingly emotional when she reads cute stories about adorable animals—and who can't relate to that?

Being a teacher has made it harder for me to get into a lot of anime like See You at the Food Court, because they end up making me feel like I'm just hanging around while a bunch of teenagers goof off and kill time—which I already get plenty of at my day job. This one, though, manages to thread the needle of getting me to reminisce about the good old days myself, which helps to make it feel like you're joining in the fun of chatting away through lunch with your pals. It's a good show, and I think lots of fans will find themselves checking in at the food court on a regular basis, this summer.

See You Tomorrow at the Food Court is a mean, lean, practically laser-focused distillation of the “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” formula. Wada and Yamamoto are our girls. Wada is the tinier, perkier one who likes mobile games and gets roped into internet drama. Yamamoto is the gyaru who digs supernatural and science-fictiony urban legends. The “Cute Things” are the conversations they have at the food court on the regular. That's it. That's the show.

While the anime looks pretty good, See You Tomorrow at the Food Court is not an animation-driven spectacle fueled by delirious gags like CITY The Animation. It also isn't the kind of “CGDCT” anime where a niche hobby or subculture is explored from week to week, like Ruri Rocks. As stripped down as it is, See You Tomorrow at the Food Court essentially functions as a hangout simulator, and its success will depend entirely on how much you dig spending time with its main characters and watching them act like your everyday goofy teenagers. We, the audience, function as that third friend in the group that is happy to just silently sit there and munch on their KFC tenders while their louder friends make a show of their antics until lunch is over. It's not a terrible role to fill.

As for me, I think Wada and Yamamoto are pretty cute. While the former tends to play the hyperactive, little weirdo role to Yamamoto's straight-man routine, I appreciate that both girls have their singular fixations and personality quirks. I, for one, can relate to being the friend who is terrible at responding to text messages or DMs, though I will always be down to chill with my pals in person. The show hits on familiar jokes about gacha game pulls, internet urban legends, and…er, “shady looking Indian guys” that make Wada paranoid about over-the-counter drugs.

Yeah, I'm honestly not sure about that one. I guess “cringing while your buddies make casually racist comments with absolutely zero context” is a more universal experience for high-school hangouts than I thought, huh? Anyway, overall, See You Tomorrow at the Food Court was a pretty decent time. It's a bit too low-key to make for appointment viewing, in my opinion, but it will function as a solid fallback option when nothing else is on and you need to kill twenty minutes before heading out to meet your own friends for KFC in real life.