As it started several weeks into the spring anime season and is only viewable on Disney+ in Japan, there’s a good chance that Summer Time Rendering may have flown completely under your radar. This is a shame because it is a genuinely heart-pounding thriller that’s well worth a watch.
Image source: サマータイムレンダ公式 on Twitter.
Summer Time Rendering follows Shinpei, a young man who returns to the island he grew up on to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend Ushio. Yet, it doesn’t take him long to realize something is wrong on the island. The official story is that Ushio drowned while saving a local girl. However, there are rumors of mysterious strangulation marks on her neck. Then, beyond Ushio’s death, people are disappearing suddenly and mysteriously. And stranger still, there are reports of doppelgangers appearing across the island—something Shinpei doesn’t believe right until the moment he and Ushio’s sister, Mio, are shot in the head by Mio’s doppelganger.
Image source: サマータイムレンダ公式 on Twitter.
Here’s where the Steins;Gate comparison comes in. Despite his untimely death, Shinpei awakens to discover himself back on the boat, moments before landing on the island. He is now stuck in a time loop. Any time he dies, he returns to the past—with he alone remembering the previous futures. Of course, that doesn’t mean he understands how his powers work or why he has them. Still, they allow him to gather information about what is actually going on and overcome lethal obstacles—only to discovers new ones thanks to the ongoing doppelganger threat.
Image source: サマータイムレンダ公式 on Twitter.
Similarly to The Thing, the doppelgangers are able to kill people and take not only their appearance but their memories as well. At any time, any of Shinpei’s allies could be replaced—in the process letting the doppelgangers know all their plans. Because of this, Shinpei is forced to play things very close to the chest. After all, if the doppelgangers discover his time looping powers, all they would need to do is keep him alive and incapacitated while they accomplished their mysterious goal. Yet, at the same time, it’s clear he can’t stop the doppelgangers alone. Thus, he stuck having to rely on others always knowing that they may have been replaced. It makes for one hell of a tension-filled watch experience.
Image source: サマータイムレンダ公式 on Twitter.
If you’re a fan of supernatural horror or time loop stories, do not skip Summer Time Rendering. It’s got a great mystery, a creepy atmosphere, and a fantastic cast of characters that it’s hard not to care about. Oh, and better still, it’s only half done!
Summer Time Rendering can be seen on Japanese Disney+.
Top image source: サマータイムレンダ公式 on Twitter.
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