Summer Time Rendering Review: If At First You Don’t Succeed

Prairie Grown Reviews is reader-supported. When you purchase something through our links we may earn an affiliate commission.

Summer time Rendering has always been on my watchlist. Ever since hearing about this anime, I thought the concept was interesting and worth a watch. Although the start was a bit slow for my taste, Summer Time Rendering picks up the pace after the first two episodes and makes it a journey you can never stop.

Summer Time Rendering is an action packed anime filled with wonderful fight scenes and thought provoking ideas. The 25 episode season is the perfect amount of time to explore the time looping mechanics, while also providing a great ending. If you enjoy media that revolves around time manipulation and action, then this is the show for you.

So, as I mentioned before, Summer Time Rendering was an anime that’s always been on my mind. I did try to start this anime a few months ago, but found the first episode to be a bit difficult to sit through. After having a spare moment, I threw myself into the show, and oh boy, it was a good one.

To put things into perspective, there’s about 8.5 hours worth of show to watch, which I accomplished over the course of two days. Now, that might not seem that impressive, but for my standards, that’s a lot to consume all at once. After the first episode, and a bit of the second, the show snowballed into this exciting tale about time looping and shadows. This right here is your spoiler warning for Summer Time Rendering. With that in mind, let’s get started.

So to start, I have to say that the pacing was amazing. Usually, when I discuss pacing, I usually say how bad it is. In the case of Summer Time Rendering, each episode was gripping, besides the first one. After you get over that initial hump and the base of the show is set, it’s almost impossible to put down. I found myself watching more and more, since each episode left me wanting more. And, considering the whole anime is complete, this show is very bingeable. I didn’t think I’d enjoy this show this much, but it was a great ride.

So, since Summer Time Rendering is an anime, I guess I should discuss animation. In this department, Summer Time Rendering doesn’t disappoint. The art style is clean and sharp. Each character’s design is unique and colourful. I especially liked the way the eyes are portrayed. The bright blue used in Shinpei’s eye was a great contrast to the rest of the world. Alongside the colours, the animation during the fight scenes were also impressive. With smooth, flowing motions, and the artistic splattering of blood, it was pleasing to the eye. With that being said, this anime is very graphic when it comes to blood, so be wary if that makes you squeamish at all.

Next on the list, characters. As mentioned before, from a visual standpoint, all the characters are drawn beautifully. When it came to the main characters, they all had unique features that distinguished them from the rest of the crowd. Besides visually, I also enjoyed the group’s chemistry. All the interactions between the characters were natural, and I liked the way they played off each other.

The group also gets enough screentime and development. As the story progressed, I enjoyed watching Shinpei’s development. By the end of the season, he had suffered so much, but developed quite a bit because of that. The side characters also got their moments. Through each time loop the story goes through, I enjoyed seeing the small bit of development sprinkled throughout.

The final thing to discuss has to be plot, which Summer Time Rendering has done well. This idea of time looping has been done before, but I like the way this anime covers it. With a hard deadline, end-of-the-world scenario, I enjoyed seeing how the characters struggled against their enemies. I also liked that, when Shinpei would loop back in time, his starting point would slowly creep towards the deadline.

This way, he couldn’t constantly loop back over and over again. This made for some interesting choices the characters make, and it adds a bit of suspense, which is how I was able to binge this show. With the nature of the show, I really appreciate all the small moments and differences between each loop. It was interesting seeing Shinpei adapt to each new situation, and it made the reveals from the antagonist even more satisfying.

The deaths in the show also have a great weight to them, even when the nature of the show feels like everything can be repeated. I also appreciate the ending of the show too. The way the show wraps up nicely is a great bonus since we see the characters suffer so much. They deserve the happiness at the end, which was heartwarming to see.

Overall, Summer Time Rendering was a great anime to binge. From the great cast of characters, to the interesting plot, to the smooth animation, it’s a wild rollercoaster ride you should embark. It’s even on Disney+, so access to it is quite easy. However, the show does get quite bloody, so be prepared for that. Either way, I think it’s a great binge if you enjoy time travel shenanigans, great fights, and smooth animation. If you are looking for another anime to get into following Sumer Time Rendering, go give Oshi no Ko a try!