After that humongous reveal, it is hard not to get excited for Summer Time Render Episode 4. Let’s see what the shadows have got up their sleeves in this review!
Summer Time Render Episode 4 Overview
Summer Time Render is the latest anime by the Anime Studio OLM, previously known for producing critically and commercially acclaimed anime like Komi Can’t Communicate and Odd Taxi. Ayumu Watanabe directs the series, a director whose career so far has been intrinsically linked with OLM, having previously directed Komi Can’t Communicate and Space Brothers for the studio. The anime is based on a manga written by Yasunori Tanaka.
The series is also referred to as Summertime Rendering or Summertime Render, making this episode’s name also be Summertime Rendering Episode 4 and Summertime Render Episode 4. You can read our review of the previous episode of this show right here!
– Summer Time Rendering Episode 4 Review does not contain spoilers –
Summer Time Render Episode 4 Review- Time Loop
This was a particularly slow episode of the show for multiple reasons. For one, this episode dealt with the fallout of the enormous reveal of Ushio seemingly being found alive towards the end of the last episode. Not only did that muddy the waters of the mystery of the shadows, but it added another dimension of paranoia and general trustlessness towards anything that moves in the show. There are many things going on at any given moment, serving as a small detriment to the overall plot progression and understanding.
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First, there is the matter of someone who has already died appearing as a living, breathing human being. They could be a shadow, but they don’t look or act like one. They don’t even recall dying and being reborn, let alone the circumstances that lead to them dying in the first place. It is not a ghost situation either, something very common in stories like this. The person is there in flesh and blood, someone you once knew as your dearest friend, someone who passed away less than a week ago, and you were mourning a few minutes ago. That kind of thing will break many people.
The show handled this change of events as well as it realistically could have, but there isn’t much scope for a story like this. Not when you already have this many story elements in place that need resolving just as much as this new plot point does. If anything, this just creates more questions than answers. If your mind is in a constant state of bafflement while watching an episode of the show, it is not a good thing. The show is leaving many questions unanswered for now, which might be a good thing given the 24 episode runtime, but that does mean a less interesting middle of the series.
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The show also directly addressed the time loop in this episode. It seems as if the show is trying to be careful with how much it uses that dynamic for some reason. Maybe it doesn’t want to look a lot like other shows that did the same thing, and maybe it wants to make an interesting world that doesn’t need the loops to function, which is a noble thought. However, that discounts the fact that time loops are entertaining and interesting, which this world desperately needs to be. That’s not to say it isn’t as interesting right now, but time loops will certainly help out a lot.
The overall aesthetic of Summer Time Render Episode 4 remains immaculate, as the production remains one of the best currently on air. The animation and music are both great separately, but together, as a part of this sinister world, they make for a fantastic combination. The opening and ending themes are also both great, with the opening cinematic being the perfect representation of what to expect from this show so far.
Verdict
While a bit on the slower side, Summer Time Render Episode 4 was still a great watch that showcased a lot of mysterious elements yet to be figured out. Despite being the weakest episode of the series so far, the quality of this outing was great.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!