Summer Time Render Episode 5 Review: Worst Case Scenario

If you were wondering if the last episode was as bad as it gets for our protagonists, Summer Time Render Episode 5 had a few more tragedies up its sleeves. Let’s see how it all went in this review!

Summer Time Render Episode 5 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 5 and Summertime Render Episode 5. You can read our review of the previous episode of this show right here!

– Summer Time Rendering Episode 5 Review does not contain spoilers –

Summer Time Render Episode 5 Review- Sacrifice

Intense would be the understatement of the century if used to describe this episode. It was genuinely hard to remember taking your breath while it was playing, as the show bombarded you with scary visual after scary visual, fast-paced plot progression, and mystery reveals that threatened to shake the show’s very concept to the core. It was a fantastic episode and one that, in this writer’s personal opinion, cements this show’s standing as one of, if not the, best shows of this season. Now, if only it actually aired at a watchable time.

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Shinpei’s nightmare became more feverish as the people he held closest to his heart were massacred by the shadows, a force that he is yet to truly understand. He was saved in a buzzer-beater by the bespectacled girl in the previous episode, leading to him finding out some more about the shadows, how to defeat them, and the source of his powers. The more we learn about this world, the more interesting and intense it becomes. This episode was perhaps the most interesting out of all of them.

It was also extremely disconcerting and scary at times, as the show’s fantastic visuals and amazing soundtrack combined with the morbidity of the plot made for an effective but scary concoction. The shadows look visually striking, and them being slightly inhuman while still looking just like one was a great use of the uncanny valley. However, the show never went too overboard with what it did show the viewers, as most of the horror was implied and existential, rather than gore and mutilation. Well, at least most of it, since some blood and bodily harm were present.

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Plotwise, a lot was going on in this episode. As has become a Summer Time Render special, this episode also brought along a ton of reveals and information about how the world works, as experienced first-hand by the sufferings of Shinpei. A few things set up in the previous episodes were also given a swift resolution, as we find out more about how Shinpei’s powers work and interact with the world around him. It was a little predictable at times, especially how the whole situation was going to end, but that’s how time loops in shows work. There is always the option to kill yourself.

The show is just firing on all cylinders right now. It is extremely engaging to watch as it has a story full of twists and turns that make sense as a plot point, the visuals are striking and beautiful, and the songs and OST are atmospheric and highly listenable. It is pure environmental anxiety served on a platter with murder and conspiracy acting as sides to this gourmet meal. This was another in the show’s lineup of exciting and high-quality episodes, and let’s hope that this run continues until the show ends.

Verdict

Summer Time Render Episode 5 was a phenomenal outing for a show that just can’t seem to miss. The mystery remains just as intriguing, and the production quality is just as good. It is hard not to get excited about this show.

Click here to read the review of the next episode!