It’s difficult to assess the quality of plots in anime that have to do with time travel due to their inherent scientific (and often purely logical) faults with random semantic details, which may or may not even be worth docking credit off the whole. It’s often the case that some paradox or convenience that comes to light instantly demerits everything that the anime in question may stand for altogether. I hate to think that such “problems” actually have a bearing on the entirety of any work. My implication isn’t that Summertime Render is riddled by these, but rather that whatever slight inconsistencies there are, they’re quite overshadowed by the sheer amount of complexity and logic that is put into the larger picture. What usually warrant a lower rating are more large-scale issues like pacing, characterization, and production.
In the case of Summertime Render, though I will admit that it wasn’t without its faults, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in and constantly impressed by the twists and turns that the narrative takes. I’m a sucker for time travel done right, and I can’t say this is anything but that. Whether it be the century-spanning history, the deep lore and enigma underlying the entire island, or the confusing-but-logical-when-you-really-think-about-it plot contrivances at play, I never ceased to revel in the (fruitless?) pursuit of a happy ending presented in this show.
Setting this aside though, I will admit that there are some bipolar levels of thought put into characterization here, with some characters having excellent backstories and motives but others (unfortunately including our main character sometimes) relying on one personality trait to get them out of sticky situations. Obviously, this is imperative in our case to progress the plot, but it does take away from the otherwise incredible logical build-up made through the show in crafting its complex chronology.
Summertime Render’s audiovisual quality is excellent on the whole, with occasional dips in episodes, likely due to studio scheduling and whatnot. For a show with a manga that I’d never heard of before I actually watched it on a whim, I was thoroughly impressed by how high the production quality was. Of course, it goes without saying that all 4 OPs and EDs are magnificent.
Overall, Summertime Render has revitalized my passion for stories with historical lore that underlies the truth. Through solid time traveling mechanics and fleshed out plot semantics, it was able to pull me in weekly, rendering (haha) me speechless by the end of the episodes towards the second half. I’m very sure that I’ll come back to watch this show at some point in the future just for the thrills, and will likely have an even better time with it than the first time, equipped with the power of retrospect.
