Time To Jump Into More Satisfying Mysteries!
Summer Time Rendering is one of those recent anime that earned itself a following upon its release. This show may look like it’ll follow typical slice-of-life conventions when in actuality, it’s much more than that. With its clever cliffhangers, engrossing narrative, mystery, and likable characters, it’s no wonder this show went on to become some fans’ favorite show to air during the 2022 summer anime season.
Our tale follows Shinpei Ajiro, who revisits his island home after hearing tragic news concerning his friend Ushio’s death. At her funeral, Shinpei’s best friend informs him about Ushio’s strange wounds around her neck, indicating that she didn’t die from a mere drowning accident. With murder floating in his head, Shinpei undergoes a brief investigation, which comes to a halt once weird incidents start cropping up.
These instances involve people vanishing and leaving behind no source of evidence as to why. Shinpei’s friend Mio recalls a traditional folktale regarding supernatural entities called Shadows. She states encountering a Shadow can lead to someone’s impending doom. To protect Mio, Shinpei stands against the grim fate of Hitogashima Island.
Fear not if you’re having trouble finding anime similar to Summer Time Rendering! We’ve discovered 10 alternate shows that’ll give you a similar experience as Summer Time Rendering.
Additionally, for each anime we’ve reviewed, we’ve included a link that allows you to view our full thoughts about the series to see if it’s worth your time.
So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet your appetite when you’ve finished streaming Summer Time Rendering!
Re: Zero – Starting A Life In Another World
Similarities – Story
Re: Zero is an interesting isekai anime full of thrills and twists around every corner. Like Summer Time Rendering, Re: Zero features a protagonist undergoing a death loop every time they’re killed. Time travel plays a vital role in both worlds, as our protagonists utilize these abilities to resolve situations and challenge fate.
The anime takes its time introducing characters into its world. Summer Time Rendering fans will enjoy Re: Zero’s characters’ distinct attributes and their relationship with the show’s protagonist, Subaru. Subaru plays off these characters well and his interactions with them lead to him developing more respectable traits.
Re: Zero offers some horrid imagery and satisfying suspense. You can expect characters to undergo severe scenarios placing them in situations where they’re undergoing strong psychological torture or hardships. If you’re looking for another anime that presents numerous mysteries worth speculating about with your friends, I’d recommend giving Re: Zero a shot.
Higurashi: When They Cry
Similarities – Mystery & Suspense
Despite its horrific imagery and traumatic moments, Higurashi’s When They Cry offers an incredible story structure layered with mystery and suspense. Like Summer Time Rendering, this series blends its supernatural, thriller, and mystery components well.
The first season presents viewers with questions and scenarios that don’t get addressed until the second season. This allows viewers to interact with the circumstances provided in the first season and ponder their own resolutions for themselves. While this may feel bothersome to many new viewers, both seasons deliver satisfying events that’ll leave a lasting impression on fans.
Like Summer Time Rendering’s cast, Higurashi’s characters all have remarkably distinct personalities and receive enough screen time for fans to grow an attachment toward them. Like Shinpei, you can expect these characters to experience death on multiple occasions. The deaths in this show are traumatizing, gruesome, and somewhat religious in certain instances.
If you’re looking for a satisfying horror anime with a unique and strong story structure, watch Higurashi: When They Cry.
Shiki
Similarities – Dark Atmosphere & Setting
While many fans hail Higurashi as the king of Horror anime, others tend to lean toward Shiki. While the mystery in this show isn’t that impressive, it does an excellent job of making fans feel anxious and disturbed. The imagery in this show is intense, and like Summer Time Rendering, there’s always this sense of darkness lurking over our characters’ heads.
Shiki’s village setting is similar to Summer Time Rendering’s Hitogashima Island in many ways. Both feature similar run-down areas as the residents of these areas exhibit similar degrees of suspicion and angst. Furthermore, strange occurrences start piling up in both shows, resulting in residents casting false accusations toward each other.
The protagonists in both shows undergo deep investigations to solve these matters. Many of their findings will lead to dead ends, causing them to experience long-lasting stress. The Shiki’s goals are vastly similar to The Shadows’ as both desire to take control of their environments. With its similar setting, premise, and atmosphere, Summer Time Rendering fans will find themselves at home in Shiki.
Erased
Similarities – Time Travel Murder-Mysteries
Erased is another anime with time travel and murder mystery components. Like Summer Time Rendering, the protagonist utilizes his supernatural powers to challenge fate and save lives. Both anime feature small amounts of blood and gore but are loved for their mystery and tense elements.
Erased also tackles heavy-hitting mature topics. The topics range from child abuse, murder, depression, and more. The scenes that accompany these topics are tear-jerkers meant to help you empathize with the characters enduring said outcomes.
At the same time, Erased features a great amount of heartwarming scenes to give you a breather from its intense storytelling. While Erased’s climax may not leave most fans satisfied, they’ll enjoy the build and quest Satoru, the show’s protagonist endures to reach the result. Fans searching for another fun murder-mystery-themed anime with supernatural elements should check out Erased.
Parasyte: The Maxim
Similarities – Supernatural
Despite both anime coming from different walks of life, Parasyte: The Maxim and Summer Time Rendering have much in common. Both series feature protagonists who are determined to protect those they care for and deal with supernatural entities that can take on a human form.
Parasyte leans more toward action than Summer Time Rendering. Both shows feature intelligent protagonists who utilize clever strategies to overcome obstacles. However, Parasyte’s Shinichi utilizes his alien-like companion Migi’s powers to be on par strength-wise with his enemies.
Nonetheless, the situations both characters get involved in will leave them with intense stress and guilt. The series will take many dramatic twists and turns that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. If you’re looking for another supernatural thrill ride with a similar premise but leans more into action then check out Parasyte: The Maxim.
Tokyo Revengers
Similarities – Time Travel & Plot
Tokyo Revengers is a new series from Shonen Jump that attained a mile following after its anime was released in early 2021. This story follows Takemichi, who started from being loved as a middle schooler to being shunned as an adult. Before Takemichi would endure a painful death from an incoming train, he’s sent twelve years into the past.
He lands at the moment where he was dating a girl named Hinata, who was murdered in his timeline. With knowledge of the future, Takemichi warns Hinata’s younger brother of their inevitable demise before getting sent into the future again. While Takemichi managed to save their lives, there’s something else that’s different about his current timeline.
Therefore, our tale focuses on Takemichi’s quest to soar through time in hopes of making the future a better place for everyone. Like Shinpei, Takemichi uses his time-warping abilities for the greater good. He’s a selfless person that looks out for others and doesn’t want them to suffer brutal deaths. Unfortunately, this show doesn’t delve into Takemichi’s powers enough and some mistakes he makes feel downright ridiculous.
Even still, this anime delivers some solid characters who defy common shōnen-themed tropes. If you’re looking for an enjoyable time travel-themed anime to watch, check out Tokyo Revengers.
Durarara!!
Similarities – Mystery & Supernatural
Urban legends are a fun way to get funny reactions, regardless of the month or holiday you’re in. If that urban legend were true, what would happen? Durarara touches upon that concept wonderfully and delivers a fun story full of mystery and suspense.
Durarara tackles its storyline in a different manner from most mystery shows. This anime features several narrative story arcs to add more complexity and complication for its viewer. That said, Durarara manages to wrap everything up nicely, making things feel more enjoyable and less bizarre.
This is one aspect that sets it apart from Summer Time Rendering. Furthermore, everything in Durarara takes place in a more metropolitan-themed environment. The urban legends spread in this city and the mischief our characters get wrapped up in is on equal footing with that Shinpei and his allies endure in Summer Time Rendering.
Expect many plot twists and turns that’ll catch you by surprise. Suspense plays a pivotal role in this story, as you’ll always feel tense while watching our characters tackle these mysteries. At the same time, the characters in this show have wonderful characteristics and wit. Fans searching for a series with fun supernatural scenarios should give this show a try.
Eden of the East
Similarities – Mystery, Characters, Suspense
Eden of the East delivers an excellent blend of romance and mystery components. Each episode is jam-packed with enough suspense and nuance to keep viewers engaged. Despite having a lackluster second half that feels a tad rushed, this show promises to deliver a worthwhile experience.
This anime centers around Saki, who meets a strange man named Akira. She learns that he suffers from amnesia, convincing her to befriend him. Unfortunately, she discovers he was a terrorist with a lot of money. As Saki befriends a random and dangerous stranger, she is unaware of the dangers that may befall her.
Shinpei and Akira have strikingly similar attributes and characteristics. Akira might resemble a homeless man, but within him is a man of pure intelligence and wit. Eden of the East wonderfully builds upon each mystery presented in the show and develops Saki and Akira’s relationship at the same time.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
Similarities – Summer Vibe, Time Altering, Male Protagonist
From a show that builds upon suspense to one where characters tackle multiple activities, we land at The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This show offers a similar summer vibe in its environments and activities. The characters in this show have distinct enough personalities that’ll make it easier for them to stand out.
At the same time, this anime feels more cheerful than Summer Time Rendering. While some moments in this show delve into some ideas of death and murder, it doesn’t consistently feature scenes of that variety. However, this show offers some twisted elements from its famed Endless Eight arc to its interdimensional locales because of Haruhi’s latent god-like powers.
Although scenes like that are sparse in this show, fans will enjoy following our cast on their multitude of hilarious journies. There are many hilarious scenarios Haruhi gets involved in, from attending school fairs to bullying computer geeks. Haruhi Suzumiya’s male protagonist Kyon has a mature personality and mindset like Shinpei.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw Day
Similarities – Themes & Story
At last, we arrive at a show that likes to torture fans with its emotional dialogue and scenery. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Anohana) and Summer Time Rendering feature similar themes and story beats. Both anime include scenes that touch upon death, depression, and other saddening topics.
At the same time, these shows follow a similar story structure. Both male protagonists are after a similar degree of closure for a deceased friend. While Shinpei endures more hurdles than Anohana’s Jinta, both protagonists struggle to accomplish their similar goals.
That said, Summer Time Rendering leans more into its mystery and feels more violent. Fans shouldn’t go into Anohana expecting nightmarish imagery or thrilling action sequences. This is a show that thrives off grief, trauma, and heartache. Therefore, Anohana tells an engrossing tale about friendship and follows Jinta and his friends’ struggles to move forward in life.
So there we have it, our 10 anime/TV show alternatives to watch when you’ve caught up with Summer Time Rendering!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!