10 Anime Like Summer Time Rendering - Similar in Atmosphere, Plot or Theme.
Summertime Rendering starts out like any slice-of-life, albeit with the presence of death very early on in the plot. Appearing like an anime of friendship and grief, it takes its unprepared viewers and throws them into a meat shredder, as laughter and smiles suddenly turn into shock sprinkled by the blood oozing from severed or shot arteries. Surprisingly, this anime still keeps its happy-go-lucky atmosphere, even though these kind of scenes are often quickly followed by dread and mystery. If you're looking for similar anime that mixes supernatural fiction, mystery, and thriller but also manage to incorporate a sweet and melancholic ambience, look no further.
1.Erased
僕街 - BOKU DAKE GA INAI MACHI
“The essence of good deeds and evil is the same. They’re both no more than a person’s actions to make up for a defect in themselves.”
Plot: Erased follows Satoru Fujinuma, a struggling manga artist turned pizza deliveryman who discovers he possesses a time-traveling ability called Revival. Using it, he goes back in time in the hopes of solving a series of murders: that of his mother and his childhood friend.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering: These two essentially have the same plot since they both involve a supernatural mystery with time loops that seem to be triggered by the protagonist's death. Both have cute slice-of-life aspects and showcase brutal murder scenes and different mature psychological themes. Although they share a similar plot, setting, and diverse elements (such as the inclusion of a group of friends that will help the main character on his quest), the ambiance in Erased is more chilly and psychological.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: A-1 Pictures
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Psychological + Supernatural + Seinen
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
Lists containing this anime: Top 11 Anime To Watch On Netflix Right Now + Top 14 Anime Similar to Tokyo Revengers + Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime
2.ID:INVADED
イド:インヴェイデッド
“The more you struggle to escape the pit, the stronger its hold becomes.”
Plot: The Mizuhanome System is a program that enables people to enter the human mind. By collecting 'cognition particles' left behind at crime scenes by the perpetrator, detectives can construct the virtual worlds of the murderer's mind and, through its exploration, reveal the culprit's identity. A twist: this psychological plane can only be accessed by people who have themselves also killed someone. As such, we follow detective Akihito Narihisago as he solves a series of murder cases that might be interconnected.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering: This one is more murder-mystery meets science fiction, but people who enjoyed the investigative nature of Summertime Rendering are sure to also enjoy ID: Invaded. Like in STR, there are many clues concerning the nature of the mystery scattered throughout the anime, and viewers can get a pretty good idea of the general future movement of the plot if they pay attention to each episode. Although it does not incorporate time loops, there is an alternate reality where the detective technically gets 'revived' whenever he gets killed in the 'Mizuhanome System' -but he does so without recollection of his past 'life'. If you're into psychological murder mysteries, chances are you'll love this one.
Studio: NAZ
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Sci-Fi + Mystery + Police + Psychological
Number of episodes: 13
Number of seasons: 1
Lists containing this anime: Top 15 Anime Similar to Wonder Egg Priority
3.WONDER Egg priority
ワンダーエッグ・プライオリティ
“My mom does everything so perfectly, at home and at work, she works really hard. But I think that’s probably why my dad left.”
Plot: After the suicide of her best friend, Ai Ooto takes refuge in isolation, refusing to go to school and interact with other people. But, one day, she comes across a strange creature that convinces her to purchase a 'Wonder Egg.' Back home in the safety of her bed, she breaks the egg, only to realize that this has the effect of transporting her to a world where the struggles and anxieties of people who have taken their own lives materialize into the form of real fleshed entities.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering: The main similarities lie in the atmosphere, themes, and animation style. Wonder Egg Priority has the same mysterious veil of uncertainty and inexplicability as Summertime Render. It also blends in the same horror, psychology, and fantasy aspects while maintaining a ‘normal life’ ambiance. Where Summertime Rendering shocks with murders and hemorrhages, Wonder Egg Priority shocks with its choice of subject matter, delving into trauma, abuse, and other controversial dark topics. Both animations are stunningly beautiful, and both protagonists also share a similar character design trait: different colored eyes!
Studio + Other Works by Studio: CloverWorks
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Psychological + Drama + Fantasy
Number of episodes: 12
Number of seasons: 1
Lists containing this anime: Top 15 Anime Similar to Wonder Egg Priority
4.When They Cry: Higurashi
ひぐらしのなく頃に - WHEN THE CICADAS CRY
“You can never win if you’re afraid to lose so much that you refuse to put up a fight”
Plot: Higurashi follows Keiichi Maebara as he moves to the quiet village of Hinamizawa. After quickly becoming friends with Mion, Rena, Satoko, and Rika, Keiichi enjoys his idle days in the remote town. But as fate might have it, the annual festival of Hinamizawa approaches, and Keiichi discovers a mysterious series of deaths that seem to happen every year in the village around the same time.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering Both take place in a small and secluded rural Japanese town. Time loops are incorporated into the plot and, at first, tend to be reset in very gruesome ways. Both anime start as slice-of-life-like, but the viewer quickly gets shocked by the violence and horrid portrayal of killings. Both explore the protagonist's psychology as he slowly gets affected by his new reality.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Studio Deen
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Dementia + Horror + Psychological + Supernatural + Thriller
Number of episodes: 103+ specials
Number of seasons: 7
Lists containing this anime: Top 13 Horror Anime That Will Give You Nightmares
5.Tokyo Revengers
東京卍リベンジャーズ - TŌKYŌ RIBENJĀZU
“The most important thing is not to win a fight, but to not let yourself be defeated”
Plot: After being pushed to his death in front of a moving train, Hanagaki Takemichi suddenly gets transported to the past, during the peak of happiness of his high school days where he used to belong to a gang. Returning to the present, he notices that whatever chain of events he changed seems to have affected the future. But while his ex and her brother are no longer dead, the culprit is still nowhere else to be found and able to reproduce his original crime.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering The biggest similarity is obviously the incorporation of time as a variable, but Tokyo Revengers takes it further as the protagonist can jump into very different time ranges. Both are also murder mysteries where the main characters are looking for the culprit of the death of someone they love. Both stories also focus on friendships and its intricacies.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Liden Films
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Action + Supernatural + Drama + School + Shounen
Number of episodes: 24
Number of seasons: 1
Lists containing this anime: 15 Anime To Watch Similar to Jujutsu Kaisen + Top 14 Anime Similar to Tokyo Revengers
6.RE:ZERO − STARTING LIFE IN ANOTHER WORLD
RE:ゼロから始める異世界生活 - RI:ZERO KARA HAJIMERU ISEKAI SEIKATSU
“I guess, as long as I have life, all I can do is fight with all my might.”
Plot: Subaru Natsuki suddenly gets transported into a fantasy world, and consequent action follows. While the plot sounds like any Isekai story ever created, the hilarity of this anime comes from the fact that the protagonist is fully aware of this and continuously makes fun of the classic series of events befalling him. Subaru also possesses the unique ability of ‘return-by-death’: every time he is killed (which is even more often than you would imagine), he goes back in time to specific moments and can relive and alter (or at least try, and try, and try again) the events leading to his death.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering Same Time loops triggered by death. Both are psychological thrillers where several hidden mysteries appear, and the main protagonist needs to figure out how to change both the present and future. Re: Zero is basically the Isekai version of Summertime Render as it includes all of the same themes, plots, general atmosphere, and the same level of savage killings.
Studio: White Fox
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Psychological + Drama + Thriller + Fantasy
Number of episodes: 50
Number of seasons: 2
List containing this anime: Top 10 Must-watch ‘Other World’ Isekai Anime + Top 14 Anime Similar to Tokyo Revengers
7.Steins;Gate
シュタインズ・ゲート - HUTAINZU GĒTO
“No one knows what the future holds. That’s why its potential is infinite.”
Plot: Self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe is busy researching his ‘Phone Microwave,’ an apparatus with the power to morph bananas into piles of green gel (I’m not making this up), when he eventually discovers that his phone has the ability to send emails into the past, consequently changing the flow of time.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering Mystery, time loops, killings, and supernatural fiction. Need I say more? There’s obviously a difference: Steins Gate is much more slow-paced, philosophical, and scientific than Summertime Rendering. You can compare it to fine wine, it takes some getting used to, but ultimately, you’ll savor it.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: White Fox
Trailer: Link
Genre: Sci-Fi + Psychological + Drama + Thriller
Number of episodes: 24
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[I]-
8.Zetsuen no Tempest
絶園のテンペスト - Blast of Tempest
“What would you ask a grave, which can never reply? What do you pray for? Saying anything after someone’s death is far too late.”
Plot: A year before the story's beginning, Mahiro Fuwa's step-sister and parents were mysteriously murdered by an unknown culprit. Swearing to avenge their deaths, Mahiro embarks on a mission to uncover the killer, leaving his best friend, Yoshino Takigawa, behind. After a month, as he wonders what happened to Mahiro, Yoshino is suddenly held at gunpoint by a strange woman, and, as he is about to die, his best friend shows up, making use of a strange power to rescue him.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering Time plays a significant role in both plots and is more a variable than a constant. Both involve uncovering the mystery behind a close friend/sister's death, and both use supernatural and paranormal elements.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: A-1 Pictures
Trailer: Link
Genre: Action + Drama + Fantasy + Mystery + Psychological
Number of episodes: 24Number of seasons: 1
9.ANOHANA: THE FLOWER WE SAW THAT DAY
あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。- ANO HI MITA HANA NO NAMAE WO BOKUTACHI WA MADA SHIRANAI.
“I thought I could just apologize tomorrow. But that tomorrow... never came.”
Plot: Anohana dictates the story of a childhood friend group that has grown apart after one of its members, Honma Meiko, died in a tragic accident. Years later, the dead girl appears to one of them, Jinta Yadomi, asking him to help her cross over to the afterlife. Jinta lives the life of a hermit, playing video games and not attending school; he hasn’t even spoken to any of his old group members in years. While trying to achieve Meiko’s wish, he must face his pain and guilt and rekindle old friendships, some belonging to people who now hate him.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering: AnoHana is the version of Summertime Render that would have unfolded if the author wanted to incorporate a paranormal theme without going crazy with all the murder scenes. Essentially, the story unfolds in a small rural town and includes elements of childhood grief and emotional turmoil, as well as a deep introspection of both the main protagonist and his friend group. There is also a magical aspect as the person that died reappears in mysterious ways and can only be seen by a chosen few. Think Summertime Rendering but less blood and murder mystery and more wholesomeness sprinkled with depression.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: A-1 Pictures
Trailer: Link
Genre: Slice of Life + Supernatural + Drama
Number of episodes: 11Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top 15 Anime Similar to Wonder Egg Priority
10.Shiki
屍鬼 - CORPSE DEMON
“Killing others is never justice, no matter what kind of noble cause one upholds.”
Plot: The beginning of Shiki feels oddly familiar to the life we led in 2020: somewhere in a remote village, a sudden epidemic begins to run rampant, killing everyone it comes into contact with. Upon investigating the phenomena, the town’s doctor suspects that the culprit might be something or someone more complex than a virus or bacteria.
Similarities to Summertime Rendering: Same setting where the story takes place in a remote village. Odd and unexplainable things keep on happening, but they are mixed in with a sort of everyday-life mundanity, which makes it even more creepy. Viewers have the ability to feel that something is wrong from the very beginning, while the main characters need to gradually put the pieces together. People keep disappearing and dying under weird circumstances and both shows don't shy away from showcasing very morbid and bloody elements.
Studio + Other Works by Studio: Daume studio (Shut down)
Trailer: Link.
Genre: Mystery + Horror + Psychological + Supernatural + Thriller + Vampire
Number of episodes: 24
Number of seasons: 1
List containing this anime: Top Dark Psychological Thriller Anime That Will Have Your Skin Crawling -[II]- + Top 13 Horror Anime That Will Give You Nightmares
