Hideo Kojima Praises Summer Time Rendering: ‘Can’t Stop Thinking About It’

Renowned video game designer and director Hideo Kojima recently expressed his love for the anime series Summer Time Rendering, which he accidentally came across on Netflix.

Taking to Twitter, Kojima wrote, “I accidentally found Summer Time Rendering on Netflix, wow this is surprisingly good! Time loop x The Stolen City (Body Snatchers) in Wakayama version?!! Liked the character design, great script, drawings, directions! I thought it was such a joke when Ushio appears but this is so sick! Ushio is challenging us so bad! So funny! I can’t stop thinking about it! And Akio is in!! Too late to notice? I’m sorry!! I watched up until Episode 10 tonight.”

I accidentally found Summer Time Rendering on Netflix, wow this is surprisingly good!
Time loop x The Stolen City (Body Snatchers) in Wakayama version?!! Liked the character design, great script, drawings, directions! I thought it was such a joke when Ushio appears but this is… pic.twitter.com/G83owsGhpV

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) May 4, 2023

By “Time loop x The Stolen City,” Kojima is likely referring to the prominent feature of Summer Time Rendering, where the main character, Shinpei Ajiro, discovers his ability to loop by dying.

Meanwhile, The Stolen City is a reference to the novel The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney. In the book, a small town is invaded by aliens who replace the people of the town with exact replicas of them, which are grown from plant-like pods. In Summer Time Rendering, the residents of Hitogashima Island are faced with a similar fate, where they are replaced by shadows, which are essentially doppelgangers that take over their lives and identities. The “Wakayama” part in his tweet is likely talking about the fact that the story of Summer Time Rendering takes place in the real-life location of Wakayama Prefecture. The setting of the story is significant to the overall narrative of the anime.

Summer Time Rendering follows Ajiro, who returns to his hometown of Hitogashima Island to attend the funeral of his adoptive sister, Ushio Kofune. He investigates his sister’s suspicious death on the island with the help of Ushio’s sister, Mio Kofune, as they come across a mysterious darkness affecting the residents.

In IGN’s review of the anime, we called Summer Time Rendering “the kind of nail-biting mystery made for the binge-watching era: a thrilling time-loop story full of twists and turns, and one of the best shows to come out of 2022.”

Kojima’s praise for the series is significant, as he is a highly influential figure in the gaming industry. He is known for his innovative and unconventional approach to game design, and is highly regarded for his work on acclaimed titles such as the Metal Gear Solid series and Death Stranding.

Kojima, meanwhile, is working on Death Stranding 2, which was revealed at The Game Awards. The game designer also revealed that he rewrote Death Stranding 2 after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While there is no official date announced for the game’s release, it is speculated to come out sometime in 2024.