Summer Time Rendering is the mystery-filled show of the spring anime season, with drastic tone shifts that shocked the anime community. With so many eerie and otherworldly events occurring in rapid succession, is it possible that Summer Time Rendering is based on a true story?
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What are Doppelgangers in Summer Time Rendering?
The Oxford dictionary defines Doppelgangers as "apparitions of a living person." They are also known as doubles or look-alikes, which is always a bad omen for the real person.
Folklore holds that if someone sees their doppelganger, they will die soon. If the person is fortunate, they may only experience a bad event that does not result in immediate death.
Shinpei Ajiro sees Mio Kofune's doppelganger in the pilot episode of Summer Time Rendering. While he initially thought it was the real Mio, he soon discovered that it was her doppelganger!
The doppelganger not only wants the real Mio dead, but it also wants to replace her in the real world, acting as the legitimate Mio.
What is the Shadow Sickness in Summer Time Rendering?
Summer Time Rendering's Shadow Sickness is defined as one's evil shadow attempting to replace the actual living person in the real world. When someone spends enough time on Hitogashima Island, they tend to have their own shadow copy who wants them dead in some way.
Except for Ginjiro Nezu, who has seen the Shadows in person, the villagers believe it to be folklore. Ginjiro Nezu vows to exterminate all shadows on the island after discovering the truth about the illness. However, his wife has succumbed to the illness, creating an ironic situation.
The horde of shadows wreaking havoc on Hitogashima Island is to blame for the shadow sickness. They are created by Haine, the Mother of Shadows, in order to exterminate all humans on the island. To feed their voracious appetite, these shadows consume human data.
When a shadow imitates a real person, the person disintegrates into nothing, leaving only a burned mark on the ground.
Is Summer Time Rendering Based on a True Story?
Summer Time Rendering is not based on a true story, with all of the folklore and myths going on. However, some of the premise's elements are a direct reference to a real-life thought and philosophical experiment.
Donald Davidson's Swampman Thought Experiment is a direct reference to Summer Time Rendering's Shadow plot. In his 1987 research paper titled "Knowing One's Mind," Donaldson demonstrated an experiment centered on the Swampman.
The Swampman is a byproduct of Donaldson's dramatization of his untimely death in the swamp after his molecules were disintegrated by a lightning bolt.
Although he appears and acts like Donaldson, the Swampman is a different person who doesn't recognize anything or anyone because he has no knowledge of Donaldson's life.
Ryuunosuke Nagumo is said to have written the Swampman's story, which has been featured in the anime. Shinpei has been thinking about the story since reading it on the ferry to Hitogashima Island. He believes he dreamed about the Shadows after reading the book in the anime's second episode.