Chinese animation is famously known as Donghua anime which features similar character style, design, and lore that takes inspiration from Japanese animation. Although Donghua itself does not stand out much due to various lacking elements like poorly framed lore or unpleasant voice acting, some Donghua anime have grabbed the attention of the anime community.
Everyone is aware of webtoons which seem to be the colorful and straightforward version of manga, but webtoons also have some mind-blowing storylines by new-generation authors. Similarly, Donghua is popularised due to its aesthetic approach to martial arts, fights, and characters with long hair and flowing capes.
A different approach is taken up by Link Click, which brings the viewer a great blend of pretty-looking characters, a fun storyline, and some fantasy elements to stitch up a good 12-episode show. Here, I will talk about the good and bad sides of this Donghua and whether it is worth your watch! Spoilers ahead!
About Link Click
Link Click is a new-age Donghua produced by Studio LAN and Haoliners Animation League which was first released on Bilibili and Funimation as a 12-episode show. There is no reliable information on who the writer or creator of Link Click is. Still, the donghua quickly gained popularity with its eccentric supernatural approach, mystery, and aesthetic animation.
Synopsis of Link Click
Shiguang Dailiren, popularly known as Link Click, follows the lives of two characters, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, who run a photography studio together. What lies behind the studio is a secret shared by the two where they can travel back in time using a photo given by the clients and fix their regrets, but without changing anything in the past or anything that will affect the current future.
Cheng Xiaoshi can go back in time and take up the person’s identity in the photo given while Lu Guang keeps track of the time and all the details to help his partner finish his mission. The only perk here is that they have a 12-hour frame to finish their work and fulfill the client’s requirements without altering the reality to help them make amendments.
Thoughts and Views on Link Click
The first donghua I was introduced to was Big Fish and Begonia; it was one of the best-animated movies I have watched. The details, storyline, characters, and set-up were excellently delivered, and it just probed me to find out more and explore the genre further.
Now, donghua is not quite popular due to the fallout productions suffer in terms of animation and art. It is inevitable to end up comparing any animation that reflects the Japanese form of art and creativity. Link Click was not spared either, but what stands out about this particular donghua is how the storyline was adapted and the efforts put into transforming it into an expressive watch.
Most of the donghua I came across was basically from the BL genre, and that was my first thought when I came across Link Click as well since we have two male main characters that seem to have some chemistry, and yes, I was proven to be wrong. It may seem like a rom-com BL drama, but you would be left surprised by the dark and thrilling concept Link Click delivers.
When we think about time-traveling, it occurs to us to be a kind of an isekai or the main character suddenly going back in time to fix things. Still, Link Click has a very different approach to this concept; both boys have special characteristics regarding time-traveling. Here, we have Xiaoshi, who can turn into the person in the photograph when he goes back in time, but what is special here is that not only he turns into them but also inherits their emotions and feelings, which is not easy to work with.
As minute as Guang’s role seems in the show, he is one of the main reasons everything works out in favor of the boys, as he is the key to knowing and keeping track of all that happens as Xiaoshi goes back in the past. Another thing that stands out about Link Click is the excellent narration. It may seem trivial, but the narration made even the boring and monotonous part sound interesting and engaging, which is rare for donghua.
Every episode gives us a new plot and story that the main characters have to handle, and some leave the viewers on a cliffhanger while the others continue with a great build-up and emotional roller-coaster. The donghua also highlights various difficult topics and emphasizes the relationships of families, friends, loved ones, and strangers that impact the viewer.
Through smart plotting and the proper pacing of multiple interesting instances, mystery, tension, and twists come together as a trifecta. The initial few episodes function as stand-alone short stories, but the plot thickens as cases get longer and more important. I couldn’t skip through any episode, curious enough to know what was at stake.
What lacked a little was the absence of what could have been some good antagonists in the show. There could have been an addition to some evil genius or a rift between the main characters to spice things up. Regardless, the show does not leave the viewers empty-handed. It is well made, and I would give it a brownie point any time of the day.
Moving onto the art style and animation, Link Click did not fail to impress me with the gorgeous production, and the efforts were seen in how each panel captivated the viewers. The character design is similar to what we see in manhwas with bold lines, precision, and geometrically aligned faces which is different than what we see in anime. It may seem a little off, but the sheer details are given to the background, reflections, color scheme, and bold work makes Link Click a great donghua show.
The characters are not very unique or memorable. I already figured out that when I started to watch the donghua. They seemed more like a rip-off version of popular characters from anime, with one having black hair and the other white. It is very generic to have two main characters having opposite hair colors and clothing style aesthetics. But again, both our main characters stand out with their abilities more than their looks. If we look past the generic character design, Link Click does not fail to impress with some hard-core and badass plotline.
Secondly, the soundtracks and OSTs are enjoyable and give a chill lo-fi vibe, so you can unwind and prepare for the next episode. Although there are a few issues regarding voice-overs not being apt or going well in some scenes, I can easily ignore that and focus on what the show has to offer since donghua does have some problems with giving good voice actors to their characters. Overall, Link Click stands out to be at par with much popular anime in terms of character design, story arcs, and development.
Final Verdict
Link Click is a solid watch, in my opinion, that will leave the viewers satisfied with a good plot and good animation. It is no short of a unique experience, and with so many mediocre productions that fail to make sense of their plots, Link Click gives you a chance to break free from the unending cycle of unpleasant watches. If you enjoy mystery and thriller genres like me, Link Click is the best donghua.
With Link Click, Chinese production houses can compete well with Japanese and Korean animation. Link Click was a satisfying watch from the plot to the background sound to the characters. I will not be surprised if it wins the Best Anime of the Year award, as it is as good as any other release.
Our Rating: ⭐ (3.5/5).
Also Read: 8 Best Anime Like Shiguang Dailiren: English Subbed Recommended 2021
