Link Click

Note; This review contains light spoilers!

Link Click is a mysterious sci-fi thriller from China that blows it out of the park with its really refreshing story about characters exploring their past with great plot-twist, well-thought out mysteries, a great MC and ofcourse; a banger OP. Let's dive in!

Albeit some pre-concieved expectations from MAL (Its sitting on rank #21 at the time of writing this), i really didn't know what to expect from this show when i read the synopsis. Other then a cool time-travel mechanic, i went into the show blindly. However, after finishing the first episode, i was rather happy with what i've watched. The episode explained the mechanics well and i really liked our duo, especially with the sick twist at the end of the episode which caught me offguard. As i excited as i was, i went into episode 2 thinking we would see what was going to happen, but it moved to an "episodic" formula right after which kinda bummed me out at first. However, i wasn't discontent with what we got, as the show discussed many different themes in each episode which all went back to one thing; our past. If the episodic formula annoys you though, keep watching the show up until episode 3 and see if you dislike it.

Speaking of the past, i really like it that the show acknowledges that the past shouldn't be changed, for the consequences are big in the future. We constantly get to see in full action what problems occurs to our main protagonist if he keeps changing the past which changes him, bit by bit. One aspect of the show i really digged was how he got affected by people's past and puts a burden on himself to keep pushing, which was a ray of hope that the series was adamant on hammering onto the viewer. Even if it belt a bit too corny at the end, i really digged the message which connected well. Combine it with the plot-twist which doesn't feel cheap and is well-thought out, you get a consistant thrill-ride that you don't want to stop once you hear the ED, which is addicting. Ofcourse, it goes without saying that the last episode impressed me ALOT when i finally finished the show, especially our characters fate.

Speaking of characters, the show has a good amount of characters which some are utilized much better then others. Usually in thriller shows, its important to have a flawed hero we can relate to their struggles, and i think our black-haired MC does the job really well.

Starting off with Cheng Xiaoshi, he is a great MC that fits the bill for these types of stories. He is charismatic and arrogant at times, but it makes sense once you realize how he grew up and his experiences with time-traveling through the shows. He embodies the hope that the show likes talking about, and i think he does it very well, even if he can be a bit annoying/stupid at times. Honestly, not too many complaints here! Our 2nd MC, Lu Guang is kinda odd though. Even if i like his power, i think he is just alright, as we don't get to see his weaknesses too much as a character. He tends to be the guy to back up Cheng Xiaoshi, but it makes him a bit boring to watch. Honestly though, i think the run-time hurt him as a character, so im expecting his character to be much more relevant later down when we see him in Season 2.
As for the other characters, they serve their purpose but can be a bit unmemorable. In their original episode, they might be really interesting and you wanna see what happens, but the show forgets about them a few episodes later, with the exception of some characters. Definetly something i think can be improved, but i don't really hate the show for it.

Finally, the production value here is great. The colours look good and i really like the design of our characters, especially Ling Qiao! The animation here goes crazy aswell, especially noticable in Episode 3 but it takes a small dip later into the show, but i don't think it outweighs the good which is decent enough for me. The suspenseful ED beats at the end always get me, and i don't think anything got me excited to watch another episode other then the iconic Jojo "To be Continued" teasers.

Verdict;

This is an exciting original donghua from China that hits all the right spots if you're looking for a fun and awesome thriller show. Even if some emotional-narrative episodes might bog your enjoyment a bit which it did for me and some unexplained powers, i really liked the show. The story was interesting all the way from start to finish, the plot-twists made sense and you can see how much effort and smart-plannig there is, the animation is great and the visuals look memorable. I'l definetly check Season 2 when it comes out, as i got hooked. Japan has a competition if China keeps this up, because this was absolutely great!

If you liked Steins Gate and is looking for something similar, it does the job really well and i highly reccomend it!