Shiguang Dailiren

There's action, there's mystery, there's this captivating concept of time travel.

It draws me in so much just in the first episode that im just dumbfounded. Its cleverly crafted mysteries don't lack anything: it keeps me curious, and always somehow end up catching me off guard. It's a donghua capable of tears too, and isn't emotionally lacking either.

Well, to start off, it’s the first thing you notice about this donghua: the art. It’s refreshing unique art style I can’t find anywhere else. It gives me a new sense of originality that’s important in these animes and donghuas, in both story and art.

If you're one ... for smart characters (ex. The Promised Neverland) with crafty plans then this is a good add to your watches.

This has one of the few OP/EDs that I actually don't skip (unless I'm urgent due to cliffhangers) they have a unique opening and the endings are always somewhat chilly as it ends on the iconic ED beats.

The only upsetting thing I can find in this donghua is their excessive use of cliffhangers that keep me on the edge.

So basically (TLDR): if you like a suspenseful, exciting, brilliantly planned donghua, you'll like LINK CLICK.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. This jewel of a show is buried underneath all of the other great anime that have come out this spring season, but it's definitely one of the best, standing with Vivy and 86.

The concept of time travel done through photographs is so fresh compared to all the other usual types that we see in media. The story is outstanding, to say the least, and I can't believe I almost missing this from my hesitation of it being a Chinese anime - I don't know the proper term.

But I am so glad I took the leap and boy has this set ... the standard! The art style is pretty good, it matches the style of the show and doesn't distract from the story being told here. It compliments it so well and I would totally wear the characters' outfit choices, they're very trendy.

While I personally don't really like the OP - I find it kinda cringey - the animation showcases the talent that is behind the scenes, it's so fluid, it's as if they rotoscoped it or something cause I can't believe how smooth it is. The ED is fucking FIRE! I love EDM music and as soon as I heard it I wanted the song on my phone and listen to it on repeat for a few days.

This show NEEDS to be promoted more cause it's truly a shame that only a few curious people will watch it and it is overshadowed by other better-marketed shows. The word needs to spread that Link Click is fantastic and Season 2 needs to come out like right now!

While it was airing, Shiguang Dailiren was considered the hidden gem of Spring 2021 by many fans. Now, with its strong finale and its pass to a second season, its insanely positive response by the audience will make more people watch it and discuss it. But is it really worth the hype?

First of all, let's state the obvious and answer this question to a certain audience. People with an interest in non sci-fi time traveling shows could easily enjoy this. Flashy and with style, the protagonists use photographs to enter a past moment of the same world's timeline, and control others' bodies and minds there ... for a few hours with their main objective being the solution of criminal cases. Using that power, they must be careful not to change the flow of events because the butterfly effect may lead the world to a completely different future. How do they handle situations like these?

Well, Cheng Xiaoshi's character is heavily inspired by the mad scientist from Steins;Gate, Okabe Rintarou. In his "diving operations", he gets emotional when he faces hardships and he feels the urge to help other people. He never puts the blame in others and tries to take full responsibility, and that's what could make him a tragic character or... a hero. His partner, Lu Guang is more grounded and that makes sense because he is an observer when they use their special power. Sadly, in these 11 episodes all the other characters are shallow and forgettable, so in the end, only Cheng matters.
The dialogue and character interactions are a big minus in this show. There's sometimes fan service, while at times there are just tragic events happening and people acting immaturely. Of course, not everyone views this as a flaw.

The animation and art show almost no similarity to those of common anime, and that's because Shiguang Dailiren is a donghua. Their style is closer to a live webtoon than a japanese anime. As for the soundtrack, it's a good reason to watch the show; the beautiful and romantic opening song, the dynamic and mysterious ending song that makes you want to watch more, but most of the insert songs too; all of them are praiseworthy.

In my point of view, to really answer the question I set in my prologue, Link Click is neither innovative nor brilliant. Its selling points are either easy to use or already popular in fiction: simple time travel with no sci-fi approach, a compassionate main character, simple life lessons and morals that say no to greed, attractive looking characters and shallow drama that stems from bad life choices. It's like a failed attempt to make a crossover of Sherlock Holmes and Steins;Gate.

Thank you for reading.

Adjusted rating: 7 / 10. Personal rating: 6 / 10.

Minor spoilers alert (no plot points spoiled, just some very general stuff).
-----
Overall, while I think that this show has many flaws, I personally respect it for its overall messages.

The flaws:

- Given the nature of the premise, there probably are a lot of plot-holes. I’m not aware of any, but I think some people might have pointed some out. Regardless, I won’t mention them due to spoilers, but I just want to get the obvious flaw out here first.

- The over-reliance on shock value. This show probably has the most cliffhangers I’ve seen. Characters are laughing, the ... audience is smiling, and Boom! A cliffhanger. Usually, the mood does a complete 180° from whatever it is you’re enjoying to destroying your peace of mind. There’s no build-up or anything to the cliffhanger and no hints are dropped. The result: this maneuver comes off as cheap, unplanned, and manipulative. Some cliffhangers are so quick that they don’t even make you scared, but only make you go “what was that!?” And the worst part?

- Too many cliffhangers = they became predictable. For the later episodes, I was SURE that they would have a cliffhanger, and guess what? They did. Maybe I shouldn’t have done this, but come on I really couldn’t help thinking about it. And it ruined some of the experience.

- You can’t really tell whether this story is supposed to have a direction, and if yes, what kind. Is it about separate heartwarming arcs that don’t tie into each other that much, or is it about this grand mystery plot? There’s no sense of direction – it’s all muddled. As the audience, we don’t know what to expect (in the bad way) and the story can become confusing. This confusion is made worse by the non-stop switching-back-and-forth-between-slice-of-life-and-thriller.

- The sound quality is bad sometimes – you could HEAR that the voices were recorded in a studio. They also make some lines sound real cheesy. I usually don’t comment on voice acting, but I have to here.

The good:

- One character gets some character development, and they are none other than the black-haired boy, Cheng Xiaoshi. He’s the only one that has his background shown, and he changes from this annoying dude to someone more self-aware about his flaws. The specific scene when Cheng Xiaoshi develops is quite well presented and creative (I remember even the screen ratio changed), and it definitely speaks volumes about the hidden talent that the producers have (but unfortunately fail to use fully).

- About the art, I have nothing but general praise. Lighting and color were great, and backgrounds were consistent in their level of detail. CGI is really sparse and not distracting. Quite a few of the shots have a reflective quality to them, especially ones with flat surfaces like floors and tabletops. The basketball game particularly stood out, and so much that I recommend watching that game just by itself even if you are not planning to finish the entire show. A minor nitpick would be that characters’ faces look slightly different in their shape and layout between far and close-up shots, resulting in a hint of inconsistent art that some might call ugly.

- There are two good underlying meanings that I like:

- Normally, time travel stories demonstrate that time travel is necessary to solve all your problems. But Link Click also says that we don’t need time travel. Sometimes, we must learn to accept the bad parts in life. We can’t erase them because they are a part of who we are.

- This one is kind of meta since it directly connects to us. You know how the MCs dive into photos? Like they’re some kind of gateway into lives? Well, quite literally photos are gateways to what makes us human. It repeatedly shows how photos are reminders of our important moments and experiences, and that we should look at photos to gain a better understanding of ourselves and to move forward in life. At the very end of the extra episode 5.5, there is a sequence of montages in which real-life photos showing key memories of Internet users are depicted one by one. This sequence ends with the statement that no matter the emotional context (mostly), our photographs show how we are remarkable in each of our ways. We should not be afraid to show the true side of ourselves in these photographs to the outside world (mostly). Now, that’s a great message. It really strikes home for me and makes a lasting impression.

- Lastly, I cannot help but gush about the opening and ending songs and sequences. All of them are pretty cool, not least the animated finger-tutting in the opening. They have really been a joy to watch and hear.

Comments on the iffy parts (but no penalty to the show):

- How the time travel works and who started the photo shop are some unanswered questions. Explaining them could help make the story’s background feel more ‘real’. If there were to be only one season, I would’ve been okay with this ambiguity, but with the announcement of the second season, I can’t help but suspect that there will be a looong info-dump later on.

- Implausibility is an interesting criticism. It’s usually not valid if it’s about an underlying mechanic (e.g., time travel) since this is fiction we’re talking about, but it can be valid if it’s about the choices that characters make. Unfortunately, in this show those two scenarios interact to create a couple of unconvincing moments to me. But I don’t know which part I should criticize and which I shouldn’t, so I’ll just leave it as a tie.

- I personally don’t like semi-realistic characters making faces like > _ < or • _ • all of a sudden (unless they’re in a moe form). Whenever they do that, you automatically know it’s going to be a Funny Scene™. What’s more, it just feels jarring. Or maybe I just like realistic, mature shows too much. Poor me.

I must stress and re-stress the fact that a rating is nothing much more than a mere number, and what matters is that YOU watch it and YOU experience all that this show makes you go through. A rating is arbitrary, but your experience is not (wow so cheesy). And that’s what individual scores really are. Different people feel different ways about a show and then proceed to hammer a number that they felt was right onto their thoughts.

Thanks for reading this review, in part or in whole. Until then…

Spoiler-Free review of episodes 1-4 :)

Where to begin... This show has become the bane of my existence.

I'd put the story and art at a high 9. The main/background plot is very entertaining and creative, but there are a few dry spots every now and then. I'm mainly referring to episode 4, however, that was made up for by a reveal near the end of the episode that helped us understand Cheng Xiaoshi's character much more. The premise is amazing, and super engaging~

The art style is great and I really enjoy it! However, it's not quite as smooth at times as "regular" animation/art style, so it ... may not be for everyone.

The op and ed are both absolute bangers and I rewatch/listen to them all the time~
On top of that, the lyrics of both hint at and foreshadow something much deeper and/or possibly darker later on in the show. This was made a little more obvious with the ending scenes of the first episode.
The music and sound effects used in the show are also stellar and really immerse you in the show! I especially love the sound effect used whenever Cheng Xiaoshi enters a photo and says "Dive."

The characters themselves along with their developments and relationships are hands down my favourite part of the show. A core part of the background plot is slowly revealing more about Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang and their relationship. Within the last four episodes we've learned a lot more about how they met and how much they rely and depend on each other. They fit each other perfectly, their powers working in tandem and their personalities complimenting each other extremely well. They give off a strong yin-and-yang vibe, even aside from the fact that Cheng Xiaoshi has black hair and Lu Guang has white hair.

This show is so much fun to watch, and overall deserves a 10/10. The premise is original, well thought out, and is going down a great path! I can tell that there'll be quite a few twists and great plot points within the next seven episodes. I would really like to go into even more detail about this, but that would require going into an extremely deeply analysis and include spoilers. There's only four episodes out so far, but so much content in them already.

If you do anything this summer, watch this! It's totally worth it, and if you're still wrapping up school like me, it can be a nice distraction from finals. It's popularity is slowly growing, and I can't wait to see where it goes~

Edit on July 10th (last episode airing date): y'all.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
GET READY FOR SEASON TWO I AM LOSING MY MARBLES OVER HOW GOOD THIS WAS THE PLOT TWISTS THE CLIFFHANGERS-

[spoiler-free preliminary review]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go into someone else's past? Feeling their emotions and reliving their experiences, could you really stop yourself from doing things differently and fixing their regrets?

Story: 9
The director of this donghua(chinese anime) is Li Haoling, who also did the story and direction for Flavors of Youth/Shikioriori (and also Heaven Official's Blessing). There are similar sentimental themes in Link Click, and the episodes do a great job of showing us the deep emotion rooted in things that are seemingly mundane. It even draws inspiration from real events. It pulls at viewer heartstrings and features unexpected ... twists and turns. There is still a lot of mystery to be uncovered so far, and I'm super hyped to see it unfold. The story also explores the consequences of traveling back in time(butterfly effect), as well as the morality of changing the past.

Art: 9
The character designs are very stylish (as you can see from the cover), and the clothing styles are quite realistic, representative of what an average person would wear. The backgrounds are very well-drawn, and the watercolor backgrounds are simply beautiful.
However, I can't say it's a 10 because the framerate isn't as high, but they more than make up for it with the beauty and detail. Thankfully, the animation is top-notch when it counts, and incorporates some amazing Sakuga scenes. Also the OP dancing animation is godlike, even if you don't watch the donghua I highly recommend watching the OP and ED. (fun fact: the entire OP was animated by a single person, taking 3 months)

Sound: 10
The OP is a bop(and it's in english) and the ED is FIRE, and the insert songs for each arc are quite nice as well. The BGM does a great job of setting the atmosphere of a scene and bringing out the emotion during important moments. From triumphant to tense to poignant, It was actually composed by Tenmon, who also worked on 5 Centimeters per Second as well as some of Makoto Shinkai's early works. The overall styles consist of lo-fi/chill, shounen hype, pop ballads, orchestral, and my favorite, sad piano.
The voice-acting is done very well, and you can hear a characters personality and emotion through their tones. However, the dubbing is chinese, which could be jarring to some, but I feel that it more accurately portrays the character's emotion as it's not overdramatized.

Characters: 9
The 2 main characters are very intriguing so far, and their backstories are revealed little by little throughout the series. Their personalities are almost polar opposites, which makes for interesting interactions, as well as growing tension... I'm very excited to see how their friendship will be affected by their disagreements and struggles.
Side characters are also given emotional depth and motives. In fact, in one episode they explore the growth and change of a character over decades. It's easy to get attached and invested in them.

Enjoyment: 10
If you enjoy a well-rounded and unique series, I would highly recommend this. Time is given to action, comedy, drama, and also romance. The sad moments are quite poignant, the heartwarming ones are truly wholesome, and the hype ones actually gave me chills. I've been super hyped waiting for each episode, and since there is no source material, there is much room for theorycrafting, as well as small details and symbolism to uncover through rewatches and the OP/ED.

All in all, this has been a series like no other for me, and I hope more people can give it a chance!

tl;dr: good art, decent soundtrack, awful character development and one of the worst time travel implementations of any show. It's okay, not great, not awful.

Story: 4/10
---
They jump into photographs and change the past for various clients, why? Well, they don't really explain their motivations much. They simply do it. The story is one of the characters jumping back into the past to help a client, solve their problem and then return to the present. You might then wonder, why doesn't the main character go into the past to either

1) save people
2) accrue a large amount of money

Well, he can't do that. Why? The show ... essentially brings up the butterfly theory, that one small change can have immense impacts. For example, if I traveled to the past and took up a few seconds of your future partner's time with idle conversation, you may never meet them. Then your entire life trajectory (and countless others) would be changed permanently. The show brings this concept up multiple times as a generalized excuse, it never expands on it and it's never applied to the characters when they change the past every episode. Every change the characters do in the past are seen as largely an isolated change, so why can't the main character change the past however he pleases? This is never answered.

Art: 7/10
---
There was a few scenes where I could tell there was a lot of effort put into it, then others where there was a lot of slacking. Overall, the background art/animation looked generally good.

Sound: 6/10
---
Very hit or miss. It either perfectly suits the atmosphere or it ruins the atmosphere, they also reuse some tracks far too much in the wrong context. I did enjoy some of the OST's in this show but by the time I heard it for the 30th time, I stopped enjoying it as much.

Characters: 4/10
---
I feel like I know nothing about the main characters motivations, thoughts or beliefs. Instead of focusing on the main characters, there was a plethora of episodic side characters that ended up being fleshed out more then them. I found that the random side characters they helped out seemed more interesting then the main characters, who didn't seem to have much of a personality.

Overall: 6/10
---
It's alright but has a few flaws, mostly related to character development and the time travel aspect of the show. It's like Mushishi and Steins; Gate tried to have a kid but it came out a little retarded. Great concept but very poorly executed.

Shi Guang Dai Li Ren or Link Click is a popular Chinese cartoon about time travel. This has earned it many comparisons to Stein’s Gate, but beyond the time travel element this isn’t really a good comparison. Speaking of time travel, the plot of Link Click was problematic within China since the CCP banned all time travel fiction in 2011. It was considered “disrespectful to history and unhealthy wish fulfilment”. So instead of time machines, Link Clink had to create a truly bizarre and unique magic system to get the series approved by Communist Party censors.

The series is about these 2 best friends named Xiaoshi ... and Guang who run an unusual business together. If they look at a photo, Guang has the power to know everything the person in the photo did or thought within a 12-hour period. Xiaoshi has the power to project his consciousness back into the past and take over the body of the person in the photo for 12 hours. Guang can then use his natural telepathy to tell Xiaoshi what to do in the past. Yes, Guang’s telepathy is so strong he can communicate with people in the past, even if they’re located vast distances away. They don’t actually try to change the past, but rather use their power to learn information. In the first episode, an unknown client gives the duo the task to recover the financial data of a powerful CEO who is suspected of fraud and embezzlement. Xiaoshi goes back in time 48 hours to take control of the CEO’s female secretary and has to find a way to read the data off the guy’s laptop. That’s a typical episode of Link Click until they meet their main antagonist later in the series.

So how does Link Click compare to Stein’s Gate? Stein’s Gate is about a goofball mad scientist who accidentally creates a time machine by putting bananas in an old microwave oven. This immediately gets him targeted for assassination by the real-life research agency CERN, who in the world of Stein’s Gate is just HYDRA from Marvel Comics. They’re an evil organization of ex-Nazis who want to take over the world using super tech and succeed in 99.999 percent of all timelines. The plot of Stein’s Gate is fucking stupid. The series works because of its over the top characters and how they interact with each other. Stein’s Gate combines goofy humor with serious drama in a very VN sort of way. It is 100% a visual novel adaptation and it succeeds by embracing that.

Link Click is kind of the polar opposite. It’s a series that lives and dies by its plot and high concept. The series succeeds because the plot is cool and the way they do time travel is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. It’s not particularly funny. It’s not there to generate dozens of memes and reaction gifs. The characters aren’t as fleshed out or memorable as the ones in Stein’s Gate. Xiaoshi is the funny man and Guang is the straight man. Xaioshi has a heart of gold and Guang is kind of a cold bastard who is all about profit with little concern for the people in the photographs. By the end of the first episode, you basically know who these guys are. Link Click is less like a visual novel and more like a Hollywood blockbuster. I would say it’s a lot closer to Inception than it is to Stein’s Gate.

One thing that actually impressed me about Link Click was its willingness to address China’s massive wealth gap and rural poverty that still persists to this day. This isn’t something that China typically advertises, so I assume this show was mostly made for a Chinese domestic audience. This may seem like a minor thing, but it shows up in Link Click repeatedly and actually makes the story more powerful while also making it feel more real.

Link Click was made entirely in Shanghai by a studio called BiliBili. Apparently, it was made using Adobe Flash, so that’s actually really impressive. They made a God Tier rated anime in 2021 using the same software that brought us immortal classics like “Kerrigan & the Frog” 20 years ago.

Is Link Click worth watching? Absolutely! However, if you don’t have Funimation, you might have a rough time. On most of the streaming sites as of this review, some of the episodes use the official subs and some use the fan subs. The fan subs are bad. REALLY bad! I’m getting flashbacks to bootleg Naruto DVDs where they translated “dattebayo” as “Fuck!”. I think most MAL users that watched Link Click just watched it in the original Mandarin, but if you’re a gweilo and don’t have a Funimation subscription, be prepared for a rough ride.

Honestly, I can't see how this anime is ranked higher than others out there. Vinland Saga, Banana Fish, and Mob Psycho are better than this. That's not to say that this anime is bad, it's pretty good. But that's about it.

Pros:
-op and ending
-art style
-time travel actually executed good
-the plot twist at the end

Cons:
- The story leaves you with a lot of questions. This is a good and a bad thing. There is a plot twist at the end which is supposed to leave you on the edge, but there's also just not much backstory at all. Like how did the characters ... even get their power? Why are they working together (besides the fact that they're friends)? Who even set the "rules" for the time travel? Do they have an ulterior motive, other than their job? Etc... I really just wanted more backstory, because you're kinda just following these characters along for the hell of it. This is the biggest drawback I have with this show.
- Idk if it was just me, but the impact the first ~6 episodes had on the story was little to none. Like I know each episode had a message to tell, but it lowkey seemed irrelevant to the overall plot line, especially near the end when the main conflict arises.

Overall, I don't see anything groundbreaking with this anime. In my opinion, I can't say it crossed any significant boundaries in storytelling, and I'm a little upset to see it ranked higher than some others out there. But take my opinion with a grain of salt. Maybe this is your favorite anime, but I would definitely rank some other shows higher than this.

(Spoiler Free)

“Firstly, you only get 12 hours. Secondly, follow my lead and change nothing. Thirdly, past or future, let them be.”

Those are the rules established right from the get-go said by Lu Guang, the seemingly cold, even-tempered young man to his more impulsive, emotionally-driven partner Cheng Xiaoshi. This is something that I think benefits stories that revolve around time travel, where rules are established so that instead of focusing too much on the mechanics of how it could actually work in real life, the focus is shifted on the stories being told. And man oh man do they do that well in this donghua ... (Chinese animation).

It seemingly starts off episodic, with Cheng Xiaoshi being the one going into the photographs and Lu Guang being the pilot of sorts, guiding him in what to do to make sure that they fulfill the objective given to them by their clients. Be it gaining information or saying things that the client regrets not saying at the time, that is what the duo sets out to accomplish. As the show goes on, you’ll also see stories that take multiple episodes to get the job done, which benefits in making nothing feel rushed.

The true highlight in my opinion is how emotionally driven the stories told are. We see Cheng Xiaoshi go back into the past and become all these different kinds of people, and with him being our emotional vessel, we feel not only their pain or struggles but his pain as well. I cried at almost every single episode for this very reason, not to mention that in a few episodes there are parts where we as viewers start to realize things just as Cheng Xiaoshi does, and it hits you like a truck right in the heart (well it did for me at least). It is also during these emotional moments what we learn more about his past and who he is as a person. Lu Guang on the other hand is somewhat of a mystery (in the promotional character PVs his age is stated as unknown while Cheng Xiaoshi is 21, so that’s food for thought as you watch this), but we get glimpses into his and Cheng Xiaoshi’s past, making you crave more (hint hint there will be a season 2 so if you’re watching this show noticing that the pacing might not allow for a fully fledged deep-dive into who exactly he is fret not! you will be absolutely wanting another season anyways when you see the final episode!). Another fantastic aspect about this show is that some incidents that take place (epi 3-5) or even characters (epi 7) are based on real-life events/people. And it’s absolutely gut-wrenching to think about it.

Another true highlight is the OP and ED. The OP is so catchy and you can really see what the animation studio is capable of, and the ED fits so perfectly at the end of each episode leaving you feeling either caught up in suspense or fear or just pure hype! I also quite liked the lofi-esque background music that was used a lot, it matched with the art quite well. Speaking of art, the characters are very distinct and the backgrounds are so stylistic and feel somewhat like a vintage photograph, making it nice to see something a bit different. The animation can feel not the smoothest at times, as it seems like perhaps there’s less frames in between, but that absolutely takes nothing away from how beautiful this show looks!

Oh and the voice actors! They all did so well, and one of the voice directors is the god himself A-Jie (of Mo Dao Zu Shi and The King’s Avatar fame) so please do not write this show off just because it is in Chinese, it’s a beautiful language and the voice actors absolutely crushed it!

Overall this has to be one of my favorite time-travel based shows I’ve watched thus far! I didn’t expect to be so emotionally affected while watching this show, and they really drove home the point of living in the present and cherishing what you have. Please do yourself a favor and watch this, I think if perhaps you enjoyed Steins;Gate, this will be right up your alley.

Link click is arguably the one of the most unexpected shows I've come across.
Chinese anime has been on the rise in past 3-4 years with a lot of shows coming out ranging from esports focused The King's Avatar to historical wuxia like Modao Zushi, while quite a few of them were pretty solid on their own they all lacked that one element that could make them truly stand along with the topnotch japanese anime. Link click while in no means a perfect show but the first 5 episodes are one of the closest thing to that I've seen. The plot itself is not much complex ... at all. Simply if you read from the synopsis it's about a couple of dudes ( AND THERE IS NO BL) who can go inside photos at the time when it was taken. Now that sounds like any classical time manipulation show but what truly makes this one stand out is the really unexpected emotional element, The show itself is mostly episodic where the main duo (or trio you can say) take requests from customers and go back in the photos to help them in various ways i won't go into detail as to what kind of assignments they get or what the constraints of their power is because that will definitely spoil some of the fun but you can be rest assured that the best part of this show lies in it's simplicity yet making the most out of it. Not to mention the cliffhanger at the end of almost every episode combined with the ed that drops hard af makes you watch the next episode really hard.

What Link Click actually has that makes it so beautiful to watch is the soul, you can actually see the passion of the screenwriters and showmakers that went through writing all those stories for the episodes. Each story tells about a different person and their life and what they went through while at the same time it doesn't completely turns into a tearforcer but instead leaves a lot of the emotional elements for the viewers to take as they desire and doesn't lose focus on it's thriller/mystery element. As I said before the first 5 episodes clearly blew me out, when i started watching i, it was just on whim and wasn't even expecting to go past 2 or 3 episodes but the hooking element of the show is really not to be underestimated. The show does take a dip after episode 5.5 and the arc after that is not as solid as previous one but the final closing arc specially the final episode is great that not only wraps everything up in a good emotional way but also has a little something at the end which pretty much confirms a 2nd season.

The bgm is really nice and keeps the continuity of themes of the show and both op and ed is great. Specially the ed clearly syncs with those cliffhangers at the end of each episodes. Visuals aren't extravagant but as the show isn't action focused they turn out to be pretty nice and handfighting and martial arts scenes are done pretty well as a matter of fact.

Overall if you're even a little bit into mystery/thriller genre then i will say this is a must watch. Highly recommended and even more so if you're into actual soulful shows.

*Spoiler warning!*


Story/Plot 8/10 - Do I understand most of the plot, no. Do I enjoy it nonetheless, yes. It's not that complex but I still get confused about the altering the past aspect of it. My favorite episode so far was episode 3, not only was it about basketball, but I like the fact we gotta see Cheng Xiaoshi's perspective on the sport and why it's important to him. Overall, the plot may be confusing but it's really enjoyable, and weirdly (For me.) inspirational.

Art/Animation 10/10 - PERFECT. This art is so unique, the style is so clean yet it has details that I've NEVER seen ... in any other show. The colors are always so fitting, and the animation is REALLY smooth. Best art I've seen in a animation so far.

Sound 6/10 - It's good. I wasn't really used to Chinese because I usually watch anime, which is of course Japanese. But, I still do love their voices!

Characters/Personalities 8/10 - Personalities of the characters are great. Throughout the show, we've seen many of Cheng Xiaoshi's memories any time he goes into a picture, and I feel like those memories are starting to give us more and more hints into his life and backstory, which many other shows I watch don't really do that. They either have a full episode to a backstory or barely backstory at all. So I like that for him and even Lu Guang we gradually learn more about them each episode, without fully focusing on their backstory. And I love Cheng Xiaoshi's carefree and nice attitude. We've seen him feel bad for many of the people he's "controlled" and I respect him for that, he's even altered the past for them cause he felt bad. (As we know it didn't really go that smooth the first time, but that doesn't matter...)

Enjoyment/Overall 8/10 - I may barely understand what I'm watching, but I'm enjoying it a lot, so that's good! Can't wait to see where the story goes! :3

- - - - Update! - - - -
Oh, OH WOW. The ending to this season had so many goddamn turns! Like, I am so confused right now. The last episode seemed normal and was answering so many questions and then the last freaking 4 MINUTES changed EVERYTHING! I'm so happy that we're getting a season 2 and I can't wait to see what this was all about!

I may not be able to fully give justice to this anime/donghua/ONA and its merits but I'll still try. (I'll be referring to this as an anime for simplicity's sake). Also, there's a slight spoiler at the end but there's a warning there too.

First of all, this anime gets a 10 from me across all boards because of how nail-biting, tense, and mysterious each episode was. I had only seen the trailer for it and understood nothing of what they were saying but nevertheless, it got on my radar. And watching the first two episodes that came out was an absolute thrill because it set ... the standard for the whole series (at least for me).

Actually diving into the series, a majority of each episode can be seen as a standalone except for a few two-parters and the final three episodes of the show. It, in my opinion, has masterfully done weaving bits of background information on each of our protagonists with the story that we are following each episode (by their story I meant the story of the people whom they enter the picture for and their lives, I'm so sorry if it's still confusing).

Our main protagonists of this anime are the "serious" Lu Guang and "goofy" Chen Xiaoshi. While it may seem like a bit of a stereotype, you'll see a lot more to them as the show progresses. Every character shows development in every episode, and yes even the ones we only see for one episode. We see not only our protagonists grow but even the supporting cast and minor characters, as I've previously stated. They're not just flat characters and they don't feel like fictional characters either because they feel so human and real in all of their actions, emotions, and thoughts.

The story along with the characters are fleshed out in a way that makes the show addicting. I have a love-hate relationship with this show because although I love it to bits, the way it leaves me hanging every time an episode ends makes me seethe with anger and dying curiosity as to what happens next. The way that every episode ends is reminiscent of when someone texts you "I have something important to tell you" but when you reply they still haven't seen your message and are just completely off of the face of the earth.

Story and characters aside though, the OP and ED is an absolute smash hit. I was fairly shocked at how good and catchy both were. The OP has cool hand gesture thingy thingies as its prominent theme.

I absolutely loved this show and I hope for a season two! Have fun watching and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

**MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE LAST EPISODE** (it's just how I feel about it actually, but still it might ruin your viewing experience if you haven't seen so you've been warned)


HOLY CRAP THAT'S THE END?? I'VE NEVER BEEN LEFT HANGING THIS BADLY BEFORE BUT YOU DECIDED TO END IT THERE???? EXCUSE ME BUT I AM LOSING IT OVER HERE!! Anyways, now that I've vented and sorted my feelings about it I would just like to say that if it doesn't get a season 2, I will always remember how this show left me at the edge of my seat with no proper closure like no nothing.

If you could go back into the past to fix regrets, should you? And even if you could, can fleeting human decisions stand against fate? Shiguang Dailiren is about the cruelties of time, and how despite our best intentions and the choicest opportunities, hindsight is always 20/20.

This is my first experience with Chinese anime. I was already sold on the premise. I’m a sucker for supernatural stories and the best of the medium (X-files, Twilight Zone, Twin Peaks) are the ones that use supernatural means to explore human conditions. So I was pleasantly surprised at the maturity and solid storytelling of Shiguang Dailiren.

Shiguang Dailiren is ... about two boys, Cheng Xiaoshu and Lu Guang as they dive into the past via photographs to fulfill jobs given by their clients. Cheng Xiaoshu, a well-meaning and emotional hothead who speaks first and thinks later is controlled and directed through the events by Lu Guang, whose physical distance gives him a mentally objective bird's eye view.  Though the two are very different, they are both equally compassionate and dedicated to their cause, coming together to make a  formidable team while delving into people’s pasts to discover their deepest secrets, experience their deepest regrets and understand their deepest motivations.

From the very first episode, we are immediately dropped into the deep end with little explanation as to how or why this is even possible-and in all honesty, we don't need one. Demystifying this power would be akin to dissecting the frog. The absence of exposition surrounding the strange ability to dive into the past grounds the anime in a way that respects the viewer's ability to suspend disbelief. From here on, many of the episodes follow the same concept- with Cheng Xiaoshu and Lu Guang exploring people's pasts in a way that sheds light and slowly reveals the inner workings of their clients.

Make no mistake, while the anime focuses a great deal on the problems of their clients, Shinguang Dailiren is first and foremost about the development of Cheng Xiaoshu and Lu Guang, each story creating a parallel string that runs in tandem with their personal lives in some way.

The two are great leads, complementing and supporting each other with more deftness and subtlety than most anime partnerships, with unspoken nods and sharp looks that could be queer coded, but are also markers of a close and meaningful friendship. They have a deep respect for each other in the form of a bond that doesn’t need to be tested with no need for exposition or constant flashbacks to justify itself to us. Over the course of the show, the veil around their past and motivations is lifted in a way that feels organic and true to their characters.

While Shiguang Dailiren is refreshingly free of constant exposition, the beauty of this scarcity is marred by heavy-handed melodramatic music. Every emotional moment (small or large) is accompanied by overwhelming waves of weepy strings and heart-wrenching warbling lyrics. The music in this anime has only one setting and that setting is sad. 

At best, the music is a constant, hovering presence at the edges of your peripheral hearing, and at worst, it’s dominating the scene, strong-arming your emotions without your consent and without any finesse. Layered on top of already intense climaxes, the overbearing music lessens their impact, creating a cacophony that it turns otherwise heavy emotional moments into white noise.

However, the secret weapon of this anime is its fairly subtle storytelling. In most anime, every action is over-the-top and larger than life, every smile beaming and every teary eye a fountain- but Shiguang Dailiren shines in the small touches between its leads and the shared looks passed by the background characters. While the former emotionality exists, the show is interspersed with these minor, delicate touches that give it depth.

Shiguang Dailiren is a melodramatic show, albeit one that takes itself seriously enough to treat its characters and themes with respect. There are no gags, no awkward pauses with jarring tonal changes and no shoe-horned sexual tension. Characters have a variety of diverse faces and bodies. People look their age and we are blessedly devoid of cheesy fan-service shots and blind hypersexualization of women. While many of the relationships are exaggerated in a manner normal to anime, it’s substantially soberer than its more eastern counterparts- lending an interesting perspective into the social mores of a different culture. There is no doubt that Dailiren is an ‘anime’,  but it still has a different taste and a distinctly different approach to pacing and storytelling than most. Overall, it’s a more tonally mature show than many of its Japanese peers. 

Where the show tends to fall short is in its formulaic approach to storytelling. While there is an undeniable build and climax that the show intelligently marches towards, the micro view of each episode feels very similar- with a heavy emotional scene in every episode that begins to have diminishing returns with each consecutive use.

In contrast, you have episodes like "Ruthie" in Bojack Horseman and "A Dark Quiet Death" from Mythic Quest that are so effective because they are heavy punctuation to earlier, lighter (yet still thoughtful) episodes. In contrast, Dailiren barely lets the viewer catch their breath before they’re bombarded with yet another tear-jerking moment. All things in moderation. Sometimes, less is more and while Dailiren’s subtler character moments are a shining example of this- they still struggle to find their footing in other areas.

Overall, Shiguang Dailiren was a breath of fresh air. It’s an anime that respects your intelligence and builds into a solid mystery with satisfying characters and interesting arcs. While it struggles to find footing on emotional nuance and depth, the strong premise and respect for its' themes make it worth a watch.

I will first start with my opinion on Shiguang Daili Ren.

After watching 6 episodes, I found it to be a heartfelt anime and a hidden gem. It has perfect song choices for the opening and ending with such pleasing visuals, and I also love the art style. I had jumped into this anime blindly and was left astonished with the first episode because of the concept of being able to go inside the photos and was surprised with the result of what Xiaoshi's actions led to.

Art: A perfect 10, unique and highly detailed

Characters: 9, Lu Guang and Xiaoshi Cheng are very different from each other. ... Lu Guang is the calculated individual who doesn't let emotions interfere with the mission. Xiaoshi Cheng is the opposite because his feelings get in the way & lead to stressful situations that require Lu Guang's guidance.

Story: 10, The way these situations are set up, it's like a detective solving a case requiring scrutiny or else negative consequences will happen.

Sound: 8, It's good, but there is not much to comment on.

I enjoyed this anime a lot, and I think it deserves more attention.

The absolute tragedy that more haven't people watched this show kills me. This is the best anime (technically) donghua that I've watched this past season. This doesn't feel like a show that is just using the time travel as a gimmick. Its unique form of time travel and the way it impacts the characters is just so raw and emotional at times I was near tears.

The show also has abundant mystery and twists and turns. It's brilliant, and I loved every second.

As for the characters, I appreciated the bonds the main characters have, but as you would expect, the start of the show is ... mostly focused on Cheng Xiaoshi. Love him or hate him, I think if anyone else was in his shoes, they'd be hard pressed to do any better.

I do wish that the characters outside the episodic stories got some more fleshing out, but it seems like they'll be making a season 2, so this could be remedied later. The lack of explanation on the supernatural elements as well, like how the two male leads even have these abilities also would have been nice...but again...season 2.

As for the art, I like the style, but animation wise it suffered a bit, whether just due to a lack of animation sometimes or just certain characters looking off. But really, it's hardly awful. I've seen much worse.

All in all, Link Click is simply fantastic, and sitting at 11 episodes currently, probably the shortest anime of last season. Just watch it. You won't regret it.

"we can't change the past. dont question the future, as the future will change because of us." ─ lu guang

story: 10/10, link click isn't necessarily a show about thrilling action and the deep sci-fi structure of time travelling - it's a donghua about the hardships in life: the things from our past that still causes us regret till this day in the present. it could be personal matters revolving around friends and family or devastating things that no one could predict.. realistically, past is something you can not change - but protagonist cheng xiaoshi has the power of diving back in time through photographs (the ... gold of preserving memories) and the goal to make no one regret what happened in the past as much as he's not allowed to change it.

art: 9/10, there are times where it isn't consistent but it's completely okay to me! inplick has done a beautiful job with their artstyle creating the designs of the characters and founding the shows entire artstyle. it's so unique, the shows poster is what dragged me in the first place! hellooo amazing artstyle and attractive characters

sound: 10/10, it's amazing. from the suspenseful or heart-warming ost in the donghua itself to the AMAZING opening and ending, it's just so good. do take a listen to the full version of dive back in time (op) and overthink (ed) once you get the chance!

character: 9/10, this is a rating for the current season of course. it shines light on protagonist cheng xiaoshi and his experience connecting his emotions to the clients. our other main characters calm and collected lu guang and carefree outgoing qiao ling don't have much depth behind their backstories (because it's confirmed that we'll find out much more about them in season2!) but they make for a wonderful trio of red yellow and blue~ also, some of the clients stories are just unforgettable. should i mention that majority of them are based on true-stories? ranging from devastating things in history to people in the shows own animation studio

enjoyment: 10/10, i was on the edge of my seat EVERY SINGLE EPISODE!! just watch it, it's an unforgettable experience with all the cliffhangers - especially since i was tuning in from the start and having to wait weeks to find out what happened after the end of each episode.

overall: 10/10, link click is a masterpiece and i'm glad that myanimelist is acknowledging it. it truly did pave a way for the donghua industry, thank you so much cheng xiaoshi and lu guang! i'll see you soon in season 2

Truly a masterpiece, it's not just a show about entertainment, it talks about the way time pass, our choices, our social life, and what's worthy for us. Friendship, family, friends, love. It reminds us how important and worthy they are, and sometimes we are ignoring the time we have, our family & friends. How we forgot that what's truly important and what's just a matter of time, what really matters and what is really not. It reminds us that we have something in our lives that we need to look after and care about, because someday we may lose them, then we notice, and it's ... too late to do something about it.

The story so far is genius with unexpected moments and emotional moments that leave you surprised. Besides that, the background and art are so effective and beautiful that fit the genre and scene.

Character background and development are yet a thing that you can see on main characters.

SPOILER-FREE review, based on episodes 1-5!

Overall (9/10)

From the first episode of Shiguang Daili Ren (LINK CICK), there has been something special about it. It balances its gorgeous art, voice acting, soundtrack, and interesting premise with well-built characters and engaging storytelling. Shiguang Daili Ren stands out from the crowd and moves the Chinese donghua market forward. First we got Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), then we got Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heavent's Official Blessing), and now, it seem like it's Shiguang Daili Ren's time to shine.

Story (9/10)
The premise is quite straightforward. Three young adults run a photography shop, and sometimes they get ... special clients who want to alter something in their past in one way or another. Lu Guang has the power to help Cheng Xiaoshi enter these photos and helps him achieve the client's goals while not altering the present timeline. That is, until the present will inevitably be changed for the sake of plot. Though simple, it's captivating. Each individual story involving separate clients also has their specialties, with emotional impact involved in every episode. You really get to connect with these characters that you'll likely only see in two episodes at most. So far, many of these stories have centered around the everyday lives of those with humble beginnings in the countryside. In any case, by the 5th episode, the main plot has begun to move forward, involving the main characters in the present timeline more. Every episodes brings about a sense of nostalgia and empathy for the stories and characters; it never gets boring.

Art (10/10)
With a light, watercolor-esque feeling, the art is truly exceptional. It uses realistic coloring and rather gritty-yet-clean line art, almost like fine chalk. The animation is also exceptional. In any case, it's absolutely beautiful.

Sound (8/10)
The OP and ED go hard, a mix of Chinese and English rap/pop. The OST on the other hand is pretty standard, but it works perfectly well.

Character (9/10)
Each character has their own past, though the three main characters' pasts and backstories are yet to be discovered. Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, through the small snippets we have been shown, seem to have intriguing pasts and personalities that aren't based on any clichés, making them very natural and relatable. Thanks to their realistic personalities and a between their partner dynamic, it gives for a very enjoyable watch. As of episode 5 actually, surprisingly, the supporting cast may be the star of the show! Every client is a unique and charming character in their own right.

Enjoyment (10/10)
My eyes are glued to the screen when watching Shiguang Daili Ren. Of course, there are imperfections to this donghua for sure, but there is never a dull moment in this show despite the "normalcy" in its characters and visuals in comparison to the many low-budget, low-quality animes we've been seeing as the anime market becomes oversaturated. It's a breath of fresh air, and I am excited and proud to see more Chinese donghua make their way into the mainstream!

Ah, behold the enigmatic allure of time travel, one in which I am akin to myself, a concept so captivating it renders even the most astute observer dumbfounded. Such is the beguiling charm of LINK CLICK, a donghua that seamlessly weaves together action, mystery, and a healthy dose of tear-inducing drama.

From the very first episode, I found myself ensnared in its cleverly crafted mysteries, each twist and turn leaving me perpetually on the edge of my seat. Oh, how it tantalizes the mind, keeping me perpetually curious and frequently catching me off guard with its unexpected revelations.

And let us not overlook the artistry of this ... masterpiece. The refreshing and utterly unique art style breathes new life into the genre, offering a sense of originality that is both rare and refreshing. It is a testament to the importance of innovation, both in storytelling and visual presentation.

For those who relish in the machinations of cunning characters, like those in Death Note, LINK CLICK does not disappoint. Its protagonists are as crafty as they come, and their plans and schemes rival even the most intricate puzzles.

Ah, and what of the music, you ask? The OP/EDs are a veritable treat for the senses, each opening and closing theme possessing a distinct charm that is impossible to resist. I dare say, they are among the few that I actually refrain from skipping, except in the most dire of circumstances dictated by cliffhangers.

Speaking of cliffhangers, they are perhaps the only source of consternation in an otherwise flawless experience. Their excessive use leaves me perpetually on edge, craving resolution yet simultaneously relishing in the suspense.

In summary (TLDR): If you crave a donghua that is equal parts suspenseful, exciting, and brilliantly crafted, look no further than LINK CLICK. It is a journey filled with twists, turns, and moments of sheer brilliance—a true gem in the vast landscape of animated wonders.