English Dub Review: Link Click Season One

Overview:

Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi have the power to travel into the past through photographs. The provide a service at their business called “Time Photo Studio.” Clients give them pictures and request either specific information or to deliver messages. Lu sends Cheng into the photo and he takes the place of whoever took it. He can only stay in the past for 24 hours and he’s not allowed to change any events that take place. If he does, he could cause severe damage to the timeline.

Our Take:

I’m always wary when it comes to time travel plots. They always create a paradox and the concept itself is so flawed and broken. That being said, time travel plots can still be executed well and I like the way the time travel element is explored here. Going into photographs is an intriguing concept and they do set the ground rules pretty early. However, they still create paradoxes and the time travel gets messy. The individual stories and overarching plot throughout are enough to make up for that.

The characters in this show are all likable and enjoyable to watch. Lu is the more level-headed and serious member of the main duo. He’s the one who can look into photographs and see if they will be helpful. He’s strict about the rules because he doesn’t want to change the timeline and cause more trouble. Cheng is a lot less strict about the rules. He’s the one who actually goes into the photos and he doesn’t always stick to the script. Him losing his parents in an earthquake influences a lot of his decisions. He just wants to help people, but he doesn’t always think about the consequences of his actions. He’s the strongest character in my opinion and we learn the most about him out of anybody. Even the clients are great characters. We learn enough about the characters during the time jumps to get attached to them.

This show is beautiful to look at. I’m a huge fan of the art style. The only small complaint I have is that the characters have red around their eyes and it’s just an odd design choice. I don’t notice it that much after a few episodes, so it’s really not that big of a deal. The actual animation flows well and can even be immersive.

I enjoy the fact that this is an episodic show, but it still has an overarching storyline. This gives the viewer a reason to stay invested, but also delivers something different in each episode. I can say the same for the way the season ends. It definitely made me excited for what may come next in the second season.

Finally, there’s a lot of emotion packed into this series. It tackles so many heavy subjects, such as murder, kidnapping, and loss of loved ones. All of these stories managed to get a reaction out of me. Even the ones I wasn’t fully in love with kept me intrigued. More often than not though, I was attached to the characters, enamored with the story, and I definitely shed a few tears while watching this show.

Link Click is one of the better time travel anime I’ve watched without a doubt. It excels in just about every other aspect and it manages to at least make the time travel itself interesting. I can give it points for its unique enough concept. Like I said before, I’m looking forward to what happens in the confirmed second season. I hope I won’t have to wait too much longer.