Link Click is a great donghua that balance interesting sci-fi with compelling (chinese) character drama. Throughout the episodes, I've made some notes about the special things I've noticed this season. If you're interested, feel free to comment on my thoughts:
Ep 1: The knife fight scene between QL and CXS was beautifully animated. I love how they fight each other like dancing with the knife. Furthermore, the two plot twists, two character deaths, the episode's title name "Falling" was such a clever stylisits choice... they really started off strong this season!
Ep 2: The music during the fight is so good! And omg that fight choreography
...
and animation is insane!!! Sooo glad Qiao Ling got to fight! If this was any other anime when Cheng Xiaoshi told her to stay with Lu Guang she would have stayed and said ok sadly (damsel in distress trope) or would protest then get her ass kicked when fighting so happy for her, she could hold her own. Regarding the fights not resolving the conflict, some of these fights meant to help build character through animation and not through dialogue. S2 episode 2 fights was meant to show CXS and QL working to together and giving QL a moment to shine since she was always a 3rd wheel character in S1. So that's why animation and action but also characterwise this scene was great.
Ep 3: My girl Qiao Ling slaps! Qiao Ling slapping the pride and dignity out of the bourgeoisie was great. I love the amount of interaction between Qiao Ling and CXS that we've been getting so far! Writers really nail that sibling dynamic, I love how they're both trying to protect the other all the time. Side note: Lol glad to see the kung fu couple' return from the OVA. Siwen did really improve his martial art skills. Funny how actually could use the martial art skill from his step-father.
Ep 4: Red eyes just appearing in the police station threw me off. Last thing I expected to happen. Guess it's back to the weekly cliffhanger. Edit: Everytime this red eye is shown he has messy bangs, unlike Xixi's who's is cut clean, she also has noticable side strands while 'he' who shows his eyes doesn't. Nice small subtle hints.
Ep 5: PEAK!!! What an unnvering visceral episode! That's how real family drama is, that's how household abuse is really and that's how to write a realistic chinese family setting! Props to the writer for this choice. Looking forward to see more of it. Edit: Not one single media I have ever experience such realistic househould abuse. That's unironically great. The scene when the mom says: "Let's divorce. OK? " and the father answers "Divorce? Doesn't that just let you have your way. And I, Li Fan, will be a joke for the rest of my life!" hit hard in the feelings. Also the interaction of coward neighbor was good. Really super realistic writing. I am so jaded now that I forgot how this felt but the episode conveys this feelings dangerously well. Viscerally great episode!
Ep 6: What a great traumatizing episode (in a good a way)! "But the next day, they would pretend as if nothing happened" well that's quite visceral quote as well. Also, I must say the father's level of gaslighting is insane! Abuse in household is often due to excessive gaslighting (at least in confucialisitc families), so they depicting like this made it quite hit home. The hint of CXS been thrown out from the photo is nice, indicating Tianchen or Xixi entered her/his mom's body. The fox illustration of the story was also a great stylistic choice to show an visceral event in a more digestable way.
Ep 7: The intro changed! The siblings show their faces now. LG speedboating and acrobatics was something new haha. The fight scenes were executed well: While Xiao Li won his 1x1 fight, Wang Juan did not. Understandable, she was ganged up on and ended up getting knocked outfrom behind. But what that scene established was that Qian Jin was able to get his hands dirty to murder someone (up until now, we see Qian Jin telling everyone else to do the dirty work for him). Japanese animes often got this evil mastermind who has his goons and did not make his hands dirty, so it's refreshing to see an different approach. I would say the point of the fight was to give Xiao Li his moment to shine and to give Xiao Li more trauma to follow his endeavor. That makes it interesting to see the interaction between Qian Lin and Xiao Li in the ending.
Ep 8: When that police officer turned around that actually made me jump lol. The Qiao Ling/Cheng Xiaoshi flashback was nice, finally a crumb of backstory and some meaningful interactions. Wholesome realistic brother/sister kid interaction you not see often in anime. Lu Guang's passcode seems important, I wonder what 091305 is, potential Chekhov's Gun.
Ep 9: The symmetrical sinister laughter caught me off guard, a little bit too extreme but still good since it's undermining their brokeness to this point. So I really appreciate this scene. Beautifully disturbing! I knew it, the neighbor is to blame too. He is not just a friendly gamer, but he contributed to Liu Lan (mom) and Li Fan (dad) death. Some would say he is not responsible, but that's not true, he could have just sit quielty in his apartmant, but no he called the police and over all he spreaded false rumors. Abusers are gonna abuse and anything can push them over. In this case, the neighbor is partly to blame too, he pushed the last stone over. So Tianchen is right to blame him. He approached her on the basis that she was the neighborhood h*e, lol, and it clicks as to why Tianchen disliked him so much, he seen the dude talking about his mom, and turned around and tried to take his chances with her, by helping with the doll, and ultimately was the whole reason his family got torn apart in the first place. Like LTC said "I hate people like that the most". Strangers shouldn't intervene in family business. Finally a media content that depict this intricate topic! Side note: I love the panel where CXS pass the crosswalk, while Xixi was passing him. Great depiction.
Ep 10: Qiao Ling handled everything perfectly, she was amazing. But why did she have to show her that photo of Lu Guang lmao. I loved this episode. It answered a lot of questions, developed our side characters, and we had those small exchanges between our main cast. So Tianchen (the older male twin) had the ability to posess by TOUCHING, OR DIRECT CONTACT -with skin, since he tried to manipulate Lu Guang while he being possed by CXS, but he couldn't GRAB LG's leg, so, no posession). The one that CAN posess with photos (or by watching the objective froom a distance) is Tianxi (the younger female twin). THE BROTHER has been using both HIS AND using HIS SISTER'S powers, while POSSESING HER, possesing her, he posses HER POWERS as well. If he can posses someone WITH powers, he can use both HIS OWN powers and the other person's powers (while being in that person's BODY). CXS move at the ending was SLICK! Possesing his own body, only to be able to teleport back, was a cunning move!
Ep 11: Where are the characters learning how to throw hands like that? I'd expect it from CXS and Qian Jin but everyone is brawling out here like nbd haha. I love the level of gaslighting of Qian Lin. Not only did his wife not betrayed him, he also killed his own unborn child and blame others? That sounds illogical, yes, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE HIM and I am frustated that no media has already show this archetype of person like anything. This is the first media I've noticed it. Side note: That was quite clever to bring a bullet proof vest into this arrangement. That proofs he is quite a mastermind, despite his delusional perception. The author did great to make the character appaling! He is the epitome of dumb asshole psycho that shouldn't be allowed near children or anyone else for that matter.
Ep 12: The ending was great, his bloody shirt, horrified face, going back in time on September 13th at 00:05, 091305. It all makes sense now (Chekhov's Gun). Also the power transfers with death or he was hiding it up his sleeve is a nice hook for S3
All in all, S2 was very solid. I liked S1 of Link Click but the linear plot progression in S2 feels much better than the episodic story telling. The fights were animated beautifully and we got to see more of our favorite characters. I think S3 will start off with focus on LG. It would be interesting to see the story developing with a different perspective.
Jan 10, 2024
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Link Click is a great donghua that balance interesting sci-fi with compelling (chinese) character drama. Throughout the episodes, I've made some notes about the special things I've noticed this season. If you're interested, feel free to comment on my thoughts:
Ep 1: The knife fight scene between QL and CXS was beautifully animated. I love how they fight each other like dancing with the knife. Furthermore, the two plot twists, two character deaths, the episode's title name "Falling" was such a clever stylisits choice... they really started off strong this season! Ep 2: The music during the fight is so good! And omg that fight choreography ... Nov 6, 2023
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