“Link Click is the master of both the twist AND the cliff-hanger... Every episode has a really clever twist and/or a cliff-hanger. The pacing is even and smooth, nothing is rushed and nothing drags.”
PJ
Life at 23.5 Degrees (Substack)
Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run the Time Photo Studio, a small shop in a modern Chinese city that offers a very unusual service. Cheng Xiaoshi can dive into any photograph by touching it, temporarily inhabiting the body of the person who took the picture. He experiences their memories and emotions in real time, while Lu Guang stays in the present to guide him, tracking events across time. Their partnership is bound by strict rules: a 12-hour time limit inside each photo, no altering major historical events, and no revealing their identities to anyone in the past.
Every job starts with a client bringing a photo and a request. A woman wants to know what happened to her missing daughter. A man needs to find a lost friend. Each dive uncovers hidden truths, but the duo soon realizes that their actions have consequences that ripple across timelines. A serial killer begins targeting people connected to their cases, and someone with supernatural abilities is pulling strings from the shadows. The series weaves episodic mysteries into an overarching thriller about fate, sacrifice, and the cost of trying to change the past.
Link Click, known in Chinese as Shiguang Dailiren (Time Agents), is an original donghua created by Li Haoling and produced by LAN Studio and Haoliners Animation League. It premiered on bilibili in April 2021 and has since gained a global following, praised for its emotional depth, clever twists, and high production values. The series has been called a landmark for Chinese animation, proving that donghua can stand alongside the best of Japanese anime in storytelling and artistry.
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Link Click follows Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang, two young men who run the Time Photo Studio in a bustling Chinese metropolis. Their supernatural abilities complement each other perfectly. Cheng Xiaoshi can dive into photographs, temporarily possessing the photographer's body and reliving their memories for up to 12 hours. Lu Guang can observe and track events across time, acting as the strategist and safety net. They must maintain physical contact throughout the dive; breaking it forces Cheng Xiaoshi back to the present. Their powers come with hard rules: they cannot alter deaths, which are fixed points in time, and they must never reveal their identities to anyone in the past.
Clients bring photos seeking closure or answers. A mother wants to find her kidnapped daughter. A young woman needs to understand why her best friend vanished. Each dive reveals secrets hidden in the captured moments, but the missions are never simple. The duo must navigate the emotions and dangers of the past while avoiding changes that could unravel the present. Their work attracts the attention of a mysterious figure who can possess people through photographs, turning their clients into pawns in a deadly game. As the cases connect, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang realize they are being hunted by someone who knows more about their powers than they do.
The first season follows a case-of-the-week structure that gradually builds into a serialized thriller. The second season deepens the mythology, introducing the concept of abilities transferring upon death and hinting at parallel timelines. The Bridon Arc, a prequel set in a fictionalized Tokyo, explores the origins of a photograph tied to Cheng Xiaoshi's missing parents and introduces new players like the model Xia Fei and the enigmatic Liu Xiao. Throughout the series, the central question remains: can the past truly be changed, or are some events destined to repeat no matter how hard the protagonists try to rewrite them?
LINK CLICK | Official Trailer
Critical Consensus
Link Click is widely praised as one of the best Chinese donghua series, known for its emotionally resonant storytelling, clever time-travel mechanics, and stunning animation. Critics highlight the strong chemistry between the two leads and the show's ability to balance episodic mysteries with an overarching thriller plot. The series has been called a landmark achievement for Chinese animation.
“Link Click is the master of both the twist AND the cliff-hanger... Every episode has a really clever twist and/or a cliff-hanger. The pacing is even and smooth, nothing is rushed and nothing drags.”
PJ
Life at 23.5 Degrees (Substack)
“It's a mystery series with elements of sci fi. It's pretty well written and the characters and emotional moments of the story are very engaging.”
Reddit user
r/LinkClick
“Cheng Xiaoshi deduces that the duo's time-traveling has created an alternate timeline... This murderer does not like being provoked—he'll be more likely to make mistakes in anger.”
CBR
CBR
“It was repeatedly reinforced that death was an unchangeable node. Despite that, Lu Guang broke his own rule and decided to change his friend's fate.”
Sportskeeda
Sportskeeda
Director
Li Haoling
Writer
Li Haoling
New York International Film Awards (2024-2025)
Best Animation: Won
Lisbon Animated Film Festival (2024-2025)
Best Series: Won
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