REVIEW: ‘LINK CLICK’ Season 2 Episode 5 — “Last Supper”

LINK CLICK (Shiguang Daili Re­n), the hit donghua (Chinese animation), has been building immense amounts of tension over the course of its second season. LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5, titled “Last Supper”, continues to unravel more of the story all while upping the stakes for its characters and viewers. Lu Guang (Yang Tianxiang) and Cheng Xiaoshi (Su Shangqing) have combined once again to enter the photo of the pink-haired girl Xixi and there is so much more than meets the eye.

While the mystery taking place in the present time has been the focal point of the season so far, LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 is primarily focused on Xixi and her backstory from the picture. Seeing Cheng Xiaoshi back in the saddle inside a picture is something I know I have been dying to see since the end of last season, so it was satisfying to see how he handles being in someone else’s shoes yet again. It’s especially challenging for him because Xixi is a young girl without the ability to speak, neither of which Cheng Xiaoshi can relate to.

Unlike in the first season, however, Cheng Xiaoshi has shown so much personal growth. He is no longer rash and quick to act but is more thoughtful of the consequences of his actions. At least at first. As LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 progresses, he becomes more and more frustrated with the circumstances which serves as an excellent way to show more of his character through a different body. He is still more conscious of the situation than he was at the start of the series, but his personality does shine through. There is a line when he is sitting at the dinner table as Xixi with her family where he comments on how nice it is to sit down for a meal with a family that I really appreciated. It was a subtle way of showing his character while also sort of foreshadowing what was about to happen.

The first half of LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 highlights some really heartwarming moments with Xixi, her mother, and her brother Tianchen. Establishing their bonds and why Xixi considers Tianchen to be her “good brother” was really important in order to make what happens in the back half of the episode so much more impactful. The scene with Tianchen re-teaching Xixi sign language showcased typical sibling relationships, that even when trying to help they can get really frustrated with each other but that doesn’t change the love they have for each other.

Then things take a really dark turn while the family is at the dinner table. Xixi’s father suspects her mother of cheating on him and devolves into a horrifying tirade. He tells Xixi and Tianchen to leave the room before a really brutal scene of domestic violence takes place and it was physically difficult for me to watch. Seeing the look on Xixi and Tianchen’s faces as you can hear the sounds of their mother being beaten was bad enough, but then when the camera cuts to actually show what is happening it was tough to keep watching.

The depiction of domestic violence was so visceral and realistic that it genuinely shook me to watch, but Studio LAN made sure to not make it feel gratuitous. It can be hard to show such horrifying events in a way that doesn’t cheapen how awful they are or make it feel like it doesn’t serve a real purpose, so I was grateful that such a terrible experience was shown in a way that authentically represented the experience and even how others not directly involved can look the other way even when they know what they are seeing.

All of that serves to show how Xixi got to be where she is and how her experiences have surely had a massive impact on her psyche. She had requested to specifically meet with Cheng Xiaoshi and the end of LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 shows the two come face-to-face. Xixi reveals her real name and the fact that she has the ability to speak, something that is surely going to come into play later on. There is a brief moment earlier on when Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi lose connection which makes me believe Xixi has her own ability that can interfere with the duo. The way she looks at Cheng Xiaoshi when he enters the room and she speaks to him sets up for some interesting reveals in the next episode.

LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 continues the slow build while also presenting an incredibly harrowing experience that will sit with viewers for a long time. Learning more about Xixi and her brother is going to be vital to the rest of the story, but we will have to wait a bit longer before we see just how it is going to play out.

LINK CLICK Season 2 Episode 5 is streaming now on Crunchyroll with new episodes every Friday this Summer Anime season.