Kalen Anzai cast as Ayu in the drama adaptation of "M 愛すべき人がいて"

[visionfactory]

Sorry but anybody know where is Karen's POWDER SNOW shoot from? Episode 1 or some teaser out there?

[mizuki-7]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

.

I was really surprised about how much charisma Kalen had on camera...So far the text didn't give Ayu much of a personality, but I really liked having Kalen on screen, lol. She also wasn't bad acting and unlike the show promo, she didn't give me the same feeling her PVs

I was pleasantly surprised by that too !!

[Machiko]

Originally Posted by visionfactory

Sorry but anybody know where is Karen's POWDER SNOW shoot from? Episode 1 or some teaser out there?

Wasn't in the first episode, so maybe in the next?

[jbrat2219]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I thinks it was really fun, actually.

I was really surprised about how much charisma Kalen had on camera...So far the text didn't give Ayu much of a personality, but I really liked having Kalen on screen, lol. She also wasn't bad acting and unlike the show promo, she didn't give me the same feeling her PVs

Really? I thought she was really stiff! I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in that the script isn't that great and maybe ayu really was that stiff back in the day but I can't excuse her lack of stage presence. If she's going to be playing ayu accurately, she really needs to bring it in that department. But again, maybe ayu was stiff performing live back then, too. I'm still excited to see more, though!

[~*Mabushii*~]

It's cheesy, and I anticipated as much. I'm actually pretty excited to watch more after the 1st episode!

I think Kalen fits what I felt about Ayu back then, she did seem much stiffer when she was younger, at least from what I remember watching of her younger things. So it's not too awful for me.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by visionfactory

Sorry but anybody know where is Karen's POWDER SNOW shoot from? Episode 1 or some teaser out there?

When we've seen it, it was an instagram story with a recreation of the ASFXX cover. I think they may have remade most of the Ayu covers up to M at least with Kalen.

Originally Posted by ~*Mabushii*~

It's cheesy, and I anticipated as much. I'm actually pretty excited to watch more after the 1st episode!

I think Kalen fits what I felt about Ayu back then, she did seem much stiffer when she was younger, at least from what I remember watching of her younger things. So it's not too awful for me.

When she's performing M, it doesn't feel quite right. I think they were trying to recreate the dome tour performance but in a small hall like space?

[orbitalaspect]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

About Kalen, emulating someone bigger is a recurrent strategy to introduce a new musician to the mainstream and several bog acts started like that. The pop music public tends to gravitate towards stuff with a sense of familiarity. It's not like Ayu didn't borrowed from other on her eaely days, or that Kalen is the first one modeled after Ayu.

About the Drama, I'm just curious. It seens like it will be so bad its good.

Thank you for throwing your voice in on this. It means a lot that you and I are relatively on the same page about Kalen, if only because, for me, she has really brought back that part of me that got excited for singles, for covers, for PVs. So far, whether short-lived or not, I get a little while to experience J-Pop again like I did 15 years ago when my now-passed best friend first introduced me to Ayu with the "Moments" PV.

Anyway, thank you again, Andrenekoi. I hope you've been well, and I hope everyone on the Discord is doing well too!

PS: Still doing fine here since my su&%*!" attempt in 2018. I haven't had any thoughts since then, and even though I have no one to really talk to (and haven't seen I disappeared from the Discord), I'm doing far better overall mentally. I do, however, miss connecting with you and others in chat, and I owe a lot of my increased thoughtfulness regarding what I say and how I say it to you and others who, regardless of our spats, still treated me like a part of the group on Discord. Thank you!

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

Really? I thought she was really stiff! I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in that the script isn't that great and maybe ayu really was that stiff back in the day but I can't excuse her lack of stage presence. If she's going to be playing ayu accurately, she really needs to bring it in that department. But again, maybe ayu was stiff performing live back then, too. I'm still excited to see more, though!

Yeah, she is stiff and had like no stage presence xD But I did find she has a nice video presence. I just wish she was written better.

[Chibi-Chan]

Originally Posted by orbitalaspect

Thank you for throwing your voice in on this. It means a lot that you and I are relatively on the same page about Kalen, if only because, for me, she has really brought back that part of me that got excited for singles, for covers, for PVs. So far, whether short-lived or not, I get a little while to experience J-Pop again like I did 15 years ago when my now-passed best friend first introduced me to Ayu with the "Moments" PV.

Anyway, thank you again, Andrenekoi. I hope you've been well, and I hope everyone on the Discord is doing well too!

PS: Still doing fine here since my su&%*!" attempt in 2018. I haven't had any thoughts since then, and even though I have no one to really talk to (and haven't seen I disappeared from the Discord), I'm doing far better overall mentally. I do, however, miss connecting with you and others in chat, and I owe a lot of my increased thoughtfulness regarding what I say and how I say it to you and others who, regardless of our spats, still treated me like a part of the group on Discord. Thank you!

Even though I found the first episode horrible, your response really made me tear up. Maybe I'm too emotional at the moment anyway (yeah well, not maybe, definitely lol), but I always loved to hear your thoughts about stuff and actually already missed you in the "30 Day Ayu Challenge". I would really much like to read your thoughts on some of the challenges. In case you would like to, I would be happy if you would stillt join! Of course everyone else is welcome, too!

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

Really? I thought she was really stiff! I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in that the script isn't that great and maybe ayu really was that stiff back in the day but I can't excuse her lack of stage presence. If she's going to be playing ayu accurately, she really needs to bring it in that department. But again, maybe ayu was stiff performing live back then, too. I'm still excited to see more, though!

I agree. I didn't think she was charismatic at all. A lot does come down to the script though. Like that scene where she first meets Max, her charisma is supposed to be catching his eye, but the delivery of her lines is just so stiff and stilted like she were literally reading off a script page.

[kaled kalil]

I would blame the director/script and not the actress, honestly. Also, for someone who was marketed as a "hologram/CG" singer, she's actually doing something.

As for the lack of stage presence, as I said she had an aura and some speculation as not being real, as a CG creating, and the only live performance she did since her debut is this:



... which you can barely see her because she's behind dozens of mirrors. She has no stage persona because she's barely a performer still, so putting things into consideration, she's not great, but she's better than I was expecting.

I still haven't watch a full episode, I will wait when it's all over.

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I agree. I didn't think she was charismatic at all. A lot does come down to the script though. Like that scene where she first meets Max, her charisma is supposed to be catching his eye, but the delivery of her lines is just so stiff and stilted like she were literally reading off a script page.

I don't think the point in there was much her charisma as it was her nerve. Still, the script take her several places and I have a hard time finding the line that connect all of them as a character. An experiencet actor would have fixed a lot of that by themselves, but experienced actor she is not lol. I don't hold that against her because this wans't meant for an experienced actor in the first place.

I did like her presence... In the sense I wasn't bored or uninterester when the story was focusing on her, what would be like the worst possibility ever for this kind of production...

Now, considering her live performances and she playing Ayu on stage, I would say this is the aspect she suffers the most. Ayu is a hell of a performer, and even when she wasn't ready, she was always able to connect with her audience and put emotion on her singing... 2 stuff this girl surely can't do as successfully.

[pedronekoi]

Karen in fron of A song for xx remake album jacket:

https://twitter.com/ABEMA/status/1250317936838897664

[FoxyPinkGirl]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I mean, the book was written based on interviews with her. I don't think she was lying in those interviews in order to give Max a better image, but who knows?

As for the drama, I had fun with it though it is one of the cheesiest things I've ever seen. It's not "good", but fun to watch anyway. What I don't like is them not using the original songs or names of the other artists (Like what's the point of ELT becoming OTF, et cetera? Especially when you are keeping the songs the same). All of the cover versions of the songs just sound cheap and pale in comparison to the originals which is a bad move since it seems Avex wants to use this drama to promote it's younger talent - all it is doing is reminding people how much better the original stuff sounded IMO. At least the M performance was lip synched to Ayu's original; hopefully that continues for all of the Ayu songs.

I thought there was an article in 2013 published confirming there was a romance between Max and Ayu and it stated it was common knowledge in avex...an open secret. Apparently it was reported on by a few sites then

[ExodusUK]

Originally Posted by kaled kalil

I would blame the director/script and not the actress, honestly. Also, for someone who was marketed as a "hologram/CG" singer, she's actually doing something.

As for the lack of stage presence, as I said she had an aura and some speculation as not being real, as a CG creating, and the only live performance she did since her debut is this:



... which you can barely see her because she's behind dozens of mirrors. She has no stage persona because she's barely a performer still, so putting things into consideration, she's not great, but she's better than I was expecting.

I still haven't watch a full episode, I will wait when it's all over.

The comments on this video...yikes.

"This is the Ayu we deserve in Japan 2020"

[~angel*ayumi~]

Still no downloadable version with subs?

[maxikot]

Originally Posted by ~angel*ayumi~

Still no downloadable version with subs?

You can find a download link on fansubber's page
https://blitzfansub.com/m-ai-subeki-...ite-episode-1/

[~angel*ayumi~]

Originally Posted by maxikot

You can find a download link on the fansubber's page
https://blitzfansub.com/m-ai-subeki-...ite-episode-1/

Thank you <3

[behwatch]

Episode 2 with eng sub is out!
https://blitzfansub.com/m-ai-subeki-...ite-episode-2/

[maxikot]

I had a great time watching this episode. ayu x masa romance was cheesy but in a nice way ^^ The scene with her being happy about the coat and the balloon in the background was somehow sweet to me. I also enjoyed how they show off her resilience as it really is her trait. Oh, and the teacher was a star of this episode. An absolutely brilliant character and the actress doing a fantastic job playing her. This is exactly how I would imagine an eccentric singing teacher. I desperately want to see more or her! I will turn a blind eye (haha) to the villain secretary, this person breaks the flow of everything for me but luckily she is there only for brief moments. In my eyes, Kalen is still very fine and getting better. I enjoy looking at her and while she does lack the stage presence of ayu during the concert parts, but aside from that it's fun to follow her footsteps in this story.