Looking forward to watching it when it gets subbed, it looks dreadful in the best way.

AbemaTV is from TV Asahi, it's the same company. You're right: it got a lower budget but it's because it's a late night drama.

But while late night dramas often get lower budgets, they can sometimes surpass the buzz from primetime dramas easily. "Ossan's Love" is an example of that: it was a social phenomenon and it was aired at the same time slot, with shoestring budget.

And I am 99% sure she posted about the M performances on Instagram, which was basically promo for the drama. I remember seeing it in her Stories.

I think most of the "love story" told in the book is fiction made to boost interest in her (which worked) and to whitewash the public image of Max (considering most reports on Japanese tabloid media in the last few years are about him being involved with drugs, Yakuza, skeezy treatment of women etc). Ayu knows that and doesn't really want to directly endorse the drama and have it be considered an actual biography of hers but, at the same time, she knows it'll boost interest in her catalogue so it's pretty clear to me she is coyly promoting it.

She teased the M performances on her IG story

I think AbemaTV is a joint partnership between TV Asahi and CyberAgent (owner of Ameba)?

Episode 1 has been released by Blitz Fansubs!! I can't wait to watch it although I'm not expecting it to be awesome tbh

thank you for this. and that preface excerpt is cryptic as all fucks! :laugh

I've just watched the 1st episode and I am very pleasantly surprised. I approached it with zero expectations, ready for the cringe-fest after reading some opinions here and I don't see it as "so bad it's good". And I watched some jdramas in my life.
To be perfectly honest, the only moments I rolled my eyes were with the eye-patch villain secretary. I think this character is very forced and should have been created differently. It's only my opinion, I respect people who enjoy her.
This aside I find the drama genuinely fine and I would recommend it to the people I know.
Kalen is fine and can only get better. I really am getting ayu vibes from her. The final moments even made my eyes wet a bit ;)
I am very glad they spent some time on her "pre- a victory" years, somehow it felt like a good start.
And I must say I adore the music here, TRF (or USG I should say :D ) songs from that era are sugar-coating my ears ^^, plus the clothes and generally grasping the mood of the 90's, I love it.

To those who haven't watched the episode yet. Don't let the opinions of others discourage you from picking this series up :)

Completely agree! I've spend some years watching over 200+ dramas in my life and am definitely addicted to jdramas and this is very much like any other. I'm really happy with the re-creation of Ayu looks and music videos, I think they made them really well! Really excited for more :luv2

have any songs been featured in episode 1? if so which ones?

Just M.

The other songs are mostly TRF feel like dance and globe's DEPARTURES which 'Ayu' sings twice during the episode.

TK is of course a character too lol

tbf Kalen sang DEPARTURES in such a convincing Ayu style that for a second I thought she was singing two of us or an ASFXX album track until it clicked.

OMG guys!! I've seen auctions for coasters in which producers signs and write random letters I thought "What is that? Who in the earth would buy that?"

Now that I watched the first episode (with subs) I'm freaking, it all makes sense!!

Just watched it and I actually liked it! I've seen many j-dramas (of all kinds) and this one is in the "decent to good" category in terms of acting and script imo if you watch it not expecting an accurate Ayu biography is actually really fun, I'm excited for the next episode!

That's pretty much how I feel about it, as well! :) It's nothing that will win tons of awards but it's decent and very entertaining.

Oh my god...TK in this episode :laugh
I find the drama entertaining enough! Its campy as hell lol

The secretary is so extra :roflmao

It was entertaining I will definitely watch the whole thing :)
It even makes me laugh sometimes lol
Now I was afraid by the storyline but it seems like a lot of things really happened like how Ayu decided of quitting her former agency to joine Avex. It was reported some years ago in a tabloid that Avex had to paye for it because she was still in contract etc...
The feud / revalery between Max and TK did happened back then and how he decided to produce Every little things and Ayu in response to that. It something Max told on her blog like 10 years ago.

It’s quite funny to look for what really happened.

^Ah! It's Every little thing? I thought it was Do As Infinity

Yes it’s ELT ;)

Seems we will be getting a CD with all the covers on May 13. The original song "Can't Stop This" thats played at the club throughout the first episode sounds like a bop!

lol the vintage nineties avex logo at the end

the tracklist -
01. REVIVE 'EM ALL 2020（Beverly / FAKY / FEMM / lol -エルオーエル- / Yup'in / 安斉かれん）
revived MAXIMIZOR「CAN'T STOP THIS!!」
テレビ朝日系土曜ナイトドラマ+ABEMA独占配信 「Ｍ 愛すべき人がいて」挿入歌
2. Beverly revived globe「FACES PLACES」feat. SCHNELL from SOLIDEMO
3. FAKY revived DA PUMP「Feelin' Good -It's PARADISE- (Retake Version) 」
4. FEMM revived hitomi「CANDY GIRL」
5. Hina from FAKY revived Every Little Thing「出逢った頃のように」
6. lol - エルオーエル- revived TRF「EZ DO DANCE」
7. lol - エルオーエル- revived TRF「BOY MEETS GIRL」
8. Yup'in revived 相川七瀬「夢見る少女じゃいられない」
9. Yup'in revived 相川七瀬「恋心」
10. 安斉かれん revived m-flo「come again」feat. CAELAN from INTERSECTION

we're spared Avex nobodies honkling through poker face