Italy’s La Porta Magica Leads October Wit List

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The Italian factual show La Porta Magica garnered the most followers on Instagram out of all the new series that made their debuts in October, according to The WIT.

With 374,000 followers, the Rai 2 show topped the list, aided by the star power of its host, Andrea Delogu, who has 722,000 followers. It features a cast of ordinary people who wish to find the courage to change one aspect of their lives. They tell their stories and are then guided on a path of transformation, helped by an expert team of “Angels” to revolutionize their lives.

Watashi no Takaramono picked up 254,000 followers after bowing on Japan’s Fuji TV on October 17 to land in second on the list. Starring Wakana Matsumoto (Involvement in Family Affairs), Kei Tanaka (Ossan’s Love: Love or Dead) and Snow Man member Tatsuya Fukasawa (When Spring Comes), the drama follows a housewife who is struggling with her marriage. When she reconnects with a supportive childhood friend, she ends up having an affair that results in a pregnancy. The series is directed by Toshiyuki Mitsuhashi (The Confidence Man JP). Matsumoto has 632,000 followers, Tanaka counts 56,000, and Fukasawa has 45,700.

The Japanese program Sennyu Kyodai (Undercover Brothers), a police action series centered on the adventures of a former policeman and his sister, a talented hacker, as they infiltrate a criminal organization to track down their father’s killer, picked up 159,000 followers. Its cast is led by Ryo Ryusei (Acma: Game) and model Rikako Yagi (First Love), who have 270,000 and 532,000 followers, respectively.

In the fourth spot on the list, the South Korean talent reality series PROJECT 7 racked up 105,000 followers on Instagram after premiering on October 18 on JTBC. Hosted by model Lee Soo-hyuk, who has 5.1 million followers, the series sees spectators select participants and form groups at each stage of the competition, helping to create the final seven-member group destined to become the next great international idol band. The show’s popularity was boosted by Soo-hyuk and its celebrity judges.

The Nippon TV comedy Houkago Karte (After School Doctor), adapted from the manga by Mayu Hinase, follows the adventures of Dr. Makino, a school nurse at a primary school tasked with treating the students’ minor injuries. The problem is that Makino doesn’t really like children. Boosted by the followings of its star singer-songwriter Kohei Matsushita (1.2 million followers) and model Aoi Morikawa (643,000), the show amassed 94,000 of its own.

Another comedy from Nippon TV made the list in sixth place, with Wakakusa Monogatari garnering 88,000 followers. Adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women, it depicts the challenges of life, love and dreams through the journeys of the four Machida sisters. The four actresses playing the main characters have a cumulative total of 2.5 million followers, with the most followed being girl band member Neru Nagahama, with 1.2 million.

Ano Kuzu wo Nagutte Yaritainda (I Wanna Punch that Scumbag), a romantic comedy that bowed on TBS in Japan on October 8, picked up 82,000 followers. With a cast led by boy band singer Yuta Tamamori (1.2 million followers) and model Nao (549,000), the series tells the story of Sato Hokomi, whose fiancé flees on their wedding day. After encountering a mysterious blond man, she decides to take up boxing to become stronger both physically and mentally.

The sequel to Wizards of Waverly Place, which ran from 2007 to 2012, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, took the eighth spot on the October Wit List with 78,000 followers. The new Disney Channel and Disney+ series follows an adult Justin Russo, who is living a normal life with his wife and two sons on Staten Island until his sister Alex asks for help with a young wizard-in-training. Selena Gomez, star of the original series, guest stars and produces the new show. She counts 423 million followers of her own.

Fuji TV’s Usotoki Retorikku (Usotoki Rhetoric), which has 70,000 followers, stars Ouji Suzuka (Silent) and Honoka Matsumoto (Love Like the Falling Petals). Adapted from the manga of the same name, it is set in 1920s Japan during the Showa era and follows the story of a young girl with a special power that allows her to hear lies. This power becomes an asset when she meets a talented, indebted detective. Suzuka counts 413,000 followers, and Matsumoto has 165,000.

Rounding out the list is yet another Japanese series, Lion no Kakurega (Light of My Lion), with 65,000 followers. The TBS drama centers on a city hall employee who cares for his autistic brother, an artist with exceptional perception. Their routine is disrupted when a mysterious boy named Lion arrives. It stars Ryota Bando (Furero, 366 Days), who has 436,000 followers, and Yuya Yagira (Gannibal, Nobody Knows), who has 173,000.

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