Japanese Drama Eye Love You Tops January Wit List

The Japanese fantasy romance series Eye Love You garnered the most followers on Instagram out of all the new series that premiered in January, according to The WIT.

Eye Love You earned 229,000 followers after its debut on TBS and Netflix in Japan on January 23. With a star-studded cast featuring Chae Jong Hyeop (1.9 million followers), Fumi Nikaido (1.1 million) and Taishi Nakagawa (780,000), the series centers on Motomiya Yuri, who can hear other people’s inner voices when she looks into their eyes. Her life changes when she meets a bright and friendly Korean student who is loved by everyone due to his innocence.

The CBS late-night entertainment show After Midnight landed in second place with 143,000 followers. Inspired by Comedy Central’s @midnight, the series has a game-show feel as comedian Taylor Tomlinson presents what set the internet abuzz each day. Tomlinson has 1.5 million followers of her own.

FOX Turkey’s drama Gaddar (Cruel) racked up 112,000 followers after its January 19 debut to land in third on the January Wit List. The series follows Dağhan, a young man who leaves his family and the woman he loves to join the military. When he returns home, he faces a series of unexpected events that transform him into a cruel man. The cast features an array of high-profile stars, including Çağatay Ulusoy (9.9 million followers), Sümeyye Aydoğan (1.3 million), Uğur Yıldıran (712,000) and Onur Saylak (344,000).

Another Turkish drama, İnci Taneleri (Shadows of Redemption), came in fourth, with 93,000 followers. The Kanal D series centers on a respected literature professor whose life takes a tragic turn when he is accused of the brutal murder of his wife and sentenced to several years in prison. Hazar Ergüçlü (3.2 million followers), Kubilay Aka (2.3 million), Rıza Kocaoğlu (1.2 million) and Selma Ergeç (903,000) star.

Crunchyroll’s Ore dake Level Up na Ken (Solo Leveling), an anime version of the fantasy Korean webtoon Na Honjaman Lebel-eob, premiered on January 6. It is set in a world where human warriors with supernatural abilities must battle deadly monsters to protect mankind. It features the voices of SungWon Cho (138,000 followers), Justin Briner (30,200) and Dani Chambers (3,000), whose followings helped the show’s Instagram pick up 76,000 of its own.

Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Aquaman) takes the lead in Max’s On the Roam, which earned 50,000 followers after its debut in mid-January. The actor travels the U.S. to search for the fearless artists and dreamers who are the masters of their crafts. Momoa boasts over 17 million followers himself.

In BBC One’s reboot of the physical game-show format Gladiators, professional gladiators take part in a series of physical challenges against contestants. It is hosted by Bradley Walsh, who has 903,000 followers, and his son, Barney Walsh, who has 205,000. The series itself amounted 35,000.

The Mexican adaptation of the Portuguese telenovela Laços de Sangue, Vivir de amor (Live Out of Love), tells the story of two sisters who have been separated since childhood. One grew up in poverty, while the other grew up in luxury. After premiering on Las Estrellas on January 29, the show earned 23,000 followers, aided by a star-studded cast that features Gala Montes (2.7 million followers), Gabriela Spanic (2.6 million), Kimberly Dos Ramos (2.1 million) and Emmanuel Palomares (1.2 million).

The Turkish drama Kopuk (Foam) picked up 21,000 followers to come in ninth place. The FOX series centers on Ferhan, who steals money from bribers, swindlers and those who became rich through unjustified scams. He uses the money to educate the poor youth in his neighborhood and help their families. It stars Biran Damla Yılmaz, Kaan Yıldırım and Seray Kaya. Damla Yılmaz has 3.8 million followers, while Yıldırım and Kaya have 1 million each.

Rounding out the January Wit List is Hell’s Kitchen Hrvatska with 18,000 followers. The Croatian adaptation of the format sees teams of amateur cooks compete against each other in a restaurant under the aegis of chef Tom Gretić. The winner of the RTL Televizija show takes home €30,000. Gretić has 11,800 followers of his own.

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