Twice as many Instagram Followers as Yamapi! Hallyu Idol is Now Most Followed Male Celebrity
Many people may honestly ask, “Who are they?”
The second most followed male in Japan is Tomohisa Yamashita, and the third is Kento Yamazaki. And the third is Kento Yamazaki. However, when it comes to the number of followers, Yuta has 8 million, while Yamashita and Yamazaki have only 4 million. The difference among them is almost double.
In fact, Yuta is only a hundred million behind Naomi Watanabe, the top-ranking Japanese celebrity. Who is this popular Yuta? Why has he made such great strides despite being a Korean idol rather than a Japanese one? Let us find out.
Yuta is a member of a 10-member idol group called NCT127. They are a group of 10 idols from the major South Korean agency SM Entertainment, the major South Korean agency that produced the likes of Tohoshinki, among others. He was the first Japanese trainee in the group and successfully made his debut.
Nowadays, it is not unusual to see Japanese members in Hallyu groups, but he was a pioneer. At the time, anti-Japanese sentiment in the K-POP world was even stronger than it is today, and there must have been considerable discrimination and harassment against the first Japanese trainees to come to Japan. Perhaps it was there that he made his debut, and through hard, blood-soaked efforts, he succeeded in making his debut. He is such a gutsy young man.
Post-Debut Struggles
However, NCT127 debuted in Korea five years ago. The tide is beginning to turn in favor of Yuta. This is because of the rising number of Instagram followers as mentioned earlier.
“Yuta started Instagram in March of 2020. The year before that, he had just completed a successful world tour and was gaining popularity, so it seems that he gained followers at once. On this Instagram page, Yuta shows his originality as a Japanese, which he was unable to show in his group activities. This was a different kind of appeal from the Korean idols of the past, and it led to his breakthrough.”
“I think the biggest reason for Yuta’s breakthrough is his character. K-POP male idols are attractive because they are manly, even though they are idols. Yuta is manly, but he is Japanese. Unlike Korean men, who are easily recognizable as macho and dependable, Yuta is not a man who talks much, but is more considerate of his friends and quietly protects everyone.
For example, he always gives a gift on a member’s birthday, or offers a helping hand at a moment’s notice. In Korea, there are “sasaengs,” or stalker-like fans, and Yuta attracted attention because he was unusually quick to snap at them. He probably wanted to protect the members.
On the other hand, Yuta is also funny and cute as only an Osaka native can be. This gap between the two is cute, and he is said to be the most popular member among the members. However, he is stubbornly serious and does not show such a silly side on stage. In this way, Yuta’s charm is not something that can be seen at first glance, and it takes some time. He opened his Instagram page just as his charms were slowly becoming known, so he may have caught fire all at once.”
Another positive aspect of being a Japanese member seems to have been a factor.
“Yuta, too, has been a member of the group for several years since its debut. Yuta was a common Korean idol, with a strong K-POP flavor, cute but with cool dance moves. However, at some point, he started to rapidly become like Kyosuke Himuro. His dance was a bit like a rock band, but with a more orthodox dance style. But the dance was orthodox K-POP dance. Such a gap is the reason why other K-POP idols, and it seems to be fresh. His rock view of the world is on full display on his Instagram as well.
Yuta is, so to speak, the first Japanese male to make a full-fledged debut in Korea, where anti-Japanese sentiment is strong. It was natural for the agency to be cautious, and it was difficult for him to put forth his Japanese individuality. I believe this has blossomed with the acquisition of a solo stage in Instagram.
At the recent Tokyo Dome concert, Yuta was the only one whose solo cut was not shown, and fans complained about it, so there may be more difficulties to come. But judging from the current momentum of his Instagram, Yuta’s popularity will only increase, and will not wane.
(An editor of a music magazine) “Looking back, Tomohisa Yamashita and Kento Yamazaki, who are in second and third place in terms of followers, also have a lot of followers on Netflix and Hulu. It is encouraging to see young people who have overcome various disadvantages and are active on a global scale.”
Interview and text by： Nanako
Born in Ehime Prefecture. After working at a broadcasting station, she became a freelance writer. She specializes in interviews with celebrities and articles analyzing popular events, and is always on the lookout for serial dramas and popular Japanese movies. She is a well-known beautiful writer in the magazine industry.
Photo： Splash/Afro
