Awkward Korean, a tight, plain black t-shirt, cheap gold and silver accessories, and a shaggy wig with an excessive amount of artificial hair. These factors add up to describe a person that would best fit in a low-rated, shoddy Japanese host club in the 90s. Hardly anyone would think such a person would be loved by the general public, especially in South Korea–a Confucius country with a reserved culture. However, a person with all the aforementioned traits is currently at the zenith of popularity. Meet Danaka, a host who came to seek his fortune in Korea, after a pitiful career back in his home country.

Danaka was born to a host family in Kabukicho: a district known for its bustling nightlife. According to Danaka, passing down a profession from father to son is ubiquitous in Japan. Danaka’s family was no exception. His father, also a host, had wanted Danaka to follow the family tradition and become a host; Danaka, ever the obeying son, couldn’t muster the courage to say no. Unfortunately, although hosting ran in his veins, hosting didn’t turn out to be Danaka’s forte. The youthful man of twenty had to endure 5 years of not getting shimered. ‘Shimered’ means getting nominated, a process in which the customer chooses the host he or she would like to enjoy the company of. Those who do not get shimered on a regular basis are deemed unpopular; subsequently they are reduced to washing the dishes in the kitchen. In the end, Danaka, then a piteous soul with low self esteem, decided he was done with the industry and embarked on a plane to South Korea.

After 4 years of no recognition, Danaka finally became a star in Korea. He has made a name as an eminent Youtube personality, appearing in various youtube channels and collaborating with celebrities. The rising star is adored for his unique background, humble yet charming character, and sense of humor. Even his pronunciation brings smiles and laughter to the public, possibly since Danaka’s pronunciation for the korean equivalent for ‘flower’ can be mistaken for a lewd word.

Intriguingly, the former host’s rise to stardom happened tremendously rapidly, being centered around the recent 2 months. Youtube appears to be the reason behind this mystery. All that was needed for his popularity was one viral video, just one video that would be considered hilarious by the public. Afterwards, the people did the publicizing for him. He started to be a frequent face in Youtube shorts, and youtube watchers started to search for more videos where Danaka is featured. Subsequently, youtubers with business acumen perceived Danaka to be a valuable asset, and invited him to their channel. These steps were repeated again and again as part of a virtuous cycle.

Danaka’s story appears to be a heartwarming story where a young man obtained success after years of failure. However, there is a twist. In reality, there is no such man called ‘Danaka’. He is merely one of comedian Kim Gyeong Uk’s pseudo characters. Yes, the comedian had meticulously designed this character from his appearances to his personality. No wonder he appealed to South Korean humor so well!

It appears to be that Danaka’s true identity did not dwindle his popularity, if not make him more popular. Viewers who initially believe him to be a true Japanese former host are astounded when they are told otherwise in the comments section. With newfound respect for the comedian pulling off an act so convincingly, they then watch more videos about Danaka to find possible slip ups that would indicate he is indeed Korean. During this binge watching, they become fans before they know it.

Actually, comedians making a persona and devoting a whole Youtube channel to it isn’t out of the norm, at least in South Korea. As a matter of fact, it could very well be the new wave of Korean comedy. Comedians had been hitting a slope after comedy shows stopped being a mainstream entertainment an entire family gathered around to watch. However, the comedians who managed to grow popularity were those who made characters for themselves to act out. These characters tend to have the stereotypical behavior for a certain group. Of course, they do not cross the thin line that separates rudeness and humor. Characters like ‘the hiking-loving fathers’, ‘the typical african tv vj’ have all gained satisfactory amounts of popularity. Together with Danaka, these characters and the comedians behind them can be the pioneers for a whole new generation of comedians, and even perhaps actors.