Emirichu (real name: Emily) and Daidus are YouTube content creators famous for posting entertaining animated stories on YouTube using unique anime characters. Animated storytelling has gradually become less popular over the years, but the declining popularity hasn’t affected Emirichu or Daidus.
Daidus currently has 1.32 million subscribers, while Emirichu has 2.46 million subscribers. Emirichu and Daidus have maintained their status as the titans of animated story-telling by constantly churning out original content.
This piece will look at Emirichu and Daidus’ relationship and Emiruchu’s struggle with her identity.
Emirichu confirmed that she was dating Daidus on April fool’s day but fans thought that it was a prank
On 1st April 2020, Emirichu confirmed that she and Daidus were dating by posting photos of their anime characters kissing. However, the post’s caption made it seem like a prank. She wrote, “You what day is it again today I forgot.” Fans dismissed the photos as a prank, but there was a general feeling that they carried some truth.
Several months later, gamer ShyStarfall asked Emirichu about the April 1st post during a Twitch livestream. “Anyways, we are dating,” Emirichu said. A keen listener posted the video on YouTube, but it got pulled down before news of the confirmed relationship spread. Emirichu erased all doubts about her dating Daidus when she posted the following comment on the April fool’s post: “Surprise it wasn’t actually an April fool’s joke HAHA.”
Emirichu turned to anime as a way of coping with her Korean identity struggle
Emirichu was born on 27th August 1995 to South Korean parents. She grew up alongside two older brothers in a predominantly white neighborhood. Emirichu struggled to make Korean friends despite pressure from her family to do so. She couldn’t make Korean friends because she felt disconnected from her Korean roots.
Emirichu wasn’t bullied or racially abused, but she found it difficult to embrace her ethnicity. In a YouTube video posted on 28th June 2020, Emirichu revealed that her classmates laughed at her when she played Korean music during music class. She didn’t resent her classmates because she understood that kids find humor in things that they are not familiar with, but the episode made her hate her ethnicity even more.
To make matters worse, Emirichu struggled to learn Korean. With time, shame and frustration grew into resentment. She said:
“I think subconsciously, I wanted to separate myself from my Korean roots as far as possible. And I also think that the fear of shame eventually turned into resentment. As a kid, I dreaded visiting Korea, and I hated the family’s annual trip because it only further reminded me of how out of place I was every time I went.”
Emirichu found some comfort in drawing anime and creating animation videos. She also learned to appreciate Korean culture through Korean music. Emirichu ended her video by stating that she still struggles with her identity, but adopting a positive attitude towards the problem has helped her eliminate the fear of shame that plagued her childhood.
Daidus, on the other hand, identifies as half Asian. He posted the following tweet after fans questioned him about his ethnicity: “Ok, so you guys keep thinking I am Russian due to my carpet for some reason. I’ve never stated my ethnicity because I felt like I didn’t need to, so I’ll say this once: My mix is Chinese/ Cambodian/ Irish/ Lithuanian aka half Asian half White.”