Sayuri Shares Hilarious Story of a Date Who Called Her 'Crazy' After One Day

Fujita Sayuri, the Japanese-born broadcaster who became one of Korea's most beloved TV personalities, gave her fans an unexpected gift on her YouTube channel this week: a story about a date who, after spending just one day with her, told her she seemed like a "crazy person" — and why she still finds the whole thing hilarious.

The anecdote surfaced on her popular YouTube channel "사유리 임미다" (Sayuri Immida) during what started as a casual review of Japanese convenience store snacks. While sampling dango — a traditional Japanese rice cake sweet — she detoured into a memory from her student days in Seoul, and what followed was a masterclass in self-deprecating storytelling.

The Date That Left a Lasting Impression — For All the Wrong Reasons

Sayuri recalled meeting a Zainichi Korean man — a person of Korean descent who was born and raised in Japan — during her time studying at Yonsei University's Korean language program. The man had taken notice of her and asked her out on a date in Myeongdong, one of Seoul's most vibrant shopping districts.

By all accounts, the outing went smoothly enough. He continued reaching out afterward, keeping the connection alive. Then, without warning, his messages stopped. When Sayuri bumped into him again at the language school and asked if he had simply been busy, he delivered his verdict with blunt honesty.

"After spending a day with you," he told her, "you seemed like a crazy person."

The clip immediately took on a life of its own. Production staff on the YouTube channel leaned into the comedy, adding humorous captions and exaggerated reactions that amplified the punchline. The result was a perfectly crafted comedic moment — the kind that gets shared, rewatched, and quoted. And throughout the retelling, Sayuri herself was clearly finding it just as funny as her audience.

A Personality That Has Always Stood Out

To anyone who has followed Sayuri's career in Korea, the story makes perfect sense. The broadcaster — full name Fujita Sayuri — first gained Korean prominence through KBS 2TV's Women's Talk (미녀들의 수다), a panel show that brought together multilingual women living in Korea. Among a cast designed to be diverse and opinionated, Sayuri still managed to stand out.

Her secret? An almost complete absence of self-censorship. She says what she thinks, reacts before she edits herself, and doesn't seem particularly bothered by what people make of it afterward. Audiences found that quality refreshing, and it propelled her from panel show guest to one of the most recognizable foreign-born personalities in Korean entertainment.

Over the years, she has continued to offer that same unfiltered access to her life. In early 2025, she made headlines after revealing that she had proposed marriage to comedian Kim Young-chul on live television — and that he had turned her down. The story spread widely not because it was scandalous, but because Sayuri told it the way she tells everything: without embarrassment and with just enough self-awareness to make it funny.

The Zainichi Korean rejection predates that one by years. The date's assessment — "you seemed like a crazy person" — lands differently now than it might have when she first heard it. Back then, it was a rejection. Looking back, it reads more like an early piece of evidence that Sayuri was always going to be the kind of person who makes great television.

Single Mother, Serial Storyteller

Beyond the comedy, Sayuri holds a particular place in Korean public life because of a decision she made in 2020 that no Korean celebrity had made quite so publicly before her. Choosing to become a mother on her own terms, she underwent IVF treatment using donor sperm while in Japan, and gave birth to her son Zen (젠). The story was documented in a television special and sparked a wide national conversation about single motherhood, women's reproductive choices, and the social expectations placed on women in Korea.

The conversation was not always comfortable. Korea's cultural landscape around marriage and family is still shaped by deeply traditional expectations, and Sayuri's choice put her at the center of a debate that many people were having privately but few were having out loud. She engaged with it all the same — openly, and sometimes with the same humor she brings to her YouTube stories.

Since then, she has raised Zen as a solo parent while maintaining an active presence in Korean entertainment and on social media. Her YouTube channel has grown substantially, and the mix of content — lifestyle, product reviews, travel, and personal reflection — mirrors the personality her fans fell in love with on television: curious, energetic, and willing to go off-script at any moment.

Open to What Comes Next

As of March 2026, Sayuri has been dropping hints about her romantic life — and they have been anything but subtle. In a recent YouTube episode, she told viewers: "I'm ready anytime. I want to go whenever," appearing to reference the possibility of marriage. Whether or not there is someone specific in her life remains unconfirmed, but the comment generated considerable fan speculation.

It is a telling evolution. The same woman who laughed through a story about being called "crazy" by a date is now calmly saying she's ready for partnership on her own timeline. There is something quietly powerful about that arc — from the chaotic language school days in Seoul to single motherhood to a life that seems, by her own account, to be exactly what she wanted it to be.

For fans who have watched Sayuri navigate each chapter with characteristic honesty, the rejection story is just the latest reminder of why she continues to connect. It is not because she is polished or managed. It is because she tells the truth — even when, especially when, the truth involves someone once telling her she seemed like a crazy person.

He was not entirely wrong. Sayuri has never been the kind of person who goes unnoticed. That quality cost her a date once. It has earned her millions of fans since.