-09.mp4 — Shikanokonokonokokoshitantan

Despite its ambiguity (or because of it), ShikanokoNokonokoKoshitantan -09.mp4 has inspired dozens of fan edits, creepypasta narrations, and even a small indie game titled The Ninth Deer Does Not Bow . The original file’s hash (SHA-256: 9e4f2c1a7b8d3e0f6a5b4c3d2e1f0a9b8c7d6e5f4a3b2c1d0e9f8a7b6c5d4e3f ) is occasionally circulated in obscure Discord servers as a dare.

ShikanokoNokonokoKoshitantan -09.mp4 is the ninth and most cryptic entry in an unsanctioned, anonymously produced video series that recontextualizes the popular “Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan” meme (the deer-themed earworm song from the anime My Deer Friend Nokotan ). Unlike the previous eight files, which were playful remixes or subtitled dance loops, Episode 09 abandons all pretense of humor. ShikanokoNokonokoKoshitantan -09.mp4

In underground Japanese net art circles, -09.mp4 has been called “the most uncomfortable 3 minutes and 47 seconds of digital folk horror since Local 58 .” It was briefly hosted on a now-deleted Niconico Douga mirror under the tag “#shika_horror.” Viewer comments from the original upload (archived via Wayback Machine) include: “I laughed at first. Then I couldn’t sleep. The ninth deer is inside my router.” “Play this at half speed. The antlers are Morse code for ‘HELP’.” “My cat stared at the screen the entire time. My cat never watches anything.” Unlike the previous eight files, which were playful

At 3:02, a single frame of text flashes: — a reference to the nine gates of the Buddhist hell realm in some esoteric traditions. The ninth deer is inside my router