A recent online buzz has taken over Japanese X (formerly Twitter) and Korean social media, all thanks to Korea's native animal, the "water deer" (고라니). This deer-like creature sports a pair of striking, vampire-esque fangs, creating a visually shocking and mysterious vibe that left Japanese netizens exclaiming, "This is a monster-level animal!"
The discussion kicked off with netizens sharing photos and info about the water deer. Interestingly, some Japanese users noticed that X's auto-translate often failed to correctly render "고라니" into its Japanese equivalent, "キバノロ," instead displaying the original Korean name. This inexplicable glitch only added to the creature's eerie, urban legend-like mystique.
According to Korean netizens, the water deer is currently listed as a globally endangered species, with approximately 90% of its wild population residing in Korea. "Water deer are everywhere in Korea," one user shared. "They're so common that the government has even designated them as a harmful animal. We never realized they're almost extinct elsewhere!"
Japanese netizens were baffled by this revelation: "It's an endangered species, yet it's designated as a harmful animal... What are we supposed to do with that information?"
Beyond its startling appearance, what truly sent shivers down Japanese netizens' spines was the water deer's cry. Described as sounding like a human's bloodcurdling scream, it's reportedly terrifying to hear in the dead of night.
The water deer's notoriously mischievous personality also sparked heated debate. One Korean netizen recounted a painful memory: "In middle school, I painstakingly grew 100 cabbages to donate to elderly people living alone for kimchi. The water deer snuck in and ate 30 of them! The worst part? It only took one bite out of each one. Pure evil!"
This extreme contrast, however, has unexpectedly won over Japanese netizens. "It's actually quite cute, I feel like it would be super popular in Japan!" one commented. Another pondered, "What even is this creature...? Is it trying to be powerful, cute, smart, or is it just not thinking at all? What IS it?!"
While Korean netizens might see the water deer as a field-dwelling devil with a rap sheet, for many Japanese fans, its unique charm—straddling the line between adorable and terrifying—is precisely what makes it so captivating.