Introduction: 2.5 anniversary announcement
During the CN 2.5 anniversary stream, a collaboration with Nine-colored Deer (九色鹿) was announced. Nine-colored Deer will be a free unit, given some time in the future. It is also commented that this is part of the childhood of the Chinese people, as it was a 1981 film.
It is unknown when this collab will come or whether it will reach global or not. But either way, the art is beautiful.
The Arknights adaptation of Nine-colored Deer is very obviously a gijinka since this is the original deer. I like how it still keeps the original aesthetic a lot. As for how this crossover collaboration will work, we will see when she comes to Arknights.
Source: Short animation movie
Many thanks to Twitter user duiloveLGD for the summary, which I have added details and my own screenshots.
Nine-colored Deer is a Chinese animated film produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. The original story is based on the Buddhist Jataka tale (stories about Buddha's previous incarnations as various animals) of the same name, which was discovered as cave paintings in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, China. The animated plot is essentially a spinoff.
Perhaps the Arknights adaptation of the Nine-colored Deer may have lines related to Buddhism, which will make her the third operator after Sesa (named after a dragon or naga king that guards the dharma) and Saga (a Buddhist monk).
Cave painting of the deer
In ancient times, a Persian merchant gets lost in a windstorm. Suddenly a spiritual deer of nine colors appears to guide the man. Later on, the deer rescues a man drowning in a river. In exchange, the man promises not to reveal the deer's whereabouts.
The king wants to hunt the deer to make clothes out of the skin. The man goes back and leads an army of warriors . He falls into the river again, hoping the deer will show up to rescue him. This time, all the warriors' arrows turn into dust and the man is drowned.
As the story expands, the deer saves and rescues other animals and insects, guiding them to safety. The deer saves a party of traveling merchants who have lost their way by magically moving the mountains to make a clear path for them. The story of the deer has come to the pubic.
Everywhere people talk about this deer. Meanwhile, a medic who sells medicinal spells and cures for snakebite is gathering herbs and falls into a lake. He is saved by the deer and promises not to reveal its place.
At first the emperor wanted to keep the deer safe, but the empress wants to make a coat from its fur. Later the emperor gave in and makes a bounty to the country.
But the more people know about it, the more they demand its fur. The king posts a huge reward for anyone who can tell him where to find it, and the potion merchant decides to betray the deer, revealing its location. The king's hunters rush to hunt the deer down
The birds that the deer rescued try to warn it, the deer tells the birds that it is serene, it cannot be killed. The potion merchant pretends to be drowning again to bring the deer to the lake.
But when it is surrounded and the hunters fire, the deer manifests a halo of divine light while sacred symbols surround it. The arrows turn to dust. The warriors all stand ashamed as the deer berates the potion merchant for his unfaithfulness and greed. Birds fly around him striking the man with pecks until he sinks into the lake.
Conclusion
Moral of the story is that greed and hurting benefactors does not pay. And obviously there is also a message of kindness, to be like the Nine-colored Deer.
Hopefully this collab can come to global unlike the KFC collab. Otherwise I will be looking forward on the CN server for now.
