The Yume Nikki Novel You've Probably Never Read

Yume Nikki is a game that’s near and dear to my heart. To celebrate the 18th Anniversary of its initial release, I thought I’d talk about one of the lesser well known pieces of Yume Nikki history. Let’s talk about Yume Nikki: I am not in your dream, the 2013 Light Novel adaptation… Yes, this is real.
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Music:
Yume Nikki OST in order of appearance
Snow World
Yume Nikki
Mural World
Menu Theme
Dream Bedroom Theme
Mall Rooms
Teleport Maze
Neon Tile Path
Barracks Settlement
Mars
Mars-san
Dark World
Shield-Folk World
Eyeball World
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Project Yume Nikki
04:35 - Act 1: You
11:00 - Act 2: Me
14:19 - Act 3: Yume Nikki - Dream Diary
19:24 - Thoughts and Review
25:52 - In Summary
26:37 - Outro
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-Seán

[@gryena]

yn manga: uboa is madotsuki's mom yn novel: poniko is madotsuki's mom yn netflix adaptation: the thing on uboa's trap is madotsuki's mom

[@dontstealmycontentplease]

uboa isnt madotsukis mom, uboa beating her reminded her of her mother beating her

[@yurifairy2969]

@@dontstealmycontentplease so it's symbolically her mom

[@dontstealmycontentplease]

@@yurifairy2969 how did you gather that her being beaten reminded her of her abusive childhood

[@Apple_Bapple]

its kind of hard to see this book with the conclusion that it ended up having. madotsuki being poniko's unborn child is really REALLY random and unhinged writing imo. honestly its pretty clear that madotsuki IS the one having these dreams since that's the entire swing of the game. maybe the writer just really likes poniko?? honestly i'd rather read a story about monoe than poniko.

[@inumizuno]

facts like where tf did that came from

[@limepact]

@@inumizunoOmg, if i had the chance I would probably write a novel thats canonical to yume nikki, I also have no idea where madotsuki being an unborn child came from 😭

[@originaluseername]

“unhinged” unhinge your ass from this kind of cringy ahh language lmao

[@luc1ddream5]

​@@limepactit's a... "unique" theory but like what 😭

[@akiradkcn]

Nearly everyone loved her, poniko is one of the most popular characters ever in the community Plus, there is no canon to Yume Nikki so anyone can write any kind of story with it

[@wynter2925]

I know yume nikki is pretty popular but it still makes Me so happy to see it getting covered still all these years later. Would you maybe cover the manga too?

[@CicadaWave]

I'm thinking about it! I read it a while ago so I'd have to re-read it, I remember the ending being a bit nuts so it might be worth a video

[@wirisuuuuiooiouvyy9705]

Me capitalized? Like Me from the fangame!?

[@Gremlin-na-aparatima]

Honestly I was so shocked that Poniko is Madotsuki's mom. Like I loved that the Poniko is telling the story but honestly her being Madotsuki's mom doesn't really sit right with me. For years I thought that Poniko and Madotsuki were childhood friends who drifted apart or their friendship became toxic and Uboa was the simbol of it. Poniko noticed Madotsuki was starting to close up and later Poniko saw her jumping off but couldn't save her which cause her to end up in hospital. Also idk but they look like they are same age and kind of find it weird. As a fan of Yume Nikki I'm kind of disapointed with the novel and I think that author could had wrote about Madotsuki's life from Poniko perspective as her best friend.

[@Ranixo286]

I think it's supposed to be implied Poniko is a teen mom and the pregnancy was perhaps a result of assault. And she manifests Madotsuki as her child and about her age because she too is a child

[@Gremlin-na-aparatima]

@@Ranixo286 That's why that shocked me. Im just sad for Poniko like the details how she made a doll that represent her unborn baby that still wants us to show that she is a child herself and has to make decision. It's even more depressing and darker.

[@tapgames3465]

In the manga apperently uboa is madotsuki mom

[@PanduDraws]

Im pretty sure its a mistranslation from a simillar word in japanese

[@jack-jack7914]

21:09 This entire line has me baffled I love it

[@boscorner]

It's wild to me how anyone can see or play the game yume nikki and be like "you know what this needs? A narrative"

[@icantthinkstraight8853]

i think the best narrative adaptations of Yuke Nikki are less trying to actually adapt it and more focus on the writers interpretation while still keeping that air of mystery.

[@RenegadeY]

I wonder if you would view it more favorably if it was framed as less of an official adaptation and more of an "elevated" fan work

[@CicadaWave]

I never considered that but you know what, you're probably right If this was a fan fiction on Wattpadd I'd at least think it was an interesting take I don't think it would save the weirder choices it makes, but I think the overall twist and story would at least make it interesting

[@Icyangel10]

This novel oddly reminds me of a fanfic were Poniko is the main character that stays in her room & if I remember right tries her best to ignore Madotsuki everytime she visits but is a little curious. In the end Madotsuki shows up one last time to tell her goodbye(since she's going to wake up & jump) & Poniko panics at the idea of Madotsuki leaving. In the end after some time passes to make her accept she's gone Poniko starts to become a dreamer like her & goes into her own dream world were a dream version of Madotsuki stays in a garden kind of like how Poniko stayed in her party hat/cave spike house. While this has a lot of issues(the gore equals horror thing, the jellyfish interpretation & some other stuff being the biggest to me) it's interesting if not odd. A part of me almost wonders if the father was a terrible person & ended up meeting a gory fate that probably also played a factor into some of this. Speaking of House of Leaves a few months back I was watching a video on books with similar structures to it & by that I mean it's visually meant to be odd. Choose your own adventure books count(go to this page if you choose this option) & there's even one were the story involves two people communicating by writing notes in the book. Anyway I mention this to mention there's one book from the video that allows you to read the chapters in whatever you want. The papers are separated & have symbols on them so you can tell which goes to which with which chapter when you need to organize/clean things up. I feel like that could work with a Yume Nikki novel so you get the designated beginning & end with the rest of being the chapters being read in any order like how you can choose from any door.

[@Diznyas]

I like how, because the lack of canon lore given, the game is full of rich interpretations from the fans. I remember disliking the manga story while I saw people that enjoy it more than the game, I realize that it's just another fan's interpretation that I happen to dislike and there are thousands more out there including this one, it gives so much to imagine.

[@GTfans2]

Yume nikki + story : Omori

[@liwuidmoko2659]

Today I learned that the guy who wrote Ensemble Stars also wrote the Yume Nikki light novel...

[@UnoReversesTheCard]

Madotsuki being Poniko's unborn daughter is an insane twist and honestly the concept of a fetus sharing a dream with it's mother seems great.

[@simplenlocal]

wait a second "monsters that represent fears that when defeated we can become our true selves" that kinda sounds like this one thing i heard about. it was about a group of Japanese teenagers entering a tv that leads to the subconscious of people, then they then face their fears and solve a serial killer case. weird

[@agenericguy1014]

Hmm,it'd be a crazy coincidence if the powers they use are called "Persona"

[@sarahwilson2367]

I haven't played Yume Nikki fully since I was like 13 but your description of everything meant I wasn't confused or lost! Thank you for such an amazing deep dive

[@missisweetcooki]

This was a very interesting look into the novel. It makes me actually quite curious to read it myself. I would love to see more videos perhaps discussing other RPG maker game adaptations or even more Yume Nikki content such as the manga or Yume Nikki Dream Diary.

[@CicadaWave]

Honestly even with all my gripes, it's a short read so I would recommend it I've actually had the Witch's House Manga on my shelf for over a year now, so who knows, might get to that next Thanks for watching, I appreciate it :)

[@dreamphobicbaguette1052]

I wonder if the Madotsuki doll thing was inspiration for one of the endings of Yume 2kki.

[@RayOfTruth]

Been curious about this for years, but not curious enough to actually read it. Thanks for filling me in.

[@accidentalism666]

I've never been so thankful to KZbin for actually recommending me something good. This video is just so well-made and well-written! I haven't heard of Yume Nikki since playing it myself many years ago so it was somewhat nostalgic and an intersting topic altogether. Good luck on your future endeavours

[@bia5141]

i tried playing it but didnt really have patience to just walk around for hours but I decided to research why people are so obessed with yume nikki. thaky you for discussing novel with us it really gave me a lot of insight into why its so popular - mostly because of its game anyway

[@eternallysami]

Thanks for this review! I tried reading the light novel but I didn't like the changing perspective so this overview was helpful.

[@sandwichmonster7067]

I personally dig the idea of multiple authors making their own Yume Nikki adaptations featuring their own interpretations, so I’m not too bothered by the novel taking liberties. Whether they manage to make an entertaining story out of it is another story. Will say that, even though I don’t think the novel is very good overall, the last bit was pretty heartwarming.

[@skibbledebabble1853]

poniko being madotsuki's mom just does not feel right to me at all

[@mcgibs]

I thought the jellyfish guys were wearing exaggerated traveling monk attire.

[@CicadaWave]

I could definitely see that, I think that's why I always saw them as being Religious figures? Also I know Japanese prayers often involve ringing a bell, and the fact that they make bell sounds always made sense to me in that way

[@marymutou4977]

To be honest poniko being mado mom is not that bad of an idea really Better than being her childhood friend that for sure

[@puffpurp]

it sounds like the author played persona once and ran with the jung stuff

[@meimei8718]

Thanks for covering this topic. I didn’t know there was a novel.

[@endlessdragon143]

this dude probably got hired to write for YIIK

[@chilomine839]

Ambiguous writing is not a talent everybody has. People who do like the author does have an subconcious need to be a driver rather than the passenger of a story.

[@user-cw1hq5xo9v]

They should make a prequel, or even side story about monoe and monoko Since in the manga they are real human trap in a dream world💀💀💀

[@themanbehindthebruhmoment502]

So this novel is basically the SA/Miscarriage theory but instead of Madotsuki it's Poniko

[@Levi_is_comin]

Here's the full lore behind the game, and it's actually confirmed: She's not conscious, she's still in her mother's womb, both of them are sharing the same dreams and that's why the mother could be seen in the manga saying "I've promised to give birth, and when I do...I'll finally hear your cries, your voice for the first time..and say good morning" Because the mother already met her baby (which is Madotsuki) but only in her dreams without even hearing her voice, and that's why Madotsuki can't get out of her room, She Only will get out when her mother gives birth, which means Madotsuki's apartment represensts her mother's belly. Also the video game (the red console) that could be played next to the tv, represents the baby eating his mom's left overs. That's why a red creature looking exactly like a new born could be seen eating certain stuff falling from above. And btw the mom wasn't assaulted at all she was just lustful, and all that was confirmed in the manga. Madotsuki didn't die at all, she's just unborn. And that's why tons of reproductive organs are seen throughout the game, It's the only piece of reality that Madotsuki could see. Also, Madotsuki's eyes in the game are shut, because her mother is still in early pregnancy, the unborn child had already experienced depression without even opening their Eyes throughout it's mother's dreams and memories. And btw, yall guessed it right..the Mom's name is Poniko, she's the girl with the blonde appearance. That we'll eventually meet half way through the story. That's basically the story, Madotsuki didn't die or anything like that, she's just waiting for her birth, and while doing so, she's reliving memories... ((I wanted to post this comment back in July but I just needed some extra info.

[@lakamokolaka]

Genuine question, where was this proven as the canon? Do you have a source? because I can't find this info confirmed anywhere I look

[@Levi_is_comin]

@@lakamokolaka Manga related content.

[@lakamokolaka]

@@Levi_is_comin The mangas were not canon though to the story. They are thier own interpretations of the game

[@czarnakoza9697]

there is no story in yume nikki or "lore" people just started making shit up, the game has no meaning or purpose.

[@wellcometogulag1887]

hey i just found a web library with diferent old games and there was this wierd game called yume nikki ... this is probably one of the best games i ever played (web library :EmuOS v1.0

[@TectonicImprov]

I had a feeling House of Leaves was gonna come up during this video

[@dadavismo4881]

An ergodic book for Yume Nikki would be fantastic, to be honest. That'd be pretty cool. I'd read that in a heartbeat.

[@saeki_san]

So people took kiki sama's work and copyright it to their will? Doing nothing but training writing.. That's the most deep insult to me... Hm

[@lukesun3346]

I really hope you find the motivation to make a video about the manga too, really good novel review

[@FriskDrinksBrisk]

Wow! I didn't know gasters secret song went so deep! I was just busy playing Minecraft and this deep story was going on in the background with the funky beats!

[@RichardRichardman]

I honestly liked the LN for most of the duration: the callbacks to some of the more interesting locations of the game were rewarding when trying to figure out where they were, the depictions of the events and NPCs, while sometimes oddly (mis)interpreted, were neat visualizations on otherwise minimalistic artwork, the philosophical dream interpretation and Freudian/Jungian psychology gave it a more defined way to explore the angle of the dream (until the LN offers its own), and the narrative choice of narrating in the second person until the real narrator appeared was a fun discovery moment. Like everyone else here though, I think it falls off a ledge at the end. Of all the interpretations of Yume Nikki I've seen, this is definitely one of the least convincing, and it didn't have to be that way either. The obvious direction the story goes in right before the second twist makes for a passable ending. A little hard to believe at first, but consistent with the narrative up until that point and I can accept it with how vague Yume Nikki is. Better to have an abrupt stop than to blow past the sign and end up in a crash. Ultimately, if you're a fan of Yume Nikki, you *can* find enjoyment out of this LN. If you aren't, then it will be a rough ride. Maybe, in the sense that it makes no sense at all, it's the most faithful adaptation we could have gotten.

[@hamburger7203]

Woah been wondering what the heck this book was about but now I know thanks for this epic video

[@akiradkcn]

Popularity = quality is a pretty ignorant statement bro

[@okegom_228]

damn dude who wrote this is a poniko fan on crack, like seriously, this sounds like some sort of well-made piece of fanfiction rather than an actual novel

[@xxsuperproductionsxx138]

noice.

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

Honestly i think Yume Nikki could do a good manga, if they did it in the style of BLAME!

[@lambykin842]

21:12 HUH

[@ashkesslet1149]

Is this at all worth reading?

[@CicadaWave]

It's short enough that it wouldn't take you that long to read but like... Idk, your mileage may vary, it's at the very least interesting to talk about

[@OPPAIDEMON]

A stoner playing the game back in 2004: duuuddee I’m tripping balls

[@akiradkcn]

So... Kikiyama?

[@shepzz]

if you tried hard enough this would be just a "translator and writing errors" video

[@dontstealmycontentplease]

this video isn’t that good

[@seankock7649]

Why

[@akiradkcn]

Yeah why