Bakuman, Kill Me Baby, Croisée in a Foreign Labyrinth, Hanayamata, Ga‑Rei
Dream Eater Merry(夢喰いメリー,Yumekui Merī) is a Japanese action fantasymanga series written and illustrated by Ushiki Yoshitaka. The series is serialized in Houbunsha's seinen manga magazine Manga Time Kirara Forward. The manga was adapted into an anime television series by J.C.Staff which aired in Japan between January 7, 2011 and April 8, 2011.
Yumeji Fujiwara is a young male student like any other who, after an event that occurred 10 years previously, gained the power to see the aura of other people's dreams, and the ability to predict what kind of dream they will have next. Since then, he has started to have strange dreams of cats following him for an unknown reason. The boss of the cat army, John Doe, tells him that his body is needed to access the real world. One day, as he was returning home from his errands, a mysterious girl falls on top of him. This girl, named Merry Nightmare, is actually a dream demon (夢魔,muma), who's searching for a way to get back to her world. Yumeji decides to help her, and a gate to the world of dreams opens again, this time in full daylight. She appears in the daydream worlds looking for an answer to how to get back to her world. Meanwhile, an evil dream demon named Pharos Hercules is leading other dream demons to make humans into their vessels in order to raise an army, killing those that oppose him which causes humans to lose sight of their goals and ambitions. Yumeji eventually becomes Merry's partner, using his ability to scout out dream demons so Merry can hunt them.
After Hercules' downfall, Merry's quest in returning to the dream world continues. In the meantime, a mysterious boy named Kyou Shiragi transfers to Yumeji's class, where dream demons are suddenly manifesting; as a result of their losses, they cause humans to accomplish their goals instead of destroying. With dream demons seen by previous vessels, Yumeji and Merry now have to investigate this unusual phenomenon.
Protagonists
Yumeji Fujiwara(藤原 夢路,Fujiwara Yumeji)
Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto (Japanese); Blake Shepard (English)The main male protagonist of the series. He has the ability to look at a colored aura of people and then be able to predict what dreams they are going to have. Though his normal predictions are hazy at best, he can clearly identify when someone is destined to have a nightmare. When he looks in the mirror with that ability, he sees the colors for nightmares, and indeed, in the opening episode, he has a recurring nightmare where he is being hunted down by a gang of cats. He is a lazy, yet strong-willed and determined person with a heart of gold, who is always ready to help others. He is also a member of a writing club at his high school, and is a big fan of the superhero called Guricho. Information about his family and past are unknown, but it has been said that his parents are away due to work and is currently under the care of Isana's family until they get back. It is also interesting to note that he had a scar in the same place as one Merry has on her arm, although this is not alluded to in the anime. Yumeji also has the ability to use what he calls "Lucid Gadget"; his right eye changes into the pupil of previous dream demons and he's able to mimic their signature abilities. It has recently been revealed that Yumeji is not fully human, and has the same energy source as Hercules, which is why he is immortal in the dream world. In Kyou's arc, Yumeji gains a newfound ability "vessel transfer" that allows him to temporary acquire a dream demon from another to make use of their aspects, but gets a case of insomnia as the cost of energy.It is also affirmed that Yumeji and Merry have known each other before, when they were children.
Merry Nightmare(メリー・ナイトメア,Merī Naitomea)
Voiced by: Ayane Sakura (Japanese); Hilary Haag (English)The main female protagonist. A dream demon from the dreamworld, who allegedly came into the real world 10 years ago without any memory. Unlike the other dream demons, she doesn't need to possess a human to enter the real world, as she has her own body. Searching for a door to return to the dream world, she falls onto Yumeji one day, who wants to help her to find her way back home. At first reluctant, when a daydream occurs and she saves Yumeji's life, she accepts his help. Merry is able to break the daydreams in order to get back in the real world. When Yumeji got supposedly stabbed by Hercules she remarks that she "doesn't need a world without Yumeji anymore". She also reacted the worst out of everyone by displaying a violent strength of her Gate Keeper power, showing how much he means to her.She can't eat spicy food or drink carbonated soda, but she loves doughnuts above everything and likes video games a lot. She currently works at the Tachibana restaurant. Merry's distinct features include horizontal slit-shaped pupils similar to that of sheep and a scar on her right arm, in the same place where Yumeji used to have his. Her name is derived from the rhyme "Mary had a little lamb".Her other name, given by Yumeji is Dream Eater (夢喰い,Yumekui), while her real other name is "Gate Keeper" (Sheep) (門番 (シープ),Monban (Shiipu)) because she's the dream demon in charge of guarding the gate between dream and reality. Merry possesses a keychain that, when it touches a dream demon, forces the dream demon back to the dream world without harming the vessel's dream. The keychain has been shown to have its key detach and summon the Gate itself.
Isana Tachibana(橘 勇魚,Tachibana Isana)
Voiced by: Ai Kayano (Japanese); Brittney Karbowski (English)Isana is Yumeji's childhood friend, whom Yumeji has been living with for a while. Daughter of the cook of a restaurant in the city, she's a kind and quite shy girl who works with her father. Yumeji saved her as she was about to fall from a playground when she was young. She also commented once that she has a feeling that she had met Merry before but shook the idea off as her imagination. She's in love with Yumeji and asks Merry what kind of feelings she has for him. Her dream is to be an artist. When first seeing Merry, Isana speculates that Merry and Yumeji somehow resemble each other. After being targeted by Legion, Yumeji and Merry tell her the truth about dream demons. After Kyou saves Isana from falling to the ground, she comes to a realization that as children it was Kyou who saved her before and not Yumeji upon showing they share the same scar on the arms.
"Chaser" John Doe(「追跡者(チェイサー)」 ジョン・ドゥ,Cheisā Jon Du)
Voiced by: Jōji Nakata (Japanese); Christopher Ayres (English)A cat-like dream demon with a skull mask who leads the cat army that appears in Yumeji's dreams. He was originally interested to taking over Yumeji's body in order to stay in the real world, but Merry fought and defeated him. He also wields a guillotine-like weapon. His daydream is a run-down village with fish skeletons, and an army of cats including human-like female cats that seem fond of Yumeji. After Yumeji's confrontation with Engi, John returns and heals the wounds on Yumeji's soul. John informs Yumeji about Pharos Hercules and that Hercules supposedly be responsible for Merry manifesting in the real world without a vessel. When asked if whether he was an enemy or an ally, John responded that he was only collection information, however, he is "an ally of truth". John occasionally helps Yumeji realize his potential to manipulate daydreams, such as manifesting weapons and connecting dream gardens together. He later uses a black cat as his vessel which stays at Yumeji's house, though becomes curious about how Yumeji is able to enter daydreams without him, wondering if he is even human. When inhabiting first shot at Yumeji's body in action, John discerns to what he really is.
Yui Kounagi(光凪 由衣,Kōnagi Yui)
Voiced by: Tomoko Akiya (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)Yui is a young girl whom Yumeji meets in a supermarket. She goes to an all-girls' school. She has a strong interest in collecting dolls and keychains, particularly unique looking ones, and she is a terrible cook. She is always determined to help others however she can, and has a habit of wanting to be acknowledge as a superior. It is this trait that leads her to become the voluntary vessel of another dream demon, Engi Threepiece, after she decided to help her. Yui has a sister-like relationship with Engi, soothing her whenver she feel her deep sadness towards losing her older sister. It is shown Yui works part-time assistance with her grandfather, who is a doctor when Yumeji went to have his ankle healed. She also seems to have shown affection towards Yumeji when they first met.
Voiced by: Aya Endo (Japanese); Shannon Emerick (English)Engi is an angel-like dream demon with an aggressive manner yet very apologetic. Her daydream is a field of prairies that contains a moon. She can multiply swords and launch them towards her enemies. She wants to avenge her older sister, Patti, who was tricked into going to the real world and ended up being killed there. Engi thus asked Yui's help to become her vessel in order to search for Pharaos Hercules, whom she believes is responsible for Patti's death. Although she can only physically appear during daydreams, she can possess Yui's body in order to speak with others. When Engi first encounters Merry thinking she was a threat Yumeji defends her. Later after settling their differences, Engi and Yui join forces with Yumeji and Merry in their battles with dream demons. Due to Engi's fuzzy purple collar, she is often nicknamed "Nasu-onna" (meaning "Eggplant-lady") by Merry.Her name, Threepiece is an allusion to the story about good things to see during your first dream during new year. First is Mount Fuji, second is a hawk, and the third is eggplant. "Engi" means Pratītyasamutpāda, which is also the origin for her sister's name.
Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (Japanese); David Matranga (English)The main antagonist, a dream demon who looks like a knight wearing armor and a helmet. During Hercules' fight with Engi he uses an over-sized axe, and demonstrates the ability to take over dream worlds. His human vessel is Takateru, and his daydream is a landscape with chimney rocks. Eventually, it is revealed that he and Yumeji are refer to as "brothers" because they "share the same blood" received from Kyou, explaining their similar abilities, in addition to his fire power. He has the goal to eliminate the Gate that separates reality from the Dream World so that dream demons can roam Earth without the need for vessels, and is attempting to possess humanity. In the final showdown, it turns out Hercules had nothing to do with Merry being in the real world. Hercules loses his power after an impact of Yumeji and Merry's combined power and appears before the Gate in front of a mysterious naked figure, the true antagonist who granted him power.His second name means "lighthouse", whose light cross boundary of dream and gather other dream demons around him.
"Loneliness" Ichima(「孤独」,Ichima)
Voiced by: Yuka Iguchi (Japanese); Maggie Flecknoe (English)A solitary long black hair dream demon in a white hakama with the sleeves woven together. She speaks in a calm dark demeanor yet gets mad easily. She summons stone pillars on her opponents. Her attempts to have Minato Kisaragi, a clumsy little girl, as her vessel by forbidding her from making any other friends, until Merry sends her away. During Kyou's assault, Ichima mysteriously returns. Although Minato barely recognize her, Ichima is only seen by former vessels and seemingly wants to reconcile with Minato.
Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Greg Ayres (English)A clown-like dream demon in service of Hercules who possesses a young man named Ken, who dreams to be a linguist, as his vessel. His daydream is a huge circus-like maze, and he constantly uses his wily words to psyche out his opponents. Merry sends him and Noir back to the dream world, claiming that they will not be able to return.
"Chain" Noir(「縛鎖 (チェイン)」 ノワール,Chein Nowāru)
A buxom dream demon serving under Hercules, who uses chains to trap her enemies. She uses Ken's little sister Hina as her vessel. Noir, along with Landsbourough, attacks Merry and Yumeji, however she is defeated after Yumeji takes over her dream world, with John's alliance. Merry sends her and Landsbourough back to the dream world, claiming that they will not be able to return, since she can place a 'lock' on their exclusive pathway to the real world.
A spectral dream demon that has several shadows. If his main body is able to acquire its desired vessels, its shadows can possess many other vessels who have experienced the same nightmare. He also has the ability to manipulate gravity by rotating his face. Legion targets approximately 67 students in Yumeji's school, chasing Isana to make her his main vessel. Merry manages to send it back thanks to the cooperation of Yumeji and the other classmates.
"Maestro" Aeolian and Ionian Achtelnote(「マエストロ」 エオリアとイオニア)
A pair of dream demons that have a very classic fashion, somewhat resembling two music conductors. For the most part, the twins are very oblivious and whenever someone spoke a noise they react stating that they can’t stand a sound by almost anything but themselves. They use musical notes to attack their enemies, and often invade Nao's dream to steal her as their shared vessel for both at once. Engi goes full impact at them for irritating about her sister. She and Merry manage to send them back.
"Ice Wall" Hrimthurs(「氷の壁「フリームスルス)
An abominable snow monster-like dream demon. He attacks with four-arms and creates ice shards. First had Minato, Hina and Ken on the run when a repentant Ichima unsuccessfully helps subdues Hrimthurs. Merry and Yumeji come to the rescue avoid get eaten alive as frozen foods. John-Yumeji overwhelms Hrimthurs, only for Jayce to dispose him as worthless.
"Function" Jayce(「関数」ジェイス)
A bat-like dream demon who wields twin knives that envision how elegance the human world is. He can detect movements by sound waves. Summoned by Kyou as his ideal nightmare leaves him jealous of the Dream Eater pair. Jayce intends to kill them alone to gain fame from Kyou.
"Tree" Sequoia Elder(「ツリー」セコイア長老)
An old man-like dream demon. Very talkative and manipulates plant life to his will. Yumeji pushes his limits in a violent battle against Elder.
Kyou Shiragi(白儀 響,Shiragi Kyō)
A boy and true mastermind who transferred into Yumeji's class. Kyou is very excited to find out that Isana is in the same class as him, as he feels gratitude towards her for helping him out. He appears to excel in both sports and academics. That he may have the power to draw out and transfer dream demons without notice; make multiple summons not seen by ordinary humans. Kyou actually once inhabited Yumeji as his vessel until Merry force him out ten years ago. Later revealed that Kyou is currently a non-vessel dream demon like Merry. His goal to "mixed" the dream world with reality whereas humans can achieve their dreams without any hardship, to which the protagonists know that is wrong.
Writing Club
Takateru Akiyanagi(秋柳 貴照,Akiyanagi Takateru)
Voiced by: Shinnosuke Tachibana (Japanese); Christopher Patton (English)Takateru "Taka" is best friend of Yumeji, and member of the writing club. He loves writing haikus and is often seen with a pen and a piece of paper to write on it. He has a younger sister, Mizuki, who inspired him to write haikus. It is soon revealed that he is in fact the vessel of Hercules. Yumeji at first felt accused for not able to prevent Takateru from being possessed by Hercules, but is determined to save him.
Saki Kirishima(霧島 咲,Kirishima Saki)
Voiced by: Mariya Ise (Japanese); Shelley Calene-Black (English)Saki is another friend of Yumeji, and member of the writing club. Quite tomboyish, she's fascinated by Yumeji's ability to see the aura of dreams. It is hinted she may have feelings for Takateru.
Mei Hoshino(星野 鳴,Hoshino Mei)
Voiced by: Natsumi Takamori (Japanese); Emily Neves (English)Mei is the leader of the writing club, and a friend of Yumeji. A kind and soft-spoken girl with green hair and glasses, and she ends up being the vessel of a dream demon called "Lovers" Chris Evergreen. Chris, while taking over Mei's body, sent messages to Mei through a second cell phone that was in Mei's bag. When Chris was about to disappear back to the dream world by Merry, Mei wakes up and realizes that he was her secret admirer. He tells Mei that he is only a nightmare causing her pain, but she slaps him and tells him that she loves him. Mei is inspired by Chris to be a novelist for romance.
All-Girls' School
Nao Horie(堀江 菜桜,Horie Nao)
Voiced by: Masumi Asano (Japanese); Maggie Flecknoe (English)Yui's best friend who is in the same wind instrument club as her. Nao often sticks by Yui and knows her habits inside and out. After their club leader Akane Hino loss her dream, Nao has recently been having nightmares and has grown concerned. The cause is the twin dream demons Aeolian and Ionian who attempt to steal her body, but they had to face off against Yui and the rest of her team in a brutal combat. Nao sees Engi as a model. With the twins' defeat, Nao thanks them gratefully.
Anri Hiiragi(柊杏璃,Hīragi Anri)
Yui and Nao's classmate. She had been desired on becoming a brilliant manga artist ever since childhood. Merry stand up for Anri when she is persistent proven her tutor (whom she refers a "Neanderthal") on her hard-working on manga. They let her use the Tachibana's restaurant as a meeting where she can have everyone's opinion on her efforts in making manga sheets. Isana and Anri get along well since their both interest in artwork. Anri is in a stress whether she should continue drawing when others don't read the ones she prefers to draw. Though, Ren praises her personal work. When they rescue Anri from a scarecrow-like dream demon, her tutor, who is revealed to be her older-brother, finally recognizes her manga.
Other characters
Old Man Tachibana(橘のおやっさん,Tachibana no Oyassan)
Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese); Andrew Love (English)Isana's father who runs the Tachibana family restaurant, which is also home to both Yumeji and, more recently, Merry. He tends to have some rather perverted hobbies, but always acts calm and collected.
Mizuki Akiyanagi(秋柳 瑞貴,Akiyanagi Mizuki)
Takateru's younger sister who used to be rather sickly when she was younger. However, Mizuki has remarkably recovered much of her health as of present. She is the only person amused by Takateru's haikus. She apparently has a brother complex and is shown to be fiercely (and comically) overprotective of her brother. She is hostile towards Saki because she believes she is acting too close towards her brother and that she has been causing trouble for him by picking fights with him. It is soon revealed Mizuki is the vessel of Clione, who is forced to serve Hercules in order to protect her.
"Sonar" Clione(「夢捜歌 (ソナー)」 クリオネ,Sonaa Kurione)
A female dream demon forced to serve Hercules. Although not as important, Clione is a dream demon with special duty like Merry. Normally, humans will naturally attract to the dream world that fits them the most; but in case the human can't find such dream, Clione will guide them to meet the dream demon. For this job, she has the ability to analyze wavelengths of dream demons and human while on her daydream stage. Hercules used her ability to search to track other dream demons with the sound of her singing voice. Her human vessel is Mizuki, whom Clione was trapped by force, a year before the beginning of the series. Merry gave Clione some fun at an arcade, as Clione informs Yumeji that he's part dream demon with the same wavelength that matches Hercules'. After Clione gets injured by Hercules, Merry sends her back to the dream world happily.
Ren Hinaki(レン,Hinaki Ren)
A boy that initiates in doing good deeds, and he goes on playing the hero throughout town. Anri mistakes Ren as a pervert assassin at first, and even knowing the truth she likes teasing him. Ren is the vessel for his side-kick "Hunter" Quartier Latin a small spider electric-type dream demon. He is able to fuse with Quartier and transform into a speedy superhero, that makes Yumeji really jealous. Ren unanimously allies with Merry and the others, expecting to defeat any of Hercules' remaining minions. He seems to be devoted to Merry as the Gate Keeper. It is told that Ren is the heir to a family hospital, but with a distance parental relationship, and used to be part of a bully gang. As Ren and Anri bonded, she persuades him to rekindle with his parents. Quartier is killed by Kyou; as a result, Ren's desire to make amends with his family comes true, but still recalls his experience of dream demons.
"Aqua" Regalecus(「アクア」,Regalecus)
A dream demon given the appearance of a young girl by Kyou. Able to change her shape as a sea serpent creature. She sees humans as precious playthings or followers to entertain her whatever skills they can offer. Initially part of Kyou's henchmen until Regalecus discovers Jayce's crime in destroying a follower's hopes (a skateboard girl named Chika) then allies with Yumeji to relief the pain.
Anime Original
Chizuru Kawanami(河浪 千鶴,Kawanami Chizuru)
Voiced by: Kana Ueda (Japanese); Melissa Davis (English)Chizuru is a mysterious transfer student who Isana tries to make friends with. Having been orphaned at a young age, Chizuru had cast away her emotions and become the vessel of the dream demon, Lestion. However, she has started to open up towards Isana and wants to protect her from Mystletainn after she is forced to become a vessel and is targeted. She ends up firing Lestion's gun at Mystletainn, which shatters her dreams and soul, though Isana still stays friends with her, hoping she can start over again.
Lestion(レスティオン,Resution)
Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda (Japanese); Jay Hickman (English)Chizuru's dream demon, who paired up with her for the sake of carrying out his revenge against Mystletainn. Lestion and his men once confronted Mystletainn leaving him the only survivor. His daydream is a cavern. He owns a gun that uses the despair from vessels having their dream demons being killed as ammo, and requires his own life to fire it, choosing Chizuru as her vessel as she had allegedly given up her emotions. During the battle against Mystletainn, he sacrifices himself in order to complete the bullet needed for the gun.
Ryota Iijima(飯島 良太,Iijima Ryōta)
Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (Japanese); Vic Mignogna (English)Iijima is a guidance counselor who talks to students about their dreams. He appears friendly and helpful to students in achieving their dreams, and loves eating rice balls. In reality however, he is the vessel for the dream demon, Mystletainn, who forces his students to become vessels for dream demons so that Mystletainn can kill them, robbing the humans of their goals. When Mystletainn is defeated by Merry and Engi, he quits his teaching position.
Mystletainn(ミストルティン,Misutorutin)
Voiced by: Sayuri Yahagi (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)An evil dream demon with snow-white hair who appears in the anime. She has the power to force dream demons into human vessels, later targeting and killing them, resulting in the vessel losing all ambition in their goals. Her daydream is a sea filled with thorns. She is extremely strong, as it is noted that she is acknowledged by Pharos Hercules for her power. However, thanks to Yumeji's confidence, she is killed by Merry and Engi. Therefore the deaths of other dream demons: Serio, who guided her vessel Yumi of wanting to become a nurse; and Delga, who was helping his vessel Masaru achieve his dream of becoming a hero, were avenged.Her second name means "ocean of trees".
Pallette(パレイド,Pareido)
Voiced by: Kimiko Koyama (Japanese); Serena Varghese (English)A small dream demon that is forced by Mystletainn to make Isana her vessel so that she and Iijima can target both of them. Although she is taken hostage by Mystletainn, Merry manages to send her back home. Her name is pronounced "Parade" in English dub.
Manga
The manga series by Ushiki Yoshitaka began serialization in Manga Time Kirara Forward magazine from August 10, 2008 and is still ongoing. Seventeen tankōbon volumes have been released so far, the first of which was released on October 27, 2008. It has been licensed in France and Germany with the title Merry Nightmare.
Anime
An anime television series based on the manga Yumekui Merry was announced in the September issue of Houbunsha's Manga Time Kirara Forward magazine. Produced by J.C.Staff, the anime series is directed and written by Hideki Shirane, and music composition by Keiichi Oku. The anime series aired in Japan on the Tokyo Broadcasting System between January 7, 2011 and April 8, 2011, later rebroadcast on the Mainichi Broadcasting System, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting, RKK, and the satellite channel BS-TBS. The opening theme for the anime is "Daydream Syndrome" by Marina Fujiwara while the ending is "Yume to Kibou to Ashita no Atashi"(ユメとキボーとアシタのアタシ?, "Dreams and Hopes and the Me of Tomorrow") by Ayane Sakura. Both artists belong to the Japanese musical ensemble and dōjin circle, IOSYS. The anime has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks under the title Dream Eater Merry.
Reception
In their Winter 2011 Anime Preview Guide, the majority of Anime News Network's staff of reviewers gave modest ratings for the first episode. Theron Martin states the series is straddling the line between the typical and the really weird, but figuring out what's going on should be half the fun. Hope Chapman comments that the first episode was unusual in that it was nicely paced and "goes down easy." Gia Manry compares Yumekui Merry to a poor man's Soul Eater with its definite sense of style over substance. However, Zac Bertschy was not impressed, stating that a YouTube video of a kitten playing in a soda box was more entertaining.
