Dream Eater Merry

Dream Eater Merry
230px Cover of the first volume of Yumekui Merry featuring Merry Nightmare.
夢喰いメリー (Yumekui Merī)
Genre	Action, Fantasy
Manga
Written by	Ushiki Yoshitaka
Published by	Houbunsha
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Manga Time Kirara Forward
Original run	August 10, 2008 – present
Volumes	16
Anime television series
Directed by	Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Produced by	Hideki Shirane
Written by	Ushiki Yoshitaka
Music by	Keiichi Oku
Studio	J.C.Staff
Licensed by	AUS Hanabee NA Sentai Filmworks UK MVM Films
Network	TBS, MBS, CBC, BS-TBS, RKK
Original run	January 7, 2011 – April 8, 2011
Episodes	13

Dream Eater Merry (夢喰いメリー, Yumekui Merī) is a Japanese action fantasy manga 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.

Plot

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, instead of destroying they cause humans to accomplish their goals. With dream demons only seen by previous vessels, Yumeji and Merry now have to investigate this unusual phenomenon.

Characters

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. Yumeji actually once harbored Kyou as his vessel until Merry force him out ten years ago.

It is also hinted that Yumeji and Merry may 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.

"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.

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.

"Garden" Engi Threepiece (「双月花 (ガーデン)」エンギ・スリーピース, Ga-den Engi Surīpīsu)

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.

Antagonists

"Pharos" Hercules (「灯台 (ファロス)」 エルクレス, Farosu Erukuresu)

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.

"Maze" Landsbourough (「迷路 (メイズ)」 ランズボロー, Meizu Ranzuborō)

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.

"Familia" Legion (「影同心 (ファミリア)」 レギオン, Famiria Region)

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 Achtelnote" Aeolian and Ionian (「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 vessel for two dream demons at once. Engi goes full impact at them for irritating about her sister. She and Merry manage to send them back.

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)

A girl who's classmates with Yui and Nao. She had been obsessed of becoming a brilliant manga artist ever since childhood. Merry stand up for Anri when she is persistent proven her tutor (who 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.

Kyou Shiragi (白儀 響, Shiragi Kyō)

A boy who transfers 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. He seems to have interest in Yumeji. Later revealed that Kyou is a dream demon without a vessel like Merry, and has a power to make an opposite effect on humans' dreams to come true. 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.

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, which 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 memory of dream demons.

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.

Media

Manga

The manga series by Ushiki Yoshitaka began serialization in Manga Time Kirara Forward magazine from August 10, 2008 and is still ongoing. Sixteen 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.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate
01	"Dream Reality" "Yume Utsutsu" (夢現)	January 7, 2011
Yumeji Fujiwara is a high school boy with the ability to predict people's dreams or nightmares. Recently, he has dreams of being chased by a gang of weird cats. One day, Yumeji meets a strange girl after she falls out of a tree and lands on him. After she leaves to look for her hat, Yumeji finds it, only to suddenly find himself in the world from his nightmare, and he is chased by Chaser John Doe and his cat army, who desires his body as a vessel. As Yumeji is cornered, the girl from before arrives, introducing herself as Merry Nightmare, and fights against John. As Merry tries to interrogate John to take her back to the world he came from, John just laughs at her and leaves, before both she and Yumeji return to the real world.
02	"Dreams and Hopes" "Yume mo Kibō mo" (夢もキボーも)	January 14, 2011
Merry had suddenly collapse, so Yumeji takes her home where his friend, Isana Tachibana, and her father help look after her at the Tachibana's family café. Merry explains to Yumeji that she had been hunting dream demons, trying to find a way back to the world she came from, only to be met with more questions. Later that night, Merry decides to leave to do things on her own, while Yumeji settles his resolve to help her. Meanwhile, a girl named Yumi with dreams of becoming a nurse ended up in a different dream world with her resident dream demon, Serio. However, Serio is suddenly killed, which causes Yumi to lose all her goals.
03	"From Beyond the Dream" "Yume no Mukō kara" (夢の向こうから)	January 21, 2011
As Yumeji goes to search for Merry, he finds her at the park with a kid named Minato Kisaragi, who has trouble making friends. After playing with her for a bit, Yumeji decides to show off his ability, only to discover that Minato has been having nightmares. He soon ends up inside her daydream, where a dream demon named Ichima wants to prevent Minato from making friends so she can become her vessel. Just then Merry arrives and manages to give Minato the confidence to say what is right, before Merry banishes Ichima. Upon returning to the real world once again, Minato goes to make some friends while Merry goes off on her own again.
04	"Dream Eater Merry" "Yumekui Merī" (夢喰いメリー)	January 28, 2011
The president of Yumeji's literature club, Mei Hoshino, has been sending texts with a mysterious boy named Chris Evergreen. Later that day, Yumeji and Mei, as well as fellow club members Takateru Akiyanagi and Saki Kirishima, bring Merry along to karaoke, while Isana tries to make friends with a transfer student named Chizuru Kawanami. Later that night, when Mei comes to the café having supposedly been stood up by Chris, she suddenly acts weird and texts herself from another phone. Yumeji realizes that Mei has become a vessel for Chris, who is actually another dream demon, and chases after her, ending up in her daydream. As Chris prepares to attack him, Merry arrives and defeats him. Before Chris disappears, Mei asks to look at him, and comes off happily from what she sees. From that point, Yumeji decides to work together with Merry to help her find nightmares, and she starts working part-time at the café.
05	"Astray in a Dream" "Yume no Naka de Asutorei" (夢の中でアストレイ)	February 4, 2011
Isana gets depress upon hearing her idol, Yokato, announced his resign in singing on TV. Yumeji and Merry go grocery shopping, where Yumeji learns that Merry had apparently arrived in the real world about ten years ago. They later meet a girl named Yui Kōnagi, with Yumeji helping her rescue a doll she dropped. Yui, who is actually the willing vessel of a dream demon named Engi Threepiece, has her trigger a daydream within which Yumeji and Merry are caught in. Engi questions them about someone named Pharos Hercules, before beginning to fight with Merry. As Merry talks about sending Engi back to where she came from, Engi claims that there is no way back for dream demons, revealing her sister was killed when she entered the real world. Questioning whether she has actually been doing the right thing, Merry is unable to fight back against Engi, forcing Yumeji to stand between them, receiving a slash to his chest.
06	"Dream Encounter" "Yume Kaikō" (夢邂逅(かいこう))	February 11, 2011
Traumatized by the attack on Yumeji, Merry unleashes a powerful aura that destroys the dream world's moon, forcing Engi to retreat. Upon returning to the real world, Yumeji doesn't have any external injuries, but when he gets home he starts feeling pain and falls unconscious. As he dreams, Yumeji once again meets John, who treats his mental injuries. Meanwhile at school, Saki brings up how many students like Yumi have been suffering from "dream loss", in which they give up on their goals. John explains to Yumeji that its because of him that Yumeji can enter other people's daydreams, and reveals Hercules is an evil dream demon who tempted many others into entering the real world. He also mentions that Hercules may know something about Merry, who allegedly entered the real world without a vessel. After Yumeji's wounds heal, John warns him about another strong dream demon named Mystletainn before he wakes up to a worried Merry.
07	"Dreams, Swimsuits and the Color of the Sea" "Yume to Mizugi to Umi no Iro" (夢と水着と海の色)	February 18, 2011
Isana's father impulsively decides to take everyone on a trip to the beach, Isana even invites Chizuru. Merry becomes concerned about what Engi had said to her, wondering if what she had been doing up until then had been wrong. Meanwhile, a kid named Masaru, who came to attend the shooting of a superhero show, gets pulled into a daydream with his dream demon, Delga, who is attacked and killed by none other than Mystletainn, causing the boy to lose his hopes. During the sunset, as Merry considers leaving again, Yumeji says he'll continue to support and help her in order to prove Engi wrong.
08	"Dream Corridor" "Yume Kairō" (夢回廊)	February 25, 2011
Having picked up a sprained ankle during his trip to the beach, Yumeji gets it treated at a clinic, which just so happens to be owned by Yui's family. Meanwhile, Isana becomes concerned on what she wants to do after high school. Speaking through Yui as a vessel, Engi apologizes to Yumeji for her actions and explains her situation. As Yumeji fetches Merry at a doughnut bar to go talk with them, they all find themselves in a maze-like daydream, run by the dream demon Maze Landsbourough, who is a follower of Hercules.
09	"Disturbed Dreams" "Yume Midarete" (夢乱れて)	March 4, 2011
As Isana leaves her guidance counseling session, she temporarily enters a daydream. Although Merry easily defeats Landsbourough's henchmen, she is hesitant to attack him due to what Engi had told her. He then taunts Engi, explaining that if he is killed, then the dreams of his vessel will disappear as well. Engi attacks Landsbourough out of anger, but Yumeji stops her and Landsbourough escapes with his vessel. After calming down, Engi reveals what she knows about Mystletainn, who has the power to force dream demons into vessels. Meanwhile, Chizuru, a vessel herself, confronts the guidance counselor, Ryōta Iijima, who is actually Mystletainn's vessel, saying his next target is Isana who, at that time, Yumeji and Merry discover to have become a vessel.
10	"Not Waking from a Dream" "Yume kara Samezu ni" (夢から覚めずに)	March 11, 2011
As Yumeji becomes frustrated about Isana's situation, Chizuru, who had previously thrown away all her emotions following her parents deaths, becomes conflicted between her desire to protect Isana and her duties towards her dream demon, Lestion. Yumeji goes to see Yui and Engi, asking for their help in protecting Isana's dreams. Meanwhile, Landsbourough witnesses Hercules in action as he kills another dream demon, informing him about Engi and Merry, whom Hercules sees as no threat. As Yumeji returns home, he is greeted by Chizuru who informs him that Mystletainn plans to target Isana, ignoring Yumeji's question concerning whether she is an ally or not.
11	"Protectors of Dreams" "Yume no Moribito" (夢の守り人)	March 25, 2011
Yumeji and Merry take Isana to Yui and Engi so that they can meet her dream demon, Parade, who explains how Mystletainn forced her to make Isana her vessel. Merry wants to send her back, but isn't confident enough to try so with Isana's dreams at stake. Meanwhile, Chizuru confronts Iijima, who reveals his intentions to kill Parade, as well as questioning Yumeji's abilities, though Chizuru is too conflicted by her duties to Lestion to warn Yumeji or Isana. Later that day, Iijima and Mystletainn make their attack on Isana and Parade, also planning to lure out Chizuru and Lestion, but Merry and Yumeji appear to protect them. Mystletainn overwhelms Merry while Yumeji's attempt to rescue Parade is thwarted by Iijima, who reveals Chizuru had done nothing to prevent the deaths of other dream demons. As Mystletainn prepares to kill both Isana and Parade, Chizuru decides to stand in their way to protect her. Having apparently seen something interesting, Iijima and Mystletainn decide to retreat, promising to resume the battle following the exams.
12	"Nightmare" "Muen" (夢魘)	April 1, 2011
As Yumeji and the others grow concerned about Mystletainn's strength, Chizuru brings everyone into her daydream to meet Lestion, who explains that the only way to hurt Mystletainn is a special gun which uses the agony from killed dream demons and the despair from humans as ammo. As Lestion leaves to do his own thing, Engi shows her belief in human dreams due to the extraordinary nature of Merry and Yumeji. Later, Chizuru mentions that Lestion will die if he fires the gun, becoming afraid that her memories with Isana may soon be erased. After the final exams are finished, Iijima comes to the café and Engi brings everyone into her daydream in order to use her home field to her advantage, but Mystletainn kidnaps Isana and summons a large tree. Engi uses her strongest attack on Mystletainn, but she survives and deals a critical blow to her. With Merry similarly outmatched, Yumeji takes Engi's sword and charges towards Mystletainn.
13	"Dream Again" "Yume Futatabi" (夢ふたたび)	April 8, 2011
As Yumeji's attack against Mystletainn fails, Lestion sacrifices himself in order to provide Chizuru with a bullet to shoot Mystletainn, shattering her own soul in the process. However, Mystletainn survives the attack and catches Merry in a bud of despair, causing her to face her own despair. Yumeji, however, decides not to give and uses the power of his dreams to replicate John's weapon. As Yumeji takes on Mystletainn's attacks, Yui manages to free Merry, who becomes invigorated by Yumeji's belief in her, restoring Engi's dream world and healing her injuries. As Merry and Engi launch an attack on her, Mystletainn swallows Parade, so that killing her would mean destroying Isana's dreams. Yet, after encouragement from Yumeji, Merry manages to send Parade back to the dream world and defeat Mystletainn, returning everyone to the real world, with Isana perfectly fine. Although Chizuru's dreams were shattered, Yumeji feels confident that she can start over again, as humans are not limited to only one dream. Yumeji and Merry's quest continues...

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.

External links

• Yumekui Merry at Tokyo Broadcasting System
• Dream Eater Merry (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Dream Eater Merry (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia