/t/ - Theories

This is a theory for all theories, Yume Nikki is so ambiguous that is impossible to explain it as a surreal painting or art masterpiece, so, this game is just a "surreal empty pot" wich all of you people put your own feelings thoughts and traumas, I haven`t read a single good theory for the game, when kikiyama release the final version of the game MAYBE we should be able to know the truth (put the "rapped" theory here if U want xD xD)

What if Mado was having recurring nightmares out of guilt? Maybe she committed some travesty that cost her all of her friends, ruining her social life and pushed her into an introverted state? Maybe she keeps having the same nightmare due to the guilt she was feeling from some crime or violent act she had committed. Maybe the severed heads and corpses are images generated by her guilt in her nightmares? Maybe Poniko was a victim and won't forgive her or talk to her anymore?

Seccom masada is the dj at a dance club on a night where mado goes out. He's a badass on the synths. She catches him when he's at the bar and they talk for a while. Mado falls for his derpy humor and surreal perspective on life. Masada is at least moderately interested in Mado. When the club closes, Masada drives Mado home in his white sports car, which he calls his "spaceship." Mado, a child at heart, relates to the world using imaginary constructs which sometimes exaggerate on reality. So, she imagines that she actually rode on masada's space ship. Similarly, other girls in the club which gave her jealous looks could be the torningen.

At the doorsteps of Mado's complex, Masada gets Mado's number, and tells her he's going to call her. Mado falls asleep, and watches the news the next morning.

BREAKING NEWS: DEADLY CARJACKING ON INTERSTATE I69
A popular local dj was found dead on the side of interstate I69 after stopping in at a convenience store. No words yet as of the carjacker, but police are looking for a white toyota supra with…

Mado turns off the TV, and eventually falls into nightmarish dreaming. She constantly tells herself that "he'll call today," to reinsure herself that it was not Masada who was killed on the interstate. She doesn't turn on any news, she doesn't leave the apartment, she doesn't eat, doesn't drink. Eventually, she breaks down both physically and mentally and finds an outlet of escape. She jumps, thereby entering her dreams where she can visit Masada and hang in his beautiful spaceship forever.

-END OF THEORY

Now, not to flaunt my own theory, but I think it has a number of attractive properties. It explains the strange numbers in some of the maps, it explains the neon world, it explains why you never see anything on Mado's tv, and elements of the game which which suggest "rape" could rather suggest Mado's sexual lust for masada that can never be fulfilled.

On a brighter note, kyu kyu kun would make a good bouncer, and we all know masada's a badass on the synths.

What do you think about these severed heads we see near the white desert building rooftop (apart from symbolizing rape, of course)?

In my opinion, they could be somewhat more important than just random events. Think about it: they are used as the UFOs on Mars. One of them is used as the flying object near the edge of the Sky Garden. And they are visible up close in one of the most hidden and (in my opinion) most creepy place.

I've read a theory about them being Mado's parents. Are they "haunting" her in some way? Or who/what are these supposed to be?

I don't know if this really counts as a theory, but…

The first thing most people notice about Yume Nikki is that there's a lot of empty space. Like the dark land, the puddle land, a lot of areas are just huge empty spaces with a few landmark features in them.

Since Yume Nikki is an unfinished game, could it be that those big empty spaces are just placeholders? People always say things like "the big empty areas are a metaphor for how lonely she is" but what if it gets updated one day, and the trademark open areas get filled with stuff?

I think that the Toriningen may have been inspired by the Flying Men from Earthbound or Mother 2. These are half bird men that appear in Magicant in both Earthbound and Mother 1. Magicant is essentially a dream world. Yume Nikki looks visually similar to Mother 2, and even has a Mother 1 inspired area with the Famicom house.

Okay, so I had an idea.
If the "Madotsuki is a transsexual" theory is correct, would it be possible for Poniko and Uboa to represent her gender confusion? Since Mado could have a fear of men, it makes sense that she would start fearing herself if she felt more male than female. Poniko could represent her female side, and the light switch represents her "turning off" her original gender and "turning on" masculinity. When Poniko turns into Uboa, it could be that Madotsuki imagines her "male self" to be horrific and monsterous due to her phobia.
So yeah. :'D
*Random drawing I made of knife nut Madotsuki because I'm on mobile and had nothing else suiting to post*

Are fangame theories aloud here? Or just Yume Nikki?

K, so, while the Hikikomori theory has probably been exhausted beyond all belief, I wanted to try expanding it more. Cuz' a big problem I have with a lot of theories is that they don't include much of the game play in their reasoning. Why would one part have some kind of symbolic meaning but all the other parts are just there? So I think the hikikomori theory can tie everything together very well.

If Madotsuki *is* a hikikomori, she's clearly afraid to go outside. Everything of interest in the dream world takes place outside of her room. So I think that everything you see in the game, collectively, is what she thinks the outside world is like, and is therefor something negative that keeps her from wanting to go outside in the real world.(In a semi-figurative sense.) She only goes outside in her dream world because she knows that she can pinch herself and return home risk-free. One important distinction from many "real" hikikomoris is that she seems to be very bored in her room. She doesn't have a computer, her TV is broken, I think it can be assumed that she's been through all the books on her shelf, and her only video game she owns is obviously extremely tedious and uninteresting. Dreaming is the only think she can think of to do.

The Toriningen are personally my biggest interest. I think they represent a fear she has of other girls. With their "fashionable" hair styles and clothing, and their gaunt figures and peculiar faces, they're like an exaggerated view of what Madotsuki could see as "popular" girls. She either sees them as ignoring her and not caring about her (Such as when they're having a party, which Madotsuki can't join in on.) or coming after her to violently corner her, always with a creepy smile on their faces.

Poniko could represent her fear of social interaction, as while she appears to be Madotsuki's age and a possible friend of hers, she ignores Madotsuki. When Madotsuki does something seemingly harmless by just touching the lightswitch, everything in the room changes to a demented alternate form that Madotsuki sees as a threat. (Or maybe Madotsuki is just afraid of the dark.)

I strongly agree with someone else's theory that the eyes prominent throughout the game are relating to paranoia, that Madotsuki feels like whenever she's outside, someone will be watching and judging her.

Mars-San is a fear of being homeless. The people on the train could be a fear of strangers. Perhaps Face really is aPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

This theory gets thrown around a lot, but maybe Mado is the last girl alive, and her dreams are a representation of her loneliness, memories, slow descent into madness, and perhaps libido? Maybe all those weird things we see in the dreams aren't things she dreamed up herself, but things she saw in the outside world and now has nightmares about? That could partially explain why in the end *spoilers*
when she jumped off her balcony those blobs surrounded her bloodsplat.
*end spoilers*
Maybe Earth was invaded by aliens?
Or maybe /she's/ an alien?