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FACE

From The Codex
\ \ \ \ \ SEIZURE WARNING / / / / /

Background

FACE, also referred to as 赤の王様 ("The Red King"), is a notable event in Yume Nikki. It takes place when Madotsuki ascends the Stairway in Number World and opens the door at the top.

The FACE event, and the character itself, can only be accessed through a Zippertile located near the southeast corner of Number World's first room. The Zippertile has a 1/4 chance of displaying an unhappy expression each time Madotsuki goes to sleep. When the tile is unhappy, using the Knife effect on it will lead to the Number World Stairway, where the FACE event can be triggered by opening the door at the end.

Upon opening the Stairway door, the screen briefly fades to black. Shortly after, a flashing animation resembling a face or mask will gradually appear, accompanied by a growing rushing sound. The FACE event will persist for around ten seconds before it can be dismissed. When the event concludes, the rushing sound suddenly speeds up and Madotsuki wakes up abruptly, as though from a nightmare.

Notably, the only other events that force Madotsuki to wake up are the Famicom Glitch and the Witch's Flight events. Unlike these, however, the FACE event is unique in that Madotsuki's awakening is not caused by her own actions.

Name Meaning

FACE's name origin isn't exactly known, though it is a fanon name. Some assumptions from the fandom comes from the fact that its event is that of a giant monster face, thus "FACE" in all capital letters. Another assumption is that the faces in the facetile room are where the name came from.

Appearance

  • Looks:

FACE is a mysterious and unsettling figure, often described as a grotesque mask or visage. Its appearance is characterized by a large, flat, monochromatic face with exaggerated features that are difficult to distinguish. The design is intentionally abstract, with vague outlines and a warped, distorted expression that adds to its eerie presence. The constant flashing effect further obscures its details, making it an unsettling visual experience.

  • Regular Form:

The FACE event primarily depicts the character as a flickering, ominous face with a jagged, unsettling grin. Its eyes often appear hollow or empty, contributing to the sense of dread it instills. Due to its limited exposure during the event, the exact nuances of its design remain ambiguous, further enhancing its cryptic nature.

  • Special Effects:

FACE’s appearance is accompanied by a crescendoing rushing sound that amplifies the unsettling atmosphere. The flashing animation creates a distorted, nightmarish effect that intensifies over time. Unlike other characters, FACE lacks movement or dynamic expressions, maintaining its static yet menacing presence. After approximately ten seconds, the event abruptly ends, with the screen fading to black before Madotsuki is forcefully awakened.

General Information

Name: FACE

Other Names: The Red King

Origin: Yume Nikki

First Appearance: Yume Nikki

Company: Kadokawa Game Studio

Creator: Kikiyama

Sex: Unknown

Sexuality: Unknown

Pronouns: It/They

Age: Unknown

Time Period: Unknown, likely early 2000s (As the game was made in 2004, and many locales in the dream world are more modern for the early 2000s)

Timeline: Main Timeline

Homeworld: Number World

Residence: Top Stairyway of Number World

Story Role: Event, NPC

Legacy: Unknown Legacy

Influence: Unknown Influence

Language: None (FACE does not seem to hae the capability to speak)

Ethnicity: N/A

Religion: N/A

Classification: Dream Entity, Dream Event

Species: Unknown

State of Being: Mental Construct (FACE is merely a part of Madotsuki's dream)

Physiology: Unknown Physiology

In-Universe Creator: Likely Madotsuki

Occupation: None

Affiliations: Zippertiles (The FACE event only seems to occur when the Zippertiles are unhappy, implying it's a reaction to that[1])

Enemies: Potentially Madotsuki (FACE is one of the only entities in the dream world that forces Madotsuki to wake up outside of her own control[2])

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Status: Unknown

Alignment: Unaligned (As FACE is merely a mental construct that seemingly has no real alignment)

Threat Level: Mental Threat (The FACE event causes Madotsuki to forcibly wake up from her dream[3])

Potential

  • Type(s) of Potential: Varies depending on Madotsuki
  • Level of Potential: Varies depending on Madotsuki
  • Description: As FACE is a mental construct of Madotsuki, its potential depends purely on her.
  • Limitations: It can be as weak or as strong as Madotsuki decides.

Notable Characters

Result: Madotsuki is forcibly waken up from the dream world[5], with this being one of the three events to cause this.

Codex Statistics

Statistics Information: The following are statistics covering FACE, who is a dream world entity. This falls under the Pseudo-Tiering System and these stats do not replicate what they can do outside of this dream nor can they ever leave said dream as they are likely just a manifestation of Madotsuki's subconscious.

Grade: S

Pseudo-Tier: Unknown-D, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious. Can ignore conventional durability with its Existence

Cardinality: Finite

Dimensionality: 3-D

Power Source: Unknown

Attack Potency: Unknown: True level (Does not attack through conventional methods), Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious (As FACE is a mental construct of Madotsuki, it is freely shaped, formed, and changed by her subconscious). Can ignore conventional durability with its Existence (It's natural existence distorts the dream world and forcibly awakens Madotsuki from her dream[6])

Durability: Unknown: True level, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Striking Strength: Unknown: True Class, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Lifting Strength: Unknown: True Class, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Travel Speed: Unknown: True level, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Attack Speed: Unknown: True level, Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Reaction Speed: Unknown: True level, Varies on Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Stamina: Likely Limitless (As a mere dream entity, it would never tire unless Madotsuki desires it so), Varies on Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Range: At least Tens of Meters, likely Far Higher through sheer size (Is the size of an entire room[7] which can expand great lengths in the dream world[8])

Intelligence: Unknown Intelligence (As a dream entity of Madotsuki's, it is unknown what she subconsciously gave its intelligence), Varies on Variable Intelligence on Madotsuki's subconscious

Knowledge: Unknown level (As a dream entity of Madotsuki's, it is unknown what she subconsciously gave its knowledge), Variable levels on Varies on Madotsuki's subconscious

Powers and Techniques

Abstract Existence (Idea, Infinite Manifestation; All beings and objects within the dream world represent a manifestation of some form[9], manifesting as general concepts, analogus to Jung's idea of "shadows"[10], and everything in the dream world is an abstract representation of the dreamer's subconscious thoughts[11]), Immortality (Dream Immortality; FACE is a mere dream manifestation created by Madotsuki that acts as her subconscious, thus it cannot "die"), Acausality (Irregular Causality, Contradictive; In the novel Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream, the dream world runs under a switched cause and effect due to the various Effects of Madotsuki[12]. This is further confirmed by Poniko in the novel, who notes that in the dream world rain falls after Madotsuki opens her umbrella, cause and effect are swapped, because it's all a dream[13]), Reality Warping & Dream Manipulation (Passive; It's natural existence distorts the dream world and forcibly awakens Madotsuki from her dream[14])

Equipment

Nothing notable.

Notable Techniques

FACE

Its mere existence, it appears and distorts everything around it, after a while forcibly waking up the dreamer.

Other

Standard Tactics: FACE merely appears in a specific room, distorting everything around it and forcibly waking up the dreamer.

Weaknesses

Trivia

Various cats drawn by Louis Wain. FACE bears a resemblance to the fourth through eighth pieces.
  • FACE bears a great resemblance to Louis Wain's cat art, especially his more abstract and kaleidoscopic pieces. Some of these pieces are considered precursors of psychedelic art, which may have influenced FACE's flashing appearance and other bright/flashing imagery in the game, such as the Aztec Rave Monkey.
  • In version 0.09, the image of the character scrolls horizontally and imitates the Thing with the Quivering Jaw in the Debug Room, blocking off the player from accessing it. By hacking, the player can bypass this.
  • While unused, a smiling gate now known as FACEtile appears in the files for the characters in version 0.08, with it being wider than other doors. It is thought to have been planned for the door to FACE. Supporting this theory is the fact the event for the door shows that it was supposed to have animation.
  • The graphics of the FACEtile. The left version has an animation of the head bobbing up and down.

    The graphics of the FACEtile. The left version has an animation of the head bobbing up and down.

  • The animation of the two FACEtile variants opening.

    The animation of the two FACEtile variants opening.

  • Thumbs.db files in the same version reveal a zoomed-out version of FACE itself. There is an additional unused frame with a green background.

Gallery

  • The FACE image.

    The FACE image.

  • The image being used to block the Debug Room in version 0.09.

    The image being used to block the Debug Room in version 0.09.

Theories

Representation of Trauma

The FACE event has led to speculation that it may symbolize the reason why Madotsuki refuses to leave her room. The door leading to the FACE event is identical to the one in her room, which connects to the Nexus in her dream world. This resemblance has fueled theories that FACE represents a traumatic experience or a deep-seated fear that prevents her from facing the outside world.

Dream-Catcher Theory

Some believe that FACE serves as a dream-catcher within Madotsuki's subconscious. According to this theory, its purpose is to remind her that she is in a dream, which is why she abruptly wakes up upon encountering it.

Body Imagery Interpretation

Another interpretation suggests that FACE is a form of body imagery. The area leading to the event is accessed through a zipper, and a phallic-shaped creature can be seen near its entrance. This has led to debates about whether FACE could symbolize phallic imagery or other body-related themes. However, this theory is often challenged due to the lack of a strong resemblance between FACE and traditional representations of body imagery.

Codex Statistics Questions

Q: Shouldn't FACE get 2-C for destroying the Dream World?

A: There is nothing that ever actually confirms the Dream World is "destroyed" during the events of Yume Nikki, the dream world is showcased to still exist in both the Novel when Madotsuki wakes up[17] and in the manga when Madotsuki wakes up[18][19][20][21][22].

Battle Records

None.

References

  1. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  2. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  3. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  4. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  5. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  6. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  7. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE event
  8. ↑ Yume Nikki
  9. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 9 / Bed: "The snow huts earlier were huddled together, like a flock of birds in a particularly cold area leaning on each other for warmth.
    However, this snow hut is by itself, as if discriminated against by the others, ostracized.
    If the snow huts are the manifestation of fun childhood memories — then this one, so far apart from all the others, is likely something you don’t want to remember, right?"
  10. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 27 / Spaceship: "According to Jung, those are things born of and displayed by the collective unconsciousness shared by all humans. No matter where they live or what culture they belong to, everyone has a vision of gods and ghosts. I wonder why that is. The angle he takes is that the reason myths have so many commonalities is because the source of things like gods and ghosts is that collective unconsciousness shared among all humans.
    As for gods or aliens, they are visions born of the overarching anxiety of humankind. They give a clear form to fuzzy things like anxiety, and so humans can experience such things in waking dreams. In that case, it’s not necessarily that people saw physical beings, intelligent life that came from outer space, but that they made these “aliens” the symbol of their anxiety. There were a lot of incidences of eyewitness reports of UFO sightings during the World War, as people trembled in anxiety. That’s why aliens Came in mass quantities.
    Gods and devils, fairies and demons, those kinds of fantastical beings — fear, yearning, human pathos, those kind of emotions are a basis for these symbols. It’s the same as symbols seen in dreams, but we see them while we are awake. Particularly anxious people, or drowsy people, might have a gap in their unconscious mind and begin to see these things in reality.
    In most cases, it’s anxiety and fear themselves that make people want to brush off such things. So that’s why everyone laughs the person off, saying things like ghosts don’t exist. However, anyone and everyone has access to those things within the collective unconsciousness. Face them, overcome them, defeat them, and in this way, conquer them.
    These kinds of antagonists manifest as general concepts — things like demons or devils that are the realm of the occult. Jung referred to them as “shadows.” We shouldn’t ignore them, instead we should choose to defeat and conquer them. Or accept them, integrate them into ourselves. If we don’t, the shadow part of our hearts will be treated as if it didn’t exist, go missing, be painted over, leaving our hearts and minds incomplete.
    If we don’t face them, that is.
    So this alien-like thing must be a shadow with some sort of significance to me. Something I’ve sealed away. Something I’m hiding. That part has awakened and is imploring, “Look at me.” Karma is paying me a visit for closing my eyes and pretending not to see.
    All the way down into the collective unconscious."
  11. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 28 / To Die: "Even so, it feels like I’ve moved through life weathering a storm.
    But something caused everything to fail and fall apart.
    Maybe I was blessed with a child. I was pregnant. A new life resided within me. That was you. What I’m referring to as “you” was that child. Those swaying braids were a symbol of the umbilical cord. The fetus always slept, without opening her eyes. That’s why your eyes were always closed — at least, that’s what I think.
    A fetus, inside its mother’s stomach, is connected to her, sharing her dream.
    Another person, connected.
    That’s why we both existed in the dream at the same time. Normally, we would be switching out. As if the baton were passed, surface and hidden, conscious and unconscious, reality and dreams, they’re all supposed to switch. I saw you. We exist separately yet had the same dream.
    That’s the trick.
    At the very least, I get the feeling that that line of thinking makes some sort of sense.
    But, you’ve died. You emerged, fell, and died. Maybe I had a miscarriage. I was unable to acknowledge it. Unable to accept it, I averted my eyes, held back those memories and that pain, sealed it away, and got distorted."
  12. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 3 / Red Umbrella: "You start to stumble forward, but perplexed, you brush aside your bangs and gaze down at your feet.
    A tiny umbrella is lying on the ground.
    The vivid, crimson umbrella stands out amidst the unchanging scenery. Without a moment’s hesitation, you pick up the umbrella and open it all the way.
    When is it that one would use an umbrella? Mainly when rain falls. As if cause and effect, before and after, switched places — like in Through the Looking-Glass — it suddenly begins to rain.
    Raindrops pound the umbrella with a thunderous rhythm.
    You pull the red umbrella close to yourself, taking care not to get wet.
    The rain is like tears, but it is a symbol of blessing. Tears have a positive function — they are like a sponge that soaks up sadness before they are expelled from the body. They brighten the path before you.
    The puddles are blurred by the massive downpour of rain, the water level rising and then overflowing, like clusters of anxiety, and within them, the arguing man and woman disappear without explanation.
    As if your worries have been laid to rest, you begin walking along once again, with no set destination.
    Perhaps it’s that you’re ignoring your troubles, or possibly that you’re letting the umbrella catch them instead.
    Cheerfully."
  13. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 13 / The Unconscious Mind: "I’m already baffled, then you suddenly open your umbrella in front of me, as if to block my view.
    “Hwha?” I topple back in surprise at your sudden action.
    At that same moment, even though we’re inside — it starts to rain. It’s a baffling phenomenon, but as we are in a dream, something like this shouldn’t be too much of a shock. The raindrops hit my cheeks and begin to soak the book I’m holding open, so I close it in a panic.
    I look up at you.
    “You open an umbrella because rain is falling. That’s reality. That’s the world of the conscious mind. But here, rain falls after you open your umbrella. It’s reversed. Through the Looking-Glass, that story by Lewis Carroll that was like a love letter to the young girl Alice — does hold some important hints. The story of Alice is the story of a dream.”
    Reason is topsy-turvy. Cause and effect are swapped.
    Because this is a dream.
    So that type of logic is fitting here. Through the Looking-Glass is correct in a Jungian psychology sense."
  14. ↑ Yume Nikki FACE Event
  15. ↑ Yume Nikki Manga Volume 1, Chapter 1
  16. ↑ Yume Nikki Manga Volume 1, Chapter 2
  17. ↑ Yume Nikki: I Am Not in Your Dream Chapter 14 / Frog: "I remember it now.
    A dream of yours.
    “Hey.” I call out to you over and over, coming up behind you. “I said hey.”
    Memories from the past whirl about me like a revolving lantern. This dream, this time we’ve spent together, feels like a second stretched into an eternity.
    I don’t know how long ago it was, but I was barely there, so it seems like it must have been well in the past. However, like a dream of wealth and fortune, even though it can feel like you’ve lived a lifetime, it can all take place in the blink of an eye.
    So it could have been several seconds ago, or several millennia ago.
    At any rate, here inside this nightmare, I met you.
    No, I found you.
    I didn’t even have an outline yet, I was just a point of view, flimsy, like an invisible person. I was unable to perceive even my own fingertips. I was like a spirit, following you from behind.
    I was only able to realize my shape here in this rainbow-colored tent, which you reached after a long period of wandering. The moment you pinch your cheeks and wake up, I am forced back into this tent.
    Only while you’re awake can I relax in that cute, put-together little room. I have no idea why things are this way.
    I have no clue who you are, what I am, or anything about this dream.
    What I can’t understand makes it hard to feel at ease. That’s why when you’re walking around the world of your dreams, I’m following close behind you, observing. I want to believe that there’s some key to satisfying the ceaseless wandering in this unending dream.
    That’s why I worked so hard to find you and get involved."
  18. ↑ Yume Nikki Volume 1, Chapter 5
  19. ↑ Yume Nikki Volume 1, Chapter 6
  20. ↑ Yume Nikki Volume 1, Chapter 7
  21. ↑ Yume Nikki Volume 1, Chapter 8
  22. ↑ Yume Nikki Volume 1, Chapter 9
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