現実化する versus 現実になる

Question

その悪夢が現実化した。
The nightmare became a reality.

This sentence sounds to me like the nightmare has animacy. It is realising itself, where 'itself' is the implied object of する. It all sounds rather sinister.

Presumably, this is actually a perfectly normal sentence, but if I were to make my own translation I would have said:

その悪夢が現実になった。

Is this correct? Does it have a different feel when compared to the original sentence? What difference does the 化 make in 現実化?

Answer 1

悪夢が現実化した and 悪夢が現実になった mean the same thing, although the latter is more common. 悪夢が現実となった is also common. I feel 現実化 (realization) is typically used with a good invention. (BTW, 実現 is almost always used with desirable things, so 悪夢が実現した sounds like someone was intentionally hoping for a calamity.)

Suru-verbs are intransitive, transitive, or both, depending on the word. 現実化 works as both. It just means "to become a reality" when used intransitively.

• Difference between 完成させる and 完成する (transitive usage only)
• Differences Between 蘇生する and 蘇る
• 「を発動させる」 why 使役態?

悪夢を現実化した is also grammatical, but this of course means someone intentionally materialized a nightmare.

Answer 2

I think 現実化する is 他動詞，so correct sentence would be

その悪夢を現実化した

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