Akari Tsukino is an original creator and screenwriter known for winning the fifth Animax Grand Prix, an annual competition for aspiring anime screenwriters. Tsukino won the award in 2006 with the story concept for Yumedamaya Kidan, which was selected from approximately one thousand entries under the theme of a story the entrant wished to see animated. The win marked the first time a winning entry was not animated by one of the award program’s co-founding studios.

The resulting animated television special, Yumedamaya Kidan, premiered on the Animax channel on November 25, 2007. Production I.G handled the animation production, with direction by Itsurō Kawasaki. The story centers on Naho, an eleven-year-old girl who, after the death of her mother, is responsible for caring for her younger brother. Her life changes with the arrival of Kotaro, a mysterious dream ball dealer who offers her the chance to escape her daily life into various dream worlds. Tsukino is credited as the original creator of the work and as the screenwriter for the animated adaptation. The original character designs for the project were provided by manga artist and illustrator Yōsuke Takahashi.