現実化する versus 現実になる


> 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?




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](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/93388/5010)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)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/27454/5010)
  * [Differences Between 蘇生する and 蘇る](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/34049/5010)
  * [「を発動させる」 why 使役態?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84523/5010)

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




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](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/93388/5010)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)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/27454/5010)
  * [Differences Between 蘇生する and 蘇る](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/34049/5010)
  * [「を発動させる」 why 使役態?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84523/5010)

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

