Kurumi Erika

Kurumi Erika (来海 えりか Kurumi Erika?) is one of the Cures and the secondary main character of Heartcatch Pretty Cure!. Her catchphrase is "Even someone like me, with a heart wider than the ocean, is at her limit"! (海より広いあたしの心も、ここらが我慢の限界よ！ Umi yori hiroi atashi no kokoro mo, kokora ga gaman no genkai yo!?). She lives in a fashion shop called Fairy Drop, and she lives with both her parents, plus her older sister whom she is really jealous of. Her heart flower is the white cyclamen, though it can turn red if Erika experiences extreme jealousy of her older sister, Kurumi Momoka. Her Cure ego is Cure Marine (キュアマリン Kyua Marin?).

Appearance
Erika is the shortest of the group, nearly being as tall as Tsubomi's shoulder. She has dark blue eyes and wavy hair that reaches her chest with her forelocks styled the same way. Her pointed bangs are split down the middle. Casually she wears a blue blouse with puffed sleeves beneath a white long-sleeved shirt and frilly layered skirt. On the chest is a yellow bow design with a gold heart in the middle. She also wears tan boots with slightly longer white socks. In the movie, Erika was shown wearing a white jacket with navy sleeves and the bow design from her top on the side of the arm and shaped like a ribbon. The sleeve cuff and collar are covered in fluffy fabric. Paired with this is are denim shorts, black stockings, and a pair of blue sneakers.

As Cure Marine, Erika's eyes and hair become sky blue. Her hair grows in length and separates into two sections while her forelocks gain an extra curl to them. On her head is a blue and white heart with pearls and a ribbon attached. She also gains blue flower earrings and a dark blue choker. She wears a short white dress with dark blue straps on the shoulders and lacing the back and waist. On the chest is a navy ribbon with a turquoise heart on a silver base, while on each hip resides a pale blue flower. Her sleeves are bell flower shaped, while her skirt resembles a two-layered tutu made from flower petals, the top layer being white, the second light blue. She gains dark blue wrist pieces with a pale blue flower and a frilly accent, white stockings, and a pair of navy shoes with pale blue two, buttons, and heel. accent in pale blue with the A white flap wraps around the ankle, which is held by a dark blue strap that has a pale blue flower on it.

Personality
Erika is a feminine young girl who loves fashion and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Everything she loves revolves around fashion, and she has turned it into an art form capable of helping others open up and feel their best. She is able to tell their feelings or moods using the color therapy she is going throughHPC04. She is also a very fast learner and is fairly cheerful and energetic- although she also has lazy tendencies.

However, Erika is also childish and immature, sometimes coming off as selfish. She can be impatient if things don't move fast enough, and is nosy and the type to say what is on her mind. This brash personality causes her to come off as abrasive towards more shy or reserved types, but at the same time she can become more mindful towards them and will always be there to comfort them should they need it. She cares deeply for her friends, even if she struggles to express it in a way that doesn't cause them further anxiety.

Despite their similarities and shared interests, Erika is very jealous of Momoka and often ignores or pushes her away as her sister attempts to help her or make suggestions. She wishes to surpass Momoka some day and would rather do it on her own then ask her for help. But over time she gradually begins to open up to her sister and grows less hostile.

Failing in Dreaming
Ever since Erika and her older sister Momoka were small, they dreamed of becoming a charisma model, just like their mother who used to be a famous model. However, Momoka always became the more successful of them, and Erika could only watch in admiration and jealousy when her sister got scouted in elementary school. As Momoka became more popular, Erika slowly began giving up on her dream to become a model, and instead focused on designing, though is still jealous and depressed of Momoka's success where she failed.

Meeting Tsubomi
In the present, Erika is giving the new student Hanasaki Tsubomi a hard time on her first day, though tries to give her a new and better look after school when they realize that they are next-door neighbors. However, she herself has a hard time when she realizes that she will be alone in the fashion club when the other members have to quit, and fails to make Tsubomi join. She takes a walk some time after that, where she meets Sasorina, who takes her Heart Flower. This is what causes her Tsubomi to try becoming a part of Pretty Cure HPC01. After having her Heart Flower purified, she only remembers the events as a dream, and apologizes to Tsubomi for her energetic personality. They then agree that, if Erika can make the doll that her Heart Flower possessed pretty, Tsubomi will join the fashion club. Happy, she storms off to buy the necessary supplies to fix up the doll.

The night afterward, Erika dreams of Cure Moonlight and her loss before the Tree of Hearts, and admits this to Tsubomi during lunch. She is shocked when the fairies appear and tell her that she is the second Cure, partner of Coffret. Although she wants to try it out, she realizes that she has to worry about the fashion club for the moment and turns them down, though thinks about Pretty Cure and her own Cure name through the rest of the school day. Tsubomi helps her recruit for the fashion club during lunch, but they fail to find any new members. After school that day, they see that the football-loving girl Ueshima Sayaka's Heart Flower has transformed into a Desertrian and is attacking junior high students. Tsubomi transforms into Cure Blossom, while Erika watches from the sidelines. After seeing Cure Blossom fight for the sake of everyone's Heart Flowers, Erika decides to become a Cure, too, and transforms into Cure Marine. Thanks to the dream beforehand, Cure Marine is easily able to purify the Desertrian. After reverting their transformations, Erika and Tsubomi find the owner of the doll from the day before and give it back. They then decide to work hard together to protect everyone's Heart Flowers and recruit new members for the fashion club while they go to find something to eat.

Best Friends
Because of Erika's strength as Cure Marine, she is giving Tsubomi low confidence in being Pretty Cure, though Erika misunderstands why Tsubomi is feeling down, and thinks it is because of her still open personality. However, when they encounter Kumojaki, who they the day before, Cure Marine gives her all to protect Cure Blossom, and together, they come to an understanding and use the dual attack Floral Power Fortissimo. On their way home, the girls agree that their friendship have become stronger, and declare themselves best friends.

One day, Erika wakes up to find her mother helping Momoka prepare for work before school. Slightly admiring her sister, Erika comes with a mocking comment to hide it, but becomes furious when Momoka backfires her comment. Later on school, when Tsubomi shows an admiration for Momoka and asks if they are related, Erika admits their family situation to her. Tsubomi tries to cheer her up by proposing to have their next fashion club meeting outside on the new cafe which Erika agrees on. After school, Erika shows the girls her designs, but they are interrupted when people notice Momoka, who was watching them for a short while. Because they know of their family ties, the fashion club asks Erika to have them watch for Momoka's next photo shots. When she asks her, Erika is forced to let Momoka see through her designs against her will, and although it seems like Momoka likes her designs Erika imagines that she is making fun of her and gets furious at Tsubomi and the rest of the fashion club for having to go through all the embarrassment. The next day, Erika watches in horror as Kumojaki steals her sister's Heart Flower the dahlia, and finds herself unable to fight the Desertrian as its source of power comes from everyone treating her special against her will, something Erika also has done. However thanks to Cure Blossom, Cure Marine is able to stand up and finish it off. On the way home, Erika and Momoka admit halfway their feelings for each other and now are able to tease each other on a more familiar term.

When Tsubomi later meets with Obata, who wants to hire her father to work with him in a big company, Erika notices the changes in Tsubomi's features, as she become more quiet and seems to avoid answering Obata's questions. Erika asks her if she hates him, and when she denies it she encourages Tsubomi to tell her real feelings so that it is easier for Erika and Obata to understand and help her. Eventually, Erika respects Tsubomi's desire to not have her father work for the company, hearing about her lonely past when her parents, both professionals, worked all the time.

Erika is also good friends with the school council president in episode 15 Erika offers Itsuki a place in the fashion club also in this episode. Tsubomi discovers that the school council president is a female and gets a fever.

Encounter with Dark Cure
One day, when the sun is shining, Erika is bored while visiting Tsubomi, though the red-head wishes to finish the homework before doing anything. Erika helps Tsubomi to finish the last of the homework before they walk outside, Tsubomi taking her to the place where she met Chypre and Coffret for the first time. Erika jokingly acts jealous when the story is concluded, but is cheered up by Tsubomi's claim that they ended up being best friends, as well. They then look at the horizon, thinking about the Desert Apostles and how many times they have to fight them to defeat them once and for all. After clearing their worries away with the Hart Perfume's turquoise Heart Seed, they meet up with Sayaka, who has started a soccer team on her own. However, at school the day afterward, Erika and Tsubomi find the soccer team injured, claiming it was Pretty Cure who did it. Tsubomi and the fairies try to reason the claim by saying that Cure Moonlight might have come back, but Erika doubts it, as Cure Moonlight would not injure innocent people. They then encounter Dark Cure, the injurer of the soccer club, who overpowers the girls and kidnaps Chypre and Coffret, wanting them to bring her the Heart Pot in exchange.

At the botanic garden, Erika is frustrated that they were defeated to easily, but like Tsubomi, is conflicted about what to do. With the help of Tsukikage Yuri's advice, they decide that they will respond to the fairies' trust in them and fight to get them back. They do this for a while, and when they are being overpowered by Snackey, Coupeappears and gives them the fairies back. They transform into Pretty Cure immediately and fight off all the Snackey and Sasorina, but are defeated by Dark Cure once again, half-way deforming. Before Dark Cure can finish them, without them knowing, she sees Yuri and disappears, leaving the girls alone.HPC10 After this encounter, Erika sees Tsubomi losing confidence in her abilities as Pretty Cure, and worries enough to watch her while she trains kung-fu with the self-claimed master Sakai Masato, whom Erika doubts. When she realizes that he is not an amateur, she unwillingly joins the training, but makes sure to have Tsubomi tell her real feelings and herself tell Tsubomi to not bear her worries alone, as she will be there. After fighting to get Masato's brother's Heart Flower back from Kumojacky, Erika is relieved to see Tsubomi back to her old self, and together they jokingly try out some kung-fu tricks.HPC11

Normal Life
While the Kurumi family are planning a picnic, they also invite the Hanasaki family. At the shop, Erika helps her mother to find good clothes for Shibata Risa, who is afraid that her boyfriend is leaving her. They decide to invite Risa and her boyfriend Toshioka Yuuto to the picnic, and there, Erika and her father listen to Tsubomi explaining how taking a walk over a bridge might help Yuuto and Risa to get in better terms again. It fails, as Cobraja steals Risa's Heart Flower, and the girls transform. While fighting, Cure Marine is trapped inside the water-Desertrian, unable to breathe until the fairies help her. Tsubomi uses Pink Forte Wave to purify the Deseertrian while Cure Marine is still inside, though the latter is not hurt and even claims she could get used to it. They watch as Yuuto asks Risa to marry her.HPC12

One day Erika and Momoka plan to go out shopping, and ask Tsubomi to come with them. Although the originally accepted the invitation, she must go as a flower that only blooms every tenth year blooms at the botanic garden, leaving Erika and Momoka alone. At they are out, they witness the Snackey making a lot of havoc close to the train station, and Erika leaves her sister to see where their orderer is. When she sees Dark Cure, she is about to transform, but sees Yuri, whose mother is in danger, run past her and defeat the Snackey. When Tsubomi appears after Erika calling her, they transform, though are still no match for Dark Cure. As they are defeated, Dark Cure reveals that Yuri is Cure Moonlight, but before they can continue, Coupe appears again, and Kaoruko takes the girls and Yuri's mother to safety. At the botanic garden, they have yet to deform, and when they hear that Dark Cure is closing in again, they try to fight her off, but loses again. She spares them, however, as she is called back by Sabaku. back at the garden, they ask Yuri to fight as Pretty Cure with them, but she rejects them, and Kaoruko explains that Yuri is having traumas after the defeat by Sabaku and Dark Cure, and that her Pretty Cure Seed is destroyed.HPC13

Fighting the Desert Apostles
The days go by with Pretty Cure fighting off the Desert Apostles and living their normal lives; eventually, Erika's fashion club gets a new member, Myoudouin Itsuki, the student president.HPC15 One day, she and a friend named Takagishi Azusa argue about whose club is best in designing clothes; Erika's fashion club, or Azusa's drama club. They decide that the fashion club will make the costumes for the drama club's next show. While they make the dresses, Erika thinks about Azusa's devotion to drama and wonders if the members of the fashion club are having fun, to which Tsubomi replies positively, this being one of the few times Erika shows Tsubomi uncertainty. When they later get to know that all the members of the drama club quit because of Azusa's bossy attitude, they go to see her, but is shocked to see that her Heart Flower has been stolen by Cobraja, and in anger Erika uses Blue Forte Wave to heal it after fighting.HPC16

Trial of the Super Silhouette
Cure Marine along with the others faced the ultimate test at the Pretty Cure Palace: obtaining their final transformation known as Super Silhouette. Separated from the others, Cure Marine encounters a past version of herself. Her past self quickly attacked with the jealousy Cure Marine felt over her sister being a top model. Cure Marine hugs her past self confessing she loves all of herself, even the bad and that she now does not want to be a model like her sister; however, she just wants to be someone as successful as her sister. She returns to the Pretty Cure Palace which erects a statue of Cure Marine in recognition of her passing the test. Cure Marine along with Moonlight and Sunshine are forced to hold the Desert Devil at bay while Cure Blossom completes her test. The three fight managing to keep the Desert Devil off balance buying time and Cure Blossom arrives having passing her test and all four summon their new forms, the Super Silhouette.

Return of Dune
At Christmas Dune returns to earth and is after the power Cure Flower sealed of his from their battle. The Cures attack Dune seemingly getting the upper hand. As the dust settles Dune is still standing and then goes on the offensive against the Cures. Taking out Moonlight first quickly followed by Sunshine and Marine he then turns his attention of Cure Flower. Cure Blossom tries to stop him but is unsuccessful and also falls to his power. Dune and Cure Flower then fight but she also is no match for him in her weakened state and defeats her. Leaving for his fortress with Kaoruko the Cures are left defeated and unconscious. She awakens in the botanical gardens with the others which has been protected but Coupe and hiding them while they recover. When the girls go outside they are met with the shock of seeing their world as a desert. Tsubomi and Erika both run home only to see they have also fallen to the power of the Desert Devils. In desperation Erika begins to dig through the sand in hopes of finding something. The 4 girls reunite and all are feeling defeated, until Erika's sister Momoka rushes out of nowhere revealed to see her sister is alive. Erika revealed to see her sister is also OK begins to cry on her shoulder. The girls then notice others arriving all of which had been saved by the Pretty Cures which included Itsuki's brother Satsuki. After being reminded of how much faith their friends have in the Pretty Cures Tsubomi declares the Pretty Cures will not give up. A desert devil arrives and the girls tell everyone to get into the botanical gardens, they transform and defeat the desert devil using Heartcatch Orchestra. Coupe joins the girls pointing to the sky indicating to the girls he knows where Kaoruko is and puts Cure Marine on his back to let them know he is going with them. Just as the girls are about to leave to rescue Kaoruko there friends come out of the botanical garden to wish them luck with Momoka tell her to take care. The Pretty Cures and their mascots arrive at Dune's fortress and begin fighting the Snackeys.

The Final Battle
While fighting there way to Kaoruko, Kumojaki and Cobraja appear before the girls challenging them to a final battle. Cure Marine along with Cure Sunshine accept the challenge telling Cure Moonlight and Cure Blossom to believe in them and for them to rescue Kaoruko. Cure Marine faces off against Kumojaki and a fierce battle ensues. Kumojaki has Cure Marine on the fence until Coffret throws himself at Kumojaki in an attempt to save Cure Marine. Kumojaki claims that Coffret is only a fairy and has no real power and prepares to destroy Coffret. As he draws his sword back to make the final blow Cure Marine jump kicks his sword shattering the blade, much to Kumojaki's surprise. Cure Marine tells Kumojaki that he is indeed strong but he does not know what true power is and the Coffret is more powerful than him due to his courage and bravery. She purifies Kumojaki with Blue Forte Wave which causes Kumokai to smile as he is lifted into the sky by the purifying blue flower.

She meets back up with Cure Sunshine and the two are clearly exhausted from their fights, so to evade the Snackys they disguise themselves as Snackys to get to Kaoruko. They get to Kaoruko and are so revealed they collapse to the floor. Coupe presents the Heart Pot and with the hope of all there friends Erika and Itsuki are given energy to continue fighting. They fight there way to find Cure Moonlight and Cure Blossom. Moonlight and Blossom just managing to hold there own against Dune until Dune shoots dark energy at them which exploded on impact. As the dust settle Marine and Sunshine are revealed to have saved them from the attack making Blossom glad to see them safe, they join Moonlight and Blossom in fighting Dune. All the cure use there Forte Wave attacks against Dune followed by Marine and Sunshine combining to use Floral Power Fortissimo and Moonlight and Blossom to combine to use the same. All four hit dune at the same time and then call fourth the Heartcatch Mirage and use Heartcatch Orchestra against Dune.

Crossover Appearance
Cross Maximum

Kurumi Erika/Cure Marine appears as one of the characters from Pretty Cure side along with some Heartcatch Pretty Cure Cures.

Cross Maximum 2: Exceed Sky

Kurumi Erika/Cure Marine re-appears as one of the characters from Pretty Cure side along with some Heartcatch Pretty Cure Cures.

Project X Zone 3: A wakening of the Trailblazer

Kurumi Erika/Cure Marine appears as a Pair Unit teaming up with Hanasaki Tsubomi/Cure Blossom.