Kurumi Erika

Kurumi Erika is one of the Cures and the secondary main character of Heartcatch Pretty Cure!. Her catchphrase is "Even my heart, that is wider than the sea, is at the limit of its patience!" (海より広いあたしの心も、ここらが我慢の限界よ！). She lives 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).

Erika loves fashion and dreams of being a fashion designer, and is able to tell one's feelings or mood out from the color combination on the clothes thanks to the color therapy she is going through. She is extremely energetic and can sometimes be a bit impatient or even lazy. She is also very nosy and will not ignore shy people like Hanasaki Tsubomi, and always says exactly what is on her mind. Because of this, she might give out a selfish and mean attitude to calmer people, but other times, a very mature and understanding side of her is shown, especially when it involves Tsubomi. Whenever Tsubomi is stressed or scared, Erika is usually the one to calm her down or comfort her, and Tsubomi often relies on her whenever needed. She is also shown to be quite sympathic for others at times

Although jealous of Momoka and wishing of passing her, Erika's personality is completely different from her calm and mature sister. It is possible that Erika wishes to bypass her sister by not mimicking her, but rather do it on her own. As revealed, Erika is a very fast learner, capable of transforming without instruction from the fairies, fighting properly, and able to use Pretty Cure's power to its fullest in her first transformation just thanks to watching Cure Moonlight in her dream and remembering her rescue by Cure Blossom. This makes her a contrast to Tsubomi, who is still learning how to use all of Cure Blossom's power.

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. 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 photoshots. 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 embarassement. 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 presidant 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 turqoise 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 reaon 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, a Coupe appears 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 diappears, leaving the girls alone. 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.

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.

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, the 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.

Fighting the Desert Apostles
The days go by with Pretty Cure fighting off the Desert Apostles and liv their nroaml lifes; eventually, Erika's fashion club gets a new member, Myoudouin Itsuki, the student president. 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 incertainity. 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.

Trial of the Super Silhouette
Cure Marine along with the other 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 feels 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 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 Monnlight and Sunshine are forced to hold the Desser Devil at bay while Cure Blossom completes her test. The three fight managing to keep the Dessert 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 unconcious. She awakens in the botnaical 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 releaved to see her sister is alive. Erika releaved 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 rescure 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 Coboraja 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 releaved 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 Blosssome 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.

Cure Marine
"The flower swaying in the sea breeze, Cure Marine!" 海風に揺れる一輪の花、キュアマリン！ Umikaze ni yureru ichirin no hana, Kyuamarin! Cure Marine (キュアマリン) is the Cure Erika transforms into. Her powers have not been fully revealed, but translations from commercials indicate that she controls flowers, though her Cure name might mean she has control over water or the sea. Unlike the former Pretty Cure-duos in the franchise, Erika does not need to be together with her partner, Tsubomi, to transform, though does it most of the time.

Because Erika had dreamt of Cure Moonlight's and Cure Blossom's fights, she already knew how to transform and fight, and had fantasized about her own Cure name before she is entrusted with a Heart Perfume. When using her Marine Tact alone, she can use the attack Blue Forte Wave, and together with Cure Blossom's and her Blossom Tact, can use Floral Power Fortissimo. During the final battle against Dune Cure Marine joins forces with Cure Sunshine and they use Floral Power Fortissimo together. When facing the advanced Desertrian, Cure Blossom, Cure Marine and Cure Sunshine can also perform a group finisher called Shining Fortissimo.Later on in the series, she becomes Heartcatch Precure Super Silhouette along with Cure Blossom, Cure Sunshine and Cure Moonlight in episode 38.

Attacks
Aside from her purifying attacks, Cure Marine likes to name many of her physical attacks, even though they only are for front attacks mainly. They are as following:

Marine Shoot (マリンシュート): Cure Marine draws a circle of water drops before she shoots them at the enemy. This is the first sub-attack that has been done two times.

Marine Impact (マリンインパクト): Cure Marine consentrates all her powers into her palm and strikes at the enemy; light blue light will then shine, and the enemy is knocked away.

Marine Dive (マリンダイブ): Cure Marine jumps high up in the air and then falls down with her heels toward the enemy.

Pretty Cure Double Shoot (プリキュアダブルシュート): Cure Marine and Cure Blossom's first non-purification duo attack. The girls create energy balls of their respective theme colors and shoot them at the enemy.

Pretty Cure Daibakuhatsu (プリキュア大爆発): Cure Marine and Cure Blossom hold hands tightly and, with comical faces, create a giant explosion.

Marine Dynamite (マリンダイナマイト): Cure Marine throws her arms in the air, creating an outburst of blue energy to explode. Considered a solo version of Pretty Cure Daibakuhatsu.

Pretty Cure Forehead Punch (プリキュアフォーパンチ): Cure Marine brushes the hair out of her forehead and launches her body at the enemy headfirst. She can do this with the magenta Heart Seed.

Combination Attacks
Pretty Cure Impact (プリキュアインパクト): Cure Blossom, Cure Marine, and Cure Sunshine gather up power and create a giant implosion on the enemy.

Pretty Cure X'mas Impact: With Cure Marine,they makes a big heart and becomes a impact

Cure Rainbow Marine
Cure Rainbow Marine (キュアレインボー・マリン) is an upgrade Cure Marine gains along with everyone else's in Pretty Cure All Stars DX 2: Kibou no Hikari - Rainbow Jewel o Mamore!. Together, the group of seventeen girls form the group Cure Rainbow (キュアレインボー). This up-graded outfit has small wing-accessories some places on her clothes, and new fabric covering her shoulders. She also gets a pair of small, golden wings.

Super Cure Marine


"The flowers shining around the world, HeartCatch Pretty Cure, Super Silhouette!!" 世界に輝く一面の花、ハートキャッチプリキュア・スーパーシルエット！ "Sekai ni kagayaku ichimen no hana, HātoKyachi PuriKyua Sūpā Shiruetto!!" Super Cure Marine (スーパーキュアマリン) is the Super Silhouette upgrade Cure Marine receives after passing the trial in the Pretty Cure Palace. This form is obtained when the items called Heartcatch Mirage and Super Pretty Cure Seed is used.

Super Cure Marine has slightly longer skirt with sharper edges, and the ribbons on her chest and hair are enlarged and slightly differed. Her light-blue color has also become shades lighter, and her gloves have expanded to near her shoulders. Hair hair also appears to have grown all the way down to her feet. In this form, she can use the group finisher, Heartcatch Orchestra.

Relationships
Hanasaki Tsubomi: Erika grows an interest in Tsubomi from first sight, and instantly introduces her energic personality to the new girl despite being shown several times that Tsubomi is not interested in her.

Coffret: Coffret acts like a little brother to Erika. He is very impressed with how fast she learned to transform and attack, and the two often think alike.

Kurumi Momoka: Her relationship with her older sister Momoka is poor, as Erika thinks her sister is much more beautiful and mature than her, making her extremely jealous. As revealed by her Heart Flower's Desertrian, she detests her because of this. As their personalities are very different, however, it is possible that Erika tries to pass her sister her own way, instead of mimicking her, although this might also just be another way of showing her dislike.

Etymology
Kurumi (来海):' Kuru (来) translates to come; coming; due; next''. Mi (海) translates to sea; ocean, a reference to her title of Cure Marine and her water-based powers. Roughly, the two together may be translated to the coming sea.

Erika (えりか): A name that has a vast variety of meanings depending on how it is written in kanji, and since Erika's name is written in hiragana instead, it is impossible to find an exact meaning for it. She might be possibly named after the Erica genus, as several meanings refer to flowers and fragrance, which would fit with the themes of Heartcatch Pretty Cure!.

Cure Marine: Despite the theme of Heartcatch Pretty Cure! being flowers, marine is a general term relating to the sea, ocean or to oceanography. Cure Marine's first single attack, Marine Shoot, involves water, and her third includes the word "dive", which is usually associated with jumping into water.

Songs
Erika's voice actor, Mizusawa Fumie, has provided her voice in an image song about Tsubomi. It has been confirmed that a vocal album is on its way, with a remixed version of her first theme and a second Image song.
 * Special*Colorful (original version and Ultra Happy remix)
 * More Smiles, More Happiness
 * Kokoro no Hana (along with voice actresses of Hanasaki Tsubomi and Myoudouin Itsuki)

Trivia

 * Erika is the first person to have her Heart Flower simply change color instead of withering, making her Desertrian the weakest. (As stated by Kaoruko, having its color change in a negative sense is the stage before a Heart Flower starts wilting.)
 * Erika's family name, Kurumi, is also the first name of Milk's human alter ego, Kurumi Mimino. Coincidentally, once Erika tells Tsubomi that if she ever calls her "Erika-san" (literally "Ms. Erika"), then she'll be treating her to milk.
 * Erika is the only Cure to wear hair accessories that look like hearts this season. The others have flower accessories instead.
 * Erika is the shortest Cure out of the entire team.
 * Although Tsubomi is the team leader, Erika is usually the one who tells the others to transform first.
 * Upon transforming into Cure Marine, Erika knew what name she was going to have, though this is because Tsubomi told her about Pretty Cure earlier, prompting Erika to start coming up with a name. Cure Blossom and Cure Sunshine take a name after transformation.
 * Cure Marine is the first Cure in the franchise to do a sub attack. (Marine Shoot)
 * Erika's Birthday is on May 26 which makes her the sixth Cure whose birthdate has been shown, following Misumi Nagisa, Yukishiro Honoka, Kujou Hikari, Hyuuga Saki, Mishou Mai, Yumehara Nozomi and Minamino Kanade.
 * She is the first blue Cure who doesn't wear her hair in a ponytail, followed by Cure Beauty.
 * For the Pretty Cure All Stars DX3 Movie Character Polls held by Toei Animation, Cure Marine appeared in the following rankings:
 * 2nd in "Favorite Pretty Cure"
 * 1st in "The Pretty Cure you want to team up with most"
 * 7th in "The Pretty Cure you want to be most"
 * 5th in "The Pretty Cure you want to bake with most"
 * In the Pretty Cure All Stars Suite Flower Card Collection, Erika is represented by the daisy, which symbolizes innocence and a bright energetic personality in the Language of Flowers.
 * Cure Marine, as a blue Cure, has the brightest shade of blue as her hair color.