Erika Kurumi

**Erika Kurumi** is one of the Cures and the secondary main heroine of *Heartcatch Pretty Cure!*. 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 Momoka Kurumi. Her Cure ego is **Cure Marine**.

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 Tsubomi Hanasaki, 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.

## 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 not wear flower accessories in her hair, as well as the only to wear a different kind of shoes (short boots with thigh-high stockings, rather than knee-length white boots like the rest).
* 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, making her a Gemini.
* 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 is the second Cure to break 4th wall, after Nagisa, in the Pretty Cure franchise. In many All Stars posters and in the end of the All Stars New Stage 2 credits, Cure Marine is seen looking towards the viewing audience smiling and winking, whiles the other Pretty Cures were facing straight forward.
* Erika will appear as Cure Marine to give the 10th anniversary congratulatory message the beginning of episode 28 of Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!