Erika Meinohama

**Erika Meinohama** (姪浜 エリカ *Meinohama Erika*) is one of the main characters in Rifle Is Beautiful and member of the Shooting Club. She is a skilled rifle shooter.

## Appearance

She has long dark crimson hair reaching over her back with two hair bands in parts. Her similarly long fringe leaves her thin eyebrows and large yellow eyes visible. Erika wears a jacket and pants that are similar a dark red to her hair color.

## Personality

Erika is a graceful and popular girl who easily leads the club, even though Hikari Kokura was the one who re-founded it.

She also is rather vain as she often relishes in her own beauty and skills. Boasting she "found heaps of love letters" in her shoe locker everyday in middle school is one example.

## Background

Erika was born in a rich family who is half-Japanese and Russian that she was scrutinized by people when she was younger. She owns multiple rifle jackets and lends or gives them to the other girls if needed .

She is the most experienced with guns, so she is usually the one giving advice, teaching and leading club activities .

## Story

Erika is remembered in the school ceremony by Izumi. Outside, she thinks to herself of the last middle school Junior Rifle Competition, where she feels she was supposed to attain victory.

As she does so, she is found by Hikari who is accompanied by Izumi. She listens to their persuasions for her to join the rifle-shooting club and described as the best shooter, she agrees to join. Erika also sees Yukio arrive to volunteer herself as the fourth member.

Setting up the room, she joins the others in practicing with the beam rifles that use lasers instead of bullets. Hearing that Hikari’s rifle jacket is too small for her, Erika offers one of her own.

Taking the others to her house, she offers Hikari any one. She suggested to Yukio that they spend time together and acquire snacks from a supermarket.

Eating them at her house and discussing the club, she appears somewhat aghast at seeing Hikari’s bunny impression.

Noticing Hikari watching her, Erika points out she looks all serious for once. She directs the other three members that they will be having a practice match today. Erika explains the rules including the scoring and number of beam shots that can be fired.

With the match underway, Erika begins steadily firing and is determined to not be beaten by Hikari.

In her classroom she can see Hikari and Izumi throwing a ball to one another in their P.E class. She is called upon to read a section of a book for her class, and is praised for her English speaking.

In P.E she is playing baseball wit Yukio, and manages to strike her out.

## Relationships

### Hikari Kokura

Erika came second to Hikari Kokura in a middle school tournament. Coming across her again when Hikari finds her, and praised as the best shooter there, she is invited to form the rifle-shooting club. At first she declares she does not intend to stoop to her level, she is not going to pretend to be friends with someone who has no ambition or talent. She proves to be a key means of support for her in that she helps Hikari understand the rules of shooting matches. Erika gives Hikari her first shooting outfit and the latter ended up picking her old one because it had "Erika's scent."

### Izumi Shibusawa

She listens to Izumi’s persuasion for her to join the rifle club. Erika is impressed that Izumi is able to motivate Hikari to complete her shooting set with cakes.

### Yukio Igarashi

Interacting with her in person, she barely remembers her since she was so quiet, but invites her to join ‘her’ shooting club. Seeing her serious when aiming, Erika suggests Yukio try and have some fun.

Somewhat awed at her scores in the midterm exams, Erika voices that Yukio must have cheated.

### Akira Shinonome

Her cousin who Erika contacts to arrange a practice rifle shooting match.

## Etymology

* The name **Erika** is written in katakana (エリカ), which has no special meaning. However, when written in kanji (絵理佳, 英里佳, 絵里加, 英里香, 恵里加, 恵梨香 or 恵里香), it could possibly mean:
	+ 絵理佳 - "picture, painting" (絵) (**e**), "reason, logic" (理) (**ri**) and "good, beautiful" (佳) (**ka**).
	+ 英里佳 - "excellent, fine" (英) (**e**), "village" (里) (**ri**) and "good, beautiful" (佳) (**ka**).
	+ 絵里加 - "picture, painting" (絵) (**e**), "village" (里) (**ri**) and "add, increase" (加) (**ka**).
	+ 英里香 - "picture, painting" (絵) (**e**), "village" (里) (**ri**) and "fragrance, fragrant" (香) (**ka**).
	+ 恵里加 - "favor, benefit" (恵) (**e**), "village" (里) (**ri**) and "add, increase" (加) (**ka**).
	+ 恵梨香 - "favor, benefit" (恵) (**e**), "pear" (梨) (**ri**) and "fragrance, fragrant" (香) (**ka**).
	+ 恵里香 - "favor, benefit" (恵) (**e**), "village" (里) (**ri**) and "fragrance, fragrant" (香) (**ka**).
* Erika's surname **Meinohama** means "niece" (姪) (**meino**) and "beach, seashore" (浜) (**hama**).

## References

1. ↑ Rifle is Beautiful TV Anime Zeroes in on an October 2019 Release
2. ↑ Rifle is Beautiful Anime Reveals 9 More Cast Members
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 2
4. ↑ Episode 1
5. ↑ Episode 2