Erika Yano (エリカ矢野 Yano Erika) is one of the supporting characters of the SHIROBAKO anime series. She is working at Musashino Animation as a production assistant.
Appearance
Erika has caramel-blonde hair styled up into twin ponytails, held by two black bunny eared wire ribbons with two pins holding her fringe. A freckle is placed underneath her large, curious, and grey eyes.
Erika wears a woolen green cardigan over her muted blue collared black shouldered white t-shirt. Her grey shorts are rolled up at the rims with red drawstrings. A pair of striped stockings and purple combat boots are accessorised with her outfit. When she's not wearing this outfit, she's often seen wearing a large cardigan or a dress with stockings.
Personality
Erika is hardworking, observant, and tsundere-like. She speaks up when she needs to, keeps quiet when she needs to, and defends people when she needs to. She doesn't speak much about herself, but she isn't afraid to speak her mind.
She is informative as she is assertive and likes to keep people in their place. To Aoi, she is nurturing and motherly.
Background
Erika works beside Aoi's desk at Musashino Animation as a production assistant. At a glance, she looks anti-social, cold, and distant. She's really quite observant and is in-tune with most of what goes on in the studio. Erika is efficient at her job and likes to nurture the studio's new production assistant, Aoi as she sees herself in her.
Erika doesn't open up much about herself but likes to give people insight and great advice. It wasn't revealed until later in the story that she had a father in the hospital whose health was fluctuating. This affects her tremendously but does not stop her from finishing her job.
Relationships
Aoi and Erika both work together in Musashino Animation as production assistants. Aoi was hired much after Erika was so in turn, Erika mothers and nurtures Aoi. Erika likes to give Aoi yokans to simulate brain power as it helps her think herself. She and Aoi work alongside each other.
Tarou and Erika both work together in Musashino Animation as production assistants. Erika deems Tarou as an airhead, an annoying loud mouth, and an irresponsible prick. Although she views him badly and tends to shut him up multiple times throughout office hours, she respect him enough to not bully him more than she does and knows where to draw the line.
Yutaka and Erika both work together in Musashino Animation. Erika as a production assistant, and Yutaka as head production desk. When Yutaka quit his position to work as a baker, Aoi was made head production desk. When Aoi asked why she was chosen, Jun Watanabe replied with, "Who else is there?" implying that after Yutaka, Erika would've been a better fit but seeing the situation that she was in, she wouldn't be able to handle the workload for their schedule was already tight as is.
Trivia
- Likes sweets (especially yokan, a Japanese jellied red bean dessert)
- Calls Aoi "Meowmere"
- She slapped Yutaka Honda once for pushing Aoi and scaring her
- Her father was in the hospital for unstablised health so she took a few days off to be with him
- She regards Tarou Takanashi as the office airhead and an annoying loud mouth
- She tries to help Aoi as best as she can
