Arika in the manga
In the Otome manga, Arika's role is somewhat reduced into that of a comedy sidekick, in favor of a different leading character. Her childishness and unawareness of things is nearly taken to a level of being mentally retarded - a topic which the school administration keeps bringing up from time to time. One manifestation of this was her ignorance of the uses of a hotel room[1]. On the other hand, she often displays remarkable talent in actual battle, leaving her fellow students far behind.
When she first appears in the manga, it is after Mashiro accidentally bumps into her. Arika is already an Otome, but ranked at the low position of No. 51. A stickler for grammatical accuracy, she takes it upon herself to correct Manshiro's various language-related gaffes.
She often sleeps in class. Lacking Sergay's sponsorship compared from the anime, she has to take on multiple jobs to pay for her tuition, to the detriment of her results.
She was the first to respond to the attack on the Artai embassy by Schwarz, attempting to battle Lumen barehanded.
Arika in the manga's Ultimate Blue Sky Sapphire Robe
Although Mashiro had made temporary contracts with her using the Blue Sky Sapphire before, it is not until Chapter 23 that she and Mashiro formally make their contract with the Blue Sky Sapphire, as opposed to the earlier Episode 7 in the anime. This was also at Lena's urging, instead of being accidental like in the anime.
Arika had always been in search of her parents and a Star Wars-esque revelation by Rad that he was her father caused her much concern. The Otome manga's version of Kazuya led her to go to the Black Valley in search of the truth, where she found Lena as well. Initially she refused to believe that Rad was her father, but she finally acknowledged him before he died.
When she was younger, her hometown was attacked and razed by mysterious assailants, a [repressed memory that was freed when she saw Kagutsuchi, leading to her going hysterical and speaking of dragons and calling for her mother and grandmother before fainting. She was left behind to go with Midori and the refugees, but wanted to go back and fight. At her insistence, Midori lent her the REM so she could Materialise. Although she lost her power once again due to the REM having reached the limit of its use time, she gained the Ultimate form of the Blue Sky Sapphire Robe by linking hands with Manshiro as Lena instructed. With this new power she beats off Mai and gains temporary victory, only to lose Lena to her sacrificial entry into the Shinso core.
Nevertheless, she continues aiding Manshiro in battle. When Mashiro trapped Mashiro in a projection within the Fuuka Academy and told her and Nina to battle it out in order to save him, she chose not to. Mai, renewed, obeys Mashiro's instruction to attack and Arika went to confront Mai and Kagutsuchi alone on the basis of what she believed was Manshiro's being her younger brother. As she was about to sacrifice herself to kill Mai, however, Mashiro saved her.
Her belief that she and Manshiro were siblings was shattered by Sergay's revelation that Manshiro had only been given into Lena's hands by Emperor Tate and Empress Mai. Shortly after, Fumi Materialized and she proved no match. However, the intervention of Erstin saved her and she lent her power to Manshiro to conduct the Trinity Lover Strike that destroyed Fumi and the revived HiMEs.
- ↑ Mai-Otome manga; Chapter 19, page 11