Erika Karisawa

Erika Karisawa (狩沢 絵理華, Karisawa Erika) is a manga reader and "fujoshi". She has brown eyes and brown hair that is pulled back into a braid at the back of her head, with two pieces of her hair hanging freely infront of her ears. Erika is in the Dollars Gang, and can usually be found driving around the city with her friends Walker, Saburo and Kadota. She and Walker are both otakus (people obsessed with anime and manga.)

Appearance
She normally wears a black hat and a matching dress with a long skirt, with dark brown eyes and hair with two bangs on either side of her head, reaching to her chin. However, when her hat is off, it is shown that her hair is much longer, being in a braid and tied to the back of her head. It is also shown that she often carries a book bag slung over her shoulder, possibly filled with manga novels of many kinds.

Past
It is implied that she possesses a dark past like Walker. Kyohei is presumed to have rescued her, explaining why she remains so loyal to him.

Hobbies
She and Walker are usually seen together. She is equally enthusiastic about manga or novel inspired torture as he. Her personality can come off as hyperactive and strange, but she proves in Episode 20 that she is calm and can reason with people, although she goes right back to being her normal otaku self immediately after talking. In the later episodes, she and Walker were asked to remain in the van during the invasion of the Yellow Scarves, the reason being that they "stand out too much". She can be seen with Walker in the hospital beside Masaomi, with her head resting on his shoulder. In the manga, Kida explains to Mikado that she and Walker are a bit peculiar, but good people. Like Izaya, she calls Kadota "Dotachin". She is a member of the anonymous online gang Dollars and is also a member of Kadota's gang. In some episodes it is shown that she is a big Yaoi fan whenever she sees Izaya and Shizuo fighting. Erika is convinced that Shizuo and Izaya are lovers, despite (or because of) their constant fighting. Erika is also shown to support Kadota and Chikage together as of Volume 6 of the Light Novels.

Erika and Walker have been seen to be skilled in both mental and physical torture, displayed whenever the two need to extract information from someone. During interrogation, the torture they conduct is usually based on themes from a manga or anime series of the victim's choosing, and is usually very violent as evidenced by Saburo telling them not to use gasoline in the car in episode 06. In the light novels, one person chose the series Kuroshitsujias the theme, and the two of them tried to tattoo an upside down pentagram into the man's eye that is similar to the ones found on both of the maincharacters.

Dollars and Mika Harima Arc
At first she meets Mikado and tells him that she and Walker bought 40 books for themselfs and other reasons. A couple days later she and Walker are walking down a flack of stairs talking about manga/ anime. Then they walk in a room where Kyohei was putting titles on a bathroom wall. Erika suggests to go ahead and eat at Russia Sushi. Before they left Kyohei gets a text from Kazutano that which everyone ingores.

After eating at the Russia Sushi place she goes to Kazutano's apartment with the others to find Kazutano's place as an wreak. Erika then helped out trying to find him. When Kyohei was talking about how Saburo met Kazutano when Erika asked what he was talking about,and then she suggests to call Kazutano. Kyohei des what shge said then they heard Izaya on the other end informing where one of the kidnappers were.

They go to the place to find the kidnapper sleeping. Erika and Walker suggest using manga torture to wake him up. Kyohei denies,and calls the other kidnappers on the sleeping one's cellphone. They partied when they heard. Later she is in Saburo's car when they got to the kidnappers. When the kidnappers ran off without Kazutano because of the Black Rider Erika jumps back in the car and they chase them down. In the mouring since the kidnapper didn't talk to Saburo Walker,and Erika told Saburo that they can take care of what he is doing.

Saburo gets out telling them not to use gasoline again. Then Erika and Walker pull out manga (Manga: Darker than black; A certain magical index; Oreimo: My little sister can't be this cute; Shikabane; Doubt; Astro fighter sunred; Shana; Iscariot; Accel World; Black Butler; Blugeoning angel dokuro chan). The kidnapper is diecideing then she suggests Darker Than Black. When the guy finally picka a book (Black Butler) Erika holds him down so Walker can use the soldering gun on the guys eye. But Kyohei stops them.

Then it is revealed that they are the Dollars. The next day she is looking around town to find Walker's phone. She asks Simon but he said he haven't seen him. Shiri walks up telling her to sign her book that is labeled Missing stuff. Later she finds it and dances with Walker.

A day later she is with Saburo, Kyohei,and Walker when a guy throws a pepple at Saburo's car. Saburo drives at full speed at the guy. Saburo did almost ran over a girl,but he dosen't. That night she gets a text for the the Dollars meeting. Later on Walker,and her think all of what happend was an dream.

Saika Arc
Erika and the others were driving around town at night. Erika is teasing Walker about the book he was reading. Kyohei askes them why was Walker yelling at the book. Erika said that Walker wrote it and self published his own book and got angry about the contents. Kyohei then informs them that they are looking for the slasher,and Erika said she wants to hate the slasher but she hid the emmotion.

Later Saburo runs over one of the slashers. Erika with the others get out of the car to see it. The slasher got back up and slashed at them going after Anri. Suddenly Shizuo and Celty comes in and takes care of the slasher,and Shizuo left saying he's going to Izaya's house to kill him. When Shizuo leaves Erika says that Shizuo likes Izaya,and more of her Yaoi fantaces. Everyone denies all she said.

The next day they released that slasher since the guy said he dosen't remember anything. Later that day Erika laughs at Saburo recaction to his new car door.

Yellow Turban Arc
A year earlier when  Erika is with Kyohei's crew and they ditch the Blue Sqaures by saving Saki. Further into that year she is with Kyohei when he told Masaomi to stop running from Saki. In the present she is at the Russia Sushi eating. Masaomi walks up and tells them that he needs to talk to them in one of the privite rooms.

Masaomi akss them about what should he do,and Erika says a bunch of fantasy. Thrn she gets scared when Dennis throws a knife in the room telling them that there talk is scareing the custormers.

The next day they trie to help Anri but she was being saved by other people. The next night Erika,and Walker are left out in the war between the Dollars and Yellow Scarves since they'll stand out too much.

Hollywood Arc
Mikado and Anri turn to Erika and Walker for help in regards to giving someone a tour of ikebukuro since neither of them are very good at showing people around. Erika and Walker try to give them some good tops and even make a list of some of the more interesting (to them) sites around the city but decide that it would be simpler to just come with them. After singing some Karaoke, the four of them part. The next day, Erika, Walker and Kyohei save Mairu and Kururi from some Toromaru members and call in Saburo to pick them up.

Eventually, they start getting chased by Toromaru and the six of them eventually pick up Mikado, Anri, and Aoba as well. After meeting with Celty along the way, Saburo drops Erika and the others off but she and Walker go back to help them deal with Toromaru. They watch as Ruri and Igor beat up the Toromaru members that were chasing them. Afterwards, Erika along with Celty, Emilia, Anri, and Mika assisst in the cooking for the hotpot party at the end. The color illustrations rate the girl's cooking skills with Erika scoring an even 70.

Akane Arc
Erika and the others are hanging out but Kyohei notices Chikage following them. Erika's prescence in the group is the only thing keeping Chikage from acting (due to his "no harming women" policy) and Kyohei tells her and the others to seperate.

Dollars and Blue Sqaures Arc
Near the end of Kyohe's and Chikage's fight, Erika, Walker, Saburo and several other Dollars members show up to give them a helping hand with her and Walker in charge of getting the girls to safety. After Anri and Vorona enter the fray, they witness Anri's prowess with a Katana and immediately think of the Anime "Shakugan no Shana". After the fighting dies down, Erika starts asking Anri about Saika and even begins trying to search Anri's person for where she keeps Saika hidden.

Kyohei manages to pull her off of Anri who decides to go look for Mikado. Later, Erika starts giggling about something and Kyohei asks her why. She states that she senses a strong "comraderie" that has formed between him and Chikage and expresses a new pairing in mind about Kyohei and Chikage getting together (much to everyone's disdain).

Dragon Zombie Arc
While she is hanging out with her cosplay team, Erika sees Anri near a bookstore and calls out to her. Erika introduces Anri to one of her friends named Azusa Tsutsugawa who occasionally hangs out with her and the van crew as well. She mentions how Anri should take up cosplay but Anri is less than enthusiastic.

Katoda's Coma Arc
Erika makes Anri try on different outfits for her cosplay team when she is informed about the attack on Kyohei. She, Anri, Walker, and Saburo arrive at the hospital and find that Kyohei is alive but in critical condition. Walker and Saburo go to investigate who attacked Kyohei while Erika stays behind at the hospital. Anri stays with her and tries to comfort Erika as they wait for Kyohei to recover. Near the end of the Arc, Erika smiles as she swears that she'll kill the person who did this to Kyohei.

Saving Izaya/ Haruna returns Arc
Izaya told Anri what he is going to do to Masaomi and Mikado. Which Erika was pissed because Anri was an wreak when Izaya said that. So then Erika stood up to Izaya telling him that she is Anri's friend and that she will support Anri.

Walker Yumasaki
Main Article: Walker and Erika

Kyohei Kadota
Main Article: Kyohei Kadota 

Erika and Walker have both been with Kyohei and his group for several years and are extremely loyal to him. While in the blue squares, they immediately defected from the gang with Kyohei without question despite the possibility of revenge from other members. When Kyohei was beaten into a coma in Volume 10, she immediately dropped everything to see him in the hospital. During her stay, she swears vengeance while smiling maliciously. In the Durarara!! side stories it is implied that she has feelings for Kyohei but these are never elaborated on or addressed in the main series. He is sometimes annoyed when Erika and Walker get out of hand in their conversations but he still cares about them all the same.

Saburo Togusa
Main Article: Saburo Togusa

Erika has been friends with Saburo and Kyohei for several years and, although he doesn't share their same enthusiasm for anime and manga, he still considers them to be some of his closest friends.

Anri Sonohara
Main Article: Anri Sonohara

After the incident with Toromaru and after witnessing Anri use Saika to fight Vorona, Erika and Walker started asking Anri all kinds of questions about Saika, most of which she wouldn't give a straight answer to. Erika and Anri spent more time together after everything quieted down and became good friends afterwards. Erika tries to get Anri to take up cosplaying and even convinces her to try on a few outfits but has very little success. When she learned that Kadota was attacked she rushed to the hospital with Anri, who stayed with her the whole time. Erika then stood up to defend Anri against Izaya, by saying she was Anri's friend when Izaya mentally broke her with what he intended to do to Masaomi and Mikado.