Kuma

Kuma Kuma (クマ), legal name Meryl Armstrong メエル アアムスツロング (Meeru Aamusuturongu), is a supporting character in Diverse Connections Pretty Cure.

Appearance
Kuma is a bit short for her age, being about 152 centimeters tall. She wears her somewhat long blonde hair in a ponytail and keeps with the school dress code, wearing nothing that would get her yelled at. As a caucasian Kuma has paler skin than those around her.

Personality
Kuma sees her personality traits as the traits of two identities: Meryl's choice to smile, optimism and carefree attitude as compared to Kuma's confidence, fiery attitude and respectfulness. Deciding to fuse those traits under "Kuma", the result, in Kuma's words, was "a girl who stands free of the past and blazes into the future". However, that mixture has resulted in impulsiveness and somewhat of a lack to listen to criticism, due to the line between critique and teasing being blurred in the past.

Pre-series
Before taking an identity as Kuma and instead being Meryl, Kuma was somewhat of a klutz who would often trip and fall into things. This earned her many derogatory nicknames like "Barrel Meryl" and teasing from the morning bell to the bus ride home. Despite all that, Kuma paid no attention to the constant name-calling and chose to stand up for herself - her clumsy, carefree self.

But once Kuma stepped off school grounds and into a gymnasium or onto a field, there was no klutz. There was only a passionate athlete who played her best and had the respect of her teammates. In the game, peers were not bullies. They were friends or at least acquaintances that shared respect. Kuma loved the person she became on the field/court. From lacrosse to tennis, Meryl loved being "Kuma", the nickname her closest teammate-friends gave her for her passionate strength and demeanor resembling the fictional character whose name began with 'Kuma'.

Meryl loved being Kuma more and more. In fact, aspects of "Kuma" began surfacing in the world where Meryl lived too. People noticed that Meryl had vanished in all but name and clumsiness, even going on to be a masterful painter - someone Meryl would have been too distracted by teasing to be. And then Meryl's presence itself vanished too, when Kuma was invited to study at Hamaki--Rosa as an artist and an athlete. That meant leaving "Kuma'"s birthplace behind, and even some of those who helped made the name possible. Kuma could only have some contacts, but she was very willing to accept that.

Those contacts were all of her old life she would take with her. A new home, a new identity and a new opportunity to learn - that was what Hamaki--Rosa held. Even rising from an average student to a star among campfires was new, but there was another star to shine with her. So began a new dawn and a new day, in which confidence and circumstance could finally sever what ties Kuma had with the wounds Meryl carried.

Diverse Connections Pretty Cure
Kuma quickly became a target for Ena as someone to bind due to her decision to adopt a new identity. Having been bound for longer than any previous targets, the effects were more than just a few night terrors.

It was traumatic.

Was it right to be Kuma? Was it wrong to leave Meryl behind? What's right? What's wrong?

Abilities
As an athlete, Kuma has good physicality all around. Her arm strength and running speed are the most developed out of all her physical traits.

Kuma is also a skilled painter, favouring watercolours over other paints and garnering a good amount of praise at school art fairs.

Etymology
Kuma - Japanese, meaning 'Bear'

Meryl - Latin, meaning 'Blackbird'

Armstrong - Scottish surname, meaning 'One with strong arms'

Trivia

 * Kuma's namesake is, in fact Kumatora from cult classic JRPG EarthBound's sequel, MOTHER 3.