Aika Nakamura
Aika Nakamura is a character in the Persona series. Initially, Aika was an anime original character in Persona 4 The Animation. There are references made to her in Persona 4 Golden and Persona 4 Arena, both of which came out after Animation aired. She returns in Persona 4 The Golden Animation.
Profile
Aika is a student at Yasogami High School. Her parents run Chinese Diner Aiya, which is located in Inaba's Central Shopping District, and she works there delivering food. As part of a running joke in the anime, Aika demonstrates the inexplicable ability to deliver orders to people no matter where they are.
Anime Appearances
Persona 4 The Animation
Aika can be seen in the background during Yasogami High School scenes, but her first speaking role is during the end of episode 5 when Yu Narukami and his friends from the sports clubs go get meat bowls at Aiya after the basketball game. Yosuke Hanamura recognizes her from school but had no idea her family owned Aiya. From then on, Aika begins appearing to deliver food in strange situations and while working at the diner. She can frequently be heard saying, "Thanks for your order" and "Leave the empty bowls there".
In episode 6, she appears on her scooter and delivers Chie Satonaka's food while the group is running away from Kanji Tatsumi. Then in episode 8, after the Mystery Food X incident, Aika delivers Aiya to the camp grounds. When tailing Rise Kujikawa in episode 9, the Investigation Team and Tohru Adachi put in Aiya orders which Aika delivers. After Kinshiro Morooka's death in episode 11, the Investigation Team gathers at Aiya and Aika is present while Yu tries to finish the rainy day special.
During the summer festival depicted in episodes 13 and 14, a blonde boy eats all of the shaved ice at Shiroku's festival stall, and Nanako Dojima suggests Daisuke Nagase order more ice via Aika. In episode 14, it shows that Aika showed up with the ice after Eri Minami was hit, and Sayoko Uehara puts it on Eri's bruise. During the school trip to Tatsumi Port Island in episode 14, Aika appears working at Hagakure Ramen. When Naoto Shirogane goes missing in episode 16, Kanji and Yu stop to eat at Aiya, and Kanji asks Aika if she has heard anything about Naoto while she was delivering food. Aika knows that Naoto got into a fight with someone, and this leads the team to locating Naoto in the TV World. After Naoto has been rescued in episode 17, Yu takes Naoto to Aiya to try conquering the rainy day special. Aika waits on Dojima and Yu when they visit Aiya in episode 18.
When class 2-2 has the group date cafe in episode 19, Chie orders everyone food from Aiya. And when the Investigation Team stay at the Amagi Inn after the culture festival in episode 20, Yu spots Aika working there as a part-timer. Aika appears briefly in episode 22 when the group eats at Aiya after the fog gets thick. Finally, in episode 23, the Investigation Team goes to Aiya again similar to December 5th in the game. Aika has heard about Nanako's recovery. To celebrate, she gives Yu a rainy day special bowl even though it isn't raining. For the first time, Yu is able to finish the rainy day special and Aika gives him a sign of approval.
Persona 4 The Golden Animation
In the beginning of episode 1, the Dojimas drive through the Central Shopping District and pass by Aika feeding the Fox a fried tofu pouch, a food said to be loved by foxes.
When the group goes to Junes in episode 4, Chie complains about wanting to eat meat, and Aika shows up on the rooftop food court riding her delivery scooter with Chie's order. Rise and Yukiko look at Marie's comb and think it resembles some sort of artwork. Hearing them call it "art", Aika recommends they ask Daidara about it.
Game Appearances
Aika does not appear in the games but does get mentioned in the games that came out after Persona 4 The Animation.
Persona 4 Golden
In Golden, the owner of Aiya will mention that he has a daughter who is out doing deliveries and that business is booming thanks to her.
Persona 4 Arena
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Audio Drama Appearances
A Day of the May Fool
Aika appears briefly on track 3 when Yu, Kou, and Daisuke eat at Aiya. She serves them a pork and cabbage set meal, pork rice bowl, and ramen.
Perfect Delivery
On track 3, the Investigation Team and Nanako have a picnic at the Samegawa. Only Yu and Nanako bring homemade croquettes while the rest order takeout from Aiya, which Aika delivers. When she arrives, she notices Yu's croquettes and later leaves him a letter asking him to stop by Aiya with some free meat bowl tickets included. On track 4, Yu shows up at Aiya as requested and learns that Aika unknowingly signed up Yu to help out at Aiya after Aika's mother hurt her back. Yu tries to explain that there has been a misunderstanding, but gives up after her father starts going on about how Aika is not good at talking to people and thought she might get bullied in school, so he was thrilled to hear that Yu was her friend. He hopes that Yu and Aika continue to be good friends. While Yu helps Aika in the kitchen, she explains that despite how her dad speaks, her family is not actually Chinese. Aika asks Yu about why he decided to help, and is surprised when he just replies that he is helping because they needed help. She thinks he is weird for this.
On track 5, Aika makes deliveries to Tohru Adachi, Kou Ichijo, and Daisuke Nagase. When she goes to make another delivery, her father thinks it is too much for her to carry by herself, and asks Yu to do it for her. Aika gets possessive of her job as the delivery person and resists Yu's help. Eventually, Yu suggests they do it together since he does not know the streets. On their way back from making the delivery, Yu asks Aika if she likes making deliveries. She has no idea if she does or not, but ever since Aiya started offering delivery in spring, people have begun calling her "the girl from Aiya" and "delivery girl" and "'thanks for your patronage' girl", and this makes her feel quite happy as she otherwise has nothing else. On track 6, Yu hears that Aika injured her leg in PE. She stubbornly insists on still doing deliveries against her father's wishes. Yu helps her by offering to give her a piggyback ride so she can still technically deliver. Aika asks why he is doing this, and Yu has no idea, but he just knows that this is important to her.
On track 8, Yu and Aika are washing dishes in Aiya when Yu asks Aika about running in the shopping district versus Junes relay race. Before she can reply, her father comes home and announces the store is being relocated to a larger city where they will be centrally located and no longer need to do deliveries to get customers. He tells Aika that she can stop making deliveries as he will start training her in the kitchen so she can learn to cook meals as fast as him. Aika feels sick and goes to rest after hearing this. Yu asks her against about the relay race, but she refuses saying there is no point.
On the day of the race, Daidara can't participate anymore after spending the day before making too much art on the day before, and the shopping district team suddenly needs a 5th member. On track 10, Yu calls Aika and tries to recruit her, telling her that they really need her, but their conversation ends shortly after without a reply from Aika due to the race starting. Yu is the 4th runner for the shopping district team, and when he approaches the hand-off for the 5th leg, Aika appears and takes over as the anchor leg runner. Thanks to some outside interference in the form of rolling cabbages, Aika beats Yosuke in the anchor leg, allowing the shopping district team to win the race. People clap and cheer for Aika at the finish line.
On track 11, in the aftermath, Yu hears that Aika's father might have been scammed and the diner will no longer be relocating. Since they will probably not be able to get the money back, Aika will need to work hard on her deliveries. Right on cue, Aika shows up with Chie's order and thanks the group for their continued patronage.
Trivia
- While Aika as a character is original to Persona 4 The Animation, the owners of Chinese Diner Aiya being named Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura was first introduced in Persona Club P4.[1]
Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese
|
中村 あいか Nakamura Aika | Aika Nakamura |
Gallery
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Concept artwork by Shigenori Soejima
References
- ↑ "上海帰りの本場の味をうたった中華料理店。だが経営しているのは、チャキチャキの稲羽っ子である中村さん夫妻で、そもそも愛家はここで何代も続いた油屋だったらしい。" Translation: "This Chinese restaurant boasts authentic Chinese cuisine from Shanghai. It is run by the Nakamura couple, true Inaba natives whose family originally ran an oil shop here for generations." "Chapter 5: Setting", Persona Club P4, Atlus, Famitsu Editorial Staff. Published by Famitsu (2009). Japanese. p. 183. ISBN-13: 475774630X.