October 5, 2008 02:34 PM | by 
The world of Asian Media is small and you can find fans everywhere, even where you least expect it. 4 months ago I would have never thought that I would be dancing along side Ichigo Pantsu, a group of girls ready to boogy to just about anything. Lara and I had met this group at AnimeNext this year, competing against them in the masqurade. Both our routines involved dancing but, in the end IchiP! kinda kicked our butts with neater costumes and sharper moves. However this time around at NY Anime Festival, we met again as better friends with a common interest in dance. On the last day of the con, IchiP! had a dance workshop where they taught a very popular para para called “Night of Fire” by Hinoi Team. It was so much fun to learn from these energetic teachers. We later had an interview with the three girls Erica (IchiRi), Michele (IchiRu), and Venus (IchiRe). Unfortunately, the 4th member Laura (IchiRa) couldn’t attened because we all know she’s having the greatest time ever studying abroad in Japan. The girls were extremely nice and were willing to dance with us in the end!
Q. Would you like to introduce yourselves?
Erica: I’m Erica also known as IchiRi!
Venus: I’m Venus also known as IchiRe!
Michele: And I’m Michele also known as IchiRu!
Q. Who came up with the name Ichigo Pantsu?
Erica: We were trying to think of a name for our group after we formed it but we didn’t know what to pick but we wanted something really cute ending with “Pi” or “ee!” So, at the time I was watching Ichigo 100%, and I was like “Oh man, stawberry panties, that’s so cute” and Chobits and the “pantsu! pantsu!” thing was adorable so it’s like “How about Ichigo Pantsu?” and everyone was like, “No! It’s kinda obscene!” but everyone got used to it so they’re like “Hey! We like it! That’s our name!” and we shortened it to IchiP!
Q. How did you all start the group?
Michele: We all kind of met through a love of nerdy any stuff, especially anime dansu. One of our members who isn’t here today who is in Japan for the semester, she was working with Erica on “Hare Hare Yukai” and they met Venus at a convention who also knew the dance and they needed a Yuki. In the mean time, there was a dance I was learning at the time with Laura and Erica so the four of us just came together and became IchiP and we officially decided it would be the four of us and that would be the group when we started our YouTube page.
Q. How do you guys choose or pick the themes for your cosplay?
Venus: We designed our own outfits actually so they’re all original.
Michele: We do go around and cosplay at different shows though. One time we did Kamikaze Girls from the live action movie and three of us dressed up as yankees while Venus dressed up as a school girl which we terrorized. Um, I’m also working on a Momoko costume which is the lolita in the movie. For me really, it’s just as much purple as I can find, I want to cosplay.
Q. I saw you guys cosplay earlier this year as characters from Avatar. How long does it usually take to complete a whole set of costumes?
All: (Laugh)
Venus: Oh, um, it depends. I completed my Avatar cosplay in a week but that was really rushing it. It usually takes months since for me, I usually hand sew since I don’t have a sewing machine.
Q. Besides para para, what other genres do you dance to?
Michele: We do take suggestions. We recently did the Korean song “Tell me” which isn’t exactly para para. A lot of the Hinoi Team we do isn’t exactly para para either but it’s kinda influenced by it. The other day we did a mean “Cotton Eyed Joe.” (Laugh)
Q. Who are some of your favorite J-Pop artists?
Venus: I have no idea!
Michele: The Pillows for me.
Venus: Okay! Then them! (Laugh)
Erica: I can’t think of any!
Michele: Then go with the rest of us!
Erica: Okay then, the Pillows! (Laugh)
Michele: I also listen to Miyavi.
Q. What’s your favorite anime?
Venus: Trigun.
Erica: Sailor Moon and Samurai Champloo.
Michele: Quite possibly… My-Otome and Cowboy Bebop.
Q. When did you guys first get into anime?
Venus: This is embarassing! Well, a lot of people started on Inuyasha and my friend introduced me to Inuyasha but this is when I was in college a bunch of years ago, I’m old! But then I found better things like Trigun and it went on from there.
Erica: Hm… When I was fifteen I guess. I started with Inuyasha! (Laugh)
Michele: Well, I started with Dragon Ball Z so I don’t know about you guys.
Venus: Well, if you want to go old school, I was watching Voltron way before you were born, honey.
All: (Laugh)
Michele: It’s over 9000!
Q. Do you all listen to other Asian artists?
Erica: Of course! Half of my iPod, no, three quarters of my iPod is all Asian music! I listen to Utada Hikaru, Epik High…
Venus: Well, if video game music counts, then Uematsu and Koji Kondo.
Michele: Koji Kondo for me too. We’re big on Zelda.