Japanator: You'll have to excuse me. I heard that you all did a bit of drinking last night. I probably drank too much and I'm still trying to wake up.

Nagai Grape: You too? You drank too much?

Japanator: Yes

Nagai Grape: You are bad! [laughs]

Japanator: Can you tell us how you all came together as a band?

Nagai Grape: [As a band] we were pretty famous in Nagoya. This was before Quminco joined us. One day we were in a recording studio where we met Quminco and we just kind of stole her from her band.

Japanator: Nice! [laughter]

Japanator: Can you tell me what you think of Texas and A-Kon so far? 

Nagai Grape: We are pretty impressed. Japanese otaku are very similar, as they like to copy each other. American otaku are very original, making their own costumes and things like that. Because of everyone's originality, we were pretty amazed. We see that otaku has become a culture in America. 

Japanator: Thank you. You kind of touched on my next question. I was going to ask you how you thougt US cosplayers compared to Japanese ones.

Nagai Grape: I can read your mind?

Japanator: Well good! Okay, what am I going to ask you next? [laughs]

Nagai Grape: You were going to ask me why we are so cool.

Japanator: Yeah, that's right! That is what I was going to ask! [laughter]

Japanator: Congratulations on your North American tour. We hear that you are going to San Antonio next, and then New York. Are you planning on anything after these performances in the future?

Quminco Grape: Before we came, we really wanted to be sure this wasn't a one time thing. Coming here, we're hoping to get another chance to come back to America.

Japanator: Is there anything you're looking forward to doing here in Texas or New York while you're here?

Quminco Grape: Hmm.

Nagai Grape: Yesterday at the autograph session, I got the address of this really cute girl. Maybe going over to her place would be something I'd like to do. [laughs]

Japanator: I like your overall uniform look. You looked great on stage last night. Do you always wear ties? Is there a reason behind them?

Nagai Grape: Sometimes. We like neck ties.

Quminco Grape: Scarfs also. 

Nagai Grape: Because we vary in age and musical influences, we like to kind to bring unity to the band with our costumes. We have this synchronized costume in hopes of bringing the band together. 

Japanator: With different ages and taste, does this play into your unique sound?

Quminco Grape: Because we have varied personalities, I think that we're able to pull each others talents out to the fullest extent and compliment each other. That does help in our music production.

Japanator: Because of this, do you write your songs together?

Nagai Grape: I take most of the writing responsibilities. But I don't do it without the help of everyone else. Sometimes we'll ad lib at the recording studio, and I'll take that home and refine it. Sometimes we work together to create things.

Japanator: Are any of you anime or manga fans?

Matsui Grape: I like it very much. I like Evangelion. I like Gundam.

Quminco Grape: I like the manga One Piece. I also like Nodame Cantibile.

Japanator: Ooh! Me too. [laughs] Anyone else?

Nagai Grape: Ashta no Joe is an old one. It's about boxing. When I was a kid, it was running in a weekly magazine. I got into it from there.

Japanator: I have to ask this: do you all like grapes?

Quminco Grape: I love them.

Matsui Grape: I do not like them. [laughter]

Japanator: Really?

Matsui Grape: I don't like peeling grapes. 

Quminco Grape: Do Americans just eat the grapes without peeling them?

Japanator: Yep! We just wash and eat. 

Quminco Grape: Japanese will peel them, so our mouths and hands will get all sticky.

Nagai Grape: Why do Americans use the phrase "sour grapes" for disappointment?

Japanator: I think it's because people make a sour face when they eat them. I'm guessing! I don't know!

Budo Grape: Ah! 

Nagai Grape: We all are sour grapes. [laughs]

Japanator: Not last night, though. The concert was a lot of fun. It was so high energy and really great! The crowd was really into it.

Quminco Grape: Thank you.

Nagai Grape: I was worried about my MCing and if my English was getting through to the audience.

Japanator: It definitely was. And on that topic, I think your "Crap, Piss, Spit" song got through to them too. After the concert I heard plenty of audience members singing along as we left the concert area.

Quminco Grape: I think that if the Japanese fans saw that concert, they would be pretty impressed.

Japanator: What was the reason for making that song?

Nagai Grape: We made it so that we could spread the phrase "Crap, Piss, Spit" to the Americans. [laughter]

Japanator: That's a great reason! What's coming up next for Budo Grape?

Nagai Grape: We have four albums that we've already released, with one of them being Juice, which we are releasing in the States. We are working on a fifth CD, and we are in the process of making the music for that CD.

Japanator: As drinkers, what is everyone favorite beverage of choice?

Matsui Grape: Beer.

Japanator: Any particular beer?

Matsui Grape: Japanese beer. Asahi. 

Midori Grape: I like milky drinks.

Quimico Grape: I like fresh juice.

Nagai Grape: [in English] Beer. I recommend Japanese brand Suntory beer. Malt.

Tachi Grape: Tea. Japanese tea. Green Tea.

Japanator: Midori, last night on stage, you said you were a space alien. Can you tell us more about that?

Midori Grape: Okay. I came from Mushroom Planet. It was really far from here and hard to explain. [band is snickering] If you make your soul tranquil and look up with a pure soul, you will be able to see it up there. [Midori looks up]

Matsui Grape: [in English] You're bad, so you can't see. [laughs]

Midori Grape: When I was a baby, my mother was holding me and I fell to Earth accidentally. And just perfectly, my mother and father, who wanted a baby, kind of caught me. [laughter]

Japanator: Do all aliens play keyboard?

Midori Grape: I learned the keyboard because I grew up in Japan. In mushroom planet, everyone only eats mushrooms, so we don't play keyboard. [laughing]

Quminco Grape: Wait, how do you know so much about [Mushroom Planet] since you were only a baby when you were there?

Midori Grape: Because I always look up at my planet. [Midori stretches her hands to the ceiling]

Japanator: Were you looking last night as you were performing? [band and management laugh]

Midori Grape: Yes. I sang with the feeling of "mom, dad, from the Mushroom Planet, please cheer me on and look over me."

Japanator: What was up the combat scene between Midori Grape and Quminco Grape on stage last night? You seeemed to be sparring from a distance. What was that?

Quminco Grape: The music just kind of strums our battlistic urges.

Nagai Grape: I meant to ask that as well. Thank you.

Midori Grape: We didn't know what happened. It just took over us. 

Quminco Grape: We were thinking of attacking the audience from stage, but thought that it maybe wasn't the best idea.

Japanator: They would have liked that!

Quminco Grape: Next time we'll bring shuriken and throw them out into the audience. [Quminco does throwing motions]

Japanator: If you don't kill them, they'll like that! 

[Thanks so much to Dave, JapanFiles, and Budo Grape for the interview.]