Usami Ichika

Usami Ichika (宇佐美いちか) is one of the six main characters of KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode who is a second-year middle school student who loves sweets. When she gets excited, she jumps around like a "rabbit". Ichika's alter ego is Cure Whip (キュアホイップ) and she is based off shortcakes and rabbits.

Her catchphrases are "Whip・Step・Juump!" (「ホイップ・ステップ・ジャーンプ！」) and "I just had a bright idea!" (「キラっとひらめいた！」).

Appearance
Ichika has magenta colored eyes and long, wavy orange hair worn in twin-tails held by two strawberries. Her short bangs have a single loose strand. She wears a pink dress with two magenta buttons over a pale pink and dream colored long sleeved shirt with a ruffled cuff. Her white sneakers have a magenta bottom and pale pink strings, worn with hot pink ankle socks styled like strawberries. In the summer, she wears a short-sleeved pink top with puffy sleeves and two magenta buttons and a short light pink two-layered skirt along with white shoes with strawberries on them.

Cure Whip's eyes remain magenta while her thickened hair turns bright pink and reaches her thigh with puffy, curling ends to match her forelocks. She gains large white rabbit ears and a headband with a shortcake on the left of her head. Her white puffy dress is accented by a dark pink bow adorned with a strawberry, while her sleeves are puffy with a frill trim. The skirt is in three layers, attached to a pink bodice with four white buttons. The top skirt is white and puffy, a pale cream layer with dark pink diamond patterns is the second, and a trim of ruffles with a frilly petticoat. On the left hip rests a hot pink ruffled bow with the Sweets Pact. She has loose white gloves with a fluffy white pom-pom and a paw design to match her short pink boots with a white paw toe and a pom-pom sewn to the side of the ankle. She gains fluffy white earrings and a magenta choker.

Her Patisserie outfit includes pink boots with mint ribbons, a pink ribbon on her hat to match the stripes of her sleeve cuff, and a pink knot bow on the chest. While working her pigtails appear lower.

Personality
Ichika is a cheerful young girl who loves sweets. However, she isn't the best at cooking. She does have a lot of confidence when it comes to decorating sweets and making animal sweets though. When she is full of happiness or really excited, she hops around like a "rabbit".

Relationships

 * Usami Satomi: Satomi liked to bake strawberry shortcakes for Ichika when she was younger. When Ichika wondered why her cakes are so delicious, Satomi stated that she puts all her love for Ichika into it. Currently, Satomi is working away from home as a doctor.

Etymology
Usami (宇佐美): U (宇) means 'eaves', Sa (佐) means 'to help', and Mi (美) means 'beautiful'.

It could also be considered that Usami is meant to sound similar to Usagi (うさぎ), which means 'rabbit' or 'bunny'.

Ichika (いちか) has many different meanings however with this kanji '苺花', Ichika means 'strawberry flower', which probably has to do with her strawberry motif.

Cure Whip is short for whipped cream which goes on desserts like strawberry shortcake.

Preseason
When the Mahou Tsukai girls arrive at KIRAKIRA Patisserie, Ichika greets them and serves them with some delicious Mofurun cake. Later on, she appears as Cure Whip as the three Cures battle the Dokurokushe monster. After the battle, Ichika runs off.

Her first transformation into Cure Whip
Learning that her mother was coming home soon, Ichika decides to make her a strawberry shortcake as a present. She attempts to make it several times, but it could never rise properly. While she is working, a hungry Pekorin crashes into her face through the open window. The fairy eats up and enjoys the failed cakes, and as Ichika makes another one for her mother, Pekorin notices the Kirakiraru sparkling from it. Ichika then finishes baking the new shortcake and it successfully rises, but the celebration is short-lived after she learns that her mother would not be able to come home that day, which drains her of her motivation to complete the cake. As she laments, Gummy, who sensed the Kirakiraru coming home her house, arrives and steals it from the remaining shortcakes, turning them black and powering him up. Ichika and Pekorin then give chase, with the unfinished cake in tow. Pekorin strives to protect the cake Ichika put her feelings into, which in turn gives the girl confidence to finish it. Just then, they are surrounded by a bright light as she decorates the cake with a rabbit's face on it. Just then, the cake turns into an Animal Sweet and a Sweets Pact. With those, Ichika transforms into Cure Whip for the first time. After getting adjusted to her newfound powers, Whip uses her attack to turn Gummy back into his smaller form and to return the Kirakiraru to the blackened sweets.

Obtaining Candy Rod and defeating the fused Thieves
In episode 11 she, along with other Cures receives Candy Rod weapon, after combining the Kirakiraru from people. Together, the Cures perform Three・2・Wonderful A La Mode! attack and purify the fused Kirakiraru Thieves monster.

Falling into despair
During episode 17 Rio says some nasty stuff to her, which results in her falling into despair, thus giving Rio opportunity to collect her Kirakiraru. When other Cures arrive, Rio finally reveals himself as Giulio and transforms his rod into a dark Candy Rod replica. He mimics Cures' attacks and gains the upper hand. Ichika, who manages to break free from despair confronts Giulio and together with other Cures hit him with Three・2・Wonderful A La Mode! attack. With Giulio's mask and his rod now broken, Ichika(as Cure Whip) gives him a hand and tells him to come with her, but Giulio refuses, saying you can't get your feelings through with sweets and leaves.

Purifying Giulio
In episode 22 it is revealed that Giulio is Kirarin's brother, a fairy named Pikario and the Cures try to get him to remember, but to no avail. Powered up Giulio manages to overpower the Cures, until Cure Whip, with the help of legendary pattisiere gets through to him and he changes back to Pikario.

Return of her mother
In episode 31 Ichika's mother returns and Ichika is more than happy to see her again. However, her mother receives a phone call and she needs to return to her workplace the next day. Ichika, feeling sad from hearing this starts to cry, but her mother comforts her. The next day while escorting her mother to the airport with father Grave attacks, leaving Ichika no choice but to go and fight him. After Grave leaves, Ichika(as Cure Whip) watches a plane with her mother leaving.

Cure Whip


"With an energetic smile! Let's・La・Mix It All Up! Cure Whip! Is Ready To Serve!" 元気と笑顔を！レッツ・ラ・まぜまぜ！キュアホイップ！できあがり！ ''Genki to egao wo! Rettsu・Ra・Mazemaze! Kyua Hoippu! Dekiagari!''

Cure Whip (キュアホイップ) is the Pretty Cure alter ego of Ichika. She transforms using the phrase "Cure La Mode・Decoration!". In this form, she can jump really high and possesses a stronger sense of hearing like a rabbit.

Attacks

 * KiraKira♪Kirarun: The main method of attack used by the Cures, which manifests in the form of magical batter within the Sweets Pact. As Cure Whip, Ichika has shown she has the ability to:
 * Envelop her enemies with whip-like lashes of batter.
 * Launch large pink energy blasts from her wand.
 * Wrap her enemies in a colossal encasing of frosting, creating an implosion which depletes them of their power.
 * Use the batter to manifest large sticky rope-like structures that keep the foe in place.
 * Kirakirakirarun♪Kirakiraru♪: A more powerful version of the original incantation, giving Whip the ability to summon a large snake-like structure of batter that coils around before launching itself at the foe. The impact from the tip sending them flying.
 * Three・2・Wonderful A La Mode! (スイー・２・ワンダフルアラモード！) is the group attack Cure Whip performs with the other four Cures. To perform it, she must use the Candy Rod.
 * Whip Decoration (ホイップデコレーション) is the first solo sub attack that Cure Whip uses. She first performs it in episode 12. To use it, she must use the Candy Rod.
 * Animal Go Round! (アニマルゴーランド！) is the group attack Cure Whip performs with the other five Cures. To perform it, she must use the Kirakiraru Creamer and her Crystal Animal.
 * Fantastic Animalé (ファンタスティックアニマーレ！) is the group attack Cure Whip performs with the other five Cures. To perform it, she must she must use the Kirakiraru Creamer and her Crystal Animal and be in her A La Mode Style.

Songs
Ichika's voice actress, Miyama Karen, has participated in several image songs for the character she voices. Many of them include duets with Fukuhara Haruka, who voices Arisugawa Himari, Muranaka Tomo, who voices Tategami Aoi, Fujita Saki, who voices Kotozume Yukari, Mori Nanako, who voices Kenjou Akira, Minase Inori, who voices Kirahoshi Ciel, and Kanai Mika, who voices Pekorin.
 * Add The Berry To My Big Love
 * Let's・La・Cookin'☆Showtime
 * Bunny Gift

Duets

 * Shine☆Avec☆Moi☆ (Along with Minase Inori)
 * Very Hungry☆Happy Decor♡Donuts (Along with Kanai Mika)
 * Let's・La・Cookin'☆Showtime ~KIRAKIRA☆Patisserie・Version~ (Along with Fukuhara Haruka, Muranaka Tomo, Fujita Saki, Mori Nanako and Minase Inori)
 * Mémoire・Mille-feuille (Along with Fukuhara Haruka, Muranaka Tomo, Fujita Saki, Mori Nanako and Minase Inori)

Trivia

 * Ichika's birthday is on January 7th, making her Zodiac sign Capricorn.
 * Ichika is the first Cure to make a cameo appearance in a different Pretty Cure series, not counting the All Stars or Dream Stars continuities, as she appeared in the last episode of Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure!.

Gallery

 * Main Page: Usami Ichika/Image Gallery