Fumikane Shimada

Fumikane Shimada (島田 フミカネ, Shimada Fumikane; born January 26, 1974), is an anime and video game illustrator and character designer from Okayama Prefecture.

Fumikane Shimada
Born	(1974-01-26) 26 January 1974 (age 51) Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Known for	Character design, illustration

Biography

Shimada is well known for sparking the mecha shoujo boom of the 2000s with his line of mecha musume illustrations. During this time he provided illustrations for various dōjin and commercial hobbyist magazines some of which were turned into popular figurines and model kits by Toranoana and Konami. Since then, Shimada has worked as a character and mechanical designer for various military-themed anime television series and video games.^[1][2][3][4]

In July 2013, Shimada was responsible for designing military recruitment posters and other promotional material for the Japan Self-Defense Forces.^[5][6][7]

Art style

Shimada's designs commonly combine bishōjo characters, moe elements, and mechanical systems such as military-style weapons, armor, or vehicles. Some of his most iconic character designs in this style come from the Strike Witches franchise. In it young girls with Kemonomimi use machines that attach to their legs to fly and fight aliens with weapons as part of a military force.

Main works

Anime

Year	Title	Role	References
2006-2007	Sky Girls	Conceptual mechanical design Original character design
2007-present	Strike Witches	Original character design
2011-2012	Busou Shinki
2012-present	Girls und Panzer	character design
2015	Kantai Collection
2017-2019	Frame Arms Girl
2019	Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise	Character design (Mobile Doll May)
2021	Midnight Fun Nora Version		[8]
2023	Alice Gear Aegis: Expansion
	Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase

Video games

Year	Title	Role	References
	Hayate the Combat Butler: Nightmare Paradise	Mechanical design
2006-present	Busou Shinki
2009	Dariusburst
2013-present	Kantai Collection	Character design, in-game sprite illustrations
2018-present	Alice Gear Aegis
2019	Sakura Wars	Guest character design for the Berlin Combat Revue (Elise and Margarethe)
2020-present	Strike Witches	Character design
2021	Fate/Grand Order	Character design (Galatea)

Commercial magazines

Year	Title	Role	References
	MC Akushizu	Cover (Vol.1, Vol. 3)
	Spiegel Series	Illustration

Figures and Model Kits

Year	Title	Role	References
	Mecha musume	Character design
	Busou Shinki	Character design
	Frame Arms Girl	Character design
	Megami Device	Character design
	30 Minutes Sisters	Character design

Dōjinshi

Year	Title	Role	References
	(幻の歩兵戦)
	Strike Witches: Witches of Africa (ストライクウィッチーズ アフリカの魔女)	Illustrations

Art books

Year	Title	Role	References
	島田フミカネ ART WORKS』, published by Kadokawa Group Publishing		ISBN 9784048542210

CD

Year	Title	Role	References
	Senpai mo Kōhai mo Osananajimi mo Tsundere de Nemurenai CD (先輩も後輩も幼なじみもツンデレで眠れないCD)

Cards

Year	Title	Role	References
	MCTCG Fairy Lore (MCTCG妖精伝承)

illustration project

Year	Title	Role	References
	Bio-station Mars (火星生物局)	Original narrative/illustration work	[9][10]