Fumikane Shimada

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

Biography
Fumikane is well known for sparking the mecha shoujo boom of the 2000s with his line of mecha musume illustrations. During this time Fumikane 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 he has worked as a character and mechanical designer for various military-themed anime television series and video games.

In July 2013, Fumikane was responsible for designing military recruitment posters and other promotional material for the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Art style
Fumikane'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.

Anime

 * Sky Girls (2006-2007): Conceptual mechanical design, Original character design
 * Strike Witches (2007-present): Original character design
 * Busou Shinki (2011-2012)
 * Girls und Panzer (2012-present): character design
 * Kantai Collection (2015)
 * Frame Arms Girl (2017-2019)
 * Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise (2019): Mobile Doll May design
 * Midnight Fun Nora Version (2021)
 * Alice Gear Aegis: Expansion (2023)

Videogames

 * Hayate the Combat Butler: Nightmare Paradise: mechanical design
 * Busou Shinki video games (2006-present)
 * Dariusburst (2009): character design
 * Kantai Collection (2013-present): character design and in-game sprite illustrations
 * Alice Gear Aegis (2018-present)
 * Sakura Wars (2019): guest character design for the Berlin Combat Revue (Elise and Margarethe)
 * Strike Witches (2020-present): character design
 * Fate/Grand Order (2021): Galatea Design

Commercial magazines

 * MC Akushizu
 * Spiegel Series

Figures and Model Kits

 * Mecha musume: character design
 * Busou Shinki: character design
 * Frame Arms Girl: character design
 * Megami Device: character design
 * 30 Minutes Sisters: character designer

Dōjinshi

 * (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

Artbooks

 * 『島田フミカネ ART WORKS』, published by Kadokawa Group Publishing. ISBN 9784048542210.

Other

 * 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)
 * MCTCG Fairy Lore (MCTCG妖精伝承)
 * Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase
 * Bio-station Mars (火星生物局) (original narrative/illustration work)