Kenichi Ishikura


Kenichi Ishikura is a Japanese director and storyboard artist best known for his works with Shaft and the anime adaptation of Sakura Trick.

Career

Ishikura began his career in the industry in 2000 as a production assistant for Invincible King Tri-Zenon under E&G Films, and made his debut as an episode director with the 18th episode of Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars. For the next several years, he worked mainly as a freelance director. In 2007, Ishikura had his first job with Shaft as an episode director and storyboard artist for Hidamari Sketch. Ishikura was working with a subcontracting studio when they asked him to choose one of their projects to work on. Ishikura chose Hidamari Sketch as he had seen director Akiyuki Shinbo's previous works including Pani Poni Dash!, which was a type of project he was interested in working on. According to him, Ishikura often got in trouble in his previous works for including too many parodies to other works; but for Hidamari Sketch, director Shinbo and the staff gave him the okay to do such. For the next 5 years, Ishikura worked mainly with Shaft, and made his series directorial debut with Natsu no Arashi! Akinai-chū. The following year, he directed the third season to the Hidamari Sketch franchise with Shinbo, but he started to work less with Shaft. Following his mainstay departure from Shaft, Ishikura dirercted Da Capo III at studio Actas, but mainly based himself out of Studio Deen, where he directed both Sakura Trick and a short Ongaku Shōjo film. He stopped series directing for the time and focused mainly on episode directing and storyboarding until 2025 with the release of I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic.

Works

Television

In "Director" column highlights Ishikura's directorial works.
YearTitleDirectorStudioSBEDOther roles and notesRef
2000Invincible King Tri-ZenonTakashi WatanabeE&G FilmsAssistant production manager
2001Shingu: Secret of the Stellar WarsTatsuo SatōMadhouse
2002Cyborg 009: The Cyborg SoldierJun KawagoeJapan Vistec
2002Aquarian Age: Sign for EvolutionYoshimitsu ŌhashiMadhouse
2002Shrine of the Morning MistYuji MoriyamaChaos Project
2003L/R: Licensed by RoyaltyItsuro KawasakiTNK
2003Shadow StarToshiaki IinoPlanet
2003Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi PitchYoshitaka FujimotoActas
SynergySP
2004Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch PureYoshitaka FujimotoActas
SynergySP
2004Tsuki wa Higashi ni Hi wa Nishi niMitsuhiro Tōgō
Shōsei Jinno		Radix
2004To Heart: Remember My MemoriesKeitarō MotonagaOLM, Inc.
AIC ASTA
2005Gun SwordGorō TaniguchiAIC ASTA
2005Petopeto-sanAkira NishimoriXebec M2
2005Paradise KissOsamu KobayashiMadhouse
2006Sugar Sugar RuneMatsushita YukihiroPierrot
2006Amaenaide yo!! Katsu!!Keitarō MotonagaStudio Deen
2006Tactical RoarYoshitaka FujimotoActas
2006Love Get Chu: Miracle Seiyū HakushoMitsuhiro TōgōRadix
2006Yume TsukaiKazuo YamazakiMadhouseAssistant director
2006Night Head GenesisYoshio TakeuchiActas
Bee Media
2006Tokimeki Memorial Only LoveNobuhiro TakemotoAIC ASTA
2007Hidamari SketchAkiyuki Shinbo
Ryouki Kamitsubo 		Shaft
2007Kaze no StigmaJunichi SakataGonzo
2007Nagasarete AirantōHideki Okamotofeel.
2007Ef: A Tale of MemoriesShin OonumaShaft
2008Hidamari Sketch x 365Akiyuki ShinboShaft
2008Ef: A Tale of MelodiesShin OonumaShaft
2009Hidamari Sketch x 365 SpecialsAkiyuki ShinboShaft
2009Natsu no Arashi!Akiyuki Shinbo
Shin Oonuma 		Shaft
2009Maria HolicAkiyuki Shinbo
Shaft
2009Natsu no Arashi! Akinai-chūAkiyuki Shinbo
Shin Oonuma
ShaftEnding director
2010Hidamari Sketch x HoshimittsuShaft
2010Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu SpecialsShaft
2011Infinite StratosYasuhito KikuchiEight Bit
2011Shōwa MonogatariMitsuhiro Tōgō
Masahiro Murakami 		Wao WorldAssistant director
2011Maria Holic AliveAkiyuki Shinbo
Tomokazu Tokoro 		ShaftAssistant director
Opening director
2013Da Capo IIIActasSeries composition
2014Sakura TrickStudio DeenSeries composition
2016Bakuon!!Junji NishimuraTMS Entertainment
8PAN
2017Princess PrincipalMasaki Tachibana3Hz
Actas
2018100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of DreamsYukina HiiroProject No.9
2018Hozuki's CoolheadednessKazuhiro YonedaStudio Deen
2020The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the GodsSusumu NishizawaStudio Deen
2020Sorcerous Stabber OrphenTakayuki HamanaStudio Deen
2020TamayomiToshinori FukushimaStudio A-Cat
2021Redo of HealerTakuya AsaokaTNK
2021Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Battle of KimluckTakayuki HamanaStudio Deen
2021I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My LevelNobukage KimuraRevoroot
2022My Isekai LifeKeisuke KojimaRevoroot
2025I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering MagicStudio Deen
Marvy Jack

Works cited

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