Mel Kishida

2.1. Birth and Upbringing

Mel Kishida was born on September 3, 1983, in Minami-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. His real name is 岸良 一_{Kishira Hajime}^Japanese. During his high school years, he was involved in acting, joining a local theater group in Nagoya. Under his real name, Kishira Hajime, he appeared in the television drama series Kids' War produced by CBC.

2.2. Education and Early Career

Kishida attended Dohoku High School and later enrolled in Nagoya University of Arts, though he eventually withdrew from the university. Around 2004, while still active in his theater group, he began his career as an illustrator, providing illustrations for practical books and magazines. Following the disbandment of his theater group, he transitioned to focusing entirely on his illustration work, taking on various projects including illustrations for light novels, which marked his professional debut as an illustrator.

3.1. Light Novel Illustrations

Kishida has illustrated numerous light novel series, establishing his reputation in the literary world. His major works include:

• Heaven's Memo Pad (written by Hikaru Sugii, published by ASCII Media Works under Dengeki Bunko, 9 volumes)
• Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink (アンナとプロフェッショナルズ_{Anna to Purofeshonaruzu}^Japanese, written by MAC, published by Media Factory, 2 volumes)
• Gakusei Shōjo (楽聖少女^Japanese, written by Hikaru Sugii, published under Dengeki Bunko, 4 volumes)
• Shinigami Hime no Saikon (死神姫の再婚^Japanese, lit. "The Death God Princess' Remarriage", written by Meiya Onogami, published under B's-Log, 19 volumes)
• Paracelsus no Musume (パラケルススの娘^Japanese, lit. "The Daughter of Paracelsus", written by Yu Godai, published under MF Bunko J, 10 volumes)
• Red Data Girl (written by Noriko Ogiwara, Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko edition, published by Kadokawa Shoten in 6 volumes)
• Karaburu World (written by Saeko Katsuki, published by Gagaga Bunko)
• Taiyō de Taifū (written by Hamubane, published by Square Enix Novels)
• Michihate no Mukō no Hikari (written by Asuka Akizuki, published by Regalo Series)
• Diet Punch! series (written by Hiroko Reijo, published by Poplar Publishing)
• Sakura Kagura (written by Naoki Hisaya, published by Seikaisha FICTIONS)

3.2. Video Game Character Design

Kishida is widely recognized for his character design work in the video game industry, particularly for the Atelier and Blue Reflection franchises. His contributions include:

• Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (2009, PS3, also for its 2015 remake)
• Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland (2010, PS3)
• Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (2011, PS3)
• Blue Reflection (2017, PS4 / PS Vita), where he served as both character designer and supervisor.
• Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland (2019, PS4 / Nintendo Switch)
• Blue Reflection: Second Light (2021, PS4 / Nintendo Switch)
• BLUE REFLECTION SUN/燦 (for App Store, Google Play, and DMM Games)

3.3. Anime Character Design and Original Concept

His involvement in anime productions often includes original character design, shaping the visual identity of popular series. His anime works include:

• Sound of the Sky (2010), original character design.
• Hanasaku Iroha (2011), original character design for the TV series and its movie, Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home (2013).
• Heaven's Memo Pad (2011), original character design.
• RDG Red Data Girl (2013), original character design.
• Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life: Phantasmagoric Arc (2015), where he provided end card illustration for Episode 10 and also had a guest voice acting role as the Masked Swordsman.
• Blue Reflection Ray (2021), original character design.

3.4. Other Design Work

Beyond novels and games, Mel Kishida has contributed his design talents to various other projects:

• Official character for the World Cosplay Summit.
• Character design for the drama CD Omamori Danshi! Kami Darling.
• Character design for the social game School Fanfare (Ameba).
• Original character designer for Tsubomi Hiragi and Sumika Orihara of the idol group 22/7 (from 2018).
• Character design for Sanko Seika CMs, including "Breakthrough" (2020) and "Breakthrough: Never Give Up" (2021).
• Various anime-related illustrations such as end cards for Natsu no Arashi! ~Aki Fuyu Chuu~ (Episode 3), Dusk Maiden of Amnesia (Episode 10 preview), Nisekoi (Episode 15), and Girlish Number (Kusure cover design).
• Cover illustration for the Comiket 82 catalog.
• CD jacket designs for Shoko Nakagawa's nsum ~Nakagawa Shoko ga Utattemita!~ and Yufu Terashima's Suki ga Hajimaru.
• Lyricist for Yufu Terashima's song "Juliet no Paradox" (included in the album Suki ga Hajimaru II).
• Costume design for the maid cafe "M's Melody" and the idol cafe & bar "Carnival☆Stars".
• Costume design for the idol group Niji no Conquistador.
• Uniform design for Yoyogi Animation Academy High School.
• Producer for the concept cafe "IDOLY" (from May 2023).
• His artbooks include Traditional White and Fruits Gift.

4.1. Media Appearances

Kishida has frequently appeared on various media platforms, showcasing his personality and engaging with a wider audience:

• Television Programs**: He has been featured on NHK General's MAG・Net (2012), TV Tokyo's Dream Creator and Zenryoku! Net User Tsukuri-ba ~Atsumare! Dream Creator~, Fuji TV's Irakon (2013-2016), NHK E Tele's R no Hosoku (2015), and TOKYO MX's AKIBA Dungeon! (2016), where he served as a first-time MC. He also hosted Kishida Mel no Ah! Fukushima Iko!! (2016) on TOKYO MX and appeared on Fuji TV ONE's Gekikara Bijo. Since October 2023, he has been an MC for TOKYO MX's Buzz 100 ~Buzzuru Tame no 100 no Hosoku!~.
• Educational Television**: From April 2017, he appeared as "Hajime," an unsuccessful manga artist, on NHK E Tele's elementary school 3rd-grade social studies educational program Kono Machi☆Research, where he also showcased his hand-drawn illustrations.
• Television Drama**: He appeared in the TV drama Kids' War 5 ~Zakenna yo~ (2003) on CBC TV as Tetsuji Toda, under his real name Kishira Hajime.
• Voice Acting**: In the TV anime Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life: Phantasmagoric Arc (2015), he provided the voice for the mysterious Masked Swordsman.
• Radio**: He has made irregular appearances on Tokai Radio's Hōsō Shitemita! and co-hosted Okazaemon to Kishida Mel! on Tokai Radio from 2014 to 2016.
• Events**: He has served as an MC for events like "Hirunanoni Rachel Night☆" and participated in the World Cosplay Summit.
• Commercials**: He appeared in the Yamaha Tricity series commercial "Sauna to Tricity de Tottonotta!" (2017).

4.2. Public Persona

Mel Kishida is known for his distinctive and often eccentric public image. When appearing at various events or on social media platforms like Twitter, he frequently showcases cosplay and makes humorous facial expressions (変顔_hen-gao^Japanese), leaving a strong impression on his audience. Among these, his pose wearing a mask and holding two long swords, often referred to as "Doya-gao Double Sword" (ドヤ顔ダブルソード_{Doya-gao Double Sword}^Japanese), is particularly famous and has even been parodied in works like Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life. This unique public persona contributes to his active engagement across various media beyond his primary role as an illustrator. He stands 71 in ^{(180 cm)} tall.