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 (under Shinbo's general direction). 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 (2013) at studio Actas, but mainly based himself out of Studio Deen, where he directed both Sakura Trick (2014) and a short Ongaku Shōjo (2015) 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(s)" column highlights Ishikura's directorial works. Year Title Director(s) StudioSBED Other roles and notes Ref(s)2000Invincible King Tri-ZenonTakashi WatanabeE&G FilmsAssistant production manager2001Shingu: Secret of the Stellar WarsTatsuo SatōMadhouse2002Cyborg 009: The Cyborg SoldierJun KawagoeJapan VistecAquarian Age: Sign for EvolutionYoshimitsu ŌhashiMadhouseShrine of the Morning MistYuji MoriyamaChaos Project2003L/R: Licensed by RoyaltyItsuro KawasakiTNKShadow StarToshiaki IinoPlanetMermaid Melody Pichi Pichi PitchYoshitaka FujimotoActasSynergySP2004Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch PureYoshitaka FujimotoActasSynergySPTsuki wa Higashi ni Hi wa Nishi niMitsuhiro Tōgō Shōsei JinnoRadixTo Heart: Remember My MemoriesKeitarō MotonagaOLM, Inc.AIC ASTA2005Gun SwordGorō TaniguchiAIC ASTAPetopeto-sanAkira NishimoriXebec M2Paradise KissOsamu KobayashiMadhouse2006Sugar Sugar RuneMatsushita YukihiroPierrotAmaenaide yo!! Katsu!!Keitarō MotonagaStudio DeenTactical RoarYoshitaka FujimotoActasLove Get Chu: Miracle Seiyū HakushoMitsuhiro TōgōRadixYume TsukaiKazuo YamazakiMadhouseAssistant directorNight Head GenesisYoshio TakeuchiActasBee MediaTokimeki Memorial Only LoveNobuhiro TakemotoAIC ASTA2007Hidamari SketchAkiyuki Shinbo Ryouki Kamitsubo ShaftKaze no StigmaJunichi SakataGonzoNagasarete AirantōHideki Okamotofeel.Ef: A Tale of MemoriesShin OonumaShaft2008Hidamari Sketch x 365Akiyuki ShinboShaftEf: A Tale of MelodiesShin OonumaShaft2009Hidamari Sketch x 365 SpecialsAkiyuki ShinboShaftNatsu no Arashi!Akiyuki ShinboShin Oonuma ShaftMaria HolicAkiyuki ShinboShaftNatsu no Arashi! Akinai-chūAkiyuki ShinboShin Oonuma ShaftEnding director2010Hidamari Sketch x HoshimittsuShaftHidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu SpecialsShaft2011Infinite StratosYasuhito KikuchiEight BitShōwa MonogatariMitsuhiro TōgōMasahiro Murakami Wao WorldAssistant director (four episodes)Maria Holic AliveAkiyuki Shinbo Tomokazu Tokoro ShaftAssistant directorOpening director2013Da Capo IIIActasSeries composition2014Sakura TrickStudio DeenSeries composition2016Bakuon!!Junji NishimuraTMS Entertainment8PAN2017Princess PrincipalMasaki Tachibana3HzActas2018100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of DreamsYukina HiiroProject No.9Hozuki's CoolheadednessKazuhiro YonedaStudio Deen2020The Seven Deadly Sins: Imperial Wrath of the GodsSusumu NishizawaStudio DeenSorcerous Stabber OrphenTakayuki HamanaStudio DeenTamayomiToshinori FukushimaStudio A-Cat2021Redo of HealerTakuya AsaokaTNKSorcerous Stabber Orphen: Battle of KimluckTakayuki HamanaStudio DeenI've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My LevelNobukage KimuraRevoroot2022My Isekai LifeKeisuke KojimaRevoroot2025I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering MagicStudio DeenMarvy Jack
Film Year Title Director(s) StudioSBED Other roles and notes Ref(s)2011Mahou Sensei Negima! Anime FinaleAkiyuki ShinboShaftStudio PastoralAssistant director2015Ongaku ShōjoStudio Deen
Notes General notes
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