YONEYAMA MAI
Location: Japan
Medium: Digital
Yoneyama Mai is an assistant director, animator and illustrator from Japan. She has worked on may notable anime such as:
Kiznaiver: Character designer, chief animation director, and animation director
Kill La Kill: Animation director, key animation, and assistant animation director
FLCL Progressive: Sub-character design and costume design
Cyberpunk: Edge Runners: Concept art, story board, and main animations
And these are just a few to name!
Below are images of some of her work:
I have been a follower of Yoneyama’s work for some time now and I look up to her. I find that her illustrative works are truly captivating. She masterfully grabs the viewer’s attention through her balanced composition, colours, and 3D-like visual effects that make the experience look more lively and immersive. The ability to evoke emotion through subtle effects is something I would want to possess as someone who is interested in illustrative works.
Character Design Works
Although I couldn’t find work that was confirmed by her (probably due to an NDA), I have found some character sheets from an anime she has worked on:
What differentiates these characters?
As we know, what defines as a good character design is a character that is: Visually appealing, clearly communicates their personality and has distinct features that sets them apart.
Key Takeaways:
I chose to look into this artist as I was a follow of their work, what I hadn’t known was that their work was in an anime I had watched and wanted to investigate what makes the characters stand out. A good character designer is able to design a character that is a reflection of their personality and Yoneyama Mai had hit the designs on the head. Each of these character designs are all distinctive from one another.
When I do a redesign of Yami, I want to showcase his personality through his character design. From his hair, facial expressions, pose and the clothes he wears, I want to convey that Yami is an egotistical model.