Kanetake Ebikawa

Kanetake Ebikawa (海老川 兼武, born 1973) is a renowned Japanese mechanical designer whose clean, angular style has left a lasting mark on modern mecha franchises and model-kit lines. After graduating from Tokyo’s Tama Art University, Ebikawa joined Sunrise Animation Studio in the mid-1990s. His early work included mechanical designs for the After War Gundam X series (1996), where he contributed to secondary mobile suits that showcased his knack for balanced proportions and functional detailing.

Ebikawa’s breakthrough arrived with Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002). As chief mechanical designer alongside Junya Ishigaki, he developed iconic suits such as the Strike Gundam, Freedom Gundam, and Destiny Gundam. These designs combined sleek silhouettes with realistic panel lines and articulated weapon systems—elements that both anime viewers and model-kit builders immediately embraced. His work on Gundam SEED Destiny (2004) further cemented his reputation, as he refined the Freedom’s successor, the Strike Freedom Gundam, with its signature DRAGOON wings and gold inner frame accents.

Beyond Gundam, Ebikawa has contributed to Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007–2009), designing the 00 Gundam and its upgraded 00 Raiser variant, and to Metal Fight Beyblade (2009). In 2013, he joined Kotobukiya as a freelancer, where he applied his mechanical-character sensibility to the Frame Arms Girl line—reimagining Frame Arms mecha as stylized, anthropomorphic “girls” with modular armor that can be interchanged. His designs for Kouko, Baselard, and other characters exemplify his ability to merge functional mechanical motifs with appealing femininity.

Over nearly three decades, Kanetake Ebikawa has influenced both animation and plastic-model communities. His signature balance of realistic machinery and dynamic aesthetics continues to inspire new generations of mecha designers, hobbyists, and fans around the world.