Toshio
Toshio is a Japanese-Brazilian editorial manager, graphics designer, video editor, and writer for Michael Ghelfi Studios. He was the first employee in the Studios' history, hired back in August, 2021.
Toshio's parents met in Japan while temporarily staying in a small city. Had they not turned on that random street at the exact same time, they'd likely never see each other again.
Interests
Toshio's favorite hobbies include studying everything; from quantum mechanics to philosophy, from human history to linguistics. In this regard, he researches topics thoroughly, especially when it comes to his works.
He also enjoys gaming, his favorite singleplayer games include Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Baldur's Gate 3. Notably, Toshio's passion for role-playing games (RPG) encompasses everything from tabletop to video games—though he hasn't LARPed yet.
Furthermore, Toshio has a passion for reading non-fiction (especially psychology) and writing fiction (namely fantasy).
Writing, Reading
Toshio is largely influenced by both national and international authors.
In Brazil, Toshio is inspired by the masterpieces written by Aluísio de Azevedo ("O Cortiço"), Lima Barreto ("Clara dos Anjos"), and Graciliano Ramos ("Vidas Secas"). When it comes to international writers, Toshio is keen on the fantasy novels of Andrzej Sapkowski ("The Witcher"), George R. R. Martin ("A Song of Ice and Fire"), and J. R. R. Tolkien ("The Lord of the Rings").
Toshio is also a worldbuilder. In 2015, he started building his fantasy setting that, as of 2025, encompasses over 200,000 words of worldbuilding and 80,000 words of novel. In Toshio's novel, inspired by his favorite authors, he explores the themes of human nature, moral ambiguity, and social institutions.
Not only a matter of content, grammar, and style; Toshio highly values etymology, sociolinguistics, wordplays, and an overall love for language.
Tabletop RPG
Toshio's journey in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) began back in 2015, shortly after the release of the 5th Edition in 2014.
Due to D&D's increasing popularity, Toshio was invited to join a campaign as a player—that unfortunately lasted a single session. Ever since then, though, his interest in D&D and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG) has grown exponentially and, as such, he has taken the mantle of being a gamemaster (GM) ever since.
With ten years of experience as a Dungeon Master (DM), Toshio offers valuable insights acquired throughout many campaigns, sessions, and even different gaming groups along the way. What's more is that Toshio has introduced the game to dozens of friends and family members, which showcases his great interest in spreading the good word of TTRPG.
Toshio met his girlfriend by DMing a campaign for her!
Mission
Although certainly not skilled in the art of music as ambience composer Michaël Ghelfi or music director Filip Melvan, Toshio contributes to the team by writing a lot of the content for the Studios, managing the editorial team, designing visuals, and spreading the word through social media and other online platforms.
"I hope that I can share my insights and, most importantly, learn from yours. Let me know your thoughts!"—Toshio
Quick Facts
1. Is Toshio experienced in TTRPG? Yes, he has over 10 years of experience as a gamemaster (GM).
