GGNNY

Tattooing has many genres.

At some point, if you decide to take tattooing seriously – not just as a hobby, but as a profession – you have to choose a direction.
It’s difficult to succeed trying to do everything.
Most artists eventually commit to one path, and spend years refining it into something of their own.

There is an artist named Goni.

Originally from Korea, he built a strong foundation working across styles such as American traditional and Japanese.
After moving to the United States, he shifted his focus and is now deeply committed to anime tattooing.

Anime tattooing is a unique genre.
Rather than focusing on designing entirely new compositions, it is about how you translate existing imagery – iconic scenes, characters, emotions – onto the human body.
It is a discipline that relies heavily on technical ability: line control, color packing, precision, and composition on skin.

Because of this, most anime tattoo artists are highly skilled technicians.

Goni is no exception.

Whether it was Japanese, old school, or now anime – he has consistently shown a high level of execution.
He is the kind of artist who can express exactly what he intends, without compromise.

I’ve been in tattooing for over 20 years.
I’ve organized conventions, met countless artists, and seen all levels of work.

Goni stands out.

His recent anime pieces, in particular, are something you stop and look at twice.

On Anime Tattoo

What makes anime tattoos special?

Many of the clients who seek anime tattoos are, in a way, enthusiasts – people who genuinely love manga and animation.
Not casually, but deeply.

And what is manga, really?

Dreams, hope, youth – a kind of raw, emotional world that people carry with them.

To love something enough to have it permanently placed on your body –
there is something undeniably romantic about that.

Watching Goni’s clients at the shop is always interesting, and sometimes even moving.

They might seem a little different.
But they are also very pure in a way – people who choose what they love, without worrying too much about how others see them.

In that sense, they are not so different from tattooers.

Tattoo artists, too, tend to have that same mindset –
doing what they want to do, and committing fully to it.

Life is short.

You might as well do what you truly want.

So, get tattooed! Summer is coming.

BTW, what’s your favorite anime – or which one would you want to get tattooed?