Manga and anime tattoos definitely have a place in the skin art world, where they actually have quite a strong following. It makes sense, after all, as these mediums are art forms of their own, and today we’re going to talk about one that comes from the anime called ‘Naruto’.
Sharingan tattoos have started becoming a popular thing for die-hard fans and so it behooves us to dig a little into the symbolism, meanings, and more of these beautiful expressions of skin-art homage. They are actually quite interesting, so get comfortable and we’ll tell you all about them!
What is the History of Sharingan Tattoos?
The concept for Sharingan tattoos comes from the popular anime ‘Naruto’, appearing in episode 82 of the anime and in Volume 16 of the Naruto chapter 142. Sharingan is a transformation that occurs when powerful emotions are at play, such as the loss of someone close, and it brings a physical change of the eyes.
The literal translation of the word is essentially ‘mirror wheel eye’, and this change enabled the affected person to see someone’s martial art styles and to instantly copy them.
The effects were not instantaneous, rather, and could be a bit taxing to sharpen, as the enhanced perception brought from Sharingan could pass along skills that the body wasn’t ready for yet, and without a sufficient control of their Chakra it could result in poor timing, stress on the body, or simply an inability to maintain the state for long.
With heavy training, however, one could mimic and counter just about any opponents attacks, and their opponents might be very aware of that, as ‘Tomoes’ (swirling shapes) could appear in the eyes, with 3 being present for experts. Needless to say, these powerful eyes lend well to skin art expression and Sharingan tattoos were ‘born’.
What Do Sharingan Tattoos Symbolize?
These symbolism behind Sharingan tattoos can vary from person to person. For instance, one might wear these as a statement that they have experienced a lot of emotional turmoil and come through it more powerful than before.
This can be further expressed by the number of Tomoes that are present – with 1 indicating that this happened very recently, while 3 might indicate that this person has been through quite the emotional rollercoaster indeed.
There were also two powers associated with Sharingan that add to it’s symbolism. One was the ‘Eye of Insight’, which allowed enhanced clarity in regards to everything that the owner sees and the second ability was ‘the eye of hypnotism’, which allowed control and coercion over others.
Adding these considerations, the symbolism could be that the wearer ‘sees things as they are’ and that they can easily influence others to do their bidding. It’s a lot of meaning in a compact little package, and the symbolism of the ‘eyes’ also represent that it’s a reflection of the tattoo owner’s soul.
What Do Sharingan Tattoos Mean?
First and foremost, the design is very cool, and so when you see Sharingan tattoos then it might just mean that the owner is a fan of the Naruto manga and anime.
It can definitely be deeper, however, and the tattoo can also represent things like clarity of mind and a deep understanding of the reality around us, and perhaps even a large amount of charisma that leads people to follow the wearer of this tattoo.
Anime fans that also happen to be martial artists might wear this as a way of communicating their prowess, as well, since the primary gift of the Sharingan was the ability to copy other’s fighting skills and tactics so that they might defeat their enemies.
Finally, these tattoos are sometimes chosen simply for the aesthetic value. Red eyes, with 3 mysterious Tomoe swirl-marks look quite beautiful in ink and even a little scary, so meanings don’t always have to be present. With so many interpretations, only you will truly know what your own Sharingan tattoo means and that’s the way some of us like it!
Where Do Sharingan Tattoos Usually Go?
You can place Sharingan tattoos in many difference places, thanks to the compact nature of the design. Some people choose to display the distinctive eyes without a face on the outer arm, for instance, or perhaps on an ankle tattoo.
If you choose to add the face or a partial or full body of a specific character with Sharingan, then you might place it on your back to have more space for detail, as there’s an opportunity to really make use of some stunning color and detail for the finished piece.
The recommended approach is to decide on design first and have it drawn up if you can, so that you can see what kind of detail this affords and then select the perfect placement.
That way, you’ll have the design and a list of places where it will fit, so that you can choose the location that you like the most.
Characteristics and Styles of Sharingan Tattoos
As Sharingan tattoos are based on manga and anime, they are usually done with Japanese tattooing style, though this is art, so you can go with any style or tweaks that you like. New School has a distinctive, cartoony look that could fit well, and you can take the color palette up a notch with Watercolor inks.
Remember, you can put as much or as little color and detail in it as you like. For instance, if you are depicting only the eyes with the distinctive marks, they could be reflecting light or showing moisture, or they could be a mesh of vibrant color with somber, black Tomoes in contrast to the rest.
Even with black and white, Sharingan designs can really catch the eye, so think hard about how much detail and color you’d like – it’s worth the extra contemplation when that last session with your artist is done and you can see your design made real!
Some final words on Sharingan tattoos
In today’s article we’ve discussed Sharingan tattoos to give you a better idea of where they come from and what they mean.
‘Sharingan eyes’ come from the popular anime and manga ‘Naruto’ and gave their owner many amazing abilities, which help to pack this tattoo choice with a whole lot of aesthetic and symbolic value. If you like the look or simply love the anime then be sure to take a peek at how Sharingan can look in skin art.
It might just be the tattoo that you’ve been looking for!
