TheAkuyaku

Hi there! My name is Michael Harkins, and I'm originally from Charleston, WV. I've also lived in Jacksonville, FL, Aurora, IL, Greenville, SC, and now reside in Charlotte, NC. Something you should know about me is that I love dressing up like I'm in the midst of my villain arc - it's a great way to express my creative side!

I've been specializing in black and grey realism for the past nine years and have been fortunate enough to be recognized as one of the top black and grey tattoo artists in North Carolina. However, in recent years, I've been branching out into full-color neo-traditional and anime tattoos. While I'd love to focus solely on these styles, I'm still more than happy to create any black and grey pieces that inspire my creativity.

One of my favorite things to do is to take characters from popular shows and movies like Kill Bill, Scream, and Leon The Professional and reimagine them as anime characters in the styles of some of my favorite studios like Mappa and UFotable. I also enjoy doing memorial tattoos in an anime style that pays tribute to your loved one in a unique and personalized way.

Another one of my passions is creating crossover designs that blend my favorite cartoons with my favorite animes. For instance, I've made designs featuring Adventure Time/Sailor Moon and King of the Hill/Naruto.

And when I'm not creating amazing tattoos, I can often be found indulging in some of my other interests, such as fashion, 90's anime vibes, playing my Gameboy Advance, and revisiting classic 90's PlayStation games.