Naoki couldn't help finding Aisuke captivating. Charming, good-looking, and a talented tattoo artist, he is everything that salaryman Naoki isn't. Perhaps it was due to his recent circumstances—a growing boredom with his humdrum life and the recent breakup with his fiancé—but Naoki is completely drawn to Aisuke the moment he passes by the tattoo shop. But there's more to the beautifully inked-up artist who holds a past flame that he still wears on his chest. Can the two meet each other where they are and find comfort in one another?

Love Tattoo has a story by and art by Akairo Mash. English translation is done by Avery Hutley and lettering by Michelle Ai. Published by Kadokawa (March, 2026). Rated M.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Think of this as a preview. Both Seven Seas and Kadokawa have licensed this series, and in this guide we're looking at the first two chapters of the latter's release, which will be chapter-by-chapter. And if these chapters are any indication, it should be a series worth checking out, because it's dealing with some interesting themes.

The story follows Naoki, a man who feels himself painfully average, as he attempts to change his life. He's just gotten divorced, more or less – when the woman he thought was his wife tells him they're over, she also reveals that she never actually registered their marriage, which is just another blow to his already damaged sense of self-worth. Walking home from work one night following his usual post-divorce routine, he spots a tattoo parlor, and on a whim, decides to go in and get one.

That's where he meets Aisuke, the tattoo artist (or “tattooist,” a term I'd never seen before, but I'm also not part of that subculture). Aisuke immediately recognizes that Naoki is going through a lot, and he responsibly insists that they talk before Naoki makes any firm decisions. But as the two discuss his skin and the ins and outs of being an ethical tattooist, something flares to life. Naoki can't put a label on it, which tells us a lot about his life prior to this moment, but Aisuke quickly tells him that it's desire of the mutual variety…and that he habitually imagines potential clients in bed to get a better sense of what tattoo would suit them.

Both Aisuke and Naoki are dealing with a lot, and that makes them at least a little reluctant to act on this sudden surge of feelings. Aisuke in particular has been dealing with ED since his own bad break up, and the book makes it clear that they both feel like damaged goods. The strength in the story is that they're willing to try with each other nonetheless. Aisuke's many snake tattoos are representative of rebirth, he tells Naoki, and it's easy to see how that symbolism is going to be a mainstay of the story. Those tattoos are a major draw as well; the art is fine in general, but it shines when it comes to Aisuke's body art, which is especially important since the sex scenes are moderately censored.

Kadokawa's exclusive BookWalker release for this title (for three months; then it moves to other platforms) is a good chance to check it out and decide if you want to read more. I know I'm looking forward to the full volume release, if only to see more of Akairo Mash's delicately drawn tattoos.

Bolts
Rating:

Tattoos are not an easy thing to decide on. While tattoo removal technology has definitely continued to advance with each passing year, you are still choosing to permanently mark your body for the foreseeable future. There are definitely people who treat getting tattoos as a relaxing endeavor, but I do appreciate the fact that this story ties tattoos to a form of expression that does require a lot of love and care. In a lot of ways, deciding on a tattoo to get is a very intimate act in and of itself, so while the story doesn't have a lot of sex scenes on its own, there is still this very prominent sexual tension between the two leads who bond over developing an interest in body art.

I related very strongly to the protagonist Naoki, who felt like they were undeserving of things because of their very boring disposition. As an outsider looking in, a tattoo looks like a radical thing that can be used to define a significant change in your life. So the fact that the story is more about him finding himself so he can eventually decide on what tattoo he wants to get is compelling on its own. But then compare that to his new tattoo artist love interest, who seems to be on the opposite end of the spectrum, being covered in tattoos as a potential sign of regret.

Now you have an incredibly emotionally enriching story. The progress for the relationship definitely advanced faster than I thought would have been ideal for such a setup. But I really did believe a lot of the emotional chemistry on display. These were two characters who just happened to come across people who ended up feeling the specific desire that they were missing in their lives. I want to read more about these two and see where exactly that journey ends up taking them. If you're not particularly into tattoos, I think this is still a very emotionally resonating boys' love story that you should take the time to look at.