Miami Ink - Series 1 - Complete (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Educational Value	Good
How good are the presenters?	Outstanding
How good is the content?	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Great storys, tattoos and interviews
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have always been a big fan of Tattoo art work, and I often caught an odd episode here and there of Miami Ink on Discovery Real Time and quite enjoyed the show. Having only seen about 7 episodes of the TV show which were all from either season two or three, I decided to browse the internet to see if I could pick up a cheap season 1 box set on DVD, I was quite expecting to pay about £30-40 for the box set because there are 20 episodes in total for series one of Miami Ink. I was browsing the internet for the box set looking for the cheapest price available and found that Play.com was the cheapest by far. I only paid £12.99 for the box set which is almost three times cheaper than some other online retailers selling the Miami Ink box set as they were all priced well above £30.

Miami Ink is a reality show which gives us an insight into the lives of the tattoo artists and the clients they tattoo. The Miami ink tattoo parlour is co-owned by tattoo artists Ami James and Chris Núñez and is situated in Miami Beach Florida. Each episode is narrated by Ami James, and the main musical theme for the series is a rather catchy tune which is called Funky Kingston by Toots and Maytals.

What I really like about Miami Ink is that each and every customer who gets tattooed has a story which reflects the reason they picked a particular tattoo design. Quite a few of the stories which reflect the customers tattoo are quite emotional and have brought a tear to my eye. The customers just don't want tattooed for the sake of it, they want a tattoo to remember a person or event, or a change in their life and their tattoos are custom designed by the artists in the shop so as they are unique.

Throughout the 20 episodes of Miami Ink Season one (split between 5 DVDs) you get to know the artists a lot better and get familiar with their different styles of tattooing. Each episode lasts for about 45 minutes and shows at least 5 different tattoos being carried out. The best thing about each episode is that you get to see the customer having their consultation with their tattoo artist, getting their tattoo done and finally a follow up with the customer a few weeks after their tattoo has healed properly so as you can see their tattoo when its healed fully and you also get to find out what the customer really thinks of their tattoo.

My Favourite Episodes

In all there are 20 different episodes in this series, some of my favourite episodes are ~

01 ~ Five Friends
This episode focuses on the first week in the shop and we get to meet the tattooists who are Chris Núñez, Ami James, Yoji Harada, Darren Brass and Chris Garver. I liked this episode because we get to know a little about each of the tattooists and their different styles of tattooing. .

02 ~ In Memory Of……….
As you can see from the title of this episode, it focuses on clients who want memorial tattoos in order to remember loved ones. This episode was quite emotional and brought a tear to my eye because Ami was tattooing his friend whose cousin dies in tragic circumstances. You also get to see Yoji get married to Bridgette on the beach which brightens up this episode and makes it happier.

.05 ~ The Family
This episode is about families and focuses mainly on Yoji and his wife Bridgette who are celebrating the birth of their new baby daughter Sydney.

07 ~ Bad Break
We get to see a new tattooist and her style of work because Darren brass can't tattoo because he has broke his elbow. Kat Von D fills in for him whilst his arm is healing, and we get to see her tattooing some portraits in customers.

08 ~ Kat's in The Groove
This episode was quite funny because Kat Von D tattoos a virgin Mary on Darren's wife's arm and she is crying like a baby and making Kat nervous.

16 ~ While Ami's Away
Ami and Chris Garver go on a holiday to Hawaii and leave Chris Núñez in charge of the tattoo shop. I really liked this episode because we get to see more of Kat Von D's portrait work on some customers. There is also a breast cancer survivor who gets a tattoo to symbolise combating breast cancer.

19 ~ Made In Japan
In this episode you see Ami James getting really angry because his apprentice Yoji comes into the shop with a Mohawk haircut and a tattoo on his head.

DVD Extras

The DVD box set has quite a few extras which are just as enjoyable to watch as the episodes, the DVD features are as follows ~

Artist Interviews ~ You get to see interviews with all of the artists and find out why and how they started tattooing.

Artist Biographies ~ All about the life's of the tattooists from they were younger until the present day.

Photo Gallery ~ Pictures of the tattooists

Tattoo Artwork ~ This is a bonus DVD Rom feature which allows you to browse through some of the tattoo art work which was carried out throughout series 1. You can also print off tattoo stencils of the tattoos you like and take them to your own tattooist and get them done on yourself.

Episode Guide

1. Five Friends
2. In Memeory Of....
3. Growing Up
4. The Apprentice
5. The Family
6. Going For The Gold
7. Bad Break
8. Kat's In The Groove
9. Finding Balance
10. More Money, More Problems
11. Step Up Or Step Out
12. Weathering The Storm
13. Party All The Time
14. Kat's Return, Ami's Ride
15. The Ink That Binds
16. While Ami's Away....
17. Rock N Roll All Night
18. Goodbye Freedom
19. Made In Japan
20. Hawaii

Other Information

Actors ~ Ami James, Chris Garver, Chris Nunez, Darren Brass, Yoji Harada & Kat Von D

Certificate ~ N/A

Screen Fullscreen ~ 4:3

Languages English - Dolby (2.0) Stereo

Duration ~ 16 hours (approx)

I think that this DVD box set was well worth the £12.99 I paid for it, I love watching it and it has given me inspiration for some of my tattoos too. I think that this is a really enjoyable show and people who are interested in tattoos or thinking of getting a tattoo will really enjoy Miami Ink. The DVD box set isn't just all about tattoos, you learn the history behind the tattoos, what it takes to become a tattooist. I picked up some very useful tips about the basics of caring for a new tattoo and keeping the colour bright and clear.

Thanks for reading
:o) Lisa x

© just.bcoz
2007