For many of you, it might not be your cup of tea. Which is perfectly understandable. Tattooing is still seen by many as a ''dirty'' thing, that only Bikers, Rockers and Sailors have, but Miami Ink aims to show how peoples attitudes to tattooing have changed in recent years. The shops clients include 9-5 'ers, Students, Accountants, basically anyone in any profession is getting tattooed. It's become so mainstream, it isn't seen as such of a ''dirty'' thing anymore. Miami Ink shows the viewer how tattoos can be pieces of art, a fashion accessory, and in many of their clients cases, as part of the healing process after a loss of a family member or friend.

Examples of clients tattoos include a memorial tattoo for a father who's daughter is dying of a little-known severe disease. He wants the tattoo as a reminder about his daughter, and also so that he can teach others about the disease his daughter will die of, and that a simple test during pregnancy could make all the difference if the disease is present. He has a portrait tattoo of his daughter done in black and grey by Kat Von D, who is regarded as one of the best black and grey artists in the world. Needless to say, the scenes are very moving, and shows how a tattoo can help people with dealing with unhappyness, or to remember the good times. Another example is a client who survived Breast Cancer, and wanted a very beautiful picture of a woman by a well known artist tattooed on her arm in order to remind her that she survived her illness and of her beauty.

Each episode lasts roughly 45 minutes. The first episode shows the opening of the shop, as well as the first tattoo done in the shop, a tattoo of the Hawaiian Islands on a Hawaiian Pro Surfers ribcage, with the final episode showing Ami James (co-owner of the shop) and Chris Garver's (artist) trip to Hawaii, including the tattoos the two get from a traditional Hawaiian tattooer. Every other episode showcases the clients tattoos and the artist's personal lives, and what drives them on to become the best tattooer in their field, or what they enjoy about their profession. Snippets of interviews with the artists are woven into every episode, detailing the artists history, beliefs, and what drives them in their profession.

I would most definitely recomend Miami Ink Season 1 to a fan of the series, or tattooing in general. It's hard to recomend it to someone who doesn't appreciate tattooing, or has no interest in this most different of arts. But, I thouroughly enjoyed the series, and have enjoyed this DVD greatly.