3165 Kingsway, Vancouver British Columbia V5R 5K2
From my first consultation with Marcus (Horiryu2) to the final tattoo session, the entire experience was nothing but positive.
During our consultation, I told him I wanted a full sleeve featuring koi and lotuses. He took the time to explain traditional Irezumi—how the background works, the symbolism, and the overall flow of the piece. He also mentioned that he wouldn’t show me the design until the day of the first session, which honestly made me a bit nervous. About a week before we started, he reached out to finalize some details, which really helped put me at ease.
When my first session arrived, I was both excited and nervous. Stepping into his studio immediately felt like walking into someone’s home—warm, welcoming, and calm. I even took my shoes off, and did so for all five sessions. Just like many other reviews mention, the space is spotless, quiet, and relaxing. There’s no loud music, it’s completely one-on-one, and there’s even a TV where you can watch your favourite shows while getting tattooed. All of that makes a huge difference, especially for longer sessions.
Trust the process—seriously. When Marcus showed me the design for the first time, it was far beyond anything I could have imagined. He took everything we talked about during the consultation and translated it perfectly onto paper. I was blown away and couldn’t have been happier.
We completed the sleeve over five sessions, booking every two weeks. Throughout the process, you could really see his focus and attention to detail. The sessions never felt boring—we had great conversations, and the time flew by.
His line work, shading, and colouring are absolutely amazing. After each session, the tattoo somehow kept getting better, and even now I continue to notice new details. I genuinely couldn’t be happier with the result.
I will definitely be going back for another piece and would 100% recommend Marcus to anyone considering a tattoo.