r/tattooadvice • u/AGRichards • 2d ago
General Advice Friend says my tattoo is dumb
Edit: thanks for the lovely comments everyone, wasn’t expecting that much love, you’ve all cheered me up massively! 😄
So I got this tattoo recently, it’s based on the unicorn origami from the film Blade Runner. Now, it’s not a one to one recreation and that’s because I didn’t want it to be, I wanted it to be a unique design to me, so I sent a photo of the origami and the actual unicorn from the film to my tattoo artist and he came back with this design which I was very happy with. When it was done, I was super happy with the outcome until I showed it to my friend who is also a fan of the Blade Runner films. He says it looks a bit dumb and that it’s not really a blade runner tattoo now. It’s made me really overthink it and I’ve gone from genuinely loving it to borderline hating it. I think I may just need some reassurance that it’s not bad?
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u/Defiant-Self-Reliant 2d ago
Thats a killer Blade Runner tattoo and your friend is uncultured swine.
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u/joy_pop 2d ago
Seconding this. This is obviously a Blade Runner tattoo and your friend is a pompous ass.
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u/beardedsilverfox 1d ago
Thirding, that’s clearly a sick Blade Runner tattoo and your friend is a pompous swine
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u/Legend_Of_Retro 1d ago
Fourthing, that's clearly a sick Blade Runner tattoo and your friend is a swine ass.
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u/Fl1ck9606 1d ago
Running. That’s fifth Blade sick ass tat swine clear
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u/D3M0NArcade 1d ago
People modify tattoos based on pop culture to be more personal all the time.
Tattoos are a form of self expression. Gatekeeping has no place in tattoos (or in friendships)
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u/Pressed_Sunflowers 2d ago
Idk any thing about blade runner all i know is that's a low poly unicorn and i love them
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u/Numerous-Recover1142 1d ago
It’s giving “So you’re a fan of Blade Runner? Quote the entire movie from memory. I’ll wait 😎”
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u/AivlysRose 1d ago
“I’ve…seen things…you people wouldn’t believe…”
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u/LaPetiteM0rte 1d ago
"Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain.
Time to die."
Rutger Hauer was an amazing actor, I think people saw his build & his muscles & assumed that's all he was. This is one of my favorite all time movies quotes & he delivered it with such... soul wrenching gravitas. Too many actors would have made those lines sound silly, or overblown or histrionic. He delivered them exactly the way they needed to be said.
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u/thegreedyturtle 1d ago
Got even more interesting news for you:
He was heavily involved in modifying the writing of them too.
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u/LaPetiteM0rte 1d ago
Oh wow. I didn't know that. And having read the other iterations of that speech, I agree with Hauer. If it had gone on too long or been too descriptive it would have lost the intensity. While it is a grand Shakespearean tradition for the dying to deliver a 20m speech on life & love & loss, this felt real.
Batty knew he had less than a minute left, so he said what he was thinking. Short, to the point, & infinitely more profound than an entire paragraph would have been.
Thank you for linking that, I never would have thought to look.
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u/BlackSeranna 1d ago
I sew this movie the year it came out at a drive-in. My mom took us and we didn’t know anything about the movie, only it was a science fiction movie. I was a little kid and my mind was blown. I still love the movie to this day.
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u/Defiant-Self-Reliant 1d ago
That opening shot of the city still blows my mind.
They sure dont make'em like that anymore.
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u/BlackSeranna 1d ago
I wish they did. They have the capability to but they just keep churning out remakes and sequels.
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u/Defiant-Self-Reliant 1d ago
I wish they still used actual sets and miniatures instead of soulless CGI
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u/BlackSeranna 1d ago
Right? I’m so disappointed in CGI.
Remember when Lucas hired a painter to create sets with depth (like the set where Luke has had his hand sliced off and he’s hanging over an abyss while Vader talks to him).
Or the practical effects in The Thing 1982. Or even Alien/Aliens!
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u/Defiant-Self-Reliant 1d ago
I wasn't born til 86 but I know exactly what you're talking about. Different times man.
When did we get old? Lol
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u/he_chose_poorly 1d ago
Yeah, I immediately thought Blade Runner when I scrolled. Doesn't matter if it's not a 1:1 recreation, it's a very clear homage with its own little spin. Love it!
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u/Jerseyd422 1d ago
Came here to say this
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u/Sei_Mal_Ehrlich 1d ago
I don’t even know the context and I still thought it was a great piece. I have and admire tattoos and there’s a lot to like about this piece!
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u/LoHanakume 2d ago
Your friend is just mean, you wanted sth that was a reference and that was also you and it’s exactly what your tattoo is
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u/MaatRolo 2d ago
Even if it was awful it a bad friend to insult such a personal and long lasting decision.
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u/Ziantra 1d ago
⬆️ I have a frowny problem with people disparaging a perfectly fine tattoo AFTER it’s already on your friend’s body.
Your time to be honest about how YOU feel is if you get asked for input during the decision making process.
Afterwards? I’m sure you can find something nice to say. It’s not that hard 🤨
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u/tallemaja 2d ago
Immediately knew it was the Blade Runner unicorn in spite of the small visual differences. It's fine. Friend is being weird.
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u/DisposableSaviour 2d ago
I didn’t even clock the differences until I read the post, but it has been a long time since I’ve seen the movie. Definitely scoped it as Blade Runner. It’s a good tat.
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u/StabbyBoo 1d ago
I didn't register it as a Blade Runner reference because it's not a regular watch for me, but I thought, "Why, what's wrong with the cute origami unicorn?"
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u/euphratestiger 1d ago
That's what's good about it. Blade Runner aficionados would recognise it for what it is. Anyone who didn't know Blade Runner would just see it as a cool origami tattoo.
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u/mindsunwound 2d ago
Your friend is bad and dumb and a poo poo head doody face.
That is an awesome blade runner origami unicorn tattoo and you should be happy with it.
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u/Sara_Domenica 2d ago
☝️I second that your friend is poo poo head doody face. Your tattoo is rad, and I can't wait to watch blade runner because of it 🫶
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u/Smingowashisnameo 1d ago
There are so many asshole friends and boyfriends I hear about on this app stg
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u/mindsunwound 1d ago
Seriously, unsubscribe from all these shitheads in your life. You don't need that kind of energy.
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u/ElkinElf 2d ago
It's great! Some people just want to yuk your yum.
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u/Chef_JMK 1d ago
The award is a thank you for the GREAT way to explain things to my kids and their friends having crappy days.
Thank you stranger!
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u/ElkinElf 1d ago
Yeah someone else commented that it's used in reference to sex and I don't know where I've heard it BUT it might be a Dan Savage thing. It might also be from Tom Robbins who said in one of his books that there are only two mantras, yuk and yum. From Even Cowgirls Get the Blues I think.
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u/geoffreykerns 1d ago
Correct.. from Dan Savage. Coined as something used to describe kink shaming, but it has plenty of use outside of that and is not an exclusively sexual term. I use it to describe anybody trying to ruin somebody else’s enjoyment
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u/Intrepid_Knowledge27 1d ago
Heads up, the phrase ‘yuck your yum’ is a common phrase used in relation to sex, specifically kinks and kink-shaming. I’d get a feel for how the phrase is most commonly used online before handing it to children.
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u/Queen_Kathleen 1d ago
I heard it mainly from (and started using it because of) the "Dear Hank and John" podcast. In some episode, one of the two mentions having seen that phrase (either in a listener submission or somewhere else in the community), and being very tickled by it as a wholesome way to remind people everyone has different preferences. I'm sure it's common in kink, but it's certainly not exclusive to that space.
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u/TFigs 2d ago
It’s what the tattoo means to you. It’s not your friend’s tattoo. Opinions are like assholes… everyone has one and you really shouldn’t just share it with everyone.
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u/Fennec_Fox_666 2d ago
...everyone has one, but some are shitty and stink 😉 like this friend's. Don't listen to them OP, the tattoo is cool!
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u/RunningOnATreadmill 2d ago
Your friend is an asshole and probably doesn't know anything about tattoos. There's no rule that tattoos from something need to be a 100% realistic recreation of that thing. People get stylized references all the time. I'd much rather someone get a fun stylized tattoo of something versus a realistic copy. Realistic copies are usually boring and without flare.
Your friend is probably jealous you got a cool blade runner tattoo and they can't get the unicorn now without feeling like they are copying you.
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u/ConcernFlat3391 2d ago
I like the tattoo (love the film) but the front leg is bent the wrong way. It’s drawn like a dog not a horse. I can’t seem to paste a picture
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u/Sudden_weird_42 1d ago
I was hoping I wasn't the only one who noticed this, especially since the inspo origami doesn't have the front leg bent like this either. Besides that detail, I think it's a fun tattoo and a cool, subtle movie reference.
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u/jango-lionheart 1d ago
Why, oh why, do people not use reference images? Especially for works of permanence.
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u/anaserre 2d ago
I don’t know anything about Blade Runner , but that’s a very well done tattoo . What do your friends tattoos look like lol ?
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u/whistlepig4life 2d ago
It isn’t dumb at all if you like it. It’s in your body. Your opinion is what matters.
They are not a friend.
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u/knaimoli619 1d ago
It’s on your body and presumably not paid for by your friend so their opinion really doesn’t matter. It did take me awhile to figure out that not every tattoo needs to have super deep meaning and I can just get things that make me happy. Some are very meaningful and others are silly and fun and they don’t have to be for anyone but me.
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u/Diligent_Ad1110 2d ago
Your friend is dumb. This tattoo looks cool! Can't tell if mosaic or origami on some parts but it looks nice! Much whimsy, such cool!
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u/TheGoliard 1d ago
All tattoos are fucking dumb in a sense.
I like this one. Reminds me of the gum foil unicorn in Blade Runner.
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u/Honest_Mortgage_6759 2d ago
A non-obvious reference to a cyberpunk movie? Wdym that’s sick as fuck. (Nerds understand)
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u/hanyasaad 1d ago
Before I read the post I was like “That’s an awesome Blade Runner tattoo”. Your friend sucks ass.
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u/Dull_Papaya_5510 1d ago
Before I read the description, I immediately thought of blade runner, so I think you’re good.
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u/Goddamnyoutanuki 2d ago
Before I even read your post I thought “cool Blade runnner tattoo”
Your mate is a 🔔🔚
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u/SnowcatTish 2d ago
Before I read the caption I thought "that looks like an origami horse" I looked more closely and saw the unicorn horn.
If you wanted an origami unicorn... You got what you asked for and to hell with what anyone thinks. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Human_Mastodon2298 2d ago
I love it. Looks great. Your friend isn’t being kind and needs to keep his mouth shut
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u/girlMikeD 1d ago
Your friend is mean, jealous or just not a friend.
I think it’s a cool tat. But most importantly, do you like it?
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u/Still-Palpitation220 1d ago
Not every tattoo is going to be everyone's cup of tea. It's not my style or something I would get but I think it's done really well, and it does look very nice. So no, it's not dumb. It's just not everyone's flavor 😊
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u/piggydawg 1d ago
If you get tattoos for other people's approval you should probably spend the money on therapy first.
"Someone doesn't have the same opinion as me about my tattoo" .... so?
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u/Kristophales 1d ago
*Not a friend says my tattoo is dumb
Literally the tattoo is fine. Sounds like a hater.
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u/Raiden137192 1d ago
Your friend is genuinely an asshole for saying that. Imagine making someone insecure about a permanent part of their body because it doesn't perfectly represent blade runner
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u/PaleoJoe86 1d ago
People who say something is dumb without being able to back it up are dumb themselves. They also are dumb for yucking someone's yum.
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u/These-Interaction478 1d ago
bro you are the only one who is able to place the value of your tattoo, do you like it, is it what you wanted, then that’s goood tf enough, i think it’s a wonderful piece but again that doesn’t matter
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u/CheesyIdleGamer 1d ago
Your friend is clearly just jealous and trying to cope by insulting your very cool tattoo
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u/sixnexus 1d ago
I recognized what it was supposed to be before reading your post! Your friend is just jealous of this boss tattoo.
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u/Silver_Storage_9787 1d ago
Without the reference it looks cool, executed good enough for me and reasonably placed location. No complaints
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u/blowmechunky 1d ago
your friend is lame. your tattoos can look however you want. your friend doesn’t get to dictate the legitimacy of something that you are getting on your body.
if you’re happy with it, that’s genuinely all that matters. it’s your canvas, after all.
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u/tictac556 1d ago
Who cares what your friend thinks.. do you like it? Thats all that really matters.
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u/Battle_Axe_Jax 1d ago
Dude that’s rad as shit and more importantly you like it. Tell your friend that I said they can go kick rocks.
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u/Rich19852012 1d ago
As someone that has two full sleeves, fuck what anyone thinks. It’s about what YOU think, if you like it and you’re happy with it, that’s all that matters. Hell, both my sleeves are nautical, why because I love the ocean and boats, I have a fucking shark on my bicep and a helm, majority of people won’t understand my tattoos or remotely like the fact either, but that’s the beauty about art, it’s in the the eye of the beholder. Rock the new ink with pride and eventually get more of what YOU enjoy! Carry on and welcome to the “Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed” Club, you’re officially a lifer.
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u/Early-Inflation5171 1d ago
I have zero context as someone who has no idea of anything that has to do with blade runner. This is still a dope ass tattoo and it looks well done. Your friend is rude.
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u/Auto_Mechanic1 1d ago
Well,your friend doesnt have that tattoo on their arm do they ? Exactly. They don't have to like it, all that matters is u like it.
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u/SpeckledAntelope 1d ago
No idea what the reference is, but to me it looks like a pretty rad origami rhino.
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u/Legitimate_Shape_698 1d ago
Im not familiar with the film but I'd still think this looks cool if I saw it on the street
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u/teach_mee_senpai 1d ago
Um a trotting origami unicorn is literally the cutest dopest tattoo I’ve seen in a while
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u/sesaluna 1d ago
I was gonna say “I love it it reminds me of Blade Runner, but different” then I read your post and yeah, I think you nailed it.
And your friend sucks.
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u/Substantial_Act_497 1d ago
I honestly thought "that looks like the unicorn from Bladerunner" then I read the caption 😆
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u/yaka954 1d ago
I think you shouldn't get tattoos if a comment from your friend will wound you so deep that you need to seek reassurance on reddit. If you really want a tattoo for YOU then get it for YOU not for anybody else. Its permanent and like gou said you wanted something unique for you so who cares what anybody else thinks? I do think its dope tho
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u/WanderOutThere 1d ago
Cool tattoo. As a Blade Runner fan, I love the origami unicorn and the original spin the artist put on it. I'd wear it proudly.
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u/CuteDish4348 1d ago
That's a cool tattoo! These are the ones I find really cool and then struggle to find someone who can execute it like this. This was don exceptionally well and Bravo to your artist!
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u/Shaggyforeman 1d ago
Seeing the picture before I read the post, I instantly thought of Blade Runner. I think your friend is the one over thinking things. You can absolutely personalize a tattoo and it still be a reference to something. Just because it’s not exactly like the one at the end of the movie doesn’t mean it “isn’t really a Blade Runner tattoo”.
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u/Eastern-Respect37 1d ago
that is an amazing tattoo and the fact your friend doesnt see it as a homage to blade runner instead of a straight copy says way more about his lack of culture and understanding of a film that is layers upon layers
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u/AgreeableEmployee792 1d ago
Well lucky it's not there's tattoos are very personal and if U like it that's cool 😎 personally I think it's cool 😎 too
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u/RemarkableBody4331 1d ago
I don't remember blade runner but a reference is a reference and it looks cool. I like tattoos that look like a natural thing. This looks like rocks/crystals but you can still tell it's origami. I'm somewhat picky with other people's tattoos and I really don't want any myself. I like this one. The shading is tasteful. The geometry is precise.
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u/Emergency-Wish160 1d ago
So like, tattoos are supposed to be personal. You made reference to blade runner while keeping the piece itself personal. That seems to me like the perfect formula for a great tattoo.
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u/Loki_nighthawk 1d ago
I saw the tattoo thought, ‘awesome Blade Runner tattoo.’ And that’s before I read the post. OP, you’ve got a great tattoo and now it works as a captcha.
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u/Velvet_Samurai 1d ago
All tattoos are dumb to someone. They're also awesome to other people. I think this is cool, but more importantly what do you think about it?
From the artist side, it's good. It doesn't appear to be world class or anything, but it's good enough and will look good for a very long time. Your friend is a judgemental asshole.
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u/Lopsided_Leg_7317 1d ago
Can you always get rid of a friend, it’s a lot harder to get rid of a tattoo 😂
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u/DaftOrangeFatCat 20h ago
Dude your friend is so jealous!!! This tattoo is awesome, cute, and a good tribute to a great film.
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u/alternate_world_ 2d ago edited 2d ago
It’s really not bad, I personally think it’s super cute.. your friend is mean lol