Small motifs, but with a lot of character: the next 20 soot man tattoo ideas will take you into the world of anime films and will certainly enchant you. The cute little black Susuwatari have captured the hearts of Japanese cartoons worldwide.
Sooty Man Tattoo: Where do the Susuwatari come from?
The sooty men (Susuwatari) are small, furry creatures that inhabit buildings and temples abandoned by humans. There they make themselves comfortable, especially in attics and dark corners.
Photo: Instagram /eden_tattoo_
Susawatari are closely connected to the world of spirits. However, these are not evil spirits or spooky creatures, but rather neutral creatures.
In the anime films they can fly and have arms and feet. If you touch them, they disappear. In a cartoon they are useful helpers who help people work in a coal mine.
The sooty men have become popular in western countries especially through the films “Zen: Grogu and the Sooty Men”, “Spirited Away” and “My Neighbor Totoro”.
Susawatari Cited
Susawatari are apopular tattoo motif. They are good spirits who maintain and support the relationship between the spirits from the afterlife and humans. In the cartoons they are also the first sign that you are about to experience something extraterrestrial and that the gate to the afterlife has been opened.
Friendship tattoos with soot men
In the films, Susawatari are also really good friends. They support the people who have earned their trust and who are good to them. Therefore they are a popular oneSymbol of friendship. They are also super cute and ideal as a motif for the wrist, shoulder or even foot.
Tattoo ideas for couples
They are also very loyal to the people they like. Therefore, the sooty men symbolize the longevity of a relationship, whether it is love or friendship.
Since these are simple, monochrome motifs, they can be perfectly combined with other tattoos and therefore fit any style.
Combination with other motifs from anime films
With the magical creature Totoro
The soot men can be easily combined with other motifs from anime films. For example with Totoro, a peaceful creature from the film “My Neighbor Totoro” who lives in the Tsukamori Forest.
With the cat Jiji
Or with the cat Jiji, who became famous in the cartoon “Kiki's Little Delivery Service”. He can talk and is a loyal companion to the little witch Kiki.
Nowadays, the cat enjoys great popularity among fans of Japanese Gibri films. He is often depicted on tattoos with soot men and stars.
With Calcifer – the sweet fire demon
Yes, it's true - in Japanese cartoons, even otherwise scary creatures are portrayed as sweet and cute. The fire demon Calcifer is therefore drawn as a flame and is often accompanied by the soot men.
Which parts of the body are suitable for a small tattoo?
Tattoos less than 3 cm in diameter are considered small. They don't catch the eye and appear rather subtle. The motifs are simple, mostly black and white. But you can group several small tattoos. Where can you get a motif like this engraved? Anywhere on the body you can have a tattoo. The small motifs often adorn the forearm, wrist, leg, area behind the ear, shoulder and neck. Take a look at the variants in the photo gallery and get inspired!
The sooty men are often depicted together with stars
They are considered magical creatures and are faithful companions of witches, demons and ghosts
They are not evil creatures, but they mostly hide in dark corners
Tattoo motifs with stars and flowers are popular
They are suitable for the forearm or wrist
Sooty men are also combined with different zodiac signs
Template for the different zodiac signs
