Pokémon illustrator Naoki Saito is victim of stalking
Recently, Pokémon illustrator Naoki Saito took to Twitter to report that he has been the victim of harassment from people who want to profit from his signature.
Pokémon cards are highly desired items by people, often causing an individual to act in a completely insane way to get them.
And Naoki Saito is an illustrator known for his designs in Pokémon Sun and Moon, as well as numerous designs in Pokémon Trading Card Game, and that’s where these individuals come in who stalk the artist and do everything to get his signature and then profit from it. .
Pokémon illustrator Naoki Saito is victim of stalking
For example, among the cards that Saitou illustrated, we have ”Lillie (Extra Battle Day)” and ”Ganba Lillie” which are among the most expensive cards on the market due to their rarity.
And there have also been cases of copies signed by Saito being resold for absurdly high prices, exceeding 100 thousand dollars, something that has Saito’s own disapproval.
Check out some card designs from Pokémon illustrator Naoki Saito below:
Regarding the persecution case, Saito begins by mentioning that he always took pleasure in distributing autographs to fans and did his best to respond to all requests.
However, Saito reveals that he was the victim of organized persecutions and ambushes on several occasions over the past year. These incidents mainly occurred at the end of events he attended, and included being followed in a car and surrounded by 5 or 6 people at the same time.
【サインについてのお知らせ】
これまでサインを求められた際、僕としてもお声をかけて下さる事はとてもうれしいので、なるべく全てに応じておりました。…— さいとう なおき🍀 (@_NaokiSaito) February 25, 2024
Individuals also attempted to inquire about his schedule under false names. Saito states that the acts have been increasing in a way that makes him feel in danger and that he will no longer sign autographs in person until the situation is resolved.
Writer and editor Shinya Kusaka who was with Saito during the most recent stalking incident also spoke about this problem, mentioning how these people seemed skilled at following the author by car, even following the author into narrow alleys.
昨日、さいとうなおきさんが出演するイベントに参加させていただき、その後、打ち上げ会場に車で移動しました。
我々が会場を出ると不審な3人組の外国籍らしい男が出待ちをしていました。彼らは慌てた様子で白い車に乗り込み、追跡してきました。… https://t.co/TWHmZCq8b0— 草下シンヤ/作家･編集者 (@kusakashinya) February 25, 2024
He says that the behavior of these people who tirelessly try to coerce Saio into signing autographs has caused serious damage to his mental health. Apparently, such individuals even resort to lying about ”sick family members” to obtain autographs, but they always ask for several copies, which makes clear the intention of trying to get rich with the items signed by Naoki Saito.
via Automaton