There are so many things that make you "you," and I think one of the most idiosyncratic is the way you sign your name. Whether you dot your Is with hearts or cross your Zs, the little particularities of your signature are special. Those who try to forge it are often no-good scammers after your credit card info, your soul, or your love for Nier creator Yoko Taro.
None of it is fair. None of it is right. "What's in a name?" asks Juliet. The keys to your house, Shakespeare! So, Yoko Taro offers fans some sagely advice: don't buy random, $250 signatures purporting to be his online, because they might not be.
"This autograph is a fake," Yoko responds on Twitter to a post sharing a Vinted link for a supposedly signed copy of the Nier Reincarnation soundtrack. "I include small unknown features in my real autographs to prevent reselling, so I can tell when one isn't genuine."
"I've confirmed that nearly half of the autographs being resold are actually fake," he continues, "so please don't buy them."
He, rightfully, doesn't explain what kind of "small unknown features" he adds to his real autographs to be able to distinguish them from imitations, but I'm guessing they might be deliberate imperfections. Or, perhaps Yoko Taro only feels like he's being "authentic" when he is – reportedly – "trembling" while signing his name on a young woman's thigh.
In any case, keep your money unless you verify a signed item is the real deal, or you're in front of Yoko Taro himself – in which case you can take out both your money and your thighs.
