CGC Artist Showcase: Haru Akasaka

When it comes to trading cards, the artwork featured is — to put it mildly — significant. Some collectors focus their collections on a particular artist (or artists) due to a preference in art style, proving just how impactful an artist’s work is to a product’s success.

The CGC Artist Showcase series is a celebration of these artists’ accomplishments and contributions to our favorite TCGs. In this installment we showcase Haru Akasaka, who signed cards as part of a CGC Signature Series signing event in China last year.

About Haru Akasaka

Haru Akasaka is a freelance artist who has contributed artwork to a variety of projects, including the Pokémon Trading Card Game. He is a relatively new contributor to the Pokémon TCG, with his first card having been released in the Crown Zenith (more on that later). Additionally, Akasaka provides artwork for merchandise offered by Animals Pedal, a Japanese music and sound retailer.

In December 2024, CGC Signature Series had the honor of collaborating with Akasaka and Trickard — a Chinese card company based in Shanghai — for a signing event, where all cards signed by Akasaka were witnessed and certified by CGC and encapsulated with the yellow CGC Signature Series label. Akasaka signed dozens of cards for submitters at the event — here are some of our favorites.

Zamazenta V – VSTAR Universe

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This Zamazenta V special art rare was the first card illustrated by Haru Akasaka to be published in the Pokémon TCG. Akasaka made his debut in a big way — his full-art Zamazenta illustration perfectly captures the legendary Pokémon’s majesty, complete with deep reds and an abstract tone that complements Zamazenta’s mysterious nature throughout most of Pokémon Shield’s storyline.

This Zamazenta V from the Japanese VSTAR Universe set is a fan-favorite, and Akasaka was kind enough to sign several copies for fans before they were sent to CGC for grading and encapsulation. This example received a grade of CGC Pristine 10 and Auto 10.

Houndoom – Obsidian Flames

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Akasaka has continued to provide more illustrations for the Pokémon TCG, including this Houndoom from the English Obsidian Flames set. Several fans have praised the artwork, comparing it to a graphic novel-style painting. The card received a grade of CGC 8 and Auto 10.

Lightning Energy – Japanese McDonald’s e Minimum Pack

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While Akasaka didn’t illustrate the Lightning Energy on the card, he did sign the card and left a small sketch of a crab underneath his signature. It is possible that Akasaka leaves sketches of animals below signatures because of their connection to Animals Pedal. Or he may just love animals! This card received a grade of CGC 8.5 and Auto 10.

If you liked these cards featuring Haru Akasaka’s artwork, be sure to check out his Twitter or Pixiv for more illustrations. Also, keep an eye out for more CGC Artist Showcase columns in the future.

About Trickard

Trickard is one of China’s foremost providers of trading cards and hobby supplies. Trickard has hosted more than 20,000 auctions since their founding and is one of eBays top rated sellers. In addition to hosting online auctions for rare Pokémon cards and other TCGs, Trickard also serves as an Authorized Dealer for CGC, allowing submitters in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong to submit their cards safely and securely to CGC for expert authentication, grading and encapsulation.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.