'Awakening' — and the first compound most Japanese people think of is methamphetamine.

What a Japanese person actually thinks
Split badly. Anime fans get 'protagonist unlocks new power'; everyone else gets the nightly news drug bust. Neither is what you meant.

Meaning

Literally: awaken + wake from
Actually: Awakening, coming to consciousness. Used in anime for power-ups, and in the news as 覚醒剤 — stimulant drugs, i.e. meth.

Scores

Naturalness●●●●●

Correct word.

Coolness●●●●●

Two dense, handsome characters. The associations are what sink it.

Watch out

high覚醒剤 (kakuseizai) is the standard Japanese word for stimulant narcotics. It's in the news constantly, and it's only one character away from your tattoo.

Get this instead

悟 satori
enlightenment; sudden understanding

The Zen term for actual awakening. One character, real depth, no drug association.
開眼 kaigen
opening the eyes; grasping something at last

Used when a craftsman or artist finally understands their art. Earned rather than granted.

On skin

覚醒

Orientation: vertical

Mincho.