In The Walnut (Yaoi) Paperback – January 26, 2010

In the Walnut is a rundown art gallery that specializes in selling and uncovering the truth behind famous works of art. The gallery is run by a young man who is lazy, disheveled, rude, but is an art genius. His name is Tanizaki and he loves art. He doesn't look very professional but really knows his pieces of art and his art history.This series is one of my top favorites by Toko Kawai. Its written in an episodic fashion where each chapter can stand alone unless its to be continued. The two main characters, Tanizaki and Nakai, are already an established couple so there's none of the repetitive uke being confused about his sexuality and the seme putting unnecessary pressure on the uke. The two don't flaunt their love but its shown on several occasions. Its sometimes subtle, sometimes its blatant but everytime its sweet.There is also alot of famous artist featured and some made up ones but all the art featured were pieces I'd never seen or didn't know them as well as I thought I did.Definitely pick this one up and don't forget vol. 2 which is also out now.

I enjoyed it, and will be loaning it to some fellow yaoi friends.

Brooklyner has given a great review on this one. As for myself, Toko Kawai is a must have and I am glad DMP has released most if not all of her works.Finally we have the story of Tanizaki and Nakai who were first introduced at the end of Our Everlasting 2. I love both characters.Tanizaki is such an interesting guy, sloven and laid back in appearance but really smart, a deep thinker and intriguing. And course handsome and cool. I am sure there will be more on his pasts in Vol 2. As for Nakai, he has an open personality and your sweet uke and his unquestioned love and passion for Tanizaki makes him especially appealing.Here are 3 stories as a buried mystery, a child's hope and the spite of a vengeful mind are laid to rest by Tanizaki's skills in art forgery whether it is for better or worse.The first story on a dead artist's painting is bittersweet as unfulfilled love leads to robbery of said painting. And it is up to Tanizaki to reveal the mystery and maybe helps the one left behind to heal.The second story is filled with youthful innocence. A neglected child is plagued by guilt over his sick sister who is on the verge of turning blind. Maybe a little lie is the answer or maybe not. This story may seem simple and may not be for the cynical but it is imbued with a sweet sadness. And Nakai's ramblings over his own action towards the end just add a bit more. My favorite is the last story. It is the longest, very well done, with a darker tone yet laced with a touch of melancholy. Tanizaki's skills in art forgery are tested to its limit here when his dead grandfather's bitter rival laid a sinister trap out to bankrupt "In the Walnut". Given to him by his dead grandfather, Tanizaki is not about to let his art gallery fail. Tanizaki turns the table on his bitter rival but in the process he has to involve Nakai in his plot and just might hurt Nakai's innocence and deep love for him.I love the chemistry between Tanizaki and Nakai. Nakai is open with his love but also filled with insecurity now and then at Tanizaki's seemingly unconcerned attitude. But it is no doubt that Tanizaki loves Nakai in his own ways amidst the teasing. After all Nakai was the main reason Tanizaki abandoned his lucrative modeling career even if Nakai has a hand in it. But knowing Tanizaki's character, he is not someone who cares for such status in the entertaining world.This book at over 230 pages is especially thick. The last 40 pages include a reprint of their little story at the end of Our Everlasting 2 as well as new revelations on their earlier days. For me this is an added bonus as now we have their whole story compiled. We get to know how Tanizaki ended up owing "In the Walnut" and I hope the reason for his bitterness when attending his grandfather's funeral will be revealed in future volumes.Toko Kawai is a wonderful mangaka. Her stories have depth and are laced with sensitivity and "In The Walnut" is no exception. Even if lacking the really explicit scenes, In the Walnut excels because of its story lines, deep feelings and such appealing characters in Tanizaki and Nakai. And I just love her expressive artwork.I hope Vol 2 will be released as schedule and even that may not be the end of this couple.

In the Walnut--interesting name, right? -- is a special kind of art gallery. Run by Tanizaki, the gallery will do such things as restore art and sell it. Or destroy art. Or get involved with solving museum thefts. It's all in a day's work.Tanizaki gets some help from his partner, Nakai, a cute black-haired young man who wants to be a filmmaker. For part of the book Nakai seems more like a secondary character, only to take considerably more limelight partway through. Both men are of the artistic temperament and balance each other out well as they pursue different types of dreams. Tanizaki tries to explain Minimalism to an unappreciative Nakai, while Nakai does what he can to remind Tanizaki to bathe and shave. Because Tanizaki really does need to bathe and shave more often.There's not much plot here, as it feels more like following the two main characters along. If a reader is into the characters, it's all well and good, but it's not really for someone who wants a strong plot. In the Walnut feels like a collection of short stories, and in the beginning those stories are all about art. The latter part of the book changes course, flashing back to show how Tanizaki and Nakai first got together. These different segments have different feels and could almost be different books.Art fans in particular might enjoy the references to such notables as Klee (whose work is featured on the cover) and Gainsborough. One story involves a boy trying to copy Klee's work to please his sister, who might be going blind. Another story arc deals with a forgery of Gainsborough and what Tanizaki and Nakai are going to do about it. Perhaps the most touching story is the first one, which involves a made-up Minimalist artist who dies of AIDS. One of his paintings is stolen, then later shows back up when someone asks Tanizaki to remove the paint from it. But how can Tanizaki destroy the art of someone he admires so much? And, furthermore, why would someone want to destroy the painting? The answer is surprisingly touching and understandable once it's explained.In the Walnut earns a 16+ rating, and it just gets that from the latter part of the book, where Tanizaki and Nakai hook up. Both fans of shonen-ai and fans of the art world would be prime readers for this teen series.-- Danica Davidson

Great! :)

In the Walnut ist die Geschichte von Hideo Tanizaki, dem Besitzer einer kleinen Galerie, die er von seinem Großvater geerbt hat und Sohei Nakai, der sein Glück als freischaffender Kameramann versucht. Beide kennen sich seit der Kunstschule und sind seit dem unzertrennlich.Eines Tages, während sie ein Museum in Nagano besuchen, wird eines der Kunstwerke des Künstlers Lui Shiina gestohlen. Dieses taucht kurz darauf bei Tanizaki in der Galerie zur Restauration auf. Dieser stellt seinen Auftraggeber erst zur Rede, bevor er das gestohlene Bild bei der Polizei meldet. So kommt heraus, dass der Bilderdieb ein ehemaliger Klassenkamerad Shiina's ist und das sie eine besondere Art von Freundschaft verbunden hat. Warum aber Shiina diesen Freund plötzlich hinter sich lässt und ohne ein Wort zu sagen nach New York auswandert, lest selbst.In der nächsten Geschichte geht es um den kleinen Jungen Ryota und seine Zwillingsschwester Arisa. Diesem begegnen Tanizaki und Nakai zufällig im Krankenhaus, wo Tanizaki Nakai abholt, nach dem dieser bei einem Fotoshooting von einem Hausdach gefallen ist. Ryota will seiner Schwester, vor einer gefährlichen Augenoperation, ihren sehnlichsten Wunsch erfüllen. Einmal ihr Lieblingsbild von 'Paul Klee' im Original sehen zu können. Wie Ryota das erreichen will und ob dies gelingt, soll hier noch nicht verraten werden.Die dritte und längste Geschichte in diesem Band handelt davon, dass Nanba ebenfalls Besitzer einer Kunstgalerie und ein alter Rivale Tanizaki's Großvater versucht nun dessen vermeidlich unwissenden Enkel, mit einem gefälschten Bild, übers Ohr zu hauen. Erst am Ende wird klar, wer hier wen an der Nase herumgeführt hat!Das Spezial 'My Beautiful World' erzählt die Geschichte wie Hideo Tanizaki und Sohei Nakai sich an der Kunstschule kennenlernen. Bis sie ein Paar werden ist der Weg lang und steinig, aber auch sehr amüsant durch verschiedene Missverständnisse und Umwege ;)Toko Kawai liefert mit diesem Buch mal wieder eine wunderbare Arbeit ab, in der sie den Schwerpunkt auf die leisen Töne und die Zwischenmenschlichen - Beziehungen legt. Wer eine actionreiche und mit erotischen Szenen versehene Geschichte sucht, ist mit diesem Buch falsch beraten und sollte sich lieber etwas anderes kaufen.Auch wenn der Schwerpunkt dieses Buches in der ersten Hälfte nicht auf den Hauptcharakteren liegt, sondern bei den Menschen und ihren Schicksalen auf die sie treffen, fesselt es einen schon nach wenigen Seiten. Jede dieser Geschichten regt zum nachdenken an und ist, auch wenn sie scheinbar nur an der Oberfläche bleiben, tiefgründig.In der zweiten Hälfte geht es um den versuchten Betrug von Nanba und weil dieser für einen Laien (für mein empfinden) zu sehr ins Fachchinesisch abdriftet, was für das Verständnis der Geschichte nicht unbedingt nötig ist und den Leser eher behindert, als den Lesefluss zu fördern, gibt es auch nur 4 Sterne. Ansonsten eine Kaufempfehlung von mir an die 'erwachsenen' Leser unter uns und an alle Fans von Toko Kawai sowieso ;)