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Amazon.com: A Perfect Day for Love Letters 2 (Perfect Day for Love Letters (Graphic Novels)): Books: George AsakuraA Perfect Day For Love Letters 2 is a collection of short stories by George Asakura. It's a nice thick volume with six different stories with one common thread. There is some kind of love letter involved. This continues from the theme of the first volume, though that one was a bit more lyrical and romantic then this one. (From what I remember, it's been a while since I read that.)
If I had to describe the overall theme of all the stories it would be "learning to be honest." Even the bonus story that didn't have a love letter has that as a theme. In some stories it's adolescent awkwardness that makes you say something that's opposite from what you feel, or anger and jealousy making you dishonest. The stories range from romantic, sweet, painful and sad. I love me some short stories, especially well crafted ones like these. It's hard to tell a complete and meaningful story in just a 30 pages.
One thing I really like is the different forms the love letters take. Fax, cell phone emails, video tapes, exchange journals and even actual letters! I think the first story with the faxes was my favorite. I really liked the image of all the faxes pegged up on the wall, even though it was never drawn out fully. Asakura's artwork is rough, and inconsistent. At times the characters look out of proportion and oddly placed in their frames, other times the artwork seems sophisticated and carefully artless.
I'd almost like to see these stories redone with an artist that has a more polished style. But then I wonder if taking away the awkward artwork would detract from the story. So much of it feels like adolescent angst that the gangly and spare artwork seems to fit.
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