 = The One I Love ( manga ) = 
 
 The One I Love ( Japanese : <unk> , Hepburn : <unk> no <unk> ) is a romantic , slice @-@ of @-@ life <unk> ( targeted towards girls ) manga by Clamp , an all @-@ female , manga artist team consisting of <unk> <unk> , Mokona , Tsubaki Nekoi , and <unk> Ohkawa . Appearing as a monthly serial in the Japanese manga magazine Monthly Young Rose from December 1993 to June 1995 , the twelve stories were collected into a bound volume by Kadokawa Shoten and published in July 1995 . The One I Love contains twelve independent manga stories , each focusing on an aspect of love and accompanied by an essay . Ohkawa wrote the essays while Nekoi illustrated the manga ; it was the first time she primarily illustrated a manga by Clamp . Some of the stories draw on the life experiences of the women while others take inspiration from conversations they had with friends . 
 In 2003 , Tokyopop licensed The One I Love for an English @-@ language translation in North America , and published it in October 2004 . <unk> Media republished the manga in February 2015 . The manga has also been translated into other languages . Reviewers have identified a few themes in the collection . They had a range of reactions to The One I Love : some considered it heartfelt entertainment , while others reviewed it less positively , as a badly done take on romance . 
 
 = = Plot = = 
 
 Each story of The One I Love consists of seven pages of manga and an accompanying essay . 
 " Different " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl asks to meet her boyfriend in the park after they have had a fight . She wants to apologize , but she does not know what to say . She wears a <unk> instead . When she meets her boyfriend , she finds that he is dressed up too ; he had the same idea as she did . 
 " <unk> " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl reflects on the word " cute " with her boyfriend . She cannot visualize " cute , " so she does not understand why it makes her happy when he says that she is cute . 
 " I Miss You " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl has doubts about staying with her boyfriend , who has a very demanding work schedule . In the end , he <unk> work to visit her , and she decides that their romantic relationship will work out . 
 " A Younger Man " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A young woman working at a bakery reflects on a past unsuccessful relationship with a younger man . In the end , a younger bakery worker asks her on a date , and she is hopeful that their romantic relationship will work out . 
 " Suddenly " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl working in a design company thinks about her past relationships , and one of her <unk> , whom she does not get along with . When a design job goes wrong and that <unk> offers his ideas , she realizes that she is in love with him . 
 " Together " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl reflects on her childhood <unk> , who introduced her to playing the harmonica . 
 " Pretty " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl <unk> as she decides what to wear to meet her boyfriend . When she is late to meet him , she realizes that her boyfriend always thinks she is pretty no matter what she wears . 
 " <unk> " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl has a dream about her boyfriend ending their relationship , and she is worried that it is a premonition . 
 " Courage " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A girl confesses her love on Valentine 's Day . 
 " Normal " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A young woman has doubts about getting married to her boyfriend . In the end , she realizes that even if they marry , nothing will change between them . 
 " Apart " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A young woman wonders if her long @-@ distance boyfriend is being faithful . In the end , she finds out that he is very dedicated to her . 
 " Marriage " ( <unk> , <unk> ) : A young woman about to be married is nervous about her future . She is worried that she might change , but her husband <unk> her that they will change together . 
 
 = = Development = = 
 
 The One I Love was developed by Clamp — the all @-@ female , manga artist team consisting of <unk> <unk> , Mokona , Tsubaki Nekoi , and <unk> Ohkawa . The group decided on the theme of romance after considering the target audience of the manga magazine Monthly Young Rose , whose editors had asked them for a manga . For The One I Love , Ohkawa wrote the essays , and Nekoi illustrated the manga , the first time she primarily illustrated a series for the group . For costumes , Ohkawa used " <unk> non @-@ no Olive " as a reference . Additionally , the preview panels of each story featured different visual motifs , primarily girls and animals . In retrospective , Nekoi self @-@ <unk> thought that her illustrations of the female protagonists , including working women , made them resemble junior high students . 
 Some of the stories in The One I Love contain autobiographical elements . " Different " and " <unk> " draw on Ohkawa 's personal experiences , while " Together " draws on Mokona 's . Additionally , " Suddenly " is based on her admiration of manga artist <unk> <unk> 's dedication to his fans . " Normal " , " Apart " , and " <unk> " were inspired by Ohkawa 's conversations with friends , and " I Miss You " has its origins in a conversation with manga artist <unk> Takeshi , who rarely saw his girlfriend because of his work . " A Younger Man " stems from Ohkawa 's conversation with actor <unk> <unk> and his thoughts on men and age in a relationship . In contrast , " Courage " appeared as a Valentine 's Day story in the February issue of Young Rose ; Clamp rarely had opportunities to create seasonal stories , as the magazine that typically serialized their work did not run seasonal stories . 
 
 = = Release = = 
 
 Written and illustrated by Clamp , the stories of The One I Love appeared as a monthly serial in Monthly Young Rose from December 1993 to June 1995 . Kadokawa Shoten collected the stories into a bound volume , and published it on July 16 , 1995 . 
 In 2003 , Tokyopop announced that it had licensed The One I Love for an English @-@ language translation , along with four other manga by Clamp ; it published The One I Love on October 12 , 2004 . However , on May 31 , 2011 , Tokyopop shut down its publishing branch in North America , with all of its Japanese manga licenses returned . <unk> Media digitally republished the manga on February 10 , 2015 . The One I Love has also been translated into other languages , including French by <unk> <unk> , and German by Egmont Manga & Anime . 
 
 = = Reception = = 
 
 A reviewer for Anime News Network , Mikhail <unk> wrote that readers would have various reactions to The One I Love : he felt that some would regard it as " charming " and others would find it upsetting that the female protagonists were primarily defined by their worry over their relationships . While considering it one of Clamp 's minor works , he stated that it was " unusual " for including some colored pages when the majority of manga is printed in black and white ; being a slice @-@ of @-@ life manga ; and featuring Tsubaki Nekoi 's art , as prior to the time of his review , most of their works translated into English had been drawn by another member of Clamp . <unk> wrote that " insecurity and self @-@ doubt " served as the theme of the anthology . Johanna Draper Carlson , a reviewer for Publishers Weekly , wrote that some of the stories were worrisome , particularly one that she felt " <unk> having an interest in whatever your boyfriend likes , " and contained stereotypes as a result of limited space . She also stated that the essays included <unk> about women and " quickly become redundant . " In Manga : The Complete Guide , Mason Templar suggested a possible theme of being one 's self in relationships , but felt that it appeared " almost anti @-@ feminist in execution , " as only the female characters underwent a change in behavior . Templar rated the series one @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half out of four stars , and criticized it as a <unk> take on romance ; Templar suggested <unk> <unk> , <unk> , or Man of Many Faces as better examples of Clamp 's romantic manga . A reviewer of the French edition wrote that repetitive nature of the stories detracted from the manga 's appeal , and made for a " laborious " reading experience , although the reviewer felt that a " romantic " reader would not mind this . Conversely , another reviewer for Anime News Network , <unk> Cooper , wrote that the stories were " incredibly sweet and touching " and were best read a few stories at a time . According to Cooper , The One I Love would appeal to fans of Clamp or <unk> , manga targeted towards girls . 
 
 