[1] The One I Love was developed by Clamp—the all-female, manga artist team consisting of Satsuki Igarashi, Mokona, Tsubaki Nekoi, and Nanase Ohkawa.

[3] In retrospective, Nekoi self-deprecatingly thought that her illustrations of the female protagonists, including working women, made them resemble junior high students.

[6] "A Younger Man" stems from Ohkawa's conversation with actor Tonesaku Toshihide and his thoughts on men and age in a relationship.

[15] The One I Love has also been translated into other languages, including French by Editions Tonkam,[16] and German by Egmont Manga & Anime.

[17] A reviewer for Anime News Network, Mikhail Koulikov 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.

[18] Johanna Draper Carlson, a reviewer for Publishers Weekly, wrote that some of the stories were worrisome, particularly one that she felt "justifies having an interest in whatever your boyfriend likes," and contained stereotypes as a result of limited space.

"[19] 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.