is a twelve story anthology

Anthology

An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...

 by Clamp

Clamp (manga artists)

, is an all-female Japanese manga artist group that formed in the mid 1980s. Many of the group's manga series are often adapted into anime after release. It consists of their leader , who provides much of the storyline and screenplay for all their works and adaptations of those works respectively ,...

. It is a collection of short manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 vignettes and essays about various unnamed heroines dealing with various aspects and hardships of love. It is considered Clamp's most autobiographical work.

Originally published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten

Kadokawa Shoten

is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...

, it has been licensed and translated into English by Tokyopop

Tokyopop

Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...

.

Summaries

• Different: "I wanted to try something a little different, to become a little different." A girl asks to meet her boyfriend in the park after they've had a fight. She wants to apologize, but doesn't know what to say, so she wears a kimono instead. When she meets her boyfriend, she finds that he is dressed up too; he had the same idea as she did.
• Cute: "I think 'cute' is such a vague word." A girl reflects on the word "cute" with her boyfriend. She can't visualize "cute," so she doesn't understand why it makes her happy when he says that she is cute.
• I Miss You: "When I can't see you, I don't know if something's happened to you." A girl has doubts about staying with her boyfriend, who has a very demanding work schedule. In the end, he skips work to visit her and she decides that their relationship will work out.
• A Younger Man: "It's not like I fell in love with you because of your age." 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 relationship will work out.
• Suddenly: "Love always happens suddenly." A girl working in a design company thinks about her past relationships, and one of her coworkers, whom she doesn't get along with. When a design job goes wrong and that coworker offers his ideas, she realizes that she is in love with him.
• Together: "I just wanted to have something in common with that boy." A girl reflects on her childhood sweetheart, who introduced her to playing the harmonica.
• Pretty: "Today's the day I wanted to look my prettiest!" A girl panics 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.
• Insecure: "I love him, but maybe he doesn't feel the same way." A girl has a dream about being dumped by her boyfriend, and she is worried that it is a premonition.
• Courage: "I found the courage because today was a special day." A girl confesses her love on Valentine's Day.
• Normal: "How do all those couples cross the threshold from 'love' into marriage." 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: "When we're this far apart, we can't even hold hands." 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: "I feel like I'm turning into someone completely different." A young woman about to be married is nervous about her future. She is worried that she might change, but her husband reassures her that they will change together.