"Can you throw away love for money?"

Hadashi de Bara wo Fume, or, Stepping on Roses, is quite an appropriate name for this beautiful series. While drinking up the soft, tender, velvet petals of the story, there's also the sharp pain of the thorn, hidden, and out of sight.

Sumi, our selfless heroine, is thrown into turmoil when her older brother gambles away all of their money, leaving her adopted siblings literally no money for survival. Frantic, Sumi runs around town, offering herself for money. Then, our heartless hero, Souichirou, offers to buy her. He explains he must get married in order to receive an abundant inheritance from his grandfather, but there shall be no love in the marriage. He is not to love her, and she is not to love him. Souichirou narrows his eyes as the questions arises, "Can you throw away love for money?"

Sumi could have said no. But then, there would be no story.

Thus begins Stepping on Roses. Sumi's job? Don't mess up. Don't embarrass Souichirou. Don't disgrace the Ashida family. And above all: Don't let anyone find out that she is actually from a poor family.

The first person who introduced this story was my younger sister. She could not stop gushing on how wonderful the characters were, how breathtaking the art was, and how captivating the story was. I just didn't want to read it, however. But, at the constant urging of my sister, I finally picked up the first volume. I was very disappointed that I had put it off for so long. Because she was absolutely right: The characters are wonderful. The art is breathtaking. The story is captivating.

Sumi herself makes the story so enjoyable. Her caring spirit is a beautiful contrast to the terrible character of Souichirou. She is creative, thrifty, and compassionate, not to mention beautiful and really sweet. She tries her best at everything, and when she has the opportunity to benefit herself, she chooses to bless those around her and the people she cares about. She tries very hard not to upset Souichirou, her husband, who very often threatens to "sink her to the bottom of the sea" if she were to embarrass him in the slightest way. When dazzled by the charming Nozomu, she regrets to say, "I forgot... I'm the wife of this awful man!"

Hadashi de Bara wo Fume. Under the flowers and loveliness, the story still has mysteries yet to be uncovered. Under the fake impression of husband and wife, is a young girl who puts up with a heartless man in order to keep her family from starvation. Under the typical overrated story line of a tsundere male and a helpless female is the beautiful story of Stepping on Roses.