History Manga / SteppingOnRoses

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Sumi is poor and is more familiar to Japanese values. Soichiro is rich and very Westernised. Of course they clash on behavior codes and stuff like that.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Miu destroys Nozomu's painting of Sumi with a knife. Later at a party, after Nozomu announces to all the guest that he and Miu are getting divorced (and not telling Miu about it), Miu blames Sumi for it and tries to stab Sumi herself.]]

* BerserkButton: The series is ''named'' after Sumi's loathing of roses. Offering her one can bring reactions ranging from mild discomfort to an HeroicBSOD.

''Stepping On Roses'' (''Hadashi De Bara Wo Fume'', literally translated as ''Stepping On Roses Barefoot'') is a romance drama written by Rinko Ueda. Originally published in the {{shoujo}} manga magazine Margaret in 2007, the series received an English language release starting in April of 2010 by publisher Creator/VizMedia.

Fifteen year old Sumi Kitamura was the eldest girl in a family of six orphaned children living in Japan during the Meiji era. She spent her days with her younger adopted siblings, doing what she could to care for them in a household with little food and less money to buy it with. Making matters worse was her elder brother Eisuke, a [[HandsomeLech playboy]] who not only gambled away what little money he managed to earn, but also had a habit of bringing home [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe any abandoned young children he could find]]. With an ever increasing burden and a family spiraling deeper into debt that she had no means of repaying, Sumi was left with little hope for the future.

Those last shreds of hope were quickly dashed when an enraged debt collector burst into their home one night demanding to find Eisuke, who the man had just caught attempting to seduce his wife. Seeing that Eisuke was nowhere to be found, the man kidnapped Sumi’s younger siblings, declaring that she could have them back when she repaid Eisuke’s debt of two thousand yen (the equivalent of three million yen in modern times.) In desperation Sumi decided to sell her body, though she quickly found that no one was willing to pay such a price. It was then that she met a well-dressed and obviously wealthy stranger by the name of Soichiro Ashida, who made an unusual offer… he would pay her any amount of money she wished, but in return she must agree to leave her old family behind to become his wife. And most important of all, she would be entering a marriage of convenience in which love would not be part of the bargain.

What was Soichiro truly after? Would Sumi be able to leave her siblings behind for the new life that he offered? And would she be able to give up on the hope of ever finding true love to ensure the safety of her family?

* IsItSomethingYouEat: Sumi's adoptive little brother Atari asked this when he heard the word "education."

* [[spoiler:LostWeddingRing: Nozomu cruelly takes Sumi's wedding ring away from her.]]
* [[spoiler:LoveConfession: Between Sumi and Soichiro in chapter 52 when they consummate their marriage.]]

* [[spoiler: SpeakNowOrForeverHoldYourPeace]]: [[spoiler: In the last manga chapter, Souichirou manages to pull it against Nozomu when Nozomu is about to force Sumi into marrying him.]] This is eagerly followed by [[spoiler: Mr. Ijuuin and Eisuke revealing the BrotherSisterIncest to ''everyone'' in the church.]]

* [[spoiler:SurprisinglyHappyEnding: Souichirou crashes Sumi's forced wedding to Nozomu and takes her away, while Eisuke and Mr. Ijuuin explain the BrotherSisterIncest deal in public, destroying Nozomu's intentions. Souichirou and Sumi re-declare their mutual love, and they get together again. In a not-so DistantFinale they're still together, Sumi works as a teacher while Souichirou is starting to rebuild his company (with Eisuke taking care of Souichirou and Sumi's child alongside their adoptive siblings), and a back-to-sanity Nozomu has gotten back with Miu, who are now both expecting a child of their own.]]

* FamilyNamingTheme: Eisuke the gambling addict names his adoptive siblings after what he hopes to gain; the eldest boy Atari means a winning move or hit against one's opponent in a game, the second oldest boy, Fuku, means fortune, and the only girl, Tomi, means wealth.

** [[spoiler:Nozomu complemented to Sumi that she looks like his deceased mother, and an ill Mr. Ijuuin once mistook Sumi for her as well.]]

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: Similarly, the basis for Sumi and Souichirou's marriage was money: Sumi needed it to save her family from destitution, while Souichirou needed a wife to inherit his wealth [[spoiler: and to have said wife as a HoneyTrap for Nozomu]]. Both of them have ''very'' clear that there's no love in the deal. [[spoiler: [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage At least at first]].]]