This manga as a whole is so utterly dumb. I think at one point it genuinely tried to be suspenseful and dramatic, but everything is too ridiculous to take seriously. This is trashy reality TV, greasy fast food, and the most erratic telenovela you’ve seen. And yet I enjoyed it! I love this hot-behind mess. I think I’ve read it at least 4 times throughout the years since I first read it in Dec 2016.

The male lead, Soichiro, starts out mean and borderline abusive (he’s also terribly and inappropriately hand-grabby in the beginning chapters), but he has some SERIOUS growth. The female lead, Sumi, is beyond stupid, but I loved her determination to take care of her siblings. And the older brother you will want to dropkick in the throat. Nozumu was a. lot. And he never stopped being a lot.

So yeah, with no spoilers, read this one. It’s entertaining. The sibling relationships will wreck you all with tender hearts. Stepping on Roses does get tropey at times, but it’s worth it for the pure foolery it pulls out of its nose.

SN: I adore the way the mangaka draws babies and little kids. They always look so precious with their little bobble-heads. Also, men are always drawn startling handsome as well.