Bara no Tame ni

Did You Know?

• The manga was compiled into sixteen tankōbon volumes between September 1992 and January 1998.
• A shinsōban edition contained nine volumes released between October 2000 and February 2001.
• The series was adapted into a Taiwanese drama titled The Rose, broadcast on Taiwan Television from March to November 2003.

Plot

Yuri Makurano has no striking looks, but she keeps a spotless home. After her grandmother passes away, she discovers that her mother is the famous actress Shoko Hanai. Moving in with Shoko’s household, Yuri meets three children: Sumire, Aoi, and Fuyo Hanatashiki. At first, she is treated like a servant, but over time she forms bonds with the family and falls into a one-sided love for Sumire. Eventually, she learns that her only true blood relative among them is Aoi, her half brother. Yuri was originally thought to be the child of Ichiro Makurano and Shoko, but her real parents were the Kusinagis, friends of Ichiro who died in a staged double suicide. This makes her Aoi’s half sibling. She had admired Sumire ever since she saw his acting debut as a child.

Sumire is the middle child, born to Shoko and her second husband, an American film producer. He always wears sunglasses to hide his blue eyes, which draw too much attention. He was once engaged to a woman named Seri, and her death left him deeply anguished; he tried to kill himself several times. With Yuri’s help, he starts to move past that grief.

Aoi is the youngest, born from Shoko’s affair with a man named Kusanagi. He joined the Hanatashiki family as a preteen and developed romantic feelings for Sumire, so he grew his hair long to look more feminine. When Yuri arrives, his affection gradually turns toward her.

Fuyo is the oldest, born to Shoko and her first husband. She was skilled at housekeeping because she wanted to be a good wife, but after a divorce—her husband sided with her abusive stepmother—she came to hate domestic chores and now spends her time watching films. Her sharp observation lets her figure out Yuri’s true connection to the family.

Shoko, originally named Teruko Hanatashiki, was in love with Ichiro Makurano, a man much older than her. When Ichiro fell ill, he broke off their relationship by claiming Yuri was his daughter, hoping to spare Shoko pain. This made her lose faith in men, and she turned to a wild life of parties and casual relationships. She only calms down after learning the truth about Ichiro and Yuri.