is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series by

Mari Yamazaki is a Japanese manga artist known for her seinen comedy manga ''Thermae Romae''. She was born in Tokyo, but now lives in Chicago. She was awarded the 3rd Manga Taishō and the Short Story Award in the 2010 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes. An anime ...

. It won the third

Manga Taishō The is a Japanese comics award recognizing achievement in manga. It is awarded annually to a manga series published in the previous calendar year of eight or fewer collected volumes in length. The Manga Taishō was founded with the aim of re ...

and the Short Story Award at the 14th

Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Named after Osamu Tezuka, the is a yearly manga prize awarded to manga artists or their works that follow the Osamu Tezuka manga approach founded and sponsored by Asahi Shimbun. The prize has been awarded since 1997, in Tokyo, Japan. Current ...

. The manga has been licensed in North America by

Yen Press Yen Press, LLC is an American manga and graphic novel publisher co-owned by Kadokawa Corporation and Hachette Book Group. It published ''Yen Plus'', a monthly comic anthology, between 2008 and 2013. In addition to translated material, Yen Press ...

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...

produced a live-action film adaptation and released on April 28, 2012. A second film, ''

Thermae Romae II is a 2014 Japanese comedy film directed by Hideki Takeuchi and based on the manga series ''Thermae Romae'' by Mari Yamazaki. Cast * Hiroshi Abe * Aya Ueto *Kazuki Kitamura *Takashi Sasano *Anthony Ripoll Anthony or Antony is a masculine give ...

'', was released in 2014. An anime television adaptation by DLE Inc. aired in Japan on Fuji TV's

Noitamina is a Japanese Block programming, programming block on Fuji TV devoted to anime, originally broadcast every Thursday late night/Friday morning from 00:45 to 1:15. It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typic ...

block in January 2012. The show has been licensed by

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...

in North America, and by

Siren Visual This is a list of anime industry companies involved in the production or distribution of anime. Japan-based companies Animation studios There are over 500 animation studios in Japan. Below are those notable enough to have an article. * 3Hz ...

in Australia. An

original net animation An original net animation (ONA), known in Japan as , is an anime that is directly released onto the Internet. ONAs may also have been aired on television if they were first directly released on the Internet. The name mirrors original video animati ...

(ONA)

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series adaptation by NAZ titled ''Thermae Romae Novae'' was announced and premiered on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

in March 2022.

Plot

The story follows an ancient Roman architect named Lucius, who is having trouble coming up with ideas. One day, he discovers a hidden tunnel underneath a

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...

that leads him to a modern Japanese

bath house Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...

. Inspired by the innovations found there, he creates his own spa, Roma Thermae, bringing the modern ideas to his time. Each subsequent chapter follows Lucius facing some sort of a problem, just to be swept to Japan once again. He visits modern bath houses, personal baths, waterparks, fertility festivals, and even zoos. There, he always happens to find the inspiration to solve the exact problem he has been tasked with.

Characters

; : :A Roman thermae architect who excels in designs ends up discovering modern Japanese baths, believing them to be the baths of 'flat-faced slaves'. He uses these ideas in his own work back home. Later on, inspired others with his discoveries. But his endeavours cost him his marriage, and suspicion of either being Emperor Hadrian's homosexual lover, to destroying businesses. ; : : Lucius's friend and a marble sculptor. Oftentimes, he becomes Lucius's carver in his projects. ; : : Emperor of Roman Empire. Initially commissioned Lucius of building a private thermae, then commissioned him for more baths. ; : ; Satsuki Odate : : A 28 year old Japanese woman who is both the town geisha, and an expert in Roman history. She is also a polyglot, can speak and translate Latin. Fell in love with Lucius.

Anime

flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

adaptation by DLE aired on

in its

block between January 12, 2012, and January 26, 2012. The series was released on Blu-ray Disc on April 20, 2012, and included an unaired episode. The ending theme is by

Chatmonchy was a three-piece all-female rock band which consisted of Eriko Hashimoto (guitar, vocals), Akiko Fukuoka (bass, chorus), and formerly Kumiko Takahashi (drums, chorus) who are from Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan. Since 20 ...

released an English-subtitled version in Australia in October 2012. The series was licensed for release in North America in 2013, and a re-release is planned on December 29, 2020, with an English dub. An

advertisement of toothbrush company Reach was released on April 15, 2014. During

Anime Festival 2020, it was announced that the series would receive a new original net animation (ONA) anime adaptation by NAZ titled ''Thermae Romae Novae''. The series is directed by Tetsuya Tatamitani and written by Yūichirō Momose. It premiered on

on March 28, 2022. Each episode also has a live action section where author Mari Yamazaki explores different hot springs in Japan at the end of the episode. The opening theme is by

Paolo Andrea Di Pietro Paolo Andrea Di Pietro (born November 8, 1986), better known mononymously in Japan as , is an Italian singer and actor living and working in Japan ('' Gaikokujin tarento''). He has appeared in a variety of Japanese commercials, TV shows and film ...

Episode list (DLE)

Episode list (Netflix)

Film

Cast

* Hiroshi Abe as

Lucius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...

* Aya Ueto as Mami Yamakoshi *

Kazuki Kitamura is a Japanese film and television actor who won the award for best supporting actor at the 21st Yokohama Film Festival for '' Minazuki'', ''Kyohansha'' and ''Kanzen-naru shiiku'' as well as the CUT ABOVE Award for Excellence in Film at JAPAN CUTS ...

as Ceionius *

Riki Takeuchi is a Japanese actor best known for his roles in v-cinema yakuza movies. Takeuchi has starred in many yakuza films and action films, such as '' Dead or Alive'' by Takashi Miike. Takeuchi also starred in '' Battle Royale II: Requiem'', in which h ...

as Tateno * Kai Shishido as Antoninus *

Takashi Sasano is a Japanese actor. Career Sasano has appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films '' Bright Future'' (2003) and '' Before We Vanish'' (2017). He also appeared in Amir Naderi's 2011 film ''Cut''. Filmography Film * '' Tora-san's Island Encounter'' ( ...

as Shūzo Yamakoshi *

Masachika Ichimura is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama and studied at the Theater Art College in Tokyo after graduating high school. He is best known to anime fans as the voice of Mewtwo. Ichimura is also the ex-husband of actress ...

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

* Midoriko Kimura as Yumi Yamakoshi * Katsuya as Marcus

Reception

As of July 29, the film had a box office gross of US$74,091,903. It was the second highest-grossing domestic film at the Japanese box office in 2012 and, as of January 5, 2015, is the 95th highest-grossing film in Japan, with ¥5.98 billion. Hiroshi Abe won Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film at the 36th Japan Academy Film Prize presentation. ''Thermae Romae'' also received a nomination for Mitsuo Harada's art direction at the same awards. ''Thermae Romae'' earned HK$1,498,789 at the Hong Kong box office. The film had its North American premiere in September 2012 at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

References

External links

* * * * {{Netflix original animated series and films 2008 manga 2012 anime television series debuts 2012 films 2022 anime ONAs Bathing Comedy anime and manga Comics about time travel Comics set in ancient Rome Discotek Media Enterbrain manga Films about time travel Films set in ancient Rome Flash television shows Japanese films Japanese-language Netflix original programming Kadokawa Dwango franchises Live-action films based on manga Manga adapted into films Manga series Manga Taishō Naz (studio) Netflix original anime Noitamina Seinen manga Winner of Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (Short Story Award) Yen Press titles