Thermal baths and time travel: Thermae Romae by Mari Yamazaki

Cover of Thermae Romae
vol. 4 with Lucius' bust

Sometimes elements that don’t seem to have anything in common can reveal themselves as a surprising combination: this is the case of the funny story of Thermae Romae, a manga written and drawn by Mari Yamazaki. The comic was published by the magazine Comic Beam in 2008 and later in six tankobon volumes; the volumes were published in Italian by Star Comics in 2011, in English by Yen Press in 2012 and in Spanish by Norma Editorial in 2013. The story follows the Roman engineer Lucius Modestus, who designs and builds thermal baths in ancient Rome. In a moment of relaxation at the baths, Lucio is dragged to the bottom of the pool and mysteriously transported in a thermal spring in modern Japan. The engineer doesn’t understand he traveled through time, but rather he thinks he is in a colony of the Empire, in one of the thermal baths for the “flat-faced people”, while the locals think he is a foreign tourist. A man kindly offers him a bottle of fruit-flavored milk, and in one of the most memorable scenes of the series Lucius is surprised by the beverage’s delicious taste.

Lucius emerges for the first time
in a Japanese thermal bath

Completely amazed and fascinated by this odd colony’s technology, once he returns as mysteriously as he arrived, Lucius tries to reproduce the innovations he saw. Very soon Romans appreciate Lucius' innovative genius, who keeps accidentally traveling through time every time he has difficulties with an important job. Lucius is happy to contribute to the improvement of Roman people and the Empire’s wellbeing, but being effectively modest, as his last name says, he feels a bit of an impostor because he was inspired by the mysterious colony he keeps visiting. Modest, anxious, dedicated to work and altruistic, Lucius is a protagonist the reader can sympathize with and even root for. Most of the series’ humor lies in Lucius’ reactions to the modern world and his attempts to interact with people without understanding a single word of Japanese. Furthermore, Lucius develops a feeling of great admiration towards Japanese people, to the point of having occasional little crises in his Roman pride.

The author Mari Yamazaki

The red thread connecting Roman and Japanese culture is the importance and value of relaxing in a hot tub, whether in company or alone. The concept of public baths in which you rest after the daily efforts quietly without disturbing the peace of the neighbors is as much part of the Roman thermal culture as the Japanese. Lucio’s appreciation for the Japanese baths (called onsen) and his ability to recreate some of their tools with the Roman technology of the second century b.C. are a love letter from the author to both cultures. In fact, Mari Yamazaki studied and lived in Italy for several years, and she wanted to bring together her knowledge of the Greek/Roman world with her experience in the Japanese thermal baths: the result is a funny and very informative series because it’s historically accurate too. In each volume there are in-depth articles by the author on a particular element present in the story, such as, for instance, the tools used in the Roman thermal baths. Thermae Romae is the first series of a trilogy on the link between the Greek/Roman world and modern Japan: the other two are Plinius (2013, with a more academic approach on the scholar and naturalist Gaio Plinio and emperor Nero) and Olympia Kyklos (2018, featuring amphorae painter Demetrios who arrives in the olympic Tokyo of 1964).

Poster of Thermae Romae
by Netflix

Thermae Romae has two live-action films and two animated adaptations: Thermae Romae I (2012) and II (2014) directed by Hideki Takeuchi; six episodes realized by Dream Link Entertainment in collaboration with studio Gonzo in 2012, which were not distributed outside of Japan; and the new 2022 series Thermae Romae Novae in collaboration with Netflix, distributed world wide. The current animated series has a higher budget and is very appreciated by the audience, thanks to its good animation, quite beautiful scenery and a fantastic soundtrack. Furthermore, each episode is accompanied by a segment in which Mari Yamazaki visits thermal baths and you learn something about the thermal activity. Both the comic and the 2022 animated series are ideal for a moment of levity and fun learning. Maybe you could read it after a warm bath!