Thermae Romae テルマエ・ロマエ

Thermae Romae Review (Rating: 5/5)

Overview

Thermae Romae is a Japanese manga by Mari Yamazaki that humorously connects ancient Roman bathing culture with modern Japanese public baths. You can find more details on the Wikipedia English page.

Synopsis

The story follows Lucius Modestus, an architect of Roman baths. While searching for innovative ideas to improve Roman bathing facilities, Lucius mysteriously travels through time to modern Japanese bathhouses. There, he discovers a variety of unique bathing practices and equipment. Bringing these ideas back to Rome, Lucius transforms Roman bath culture in unexpected and humorous ways.
The story explores Lucius’s adventures as he moves between Japan and Rome, offering both comedy and cultural insights.

Characters

• Lucius Modestus: The protagonist, a Roman bath architect. His encounters with modern Japanese baths inspire new ideas for his Roman designs.

• Emperor Hadrian: Lucius’s superior and a Roman emperor interested in bath culture. He is intrigued by Lucius’s innovative ideas.

Story Development

The manga is structured around short, mostly self-contained episodes. In each episode, Lucius gains inspiration from Japanese baths and brings these concepts to Rome. Features such as saunas, bubble baths, open-air baths, and footbaths are humorously integrated into Roman designs.
While primarily comedic, the manga also presents aspects of ancient Roman life, architecture, and bathing culture, providing readers with historical knowledge in an engaging way.

Features

A key feature of Thermae Romae is its intellectual humor through cultural contrast. Japanese readers enjoy seeing their own bath culture compared with ancient Rome, while international readers gain insights into both cultures simultaneously.
The manga carefully illustrates Roman clothing, architecture, and bath details, making it informative as well as entertaining. It goes beyond standard comedy by combining humor with cultural and historical learning.

My Impressions

I found it genuinely funny as a comedy. At the same time, the depiction of Roman life and society was very interesting. The focus on “baths” as a connection between Japan and Rome is a brilliant perspective.
This manga inspired me to start reading Shiono Nanami’s The Roman History, and I also suspect that the female character appearing at the end is modeled after Shiono Nanami. Probably so.

Conclusion

Thermae Romae is a unique manga that combines comedy with cultural and historical curiosity. It is perfect for anyone interested in ancient Roman life or Japanese public baths, as well as for international readers curious about cultural differences.
Its short, episodic format makes it easy to read while learning about history and culture. Through Lucius’s innovative ideas and the reactions of those around him, readers enjoy discovering both the differences and similarities between Japanese and Roman bathing practices.