An Anime TV Series
Every once in a while, I scour streaming sites in search of off-the-wall or unconventional anime. I’m looking for shows that deviate from the typical sensibilities of modern Western anime fans. I’m not one to follow trends, and I’ve often found that the more obscure series align more closely with my tastes. That’s how I stumbled across Thermae Romae Novae. While Isekai isn’t usually my genre of choice, which this show could technically fall under that umbrella, but it tosses aside almost every trope associated with it. Instead, what remains is a fascinatingly unique series that’s as entertaining as it is educational. Combining an animated comedic time travel adventure with a live-action travelogue, Thermae Romae Novae is truly unlike anything I’ve seen before – and that’s definitely a good thing.
“In this witty anime series, a bathhouse architect in ancient Rome surfaces in present-day Japan, where he’s inspired by the many innovations he finds.”
Thermae Romae was originally a manga series created by Mari Yamazaki that humorously showed similarities between ancient Roman and modern Japanese cultures through the lens of public bathing traditions. Inspired by Yamazaki’s experiences living abroad and her fascination with Roman history and Japanese bathhouses, the manga debuted in 2008 in Comic Beam. Its originality and humor earned widespread acclaim, winning the Manga Taisho and the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize for Short Work in 2010. Aside from this 2022 iteration, which is the subject of today’s review, the property has also been adapted once before as a flash animation in 2012 and has been made into a live action film.
The 2022 Netflix adaptation, Thermae Romae Novae, revisits and expands upon the original story of the Thermae Romae manga. The story follows Lucius Modestus, a Roman architect who specializes in designing public baths. By chance, Lucius time-travels to modern Japan, where he discovers advanced bathing technology and culture. Each time he is transported, Lucius marvels at Japanese bathing traditions, from onsen (hot springs) to household baths, and applies these ideas to his projects back in ancient Rome.
For example, one early trip involves him being introduced to Onsen foods and drinks such as furutsu gyuunyuu (fruit milk), which he eventually recreates in Rome to wide success. This escalates to him bringing back things such as waterslides and souvenir shops, all wildly anachronistic, but hilarious. Keep in mind, Lucius obviously does not speak Japanese and likewise nobody understands him. His perception of his own ordeal is that he has travelled to another country somehow, populated with people he refers to as “the flat-faces” (I mean he is Roman after all, they were pretty racist) who are far more advanced than Rome. His tenuous grasp about what is happening creates the majority of the humor.
Each episode is paired with a somewhat short documentary snippet called “Hot Springs Tour” hosted my the manga creator, herself, Mari Yamazaki. Yamazaki visits things relevant to the episode you have just watched to add a modern anchor to it. For example, there are a couple of episodes where Lucius finds himself in a spa town that has little trinkets for sale and games for people to play, in the real world Yamazaki goes to a similar place to show what that looks like and the history of it. Each episode has one of these, and they really help set this apart from other shows.
If I had to point out a flaw with Thermae Romae Novae, it would be the apparent budget constraints. The animation is serviceable but far from award-worthy, and the voice acting, both in Japanese and English, leans heavily into an over-the-top, comedic tone. It’s a bit silly, which might not sit well with everyone. That said, this show doesn’t need blockbuster production values to succeed.
I think I scrolled through MAL at one point and saw a bunch of guys with Jujutsu Kaisen profile pics saying “it was the worst anime ever”, well that’s not true, it just wasn’t for them in any way. Its simplicity suits the audience it’s targeting. Thermae Romae Novae isn’t aiming to be a flashy Shonen spectacle – it’s a show crafted for older Japanese viewers, offering a mix of cultural and educational content. Shows like this are fairly common in Japan, but with the rise of streaming, we’re finally starting to see more of these niche gems make their way to Western audiences.
Overall, while Thermae Romae Novae isn’t my surprise favorite TV show of the year, it was a fun, light bit of entertainment that had me chuckling as I took breaks from schoolwork. It’s one of those shows with little peril, offering a relaxing vibe – much like the bathhouses it celebrates. Watching it feels almost calming, like soaking in a warm bath. Even my wife, who’s far from the target audience, ended up watching it with me for a while. She thought Lucius was absolutely ridiculous, but it still managed to hold her attention throughout. I recently saw that a sequel manga has been announced, which is great news! Here’s hoping we eventually get a second season! I’d love to see Lucius Modestus losing his mind over modern inventions all over again.