Thermae Romae

is a Japanese manga series by Mari Yamazaki. It won the third Manga Taishō and the Short Story Award at the 14th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The manga has been licensed in North America by Yen Press. Fuji TV produced a live-action film adaptation and released on April 28, 2012. A second film, Thermae Romae II, was released in 2014. An anime television adaptation by DLE Inc. aired in Japan on Fuji TV's Noitamina block in January 2012. The show has been licensed by Discotek Media in North America, and by Siren Visual in Australia. An original net animation (ONA) anime series adaptation by NAZ titled Thermae Romae Novae was announced and premiered on Netflix 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 that leads him to a modern Japanese bath house. 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