is a Japanese manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 series by Mari Yamazaki. It won the 3rd Manga Taishō

Manga Taishō

The is an annual Japanese manga award.-First iteration:In the inaugural edition of the award in 2008, twelve manga were nominated and the winner was Gaku, by Shinichi Ishizuka.*Winner: Gaku, by Shinichi Ishizuka*Nominees:...

 and the Short Story Award at the 14th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. Fuji TV has announced it is producing a live-action film adaptation of the manga. It will be released in 2012.

The story is a comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 about Lucius, an architect of public bath houses

Thermae

In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...

 in ancient Rome

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

. During the manga, he time-travels to various modern-day baths in Japan. Through manga and essay passages, the author explores the two cultures in the world "that have loved baths the most: the Japanese and the Romans".

Film cast

• Hiroshi Abe
  Hiroshi Abe (actor)
  is a Japanese model and actor.He began his career as a model, but he successfully made the transition to acting, becoming one of the most regularly visible presences in Japanese media. He is a 1988 graduate of Chuo University.-Career:...
  
   as Lucius
• Aya Ueto
  Aya Ueto
  is a Japanese actress, singer, model, tarento, and occasional radio personality. Born in Nerima, Tokyo, Ueto was discovered when she participated in the 7th Japan Bishōjo Contest, where she won the special jury prize...
  
   as Mami
• Masachika Ichimura
  Masachika Ichimura
  is a Japanese voice actor and musical singer. He was born in Kawagoe, Saitama. He is married to singer Ryoko Shinohara.-Movies:*Pokémon: The First Movie *The Nightmare Before Christmas...
  
   as Hadrian
  Hadrian
  Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
  
  
• Kai Shishido as Antoninus
  Antoninus Pius
  Antoninus Pius , also known as Antoninus, was Roman Emperor from 138 to 161. He was a member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty and the Aurelii. He did not possess the sobriquet "Pius" until after his accession to the throne...
  
  
• Kazuki Kitamura
  Kazuki Kitamura
  is a Japanese film and television actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 14th Yokohama Film Festival for Minazuki, Kyohansha and Kanzen-naru shiiku.-Movies:...
  
   as Ceionius

External links

• Thermae Romae at Enterbrain
  Enterbrain
  is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...