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Thermae Romae Manga, Travel Mag Team Up on Japanese Bath Guide
posted on by Ko Ransom
Rurubu Thermae Romae, a collaboration between the Japanese travel magazine Rurubu and Mari Yamazaki's Thermae Romae bathhouse manga, went on sale in Japan on Saturday. The magazine, which features an original cover by Yamazaki, has Thermae Romae's protaognist Lucius introducing readers to his 100 top Japanese baths, as well as an interview with Yamazaki and individuals involved with the Thermae Romae live-action film.
Thermae Romae is a comedy about Lucius — an architect of public bath houses (thermae) in ancient Rome — who time-travels to various modern-day baths in Japan. Through manga and essay passages, Yamazaki explores the two cultures in the world "that have loved baths the most: the Japanese and the Romans!" Yamazaki launched the manga in 2008, and the work won the 2010 Manga Taisho (Cartoon Grand Prize) award, followed by the Short Work Prize in the 14th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes.
The three-episode Thermae Romae anime was shown earlier this year as part of the Noitamina programming block, and a live-action film adaptation was announced last year.
Source: Comic Natalie
