“When Roman architect Lucius is criticized for his “outdated” thermae designs, he retreats to the local bath to collect his thoughts. All Lucius wants is to recapture the Rome of earlier days, when one could enjoy a relaxing bath without the pressure of merchants and roughhousing patrons. Slipping deeper into the warm water, Lucius is suddenly caught in the suction and dragged through the drainage at the bottom of the bath! He emerges coughing and sputtering amid a group of strange-looking foreigners with the most peculiar bathhouse customs…over 1,500 years in the future in modern-day Japan! His contemporaries wanted him to modernize, and so, borrowing the customs of these mysterious bath-loving people, Lucius opens what quickly becomes the most popular new bathhouse in Rome-Thermae Romae!” (Yen Press)
Before even approaching the story within the complete omnibus release of Mari Yamazaki's “Therma Romae,” it feels necessary to discuss the actual book itself as a precursor. For manga collectors, this will likely prove to be the most opulent release to grace their shelves or coffee table. Looking at an impressive 1136 pages all on high-quality, glossy paper with dimensions of 7.45 x 2.5 x 10.5 inches, the book is of a considerable size and heft. Furthermore, the release includes the entirety of the series with commentary from its creator between volumes to give additional knowledge to each chapter. For the true book nerd, it even has a fabric bookmark built-in and a protective plastic book sleeve for keeping safe in storage.
The only downside with such a pristine release is that it is not easily accessible for light reading and is best presented as a coffee table book or a tome with a fixed location that can be browsed through at one's leisure. Those who predominantly read as a way to unwind before bed, will struggle with the bulk of the book–personally, I read through the series sitting at my work desk. However, this is not a deterrent but rather a way to give an idea of the scope of the release, it is a book you will want to experience and then use as a showcase item as opposed to an edition meant for multiple revisits.
One of the attributes that makes “Therma Romae” omnibus a collectible title comes from an accessibility that supersedes being just for manga fans. The series is well-researched and acts as an informational piece on hot spring culture in both Ancient Rome and Japan, making its educational properties and subject reach a broader audience that will attract collectors of books that hold cultural significance. Furthermore, the influence of Roman culture on Mari Yamazaki gives the book a slight western aesthetic, wherein the greatest tell of the book's origin comes from the traditional right-to-left paneling of manga as opposed to a distinctly Japanese aesthetic in the art. None of these sentiments should deter manga fans, mind you, but rather give reason to celebrate the release's ability to appeal to a wider audience with a work that speaks to our universal intrigue in how history shapes the modern era.
While the historical elements are the greatest draw to “Thermae Romae”, the story also contains both elements of humor and romance that complement the journey through ancient Roman baths and Japanese onsens. Lucius embodies the pride of his people and the glory he sees in Rome, with his interactions with the Japanese forcing humility onto him that is endearing and comical. Notably, Mari Yamazaki captures the culture shock and touches on various modern ideas and inventions that puzzle the Roman architect in ways that inspire him to bring these items back for the glory of the empire. While not hysterically funny, seeing the brutish man win a stuffy and mistake it for a God he then puts on a pedestal at a Roman bath has an undeniably giddy comedic tinge. His various interactions with the people of Japan and trying to determine their intent further keep the series lightly humorous and entertaining.
However, these interactions also dig a bit deeper than surface-level interactions for laughs or a means to share the history and customs of bath cultures in both countries. At the heart of “Thermae Romae” is a beautiful celebration of the baths themselves, and an understanding of the integral role they have in the social/politcal landscape of both countries. Mari Yamazaki brilliantly uses the light humor of her story to convey the importance of springs, and draws connections between the two cultures that create a familiarity that transcends time and location. Once again, this adds to the accessibility of the work and its validity in the large omnibus format in how it taps into the larger understanding of humanity's need for spaces like the Roman baths and onsens.
While the edition is utterly perfect in execution and the information in the book invaluable and entertaining, that is not to say that the story itself is perfect. Notably, the final two volumes collected show a shift in the formula and begin to lean more heavily into romance and comedy. An obvious product of Mari Yamazaki's continued work on the series past the initially planned limited run, the book still maintains elements of education and history that succeeded in the episodic nature of the first four collected volumes. Furthermore, granting Lucius a deeper character arc is not unwelcome and contains some of the most humorous moments in the series. Yet, the tonal shift is slightly jarring and it lands the story short of ‘perfection', particularly when weighing it against Mari Yamazaki's skill at expounding on cultural and historical elements.
A pristine collectible for manga fans, “Thermae Romae” will also appeal to collectors who like showstoppers that carry historical and/or cultural significance. As a single release, the omnibus is entirely impressive and worthy of the price for sheer bulk alone. However, those who would rather have the story in a format that welcomes revisits may want to seek out the 3 omnibus run, also from Yen Press, as the book is a bit daunting in its scope. Ultimately, “Thermae Romae The Complete Omnibus” is an edition that evokes utter joy, and one that should be considered for both manga fans and collectors of notable artistic work alike.
