Thermae Romae II
In ancient Rome, bathhouse architect Lucius (Hiroshi Abe) becomes famous with designing the original "thermae" (bathhouse). He receives an order to build a thermae in the colosseum to help gladiators recover from their wounds, but faces difficulties. Thus, Lucius travels again to modern day Japan through the time slip. He meets Manami (Aya Ueto) again, who is now a reporter for a magazine which covers bathroom. With the help of the flat face Japanese tribe, Lucius again designs a new thermae. Meanwhile, Emperor Hadrian (Masachika Ichimura) wants to keep the peace with the thermae, but the Senate wants to extend the land by using force. Emperor Hadrian and the Senate now have a confrontation and Rome becomes divided.
Insights
Plot Summary
Lucius, a Roman bath architect, continues to mysteriously travel through time to modern Japan whenever he submerges himself in a bath. He desperately seeks inspiration to design a new bath for Emperor Hadrian, who is facing pressure to hold the 'Great Bath Competition'. Lucius finds himself in various modern Japanese bathing facilities, attempting to understand their innovations and bring them back to ancient Rome.
Critical Reception
Thermae Romae II, like its predecessor, was met with a generally positive reception from audiences who appreciated its unique premise and comedic execution. Critics often highlighted the film's blend of historical fantasy and Japanese culture, finding it to be a quirky and entertaining experience. However, some found the plot to be repetitive of the first film and the humor to be niche.
What Reviewers Say
- Praised for its unique and absurd concept of time-traveling Roman bath architects.
- Appreciated for its humor, which blends Roman historical elements with modern Japanese culture.
- Some viewers found it to be a fun, lighthearted, and quirky sequel to the original film.
Google audience: Audience reviews are generally positive, with many finding the film to be a fun and amusing continuation of the original story. The humor derived from the cultural clashes and Lucius's bewilderment in modern Japan is frequently cited as a highlight. Some viewers enjoyed the visual representations of Roman baths and Japanese bathing culture.
Fun Fact
The film is a sequel to the 2012 film 'Thermae Romae', which was also based on the manga series of the same name by Mari Yamazaki.
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