Thermae Romae – “Rome Has Been Yellow-Washed”

Japanese manga fans are marvelling at both the amount of effort the makers of the movie adaptation of Roman gag manga THERMAE ROMAE have put in, and the sight of a cast of ancient Romans played by Japanese actors…

Online there is a great deal of resistance to the sight of a small cast of Japanese amidst an otherwise distinctly Mediterranean cast, especially when the makers have gone to the trouble of filming it on location amidst the mouldering ruins of Rome’s former glory.

For those wondering, the story explores the obsession of both Roman and Japanese culture with public bathing, with Roman protagonist Lucius managing to enjoy modern Japanese bathing (of the all-too realistic scrawny old men variety rather than the steamy onsen mixed bathing action variety) by way of uncannily fortuitous time slips.

George Takei would doubtless be pleased.