Thermae Romae, Vol. 2 (Thermae Romae, 2)

Cant put this down. How a story about hot bath become so exciting. The characters a so adorable and the storyline evolves on..

Amusing time-travelling adventures of a Roman bath architect Lucius Modestus continue in the second volume of Mari Yamazaki's "Thermae Romae," which is actually the third and fourth volumes of the Japanese edition. In Japan the hit series is complete in six volumes, which means we are going to have one more volume in English from the publisher Yen Press.The first half of the second volume of Yen Press' "Thermae Romae" (that is, the third volume of the original) follows the pattern of the series so far, but with each episode longer than in the previous volume. Again, dead serious Lucius travels in time back and forth between ancient Rome and modern-day Japan, but spends more time there, even helping out a young Japanese architect in trouble.In the first episode Lucius is whisked away to a Japanese traditional onsen (spa town), where he marvels at the curious "innovations" of the "flat face" clan, or Japanese people. To Japanese readers, the way Lucius reacts to a variety of things and customs at an old spa town is amusing, but I'm afraid some of the fun might be lost on those who have not been to onsen, Japanese cultural staple.In the second half the story takes a surprising turn. Without spoiling much, I will say that there is a significant change in narrative structure. In short, the second half of the book is not exactly about the bath culture of the Roman Empire or Japan. Also, a new character, a young Japanese woman named Satsuki, is introduced, a "flat face" who can communicate with Lucius.I have a mixed feeling about the change. While the comic remains entertaining, the new character (with her long back story) doesn't fit in with the storyline so far. Let's wait and see what happens in the third and final volume of "Thermae Romae."

A brilliant series - very funny and great insight into Roman and Japanese bathing culture!!

After being blown away by the originality of Vol. I, Vol. II did not disappoint. The story continues in a similar flow with an escalating story. If you have already checked out Vol. I, then do yourself a favour and invest in the second volume.