01x04 - Lucius Builds an Indoor Bath

[bunniefuu]

-There we go!
-Damn, I lost another one.

-Hey, Marcus.
-Huh?

Oh, well, if it isn't Lucius.

It appears work has been keeping you busy.

Busy is an understatement.
It doesn't stop, I'm telling you.

Since Antinous kicked the bucket,
it's been all work, no rest for us.

-Antinous?
-You mean you haven't heard the news?

Huh?

Antinous is Emperor Hadrian's lover
from Greece.

I guess that would explain
the rumors I heard

about Emperor Hadrian
having no interest in the opposite sex.

Yeppers.

While they were having a romantic
cruise down the Nile, he went overboard

and a crocodile gobbled him up
like a tasty snack.

Must have been shocking for his majesty.

These statues are being put
all over the place.

So now us masons have got more work
than ever before.

Well, isn't staying busy a good thing,
though?

Well, yeah, of course it is.

But carving men day in and day out
isn't exactly my kind of fun.

Yes, I'm sure carving
the same thing repeatedly gets boring.

Well,
at least the man is easy on the eyes.

I mean, look at that a*s.

I can see why Emperor Hadrian
was crazy about him.

But you know, there are some things
that just aren't for me.

And what he's packing down there
doesn't exactly get my blood flowing.

-Hello Marcus.
-Huh?

Oh, hi. Lucius is here as well, is he?

Yes, master, do you need something?

It's usually this time of day
that the bathhouse is empty, yes?

If you wouldn't mind, I could really use
your help getting there.

Yes, sir, understood.

Please wait in front of the house
and I'll be there soon.

Wonderful. I appreciate it, truly.

Looking forward to it.

What a pain in my a*s.

All that wrinkled old raisin
wants to do is bathe.

Raisin or not,
he's still your precious master, isn't he?

True.

After all, nothing beats a hot bath. After
the day I've had, I could use a soak.

I know exactly what you mean.

Lucius, do you want to join us?

Sure, I don't see why not.
I'll come along.

Slowly now. Slowly.

-All alright, sir?
-Yes, I'm doing just fine.

What did I tell you?

Your legs don't work the way
they used to, you know.

I know that better than you do!

There's nothing better
than soaking in a nice bath.

It sure does these old bones some good.

As long as there's a warm bath

waiting for him, an old man can go
about life without a care in the world.

With an experience like this,
the gym or the frigidarium

almost seem unnecessary for the elderly.

Yeah, that's true.

I mean, all the old guys
only use the bath in here anyways.

Bathing would be a whole lot easier
if we had baths in our own home.

What are you babbling about, old man?

Only the wealthiest of Romans
can afford something that luxurious.

I'm just saying it'd be convenient is all.

Nowhere did I mention
that I wanted to get one or anything.

Well, you'll always have the bathhouse.
I'll bring you anytime.

A bath inside the comfort
of one's home.

It's bold but the idea
doesn't seem entirely impossible.

Huh? Where'd it go?

Huh? Is something the matter?

I seem to have lost my strigil somehow.

Ah, your strigil?

Are you sure you didn't forget it
somewhere like last time?

Oh, looks like it sank to the bottom.

-I'll go get it.
-Don't worry, allow me.

Hmm.

A tool for scrubbing, the strigil.

In prepping for their bath,
one covers their body

with balm and uses the trusty device
to scrape off dirt and grime.

The act of bathing without it
is practically unthinkable.

This method of grooming hasn't changed
in hundreds of years.

Surely with the great minds
Rome has to offer today,

we could come up with something
that's easier to use.

Hm? What could that be?

Some sort of barrier
is covering the water.

And what's more,
it feels as though the bath has shrunk.

Not good. It's getting hot in here.

Is Marcus pulling a fast one?

I can't stand it much longer.

Gotta get out now!

Marcus?

Where am I? Could it be…

that somehow I've come back…

to the other world?

Another thing,
what is this bizarre vessel of water

that I've found myself springing out of?

The water filling this cramped tank
is hot.

It's almost like a water-filled…

coffin?

No, that's not it.

Judging from the temperature of the water,

this container could also serve
as a bathtub for a single individual.

If that's so, it speaks to a sort
of obsession with the act of bathing.

With not but this coffin-look nook,
they still sought to make a bath.

More importantly, where exactly
is the hot water even coming from?

Is there perhaps a fire
burning beneath this small cranny?

Not to mention there's this strange
material that the bath itself is made of.

To my knowledge, it doesn't exist
anywhere in the Roman Empire.

With each visit to this other world,

I'm left baffled by this civilization's
wondrous devices.

For instance,
what is this intriguing hose nozzle?

The bowels of some animal, perhaps?

Oh dear, it doesn't quite go in.

There.

And what is this?

It's so soft and smooth.

Oh, if it were even remotely possible,

I'd love nothing more than to gather up
all of these advanced tools

and bring them back to Rome with me.

Though it has the appearance
of a ridiculous toy,

I'm sure even this artifact possesses
properties beyond comprehension.

In truth,

though the bath is small,
this room is just as confined.

It would appear the people of this world
have mastered

how to pack many things
into a small space.

And yet again I feel my pride as a Roman
wavering as I'm shaken to my core.

Just look at this ingenious palette
that covers the top of the bathtub.

Am I right to assume
that this series of panels

helps prevent the heat from escaping
this steaming cauldron?

Certainly with this on top, the water
would cool at a much less rapid pace.

If one poured the water in directly

and left the tub covered,
they could bathe for quite some time

without the need of using a kettle.

Rome is one of the foremost
cultural powers of the world

yet not a single one of our brilliant
minds thought up the idea of a lid?

I've spent my entire life proudly pursuing
the betterment of bathhouse design

thinking I knew everything
there was to know,

but I was merely being an arrogant fool.

It's as though the fates are mocking me!

At this rate, both I and the Roman Empire

will most assuredly fall into ruin!

Alright, Grandfather, the
helper will be by to assist you shortly.

And remember,
please have him help you into the bath.

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.
I've got it covered, Yoneko.

Please, Grandfather,
my name's Michiko.

Well, I'm heading out.

Yes, yes. Take care now, Matsuyo.

I guess I'll get in the bath early then.

Oh. Why hello there,
Mr. Helper, you're here already, huh?

And wouldn't you know it?

Today, we got a foreigner willing
to help me with my bath.

I appreciate
you coming all this way for me.

Are they hot?

Oh, that was really a close one,
wasn't it?

This man appears to be quite elderly.

Could he be the owner
of this coffin-like bathtub?

-Please sit down.
-There we go.

Excuse me, mister,

would you mind starting this off
by washing my back?

Huh?

Oh, I see what's up.
This is your first time, huh, Mr. Helper?

Well, can't be helped.

You just scoop up some water…

and throw it on my back.

What is this man doing?

Can I help you with that?

Huh? Huh?

You're starting to get the hang of it now.
Go ahead, try it.

Oh yeah. Just like that. You catch on
quickly, don't you, mister?

I see.

So this is how
you can stimulate blood circulation

more conveniently
than exerting yourself physically.

That's the stuff.

Keep it coming, just like that.

Alright, next up,
we gotta scrub-a-dub-dub.

Hmm? What is that?

I'll start by taking care
of my front side by myself

but once I'm done,
it's your turn to get my back, okay?

This is…!

You must have it rough too, huh, mister?

Having to earn enough money to send some
to your family waiting back at home

all by doing something new like this too.

He hasn't worked up an ounce of sweat
by exercising

nor has he covered himself in oil.

But he's suddenly scrubbing away
the dirt with a mere cloth?

Now here you go, Mr. Helper,
take care of my back for me.

With just this lone rag,

one can easily remove debris
from an old man's dry skin?

Come on, get to scrubbing.

That's the ticket.

It just keeps coming off.

Hey, hey! Whoa there!
That hurts now.

Keep going like that and you'll scrub
my skin off 'til there's nothing left.

Good grief.

Alright, how about you try
washing my head next?

What in Jupiter's name
is this revolutionary cloth

of scrubbing made from?

I don't have a lot of hair these days,

so the shampoo
always ends up getting in my eyes.

Whoa!

That's why I use
this cute little shampoo cap.

Wait, a crown? Is this withered old man
a ruling patrician?

-And what are these bubbles atop his head?
-And lather it in like so.

I imagine they're meant to wash away filth
but I haven't

the slightest idea
of how they're concocted.

And then you take this and rinse it off.

And away the suds go.

See, no water or pesky bubbles
got in my eyes.

For hundreds of years,

my fatherland Rome has emerged victorious
from countless battles,

expanding its territory, power and might
to the power of superior military force.

And yet, even with
its illustrious history backing it up,

the Roman Empire is no match

against the advanced
civilization these flat-faced

miracle workers have cultivated.

Even if I tried to stand against them
on my lonesome,

what can I possibly do?

Now it's finally time to soak.

There, what did I tell you, Mr. Foreigner,
there ain't nothing to it. Easy, right?

Before you know it,
you'll be a bathing master.

Mister Helper?

Hey, what's wrong?

Oh no! Did all this unfamiliar work
make you dizzy?

Wait a sec.
I'll go grab you something to drink.

There's that feeling again.
Every time I come to this world,

I'm ultimately met
by this crushing sense of defeat.

Deep inside I know giving up on my dreams
isn't an option.

But recovering from a loss such as this
will be a trial unlike any other.

Here you are. Ah, you're alive.

I brought over a nice refreshing beer.

A few good swigs of that,
you'll be fit as a fiddle.

A metal container?

-What is this aroma?
-Go on, drink, drink!

That hit the spot!

What'd you think?
That'll put some hair on your chest, huh?

Jupiter's beard, where on earth
do these flat-faced people come from?

If by some chance
Rome was ever to conquer this land

and absorb it and its people
into the empire,

without a doubt in my mind, the work we do

would be rendered completely obsolete
within a week's time!

We Romans simply can't compare

to their proficiency
in the pursuit of pleasure. Damn it.

You may not know how to bathe,
but you sure can drink, Mr. Foreigner.

This isn't looking good.

It must be hard being made to do things
that are so unfamiliar.

I have to hurry and do something soon.

Something new…

Lucius! Hey, Lucius!

Lucius, you okay? Wake up, man!

God, he's not dead.

-Thank Jupiter himself.
-You have a good nap, sonny?

You idiot!
This is the second time this has happened

of making us worried.

What's that thing you got in your hand?

-Scrubbing.
-What do you mean?

-Marcus, come!
-Hey, hold on. Wait, Lucius!

Where are you going?

I'm gonna make the bath
your master always wished for.

Marcus Pietras,
I have been sent by the emperor.

While he is at his residence in Egypt,

I am here to check on the mason he hired
to sculpt statues of his lover.

Why hello there.

Those items you've hung on the wall,

what exactly are they for?

These are… a side project I'm working on.

What happened to constructing
those statues of Antinous

as his majesty requested personally?

Trust me, there is no need to worry.

Those have already been completed.
Look there.

Indeed.

And there are 20 of them in total, yes?

Yes, sir, without a doubt.

What in the world is going on over there?

-He's bathing, of course.
-It's a bath?

Yes, one of convenience.

My friend comes up
with the strangest things, you see.

Since my master can't walk very well,
getting to the thermae is a hassle,

so my friend made this for him.

If you look closely,

that leather brim you put on your head
to keep the suds off your face

was all his idea too.

It's really handy.

Then to rinse off,

you use the hot water pouring out
of that hole-filled sack

at the end of that cow's intestine.

Something like that really gets the
businessman inside you riled up, huh?

I must inform his majesty
the emperor of this immediately!

I have decided to return to Rome

-so prepare for our departure.
-At once.

But the news of my return
must stay secret.

-No one can know.
-Understood, your majesty.

It's been a while but I must go to Rome
to meet a certain individual.

Thermae Romae. The Hot Spring Tour.

Author Ms. Mari Yamazaki

embarked on a journey to rediscover
Japan's bathing culture.

Here in Kusatsu, there is a hot spring inn

with a craftsman who has held onto
the "yumori" tradition for generations.

KUSATSU ONSEN NARAYA

This is a natural hot spring.

How wonderful.

I heard that there is a person here
working as a "yumori ."

A "yumori " is someone
who manages all of the hot springs.

The most difficult part
is managing the temperature.

-Managing the temperature?
-Yes.

The hot spring in Kusatsu
has very strong components,

so we can't use a machine
to maintain the temperature.

The machine would break.

So we use the traditional "yumomi " method

-to lower the temperature.
-Oh, yumomi .

-Yes.
-I see.

The temperature is inspected
every two hours.

It's hard to get the feel of things
unless you're doing this every day.

Yumori means to watch over

-the hot water, right?
-Yes.

It's often said that hot springs
are like a troublesome child.

So it also derives from the word "komori ."

Oh, I see.

Water must be very sensitive.

That's right.

KENICHI KANNO
SEVENTH GENERATION YUMORI

This requires lots of physical strength.

Yes, this process lowers the temperature
by one to two degrees.

This lowers it by one to two degrees?

Yes, we like to maintain it at 42 degrees.

I see.

Sometimes it becomes 43 or 44 degrees.

That's when we use this process
to lower the temperature.

Wow.

How long has he been a yumori ?

-About ten years.
-Ten years?

Would you like to try?

I don't know if I can do it,

but I used to do this for my bath at home

when it was hot… Wow, this is heavy.

-Push it all the way down.
-Sorry, I don't have much strength.

Like this?

The water is very heavy.

This is hard work.

Thermae memory.

Ms. Yamazaki sketched
a memorable moment from this trip.

I had heard of the yumori before,
but I didn't know what they did.

I didn't know that
the water needed maintenance.

People can't just go inside
a random hot spring.

It requires a lot of maintenance.

The bath water
is treated very delicately by humans.

I was moved by that.

It heals people,
but we also need to show gratitude

and take care of the water as well.

I think Lucius will be impressed
by something like that.

What will we experience next time?

Ms. Yamazaki's journey will continue.