ANTINOUS MAKES HIS ANIME DEBUT IN 'THERMAE ROMAE NOVAE' ON NETFLIX

LEGIONS of fans of the Antinous-themed best-selling manga books and live-action movie  THERMAE ROMAE are excited about the anime version now streaming on Netflix.

"Omnes Thermae Romam Ducunt" is the series tag line: "All Baths Lead to Rome."

Fans of the books by Mari Yamazaki and the cult hit live-action movie have followed the exploits of Ancient Roman architect and structural engineer Lucius Quintus Modestus.

Given the commission of a lifetime,  he is so desperate to build the ultimate bath house for Emperor Hadrian that he travels through a time-vortex to modern-day Japan ... where he discovers 21st Century bath house technology.

In a tantalizing temporal paradox, the reader is never certain whether it was Lucius's Japanese innovations which inspired Ancient Roman bath house wizardry ... 

... or whether modern Japanese bath houses are the result of Roman innovations introduced by Lucius from Japan back to Rome and which have returned to Japan ... in some sort of endless time-paradox loop.

The anime's 11 episodes show Lucius designing baths in Rome, Jerusalem and at Hadrian's Villa ... as well as helping a Japanese architect to design an innovative Roman-style bath at a modern spa in Japan.

Along the way, Lucius Modestus battles bullies as a boy, self-doubts as a young architect and sexual identity issues as well as assassination plots from Hadrian's political opponents.

"Thermae Romae Novae" presents a very reverential view of Antinous and Hadrian and hints at much more to come in a promised Season 2.

Watch the trailer and check out exclusive screen shots below: