Interview with Kenjiro Tsuda & Win a Cheki! Kenjiro Tsuda reveals Tsudaken's bath situation! Netflix Series "Thermae Romae Novae" Brings a Variety of "Thermae" Forms to Life as Lucius

The "Thermae Romae Novae" series, which has been adapted into an animated television series and two live-action films, is being re-animated as a Netflix series for the first time in nearly 10 years and will begin exclusive distribution on March 28, 2022 (Monday).

The new "Thermae Romae Novae" features the original author Mari Yamazaki herself in the series composition. The story is about Lucius, a young Roman bathhouse engineer who is able to travel back in time between ancient Rome and modern Japan, and how he incorporates Japanese bathing culture into the design of his country's bathhouse, Thermae!

The main character Lucius is played by Kenjiro Tsuda, who is very active not only in popular animations such as "Kyokushudo" and "Jujutsu Kaisen" but also as an actor in dramas such as "Saiai". We asked Mr. Tsuda, whose voice plays the role of Lucius' earnest struggle for Thermae with great charm, to talk about the highlights of his works, stories related to baths, his interest in time slips, and his thoughts on the Netflix productions in which he continues to appear.

I wish I could play Lucius honestly, flexibly, and emotionally.

TM: This is your fourth animated film, and the first in about 10 years. What do you find attractive about "Thermae Romae"?

Tsuda: I think the original work is not only very funny as a comedy, but also the fact that Mari Yamazaki has an overwhelming amount of knowledge as a scholar and that the laughter is based on the academic part of the work is really wonderful. It is a unique and inimitable type of work, and I am attracted to it because it is simply funny. It is interesting as knowledge and interest, and at the same time it is funny as a gag.

T: The "Thermae Romae Tour of the Baths" (a journey of rediscovery) featuring Mr. Yamazaki is also a highlight of this issue of "Thermae Romae".

Tsuda: I felt very honored to be able to narrate the video in which he appears. Even though I knew he was going to be in the film, I was still a bit surprised when I actually saw him in the video (laughs). (Laughs) Above all, he seemed to be really enjoying himself, and it was fun to watch him narrate the video. I couldn't meet him during the recording due to the current situation, but I was very happy to be able to watch his bath-related variety on the screen.

I could tell from your smile and the way you talked that the recording was a lot of fun.

Tsuda: It was really fun. I was also surprised again by his knowledge and curiosity. I highly recommend it.

T: Mr. Tsuda is an integral part of the Netflix series and often plays strong characters.

Tsuda: I think he is a man of many charms. First of all, he has a strong face (laughs). I also like his straightforward, honest, and energetic attitude toward his work and his commitment to making baths better and creating new baths. I think the small capacity is also an attraction. I am easily startled, easily annoyed, and my eyebrows are furrowed all the time. This wide range of emotions results in a gap that leads to comedy, and the fact that Lucius' cuteness comes to the fore is very appealing. The scenes in which he is extremely distressed by his lack of talent, or when he is jealous of his talent, make me feel that he is a human being, and at the same time, I think that Lucius is a creator after all.

Tada: There are a lot of scenes in which you ask yourself questions.

Tsuda: Yes, almost all of them (laughs). (Laughs.) He is a character with a lot of monologues. When I play monologue scenes, the tension is more like turning inward, but in the case of Lucius, he basically goes back in time and the tension is often high, so I have the impression that he is acting surprised all the time. I get the impression that he is acting surprised all the time. "This technology is amazing!" or "What a flat-faced tribe!" or "This technology is amazing," or "What a bunch of flat-faced people! He is a man who thinks and feels a lot of things, so I tried to be honest and flexible in my performance, hoping that I would be able to give an emotionally rich performance.

T: Since the theme of the film is a bath, I was wondering if you could give us a glimpse into your passion for baths. Please tell us about your special bathing rituals and manners.

Tsuda: I don't have any special rituals, but I soak myself thoroughly in the bathtub twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. It is the same pattern throughout the year, regardless of whether it is summer or winter. If I don't soak myself thoroughly in the bathtub in the morning and rinse off properly in the shower, I don't feel like getting up, and I feel like I'm in a daze for the rest of the day. I feel like I'm in a daze for the rest of the day. When I go to bed at night, I want to soak myself in the bathtub and relax before going to sleep.

I hear that many actors bring their scripts into the bathtub with them.

Tsuda: I don't bring my script into the bathtub, because the quality of the paper is too soft and squishy. But I do read books. That's why most of the books on my bookshelf have wavy pages. On the other hand, I sometimes think about things without bringing anything into the room. I think it is the best space to think carefully.

TM: Since you said that you take a bath in the morning to wake yourself up, do you do most of your thinking in the evening?

Tsuda: I do some thinking in the morning (laughs). I soak in the bathtub for at least 30 minutes.

TM: That's a long time.

Tsuda I don't know if it is long or not, because I don't know the standard, but I am told that it is quite long. How long do you soak in the bathtub?

Tsuda: Five minutes for me (laughs).

Tsuda Seriously? The water gets cold after a 30-minute soak, so I always have to reheat the water in the middle of each soak (laughs).

Tsudaken talks a lot about what he wants to do with Netflix!

TM: Thank you very much for sharing your bath experience in detail, and I get the impression that you are a man loved by Netflix, as evidenced by the "TSUDAKEN TIME" at Netflix events. What do you find attractive about Netflix, Mr. Tsuda?

Tsuda: I really appreciate being asked to participate in various productions, including "TSUDAKEN TIME," and I think the appeal of Netflix is that there are many sharp and challenging productions. There is a rich variation and a sharpness that you don't find on other platforms, and I have the impression that Netflix respects its creators. I have the impression that they are very close to the director's vision and what they want to do. I feel the power of creativity, including animation.

T: As an active creator, is there anything you would like to do at Netflix?

Tsuda: I would like to make movies. Participation in animation is appreciated and interesting, but if I could give my opinion as a creator, I would like to make a live-action movie. I said something like that at the TSUDAKEN TIME, but right after the event, one of the live-action team members asked me, "Mr. Tsuda, are you serious about this?" and confirmed it to me. I realized that this kind of lightness of footwork and sense of speed is typical of Netflix. It's also interesting and appealing to me that there is the possibility of watching it in a huge number of countries all over the world at the same time.

TM: If you were going to make a film, would it be a sharp film?

Tsuda: Yes. I have a strong desire to make such a film, and I have received a lot of replies from overseas on SNS since I appeared in the Netflix original series. I feel that the world is expanding rapidly, and I would love to do it if I have a chance.

T : I would like to ask you a question related to what you would like to do. If you could go back in time like Lucius did, is there a place you would like to go or something you would like to do? Do you want to go back in time?

Tsuda: I would like to go back in time! There are so many places and eras I would like to visit that it is very difficult to choose. For example, looking back at the history of Japan, I cannot narrow down who I would like to visit because there are all kinds of star groups in each period. Many of them are a bit scary, and if you get too close to them, you will probably get beaten up (laughs). (Laughs.) But I really want to see for myself what kind of people they were like, so I would like to meet the stars and great people of each era and talk to them a little bit.

How would you feel about turning that into a live-action concept?

Tsuda: I would like to go back in time to each era and make a film of my conversations with the greats. It might be good!

TM: So, assuming that you will be able to meet all the stars of each era, who would you like to meet first?

Tsuda I would have to say Ryoma Sakamoto. I'd like to meet him and find out if he really was a big man or if he had a shaggy haircut.

Toward the end, could you give a message to the fans who are looking forward to seeing the film?

Tsuda: I'd be happy if you could watch it with an easygoing feeling. The story continues as a whole, but basically each episode is complete, so I hope you will watch it with a light heart. It is funny and thought-provoking, and this time there will be an episode newly written by Mr. Yamazaki. Please enjoy the newly developed "Thermae Romae. And by all means, please love the bath (laughs). Best regards.

(Reporting and writing by Shinobu Tanaka)

Distribution Information
Netflix series "Thermae Romae Novae" will be distributed exclusively worldwide from March 28 (Mon.), 2012.

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