If Thermae Romae were a manga—and I’m not a manga-reader, but if it was cool to read comics—and I saw it on a table at Comiket, I’d have to compliment its author. “This is pretty good paper. It feels good to the touch and the finish is flawless.”

Like one of Najimi’s many shitty forays into the world of Doujin Work, Thermae Romae displays its meat very conservatively.

Najimi’s Doujin

(Screenshot screenshotted from Josh’s Anime Blog)

For the ignorant masses, Najimi is a shitty artist. She gets better at drawing by focusing entirely on faces at a single angle. It makes for exciting porn.

Thermae Romae

The Bottom Line

Najimi was a shitty manga artist because she didn’t draw genitals. Doujin Work was about how terrible she was and how amateurs can’t just make easy money by entering a pervy industry unless they’re prepared to bare it all. Lucius should watch Doujin Work on one of his excursions to Japan and learn this lesson. He’s clearly not cut out to work in the bath industry.

And if he intends to continue in his fruitless pursuit of the titular ‘thermae,’ I can only say to him what Jon Lajoie has said far too many times: show me your genitals.

I do not believe shirking the responsibility of paying for this artwork is acceptable. However, it’s a hefty blow to me to just dish out a few hundred dollars.

As such, I am accepting donations.

See, normally, with art as good as what Sixten’s, I’d pay him out of my pocket and then sell the game, and make this disgusting thing called a profit. I’m not interested in that profit thing, and I’m not interested in making anyone pay for my game. It will be distributed for free at every stage in its development. That’s a promise.

And because I’m not making money off of it with which to recover from paying Sixten, I ask those of you in the target demographic (anime bloggers) who may or may not have five dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars lying around to spend on a bit of entertainment, to spend those spare dollars on a bit of entertainment.

Lest you think I am trying to shift the entirety of the payment onto the community, think again: I have shifted the donation count up by $100: I am only asking for donations for the remaining two thirds. (The extra 20 dollars are from an anonymous benefactor, who shall remain anonymous unless he or she desires otherwise.)

• • Donations should be made via Paypal.
• • My account is dotq11@gmail.com .
• • If the deal with Sixten falls through, I will reimburse all donors.
• • If development of the game ends prematurely, I will pay Sixten personally and reimburse all donors.
• • If you need convincing that Sixten’s art is worth a couple of your dollars, see: Exhibit A / Exhibit B / Exhibit C / Exhibit D.

To all who contribute: thank you.

And finally: I have decided that this project will see fruition. I once joked that I was doing something dumb for fun and it wouldn’t go anywhere. The community spirit that subsequent “releases” of my game stirred up was gratifying; I felt, I should really deliver this. And then people began contributing things to the game. Choux made five amazing character portraits. lelangir sent me music to use. And so on. I can’t and won’t let the community down: I will complete this game.