Definition #1: A Japanese form of fencing with two-handed bamboo swords, originally developed as a safe form of sword training for samurai.
Definition #2: Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional swordsmanship (kenjutsu) which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan.
Defination #3: Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines martial arts practices and values with sport-like strenuous physical activity.
With that being said, have you ever wondered what it was like to be in a Kendo club? Well, if you didn’t know what kendo was until now, the thought has probably never crossed your mind. But after watching Bamboo Blade you might be more interested in this old time tradition.
Bamboo Blade is pretty much one straight forward anime. In the beginning Toraji Ishida (a politics and economics teacher, also known as the Kendo Club instructor of Muroe High School) and Kirino Chiba (a second year high school student in Muroe High School and captain of the Kendo club) begin their search for new members for their club. As the story progresses they get/met new club members and soon their journey down the road to becoming and elite Kendo team begins. There are small twists and turns along the way but its not just about kendo. It’s also about the characters lives and the problems or challenges each character has to get past so they can form an elite team. This anime will make you laugh and maybe even cry, its very cute. But sadly, It’s an anime that not everyone could get into especially if you like plot twists and a fasted paced story line. But if your looking for a fun slow anime with amazing/lovable characters, then Bamboo Blade just right for you.
As far as the art work goes, all the characters and scenery were drawn with a good amount of detail and the color scheme for the outfits and stuff wasn’t bad either. Mind you its not the best looking series out there, but hey if you get caught up in the story like I did you wont even notice. Plus, the cute characters and their facial expressions make up for it!
Music wise Bamboo Blade has a very catchy opening theme song and a sweet closing theme as well. The opening theme is definitely a song you will sing along to. As for the background music (which is a soft violin during most of the series if memory serves) is a good mood setter. The character voices are awesome in Japanese and English! Best part is their voices aren't annoying (in my opinion).
Lastly the characters, they are truly the heart of the series. They have the best chemistry and amazing personality. The characters always make you laugh whether it be by a silly comment or just there facial expressions. They all grow very close to each other as the story progresses and by the end of the series you’ll truly see/ feel the beauty of the friendship they all share.
