Aaron's Review: Bamboo Blade

This really should be more popular than it is.

Guys, Gals, & Non-Binary Pals, this is Animated-Aaron’s Review of Bamboo Blade.

!The Set-Up!

The weekly adventures of a school Kendo club as they try to get more members as well as bond through the growing appreciation of the sport.

!The Story!

It’s about as simple as you can get with a slice of life, sports anime. The first few episodes are about the coach and captain trying to recruit members for a practice match against another school. The reason why is because the underpaid coach made a bet that if he wins, he’ll get free food from a sushi restaurant for a year.  Three students and a lot of exposition on the rules and style of Kendo later, they have the match.

In any other anime, the coach would be a creep that hustles his students and the match would take up 4 episodes. Here, when the students find out about his bet, they shrug it off since they know he has no money. It’s treated as a joke. And it is very funny.

The match between Muroe (home) and Machido (away) only takes up about two episodes. It’s well paced and works in some humor as well as tense moments.

After that, each girl gets her own little arc in the show. Some of them overlap, but it’s handled well enough that it’s not confusing or cluttered.

What I love is how I couldn’t really guess where the show was going with the plot. That’s not to say it’s amazingly original, but I was never bored.

!The characters!

Like the plot, the characters aren’t original. But they are very entertaining.

Coach Toraji is probably the best take on the mentor figure I’ve ever seen in anime. Mainly because he isn’t trying to molest his students like 99% of middle aged men in the medium. The character manages not to trip over a low hanging bar, but does he stick the landing on his own? Absolutely!    

He’s a struggling adult that gets stressed out but doesn’t take it out on anybody. Life gives him gut punches, and the show makes it clear he tries to keep his head up despite everything. But they don’t make him an overly sympathetic character. They turn some of his misery into comedy and I laughed every time.

Kirino is the optimistic team captain that’s never low on energy. She’s bright and almost always has a smile or a nice thing to say. Even if she’s pointing out a mistake, she’ll still try and be nice about it even when being blunt. I think her line delivery (from both the dub & sub) is why she was so fun to watch.

Tamaki is the emotionless doll character that I still dislike. Here it’s presented more as she doesn’t have strong opinions on things and only cares about a small list of topics. She was raised by two Kendo instructors which is why she’s so damn good at the sport. But it’s also why she looks at it as more of a chore. So I’ll give them credit that they try and give a reason for the teenager being kind of an emo. But it’s still an overused trope.

Sayako, while it’s never explicitly said or made intentional, is pretty much bipolar. She gets these sudden bursts of energy and doesn’t hold her emotions in at all. If she’s sad, she’s full on depressed. If she’s eager, she starts making a five point plan. Saya is never in between on things. Again, the voice actress makes her character’s endeavors fun to watch.

Miya-Miya (I swear to God, that’s her name), is the cutesy ‘waifu’ character with the perfect hair and a sweet attitude that hundreds of guys would throw themselves at. Until her boyfriend Dani leaves the room and she pops off. Yeah, as it turns out, she’s actually kind of a sadist. She enjoys Kendo cause it gives her a chance to beat people with a stick. It’s not something that switches off and on either. It’s presented more as, she keeps up the profile of valley girl to cover up the fact that she’s a little demon. Luckily, she’s not ‘evil’. Early on, she gets on the wrong foot with Saya but sincerely apologizes in the next episode and works to be friends with her and the other teammates.

Azuma is the last one to join the girl’s team, but comes into the show as a speaking character in episodes 11 & 12. Shy, ditsy, but talented at the sport, Azuma is…actually, I just described her character in full. She’s a well-meaning space cadet that needed to earn her spot onto the team do due her bad grades.

!The Show!

Most sports anime could easily be live action since they don’t do much to take advantage of the fact that they’re animated. Here, it’s with the comedy. The expressions and slapstick are large and wild enough to make this show stand out as a cartoon. Granted, large expressions in anime are kind of routine, and I’d be lying if I said this show doesn’t abuse the speed lines background at times.

Most shows that have a multiple female characters sexualize them with no regard of its purpose in the story or how it’ll effect the view of the characters. Especially if the girls have large busts. There is 1 scene in episode 11 where the camera just focuses on Saya & Kirino’s chest while they talk for no reason. That’s literally the only time. There is no other time in the show where the girls aren’t sexualized in any way.

Most anime that use lengthy exposition will repeat themselves and openly spell out what’s happening for the audience. While there are recaps, the show tries it’s best to explain the rules of Kendo as the anime progresses before they reach tournaments. You don’t get bombarded with information right out of the gate or at one specific time. You don’t find yourself questioning what’s going on. You don’t feel like your intelligence is being insulted for watching the show. Especially when subtle moments come into play.

!Grade!

Is it perfect? No. Is it fun? Yes! And that’s all I really need. A fun sports anime that doesn’t require you to ‘turn your brain off’ nor does it make you think too hard. Bamboo Blade isn’t the mold breaker you’re looking for. But it is a nice breath of fresh air.

Grade: B+ 

Final Word: Underrated and underappreciated. It deserves the praise that most sports anime get, but don’t deserve.

What’s Your Opinion?