When I first heard of Bamboo Blade, I thought it would be a dull sports (and possibly harem) anime series. I’m glad to say, however, that I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not really sure how I would classify it, as it is kind of a mix of comedy and slice-of-life with just a bit of sports. Whatever the genre, I came to really like the characters and the overall feel of the series.
Story
I have to really praise Bamboo Blade for resisting the urge to add romance and powerups to this series. The romance level ended up being incredibly and surprisingly low, and no one really got much more powerful. The sports aspects of Bamboo Blade were really de-emphasized, and many of the matches weren’t shown. Even the pivotal matches were over quickly without anyone pulling crazy new moves out. Tamaki slightly improved her Atomic Fire Blade, Miyako managed to not suck during one tournament, Dan improved off-camera, and Sayako got better footwork. I guess training alone is not enough for immediate improvement; you need guts as well.
Tilt
In terms of art, Bamboo Blade stays fairly faithful to the manga style, but I’d say the anime looks better overall. While the production values are only average, the quality is constant throughout, and I don’t remember any bad dips. The OP and ED were ok, and although they weren’t my favorites they were certainly memorable.
Characters and Verdict
Most of the appeal of the series is just in following the lovable cast along and enjoying their gently amusing antics. A lot of the side characters actually managed to get tied in to the plot, but the Muroe HS team is clearly the focus. I’d say that Sayako was my favorite of the bunch, and my favorite running gag was when the characters would cut off TL;DR text messages after a few seconds. Bamboo Blade was consistently entertaining, and I enjoyed every episode. I think the director did a good job of pacing the story and giving the viewers a pseudo-ending while leaving the series open for sequels (which I would really like to watch).
Kabitzin’s Rating: 5/5
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This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1937 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Me too. But probably for different reasons from yours. :3
Because she has a big heart? =3
Bamboo Blade is great, but the best thing about the show is the OP for Chouken Sentai Blade Braver. Audiosurfing it is an unadulterated pleasure.
BRAVE CHANGE!
It’s all about Kirino and her “83″ face, fools! I will always remember that adorable way in which she glomped Ishida in the last episode. ;_;
Isn’t it her voice and the lesbian vibes?
I can’t believe it’s Revy’s VA (and Klan Klein’s this season).
I think Bamboo Blade surprised most of us, mostly for the better.
Miya Miya is still the best. LOVE POWER.
That Carrie and Miyako rivalry really helped Miyako bring out her A-game, especially once the engrish trash-talking started.
I’m just disappointed that she never used any Youma power.
Nooooo, youma power makes you look all fugly! This is why everyone loved Teresa and Galatea.
…and why Britney Spears became a pop idol.
IKnight:
What, no love for Schneider no Uta?
SCHN~EIIIIIIDEERRRRRRR!
I will forever remember this show for having the shortest onsen sequence in history.
And now you must watch ROOKIES
Noooo, I hate baseball!
That was totali uncalled for.
I thought one of the most memorable scenes was where Kirino and Sayako escort Tama out of the library and she gives a resounding speech about a retiring manga artist and animator; Kirino and Sayako were so awestruck they could barely stand up.
I loved how often they were like that whenever Tama did anything, to the point where Tama realizes during teaching that they weren’t listening.
I’ve already said my piece on it in a post somewhere, but I wouldn’t mind more episodes myself. Such a fun show.
I really agree with this article. I was also apprehensive at the beginning and also feared that it would become a piece where everyone was falling in each love with each other. Yes, I know I am exaggerating. But I thought it was touching in its simplicity.