Well I can't say that I don't enjoy reading this series. The artwork is good, the story is good even the characters are good...
But how the author put up things...
First of all why the two male characters in the kendo club? They just do nothing, and the "main" male just not care if they're good or not (well that's just his personality)
And the manga... pretty much concentred in the main girls... if it had a bit o balance... well that's just me thinkin'

I've only got one thing to say about this manga. How unimaginative can a mangaka go

I dont make it a habit of trashing mangas and I dont really make comments that might deter someone from trying something new even if it is bad. But seriously, save yourselves some time. Take your pets out for a walk, go see a movie, do something OTHER than spend time reading this.

Another genre work (kendo in this case) and a rather unassuming appearance at first glance. I wasn't particularly interested in kendo before coming across this one, and I'm not really any more interested at this point, but the strong points of this series are definitively NOT its coverage of its subject, but the characters and dialogue. In that way you might say it's more suited for non-fans of kendo than those who actually like it.

So what IS good about it? There's a lackadaisical, whimsical air to Bamboo Blade that puts it closer to a "slice of life" story than the more recognizable "gotta be the best" epics. Come in expecting a lot of angst, anguish and drama, and you'll soon realize that this is a series much more concerned with having fun and being down-to-earth. In a way I think it's almost a high school story meant more for adults than actual teenagers. Young readers flock to fantasy stories like Death Note, Naruto and Bleach because they offer a larger-than-life conflict and epic narratives that resonate with their needs to grasp and assimilate (or escape from) the rules of the adult world, their desire to prove themselves, etc. This leads to overblown drama, angst, and all the other baggage that comes with being a moody teenager.

Bamboo Blade, on the other hand, eschews these characteristics by-and-large. Undeniably, there are some characters who have teenage mental issues, but they are treated in a lighthearted manner, become character quirks, and are generally used to provide cast variety rather than a significant struggle to be overcome in the plot. Because of this relative lack of drama, there isn't really a compelling hook to keep you reading; it's more of a "come and enjoy a book every once in a while" read. I referred to BB as a high school story for adults above because it offers an idyllic, innocent look back at high school life, removed from all of the trivial (but oh-so-life-threatening at the time) baggage that accompanies it. And with a surprising, almost total lack of overbearing fanservice, it really is a solidly wholesome manga. Recommended.

I find the story very funny and the characters' expressions are very well expressed I think

The characters are nicely made and interesting, but the plot isn't really original nor interesting

I figured a manga about kendo would be a good read, but that was not the case, at least not with Bamboo Blade.
The art is average at best. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.
The main problem with the manga is that it's simply very clichè and relies on stereotypes. Particularly the main female is one of the most overused stereotypes you can find in manga; basically, she's the silent, invincible type. If you've actually sparred against a female in any martial art, whether it's kendo, karate or boxing, you'll know they have very little to put up with. No amount of training is going to change that. This also makes the manga very predictable, since you can see right through her character on the very first page she shows up. You know she's supposed to have some mythical skill beyond human comprehension, and that's just not fun to read about, no matter the gender.
Lastly, the humor is rather bland. It's generally not enough to make you laugh, though you might want to attribute that to the poor translation. There are numerous mistakes, sometimes making it hard to understand... though this shouldn't go against the manga itself.

I didn't expect much when I started reading, but to my suprize it turned out Great! The art is wonderfull, and best of all the expression of the characters are nicely done and not over the top when it comes to the comedy. Characters are all likable and fairly well done.

Overall the manga is fairly light-hearted and is really enoyable to read. Its woth checking out.

... Last updated on January 22nd, 2007, 4:42pm

A relatively new manga that's immensely funny in the two volumes that are out, even more so that quite a few veterans in the category. It's got nice, consistently good art, to boot, detailed and sometimes not, based on appropriate situations. I'll keep reading this gem one for sure. A great find from Fifay.net.

It's pretty fun, I guess.