Meet Toraji Ishida, a high school kendo club advisor who can barely afford to eat. When his former upperclassman bets him a year of free sushi that his girls' kendo team can't win a practice match, Toraji suddenly has all the motivation in the world, except he barely has enough members to field a team. His main recruit target is Tamaki Kawazoe, a quiet, tiny girl who happens to be an absolute kendo prodigy trained at her family's dojo. The catch? Tamaki couldn't care less about competitive kendo. She treats it like doing dishes. What she actually cares about is a tokusatsu superhero show called Blade Bravers, and Toraji basically has to bribe her with anime merch just to get her through the door. That right there sets the tone for the whole 26-episode TV series. The coach isn't chasing glory, he's chasing dinner. The ace player has zero competitive fire. The comedy lands because it keeps subverting what you'd expect from a sports anime while still delivering genuinely well-animated kendo matches with accurate technique and tournament rules. The rest of the team fills out with a fun mix of personalities, and the slice-of-life school stuff between matches keeps things warm without dragging. If you liked the club-building energy of K-On! or the niche-sport deep dives of Chihayafuru but want something a bit goofier and lower stakes, Bamboo Blade hits a really comfortable sweet spot.
A shy kendo prodigy, Tamaki reluctantly joins the club to fight injustice, blossoming into a strong and reliable teammate.
Leigh Cherami
Energetic kendo club captain Kirino, driven to nationals, balances leadership with a playful side, cherishing her team.
Christian Luci
Miyako Miyazaki, a seemingly sweet kendo club member, hides a sadistic side, revealed through a dark aura and powerful strikes.
Clark Leah
Tall, playful, and pessimistic kendo team member Sayako is known for her unpredictable nature and dramatic flair.
Palencia Brina
Naive but talented kendo prodigy Satori, tricked into rejoining the club, is comically clumsy despite her strength.
Savage Carrie
Initially wanting ping pong, Danjuurou surprises all by joining kendo and quickly becoming a skilled, perceptive, and ultimately, the club's new captain.
Michael Teague Sean
Broke kendo instructor Toraji Ishida coaches Muroe High's all-female team for a year's worth of sushi.
Sinclair Ian
Kind, skilled kendo-ka Yuuji joins the club, reaching the top eight in prefectural games.
Burnett Chris
This season covers Chapters 1-57 of the manga. Continue reading from Chapter 54.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 26pretty solid finale honestly. nothing too crazy happens but it wraps everything up in a clean way. loved that they brought in the siblings of the members who caused so much trouble earlier the dojo feeling like home again by the end is a nice touch. its a great show glad I watched it.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 25This is what the show has been building up to. the team operating as a proper team and this time with real stakes which makes it sooo important.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 24the team is getting back on its feet and toraji stepping up as a real coach is one of his best moments in the whole show. This is more like a recovery episode after what happend previously
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 23genuinely sad episode the silence and how everyone looks after everything feels painful to watch and kirino trying to hold it all together alone is sad to watch.
ptrxc★★★★★VerifiedEP 22this is one of the best episodes. miyako vs her rival is so satisfying after all the buildup and tamaki vs rin is on a completely different level. animation during both matches is the best in the whole series.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 21fun episode from start to finish. tamaki and rin accidentally ending up acting in the blade braver movie together is a fun moment.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 20introduction episode for rin and its a pretty good episode. her design is nice and her first interaction with tamaki is also nice.
ptrxc★★★☆☆VerifiedEP 19breather episode. basically miyakos sword breaks and they need to go shopping for a new one. just a chill little episode
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 18WE got a tournament episode. the team finally working together and the animation for the match is very decent.
ptrxc★★★★☆EP 17a recovery episode after the previous one. miyako finally getting azuma to fully commit to the team and they are both entertaining to watch.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 16more of a sad episode. kirino not being there and the team visibly feeling her absence she holds them all together.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 15training camp episode. everyone stuck together is funny. the backgrounds during the outdoor training scenes look nice.
ptrxc★★★★☆EP 14tamakis opponent going dirty the kendo animation here is really good one of the best match episodes in the show.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 13the quiet conversation between tamaki and toraji during the tournament actually got me. toraji feeling like a real coach for once is such a good moment.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 12carrie falling for dan while miya miya watches with growing rage is so funny. miya challenging her to a duel over it is even funnier.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 11miyakos confrontation with reimi is satisfying and tamaki running into someone who might actually challenge her is a great moment. the animation during the kendo sequences is great
ptrxc★★★★☆EP 10miyakos history with reimi adds real depth and made me root for her way harder. this is where it gets good.
ptrxc★★★☆☆EP 9mostly wraps up the part time job stuff and gives toraji some screen time. not a lot happens.
ptrxc★★★☆☆VerifiedEP 8lowkey episode. tamaki needing money for an anime dvd and taking miyakos job is fun and her dad assuming shes buying him a gift is sweet.
ptrxc★★★★☆VerifiedEP 7wasnt expecting this one to hit as hard as it did. satoris reason for quitting is genuinely sad and the show handles it with more care than i expected.
