Bamboo Blade
Original Title：バンブーブレード
Languages:
- English: Bamboo Blade
- Japanese: バンブーブレード
- Chinese: 竹刀少女
Bamboo Blade (バンブーブレード, Banbū Burēdo) is a Japanese manga series written by Masahiro Totsuka and illustrated by Aguri Igarashi. It was serialized in Square Enix's Young Gangan magazine from December 2004 to September 2010, totaling 14 volumes. The story revolves around Toraji Ishida, a high school kendo instructor who, motivated by a bet with his former upperclassman, needs to assemble a team of five female kendo students. He encounters Tamaki Kawazoe, a gifted young kendo practitioner, and begins to form his team. Bamboo Blade is known for its mix of humorous daily life scenes and kendo competitions. A 26-episode anime adaptation aired in Japan from October 2007 to April 2008. The manga is licensed for distribution in North America by Yen Press, while the anime is licensed by Funimation. There are also two spin-off series: Bamboo Blade B and Bamboo Blade C.