written by Masahiro Totsuka
illustrated by Aguri Igarashi

The Burnish Academy special episode shooting is about to begin at Muroe High School. The Muroe kendo team is getting excited for their face-off with Kendo Komachi in their television debut.
 
However, there is something they did not predict happening. The thing, or rather, person, is Ura Sakaki, who is set to take on Tama in a match before teaming up with them to take on Kendo Komachi. Initially, Ura had no intention of going back to kendo, having given it up to pursue her passion for her TV idol, Junya Takigawa. However, in a tragic twist, she discovers a press release revealing a secret tryst between Junya and the announcer of Burnish Academy, Matsumoto. In a fit of rage, she dives back into the world of kendo to make a dramatic return, and is now on a death march toward Muroe to go after Matsumoto.
 
Meanwhile, the television crew and staff is preparing for the shooting to begin in the dojo, and the kendo club’s only two boys are getting none of the action. I would pity them, but this show is about the girls, so you can’t expect any action from the guys. In fact, I think the producer is getting a bit of an impure kick out of seeing the young girls practicing and training in kendo.
 
As for our scheming TV star, Ryouko Toda, there is a surprise newsflash that she is enraged by: There is a member of Kendo Komachi whom she never knew about, and she’s already at the dojo.
 
Kojiro initially wants Tama to go easy on Erina during their match and let her get a win for the cameras, but Erina isn’t happy with that and wants to go against Tama with her best efforts. This, however, could be a mistake, because Tama is about to get the surprise of her life!
 
Masahiro Totsuka and Aguri Igarashi’s Bamboo Blade is heating up in ways no reader could have expected. They really know how to turn a situation in the span of a few pages alone. As soon as one reaches the end, one is left craving the next volume just so they can know what comes of the events of the final page(s).

-- David Gromer

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