Watched Bamboo Blade (Complete Anime Series)

My girlfriend and I saw this at the library. The whole series is only like 26 episodes so it's not super long like many other anime shows. The show is about a high school kendo (think fencing but Japanese style) team and their adventures. 

The main character is Toraji Ishida who is a worthless kendo coach who often begs for food and scared to face life's obstacles. He is more commonly referred to as Kojiro

Then there is Tamaki Kawazoe who Kojiro finds out of the blue after seeing her use her amazing ability at swordsmanship. She also likes anime and manga very much. She joins the team only to serve as an "anime-like protector" after seeing a former member assaulting freshmen. 

Then there is Kirino Chiba who is the team captain despite being a rather wishy-washy fighter depending on her mood. She does have a good heart, and has a lot of comedic appeal. 

Then there is Sayako Kuwahara, more commonly known as "Saya." She quit and rejoined the team due to her personality of being a rather depressive person. One of those starving artist type of people. 

Then there is a Satori Azuma, a young girl who can't pass a test, wears fake glasses, but has very good skills at kendo. 

One of the most notable characters is Danjuro Eiga. A little ugly guy who at first seems weak and frail, but then gets a lot of wisdom and learns a lot of kendo. 

Could you believe this girl right here is Danjuro's girlfriend? Neither can most of the cast. Miyako Miyazaki (often called "Miya Miya") is on the surface a very sweet girl who loves her man. However deep down she has a dark and twisted personality to people who are unkind to her. 

Lastly there is Yuji Nakata who is just one of the boys in the kendo club. He has a lot of experience, but serves mostly as the voice of reason. Often mocking Kojiro for doing dumb things, or having different motives for winning matches. 

Overall it's a decent and memorable anime. It starts out really funny and creative, however there is a plot point that drags it down to a rather depressing mood. I kinda wished the whole series didn't turn all melancholic all of a sudden, but it has a decent ending.