Bamboo Blade #12

Volume 12 of *Bamboo Blade* by Totsuka Masahiro and Igarashi Aguri wraps the reader in the warm heart of this kendo series, with a cover showing a purple-haired student in a sailor uniform and hakama embracing a smaller red-haired companion while holding a shinai — a quietly tender moment between two practitioners of the art. The contrast between the traditional kendo gear and the gentle, almost protective pose captures exactly what makes this series so compelling: competition and camaraderie bound together. A fine addition to any manga shelf, this 2011 French edition from Ki-oon brings another chapter of bamboo-and-spirit to francophone fans.