Kendo spirit

BAMBOO BLADE Vol.1 Story and art: Masahiro Totsuka & Aguri Igarashi Publisher: Yen Press; 224 pages (ISBN: 978-0759530058) For older teens

I HAVE several preconceived notions about sports manga. You know the type I’m talking about. The “heroes” are always a plucky bunch of misfits and/or underdogs on a failing sports team who are about to lose their club house and/or the regional championship. Suddenly, their luck turns around when they discover the main character, who turns out to be a prodigy in whatever sport they’re so crazy about.