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This is a place for Stretch to place his favorite Kendo Girls (Or Miko Girls with Swords)
Stretch:
"Kendo Girls" (I think Forbin invented the term) are becoming so commonplace nowadays--often as members of "harems"--that I thought I'd see how many I could track down. Feel free to make additions of your own. Having given the topic some thought, here are my qualifications for being a "Kendo Girl":
1. She must employ one or more pre-gunpowder weapons (swords are best, other bladed weapons or bows are okay).
2. She should be a modern-day girl--i.e., living in more-or-less contemporary Japan.
3. There should be an element of comedy involved--based on the incongruity of cute girls wielding dangerous, anachronistic weapons.
4. She should dress in traditional Japanese garb--often as a Miko (shrine maiden).
Any female character that meets condition one and at least one of the other conditions should be okay. If Cute Girls with Guns proves to be popular, why not "Girls with Blades"? Sekushii!!
This wiki page has spawned another - Mecha Chicks.
In Star Driver, Benio Shinada is the leader of her school's kendo club, and the regional champion of the sport. She is also "Scarlet Kiss", the leader of the fifth section of the secret organization Glittering Crux. Her section, "Filament", is a sort of outcast group made up of those who have lost status and will do whatever they must to regain it. The fact that Benio is also the RA of the dorm in which their arch-enemy Takuto Tsunashi lodges comes in handy, too.
High School of the Dead: When is a Kendo Girl most handy? When your school is overrun by zombies! Busujima Saeko, the captain of the Fujimi Private High kendo team, is elegant, demure, graceful, professional--and deadly. A female Samurai, one might say. However, in the desperate, apocalyptic situation brought on by a plague of zombies, even she cannot help making advances on a hearty man--she is a woman, after all.
Working!!: A waitress who wears a sword? Customers are a little unnerved, but Yachiyo Todoroki is always cheerful and this is hardly the only odd thing at the Wagaria restaraunt. The long and proud history of the Todoroki family as expert blademakers offers a reason for her to do this--sort of. Actually, it is Yachiyo's fanatical loyalty to her manager, Kyouko, which explains this. If she detects (or imagines) any challenge to her special relationship with Kyouko, there will be hell to pay.
Having been adopted by the wealthy Yamanobe family, Mafuyu Oribe employs her kendo skill as she serves as a bodyguard/chaperone for her new sister, Tomo. But she finds herself out of her league when the buxom Tomo comes to the attention of Qwasers, "superhuman warriors who control specific elements in order to fight". Needing to be repeatedly rescued by the 13-year-old Qwaser "Sasha" is embarassing enough, and the reason he is attracted to Tomo even more so. Still, Mafuyu will do her best and keep a close eye on her somewhat ditzy sister.
Chu-Bra!!: Yako Jinguji's family runs a kendo dojo and she is skilled in the sport. But she finds that her martial artistry is of little use when dealing with strange girls with a fixation on female underwear. Being rather modestly endowed she had never given the topic much thought herself, but she finds that her new friend won't let it remain at rest.
Omamori Himari: Noihara Himari, who describes herself only as "a cute cat", has been sent to serve as bodyguard to Yuuto Amakawa. Yuuto had no idea that he was the descendant of a famous Ayakashi (demon) slayer, or that present-day Ayakashi still hold a grudge against him. The tough, loyal, and quick-thinking Himari carries her Yasutsuna (sword) at all times but will only use it upon Ayakashi--which is a little strange, considering that she is one herself. "Master, I'm your shadow. At times your sword, at times your shield. I'll protect you from all bad things that will come".
Princess Lover!: Sylvia "Sylvie" van Hossen is a high noble of the Heremish Kingdom and an expert in European style fencing. Her most prized possession is her sword, which is a family heirloom once presented by the Heremish Emperor. Whether bathing, attending school, eating, or watching movies she will not let it out of her sight.
Hayate no Gotoku !!: Katsura Hinagiku is both the Student Council President and Kendo Club President at Hakuou Academy. Normally "a super-beautiful and all around great girl", Hinagiku's temper can occasionally be lost, for instance if she is stood up for a duel/date. The fact that she was armed with "Woodsword Masamune, a Saginomiya family treasure which maximizes the wielder's latent strength" had something to do with the incident, since "as a trade off, though, the user becomes very emotional".
(Episode 13)
Chaos;Head: Who wouldn't think they had lost their mind when the cute girls around them started summoning gargantuan blades out of thin air? Actually, the explanation is quite simple: these are Di-swords, and the girls are Gigalomaniacs. So there you have it.
Asu no Yoichi!: Since her parents are out of the country, the hot tempered Ibuki Ikaruga serves as the instructor at her family dojo, which specializes in the unique "Soaring Wing Divine Wind" style of swordsmanship. None of her three sisters display much interest in Kendo, and, as if her problems weren't great enough already, she doesn't know what to make of her strange cousin, Koichi Karasuma, who has been sent there to train.
Tsuchimiya Kagura of Ga-Rei: Zero comes from a long line of "Spirit Users". Her mother was killed in the line of duty, forcing her father to work full time keeping a dangerous spirit, "Byakuei" under control--a duty which Kagura will inherit someday. She was placed in the care of the Isayama family, with Isayama Yomi charged with "supporting her from the shadows". They became the best of friends, virtual sisters in fact, spending many hours as Kendo sparring partners--their line of work as modern-day demon exorcists demanded it. But now they are destined to fight a completely serious duel against one another. How could such a close friendship have gone so wrong?
Isayama Yomi of Ga-Rei: Zero is recognized as the exorcist who is "most skilled with the sword". Her signature blade is the Shishi-Ou whereas her best friend Kagura wields "Michael". The accession of Yomi's father to family leadership was unexpected, and even more so is his intention that Yomi succeed him, even though she was adopted and is still relatively young. Once the paragon of virtue, Yomi will find herself fundamentally changed by murder and deceit.
Known as "The Destructive Goddess of Darkness" (not a compliment), Jinno Hazumi of Bakuen Campus Guardress is a "Guardress", or female Guardian of the gateway between this world and another, dark one. The key to the gateway is her brother Takuma, who she adores (they're not siblings by blood, so it's OK). At one point she boasts that "My sword can cleave entire galaxies!"--probably an exaggeration, but she is still not someone you would want to annoy.
Skilled swordswoman Shimizu Raimei of the Fuma clan was once a student of English teacher/secret ninja Thobari-sensei in Nabari no Ou. Now she volunteers to help him bodyguard Rokujou Miharu, who has been discovered to hold amazing powers--but she finds herself appalled by the apathetic attitude of the boy. Actually, Raimei considers herself a Samurai; "It's a principle of mine not to use petty things like ninja techniques" she says; "I shall trust only my own strength and this katana"!
Fujiwara Naeka of Kamen no Maid Guy is blessed/cursed with A) a tremendous monetary inheritance once she turns 18; and B) a equally tremendous set of breasts. She is an enthusiastic member of her high school's kendo club, but her status there is continually threatened by her pathetic grades and also her hulking bodyguard/maid Kogarashi, who may drive her insane.
Quiet, reserved, idealistic--and a fantastic kendo artist, Tama-chan (Kawazoe Tamaki) of Bamboo Blade was a godsend for the struggling Muroe High School kendo club. Though only a short 15-year old freshman, her father heads a kendo dojo and she has been practicing it for virtually all her life. Consequently, she thought of kendo as little more than "a household chore" and initially wasn't interested in joining the club. But becoming aware of the bullying that new members were subjected to caused her to change her mind. "When the situation gets worse, her heart of justice ignites!"
Chiba Kirino of Bamboo Blade is the somewhat goofy but highly dedicated captain of the Muroe Private High School kendo club. The only serious female member at the start of the story, she is delighted by the rejuvenation she sees the club undergo under Kojirou-sensei--though she might not be so enthusiastic if she knew of his ulterior motive. He dubs her "Warrior of Justice Yellow", a choice of colors she doesn't particularly agree with.
Described as "A stunning beauty shrouded in darkness", Miya (Miyazaki Miyako) of Bamboo Blade is in fact a frighteningly mean-spirited girl. She only joined the kendo club to please her long-time boyfriend, Dan-kun, and at one point comments that "I never thought this club was fun to begin with". However, she does admit to herself that "I find hitting others very enjoyable". Being both inexperienced and angry, she has an absolutely vicious style of kendo.
Saya (Kuwahara Sayako) of Bamboo Blade is tall, strong and spunky, but "Way too random sometimes". She cannot decide what she wants to do with her life; recently she has been flirting with either being a professional writer of fiction or playing the guitar. Saya suffers from a chronic lack of patience; she has a habit of quitting the Kendo club when she becomes frustrated, but then returning soon afterwards.
The elusive fifth member of the Bamboo Blade girl's kendo team is Azuma (Azuma Satori). This freshman has in fact loved kendo since she was a child, and is quite good at it, but was told by her parents not to join any club while in high school. The reason: her grades are terrible (though she tries hard and is never absent or tardy), and she must devote all available time to studying. However, some aggressive recruiting by Kirino and Saya does the trick, since "The red-hot fire towards kendo in her heart is still burning"!
The stern, emotionless Saihashi-san (aka "Yuma") is in fact a CODE-E, i.e, one who's strong emotions create serious electromagnetic disturbance. Therefore, she has adopted the serene life of a Miko/Shrine Maiden--including Kyudo, the Japanese style of archery.
When her father and brother died during the war against WORMs, Sakurano Otoha became the successor for her grandfather's dojo. But her dream is to follow her father and become a pilot flying through the sky - and so she became a member of the Sky Girls. Being a kendo expert, she prefers her Sonic Diver's sword over it's firearms.
Though not particularly interested in the traditional Japanese style of swordsmanship, Hime-sama from Kaibutsu Oujo is an experienced and highly dangerous combatant. This "Princess of what you humans call monsters" leads a rather dangerous life which demands the ability to defend oneself. Consequently, she is familiar with the sword, the mace, the baseball bat, the chainsaw--you name it.
One sub-genre of Kendo Girls would have to be the "Bodyguard Girl", a girl who considers it her duty to chaperone a friend/relative who is attractive but a bit too trusting of teenage boys. Yuno from _summer is just such a girl, having little patience for lecherous boys who would threaten her dangerously naive friend, Wakana-san.
She is cute, she is charming, she is very dangerous, she is the Murder Princess
Maya from Guardian Hearts is a proud Ninja who has a habit of getting caught in embarrassing situations. This is especially unfortunate, because "The first oath of a spy is to become the wife of the first man to see you in bare skin!"
On the bizarre Blue Orchid Island of Nagasarete Airantou, Shinobu and her two sisters are ninja, and what's more Shinobu is "pursuing the ways of the sword". After hearing wild accounts of the amazing swordsmanship of Ikuto (the only boy on the island) she challenges him to a duel and won't take no for an answer*. She could have chosen a more traditional outfit for the match, though!
*Episode 18
Tsumura Tokiko from Busou Renkin--Perhaps the most bizarre bladed weapon wielded by any anime character would be Tokiko's "Valkyrie Skirt", a set of razor sharp scythe-like blades that she can materialize out of thin air. Tokiko, an "Alchemic Warrior", is a humorless girl who seldom smiles and displays no interest at all in romance. Having once witnessed a horrific massacre of her schoolmates by "Homunculi", her only goal is to exterminate the same and prevent such a thing from ever happening again.
Miyamoto Iroha from Sumomomo Momomo ~ Chijou Saikyou no Yome. This 15 year old girl is the heir to the once feared and respected Miyamoto-gumi clan, which she hopes to revive by assasinating Inuzuka Koushi. An accomplished martial artist, the only person Iroha fears is her landlady.
Secchan (Sakurazaki Setsuna) from Negima!?. This proud swordswoman acts as a bodyguard for Ojou-sama (Konoe Konoka). Her family has been "protecting the Konoe house for generations, and I, Setsuna, with pride for the Sakurazaki family, will protect her, even at the cost of my life". Protecting Ojou is the only thing that will persuade her to agree to kiss Negi-sensei (in order to exchange a "provisional contract" and attain magical powers). She likes the "Zombie Rider" video game.
Kurogane Otome from Tsuyokiss Cool X Sweet--she's responsible for Discipline at her school, and she's one hell of fighter, wielding a traditional Japanese Sword with the authority to use it if necessary. Then again, she appears to be reasonable and even a nice girl.
Honoka from The Third: Aoi Hitomi no Shoujo has gained a fearsome reputation as "The Sword Dancer", i.e., "A beautiful girl who uses the sword as if it were dancing". Her blade comes in handy against hostile robots or pesky giant carnivorous insects.
Chen, the ‘top’ of the all-female Sun Ring tribe from the series Juuousei is one tough lady.
Nijihara Marin of the series Magikano -- The character of Marin is unique in that she is one of those rare Christian-Mikos. Devoted to carrying out her family’s mission of defeating evil witches, she has become smitten with the love-bug for her (apparently equally simple) precious Yoshikawa Harou. Her condition must have caused her to not recognize that all three of Harou’s sisters are witches, nor understand that there are three other miko-or-magical girls already chasing her beloved Harou……
Kurosu Yuri from Magikano--Yuri-sama, the admired and respected Student Body President of her school, can magically transform into a fearsome swordswoman. Her hair takes a beating, though.
Mapputatsu Tsubaki from Kage Kara Mamoru!--This noble girl from a proud family was tricked into attempting to avenge a non-existent insult. Her traditional code of honor requires some adjustment in order to live alongside people like the scatterbrained Konnyaku Yuna. Tsubaki's Zan Seramikku Ken ("keen ceramic blade") can cut through any substance in this world (except one).
Master swordswoman Mitsurugi Ryoko of Samurai Girl Real Bout High School is the 22-0 undefeated K-fight champion at Daimon High School, though she would much rather lead an ordinary life and have a boyfriend. Everything changes when she finds herself transported to some alternate world and acclaimed "Demon Lord of Yenen". "I don't know if this is a dream or reality" she says, "but it sounds rather fun!"
Shana of Shakugan no Shana is known as "the girl with the flame red hair and the blazing eyes"--though ordinarily she has perfectly average black hair. She is a rather gruff and not particularly polite girl, who is only interested in her duty of dealing with soul-eating "Denizens" from another dimension. She could be a little more modest, too!
Hida Sayuri of Gokujou Seitokai is the "Number One" of the Miyagami High School Student Council's "Assault Squad", which "is responsible for resolving problems which occur within the school". She is a true Kendo Girl, who employs a non-lethal wooden sword to enforce the council's decisions. Her poor eyesight is often a handicap, however.
Kisaragi Kasumi from Kujibiki Unbalance--it would be unwise to argue with this vice-chairman of the student council at Rikkyoin High School.
"It feels like a sudden power is coming!" Kurama Yuki of G-on Riders exclaimed as she first experienced her newly discovered "Tokimeki Power". Yuki's particular power comes from the courage she employs to protect her friend Hongo Ichiro when he gets into trouble. As a Rider, a special pair of eyeglasses enables her to transform the Tokimeki ("throbbing") Power into a magical sword, which she has dubbed "Fooling Kaza". Yuki's special move is to whirl Kaza like the rotor blade of a helicopter. Ichiro comes to understand Yuki when he realizes that "Oh, she's just naturally... odd!"
Coming from a wealthy family and being the grandaughter of Hoshikawa's board director, Yayoi-chan of G-on Riders "hasn't had much experience seeing men", and in fact has developed a strong phobia regarding boys. Seeing as she possesses the awesome "Tokimeki Power", this can be quite a problem at times. Her Naginata/Bow combination is named Setsugekka, literally "Snow, Moon, Flowers".
"G-On Riders! Yayoi ready!"
Sela-san of G-on Riders revels in the praise and admiration of her classmates as the primary Rider at Saint Hoshikawa school. After an inspiring encounter with a strange superhero, she became a fervent Christian and a nun of sorts. However, being humiliated by the new Rider candidate, Kurama Yuki, causes her a crisis of confidence; becoming attracted to male student Ichiro, who secretly likes Yuki, doesn't help either. She has named her fantastic sword Kami no Ibuki, or "God's Breath".
"G-on Riders! Sela calling!"
Shinobu from Ninin ga Shinobuden is an apprentice ninja who engages in a wild swordfight--during the OP sequence, that is. In truth, the fact that she doesn't want to hurt a fly might be a handicap during her training.
Tsukamoto Tenma from School Rumble briefly appears as a Kendo Girl in episode three.
Minagi Mikoto from Mai-HiME--why do the youngest girls have to wield the largest swords? Then again, Mikoto's most powerful weapon is even larger.
Kuchiki Ruchia from Bleach is a supernatural Kendo Girl--a "Shinigami", or "Soul Reaper" to be exact.
Konoe-san from Hanaukyo Maid Tai La Verite--being the bodyguard and chief security officer of her young master she's a real pro, and an expert in many aspects.
Natsume Aya from Tenjou Tenge--actually rather the self-proclaimed girlfriend of a fistfighter she can wield a very special magical sword.
Satella Harvenheit from Chrono Crusade. Ok, so she is actually a jewel summoner, but she summons this crazy looking dude that has a sword, so i thought it might fit here...Satella is a hired assasin who kills demons.
Rin Kamishiro from Maburaho--a magical Kendo Girl. This proud girl from a noble family finds her obligation to pursue a certain boy's "genes" to be humiliating.
Chouun Shiryuu from Ikkitousen: Dragon Destiny. Along with kanu, she represents Seito High School.
Kanu Unchou from Ikki Tousen & Ikkitousen: Dragon Destiny. One of the fighters representing Seito High School.
Takamachi Miyuki from Triangle Heart 3: Sweet Songs Forever--as an expert swordswoman and freelancer with a policework background she volunteers to be a bodyguard for a childhood friend. Her skills are perhaps surpassed by only one person - her brother.
Nobody knew that Japanese-American policewoman Kanuka Clancy of Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor (TV) was a kendo expert until Division Two was called upon to break up a turf war between two yakuza clans. "No excuses!!"
Nami Yamigumo from Silent Mobius--being a miko her primary skills are defensive magic but she can skillfully use her magic dagger when necessary.
Archery expert and class president Fujimatsu of Tattoon Master isn't afraid to use her bow to enforce discipline in the classroom--especially when the troublemaker is a rival for the attention of her secret boyfriend, Hibio.
Kawasumi Mai from Kanon--battling monsters at night and leaving corresponding traces at the schoolyard, her long sword is fast and sharp.
Naru Narusegawa from Love Hina. I guess when you hang out with a kendo girl, you might be inspired to grab a sword, and next thing you know you are on the Kendo Girl Scrapbook because you were shown holding one. Yes Naru is not your typical Kendo Girl, but by wielding a sword, she fits the other criteria...
Coming "from a long line of swordmasters living deep in the mountains of Kyoto", the proud Aoyama Motoko of Love Hina attained the rank of Secret Arts Master at the age of 15, and is rumored to be part of "a secret group of super warriors". Whatever the truth may be, she doesn't take kindly to the notion of teenage boy Keitaro serving as manager of the all-girls Hinata dormitory. Possibly the penultimate Kendo Girl, and arguably responsible for the recent flood of similar characters.
Jiyu Nanohana from Juubee-chan: Lovely Gantai no Himitsu is an ordinary teenage girl who is dismayed to learn that she is in fact the reincarnation of a legendary swordsman.
Youko Mano from Mamono Hunter Youko--an early example of a sword-swinging anime girl.
Twilight Suzuka from Seihou Bukyou Outlaw Star. Though she may look the part, this is not your traditional Japanese woman! Suzuka is an "Ultra A-class" assassin by trade, known for killing her targets at the moment of sundown, hence her nickname of "Twilight."
The original Kendo Girl Scrapbook. I'm surprised how popular the scrapbook seems to have become. We're up to 46 girls and it has spun off Cute Girls with Guns, Mecha Chicks, and the short-lived Anime Villains. All because one night while watching anime the thought just occured to me that a lot of girls were using swords and just for the hell of it I'd try to put together a silly little page on the subject. Here is the original Kendo Girl Scrapbook, dating back to April 2006; at the time, the idea was to include just a single snapshot of each character, rather than the elaborate montages that have evolved since then, and to insert it as an episode of a certain series: