The short version:

This show is funny, beautiful, and symbolic. The biggest concerns will probably be violence and, if it bothers you, the use of tobacco.

Review:

I've watched it through more than once and enjoy it each time. While a couple of the minor characters have a troubling taste for violence, most of the characters hold ideals of discipline and honor. Especially Tamaki, who tries harder than most to uphold justice in a world of injustice, as well as being somewhat purposely stoic about what she herself faces. All of the main characters grow in different ways over the course of the series, learning lessons of perseverance, interdependence, dedication, and friendship.
The music is very enjoyable and doesn't wear thin on repeated viewings, and the music fits the mood of what's happening on the screen. Most of it is very pretty, and the rest is very fitting to the heroic action it backs.

Content details:

Violence: A few of the minor characters participate in violent acts during the series. One of the main characters has some violent tendencies, but she doesn't usually act on them in a destructive way.
Language: There were a few minor swears over the course of the show.
Sexual content: There are a lot of shots that could be considered fanservice, but they are underplayed. The other characters don't react to them, and there's usually an important line being said, so viewers might not notice them at all. One character is a stalker, and possibly yaoi, but this is portrayed negatively.
Nudity: There are a couple of scenes where people are changing/bathing, but nothing is shown.
Religion: As the story takes place in Japan, Tama and her father both talk to her late mother at times, and Tama prays at her tomb before and after a couple of the matches. This does not figure into the plot, but it is shown. On occasion, mostly for jokes, some of the characters see another character's aura.

Subs vs. Dub: I only watched a few episodes of the dub, but what I noticed is that the dubbed script changes a lot of lines. Kirino's, in particular, are much less charming in the dub. Also, Dan's voice doesn't seem to fit his character in the dub.

Please note: This is a review of the Funimation English dub version of this series.

Violence / Gore:
This anime focuses on a Kendo club, so there are a lot of Kendo matches/ people fighting with wooden swords. The matches are not specifically violent. There are a few characters that go too far in their fights, and seem like they intend to do bodily harm, but they are not shown to be right in feeling that way.
There is one scene that makes it seem like a girl is about to intentionally cut her wrist with something sharp. She texts someone to say she is going to die.
There is a good handful of comedic violence. i.e. a guy hit with a broom flies through a window.

Nudity:
There is a character with a large chest area who wears a midriff-baring top.
One girl is, very creepily, in love with another girl. She stalks the girl and takes photos of her. The other girl does not return the sentiments at all.

Potentially problematic theological themes:
One character believes that there is "a kendo god."
A creepy “spirit” hangs over people sometimes.
One character possibly becomes pregnant outside of marriage. Difficult to tell by the dub translation.


Other potentially problematic themes:
Minor swearing. I counted 20-some-odd occasions of this. Mostly the d-word and a-word. Some male characters are shown drinking and smoking in a restaurant. A teacher goes to the store to buy some beer, saying it is “the working man's drink." A woman tries to take his drink and he says she deserves to die for it.

*
For a slice-of-life anime, I did enjoy Bamboo Blade. The characters seemed a bit flat at first, but they did round out in the end. It was interesting to see everyone interacting together even though their personalities were so different. I also liked how characters were called out on their flaws. I never thought I would enjoy watching Kendo matches, but this anime certainly piqued my interest in the sport.
This anime was not super-serious. It was funny and over the top. A good filler anime for me.