The sword itself is beautiful, and is quite accurate to Renji's sword in the Manga/Anime. perhaps not as sharp as I had hoped, but sharp enough to cut you if you are not careful.
The balance is a bit far forward, about 6 inches into the blade, but I won't be using this for sparring, so that isn't as much a concern. I did some minor stress test with the blade, and it is quite sturdy, and I have little concern about it breaking if it were to ever be used.
Overall, excellent sword, especially for the price!

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]