Drama, action and unpredictability are just some of the things viewers will experience in the newly popular Netflix Original show “Cobra Kai.”
Following the three “Karate Kid” movies, this show now follows characters Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in their adult life.
Now that both Lawrence and LaRusso are both grown, the show picks back up to LaRusso running a car dealership and Lawrence in an unstable place in his life.
This series continues to follow the storyline of them both being enemies to one another. They both open competing dojos for students to join to eventually compete in the All Valley Karate Tournament. As tensions rise between them, the students begin to feed into the rivalry causing trouble at school and fights that leave key characters bruised and bloodied.
The show continues to bring back many of the characters from the “Karate Kid” movies, allowing for more drama and leaving viewers questioning the future.
New actors that play key roles are also introduced. Miguel Dias (played by Xolo Maridueña) is the first and main student of Sensei Lawrence’s dojo: Cobra Kai. Another key character to the show is Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) who is the first student to join her dad’s dojo: Miyagi Do Karate.
Though the show was first released in 2018, it has just recently become a big hit and is now number 3 on the top 10 chart on Netflix. As this show thrives each year with new seasons coming frequently, it definitely brings nostalgia from all of the “Karate Kid” movies released years before. It also allows fans of the original movies to see how original characters have developed and changed from the movies to the show. Though some of the acting may seem cheesy it still tells a good story with unique characters who want to create an interesting, drama filled show.
By constantly bringing characters back from the movies, it brings more excitement and wonder to how the show will move forward. It will also show how these characters will affect the story. For example, in the movies, Johnny was the enemy and Daniel was the good guy. However, in the show, there is not such a clear distinction between who is bad and who is good.
This show is great for adults, because it would bring a sense of nostalgia to those who grew up watching “Karate Kid.” However, it would also bring something new to the eyes of the teen viewers who have never seen the original “Karate Kid” franchise. Overall, I really enjoy this show and enjoy myself every time I sit down to watch it.