Having binge-watched the two seasons of this Netflix production, I have to say it fits in quite nicely. Initially, I was quite scared of watching the show because I am a massive fan of The Karate Kid and Mr Miyagi is the guardian angel I share with Daniel LaRusso. Moreover, after the three films, two seasons of its successor television series seemed like a risky business. However, I do love it when I am proven wrong or taken by surprise, and the same goes for Cobra Kai.
To give you an exciting start of the plot, the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence are played by the original actors, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. Although the first season picks up the story from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence, the narratives of Daniel LaRusso get entangled as the show progresses. In season two, events get more severe and complicated topics are brought into the story apart from the age-old rivalry between Lawrence and LaRusso.
As the teens dangle with their entangled lives, the adults learn the challenges which come with not letting go of the past
LaRusso starts Miyagi-Do Karate dojo to train Robby, his daughter Samantha and other students after Cobra Kai dojo win the All Valley Tournament. Now Johnny must face his past and choose his future along with the dojo. LaRusso gets messed up in fear of history getting repeated and ends up becoming the trouble he has been avoiding all along for his family, business and even Johnny. Dealing with abandonment issues, absent parents, lost friendships, misunderstandings, bullying and heartbreak, the lives of Miguel, Samantha, Robby, Tory, Eli, Aisha and Demetri worsen quickly. As the teens dangle with their entangled lives, the adults learn the challenges which come with not letting go of the past.
With so many teen-angst, high-school narratives, the one with karate in it is quite appealing. 80s nostalgia fills up the show quite unimaginably, and you would often find yourself lost in the world of Mr Miyagi, Daniel-san and merciless Johnny Lawrence of Cobra Kai. However, even then, the story refuses to take sides.
The series is so delicately and sincerely written that you find yourself wanting more
When it comes to the characters, both LaRusso and Lawrence appear with their dark and redeemable parts. Redemption is a big theme of the second season as the characters make mistakes and learn about the futility behind ill-feelings for the people in their lives. Level-headed and sincere, the story doesn't try to finish or hurry but instead takes time to settle its ground gradually.
Even in its slow-burn, the episodes are so delicately and sincerely written that with every ending, you would find yourself wanting more. So, if you are looking for your next binge-watch series for the pandemic lockdown, look no further and jump onto the Cobra Kai hype because, in all fairness, it is infinitely deserving.
