WHY COBRA KAI?
The Karate Kid Lives On
Life comes at you fast. And for those whose glory days rested in their youth, it comes at you hard. The YouTube to now Netflix exclusive show, Cobra Kai is on the verge of its 4th season following its season 3 release on New Year’s Day. Whether it be the iconic fight scenes or the 80s nostalgic feel, Cobra Kai gives you everything you need and more.
The show revolves around former rivals Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), from the 1984 film The Karate Kid. Stemming from a love triangle, their blood feud culminated in the finals of a Martial Arts tournament, where the underdog protagonist LaRusso beat Lawrence, the pompous teenage bully.
In the present-day, their dynamics stand as opposites of their former selves. LaRusso, now on top with a successful career and family, while Lawrence has anything but. A broken family, alcoholism, and depression plague the once star pupil of Cobra Kai, the reviled dojo opposite Miyagi-Do. Johnny Lawrence’s road to redemption is rebuilding the dojo, restructuring his image, and mentoring the next generation.
The show’s exterior for kick-ass combat and swear words only serve as an entry for what the storyline revolves around: redemption. From the remorseless portrayal of John Kreese down to the LaRusso’s, each character is seen as heroic at a point, but a flaw that they try to redeem.
Lawrence must come to peace with his past or become doomed to repeat it. LaRusso must embrace his, overlooking the journey to success as opposed to the humility it took to get there.
For their children and the rest of the kids of West Valley High, it is all the same. Conflicts such as heartbreak, bullying, and domestic issues facilitated the very problems that their mentors have to encounter.
This is seen in Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), a new student to West Valley, who becomes the first recruit to Johnny Lawrence’s Cobra Kai. It served as penance for Lawrence, who ended up mentoring a kid that in ways mirrors the man he once rivaled.
In turn, LaRusso became a mentor to Lawrence’s abandoned son, creating a dynamic that with flashback put the shoe on the other foot.
“The dynamic is cool because a lot of producers try to force the narrative when they switch the villain to a hero. This does a good job of shifting Johnny’s character because he doesn’t ask to be liked. He just wants his life to get together.. and doesn’t give a damn about how anybody outside his space feels about it.”
Unfortunately, the pride of Lawrence and LaRusso adds to the eternal conflict between the kids. At least, until the finale of season 3.
