Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai is so much better than I thought it would be. I grew up a Karate Kid fan but wasn't sure what to expect from this and thought it would be some cheap kiddy money grab. I'm glad I was wrong. It's so much better than it has any business being, especially William Zabka! He absolutely is the star of this show as Johnny Lawrence. You root for him on this more than Daniel (Ralph Macchio).

Even though Cobra Kai is corny sometimes, I still love it. Growing up a fan of Karate Kid makes this all the more better. Who would've thought that the worst part of the show would be the LaRusso family? Daniel is obnoxious and it's weird how every other word out of his mouth is about Mr. Miyagi. No one should be that obsessed over anything, especially another person. The son is annoying AF and the daughter, Sam is one of the worst casting decisions on all of tv. Not because she's a bad actress, she's as good as anyone on the show (outside of Zabka). The reason is bc she doesn't have an athletic bone in her entire body. Her kicks and punches don't look like they would hurt a new born baby. On top of that she just doesn't look the part. Again, not a bad actress and wouldn't mind her if she was on a show that doesn't require her trying to be athletic. Some of the fight scenes in general are laugh out loud funny, they look like something from the most generic Nickelodeon children's show. Not all of them but a lot. Having said all that, I still really enjoy the show. Now the best part BY FAR is Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka. Just look at the reviews and almost all of them agree he's easily the best part. Besides being hilarious, he has the best character arc on the show. I really hope this leads to bigger things for Zabka bc he deserves it. I'm glad to see he's getting a lot of love.

Problem is he was typecast and never given a chance to shine. In, Cobra Kai it's his show and he shows a side of Johnny that is a true human experience.

I was a teen in the 80's and enjoyed watching this film - as most guys my age did. I was a little skeptical when I saw that they were making a new series that takes place 30 years after the movie ended. But once I saw the trailers - I felt like they might be on to something. After watching several episodes - I can tell you that they nailed it. This is the best show out there - anywhere. It's not over acted (or under acted). It's not corny or stupid either. It's the perfect match up of seriousness with a few goofs or references from the 80's thrown in here & there. This revival could have been a disaster but it looks like they got the perfect combo of writers, directors & actors. It's funny, because as a kid - I wanted to punch Johnny in the throat as hard as I could. But as a 40-something year old - I'm kinda rooting for him. Great job to the people responsible for making this happen - and of course it couldn't have happened without Ralph & William. Thank you!

I didn't have many expectations going into this show, or at least, I didn't have high expectations. The ones I did have were that of a fun low budget romp down memory lane. But this is so much more than that. The production values are great, the casting is great, the plot, the writing, the tone, pacing, soundtrack. It's all great start to finish and it has what Mr. Miyagi taught us, balance. It seems to hit so many right notes without pushing anything too far, the comedy is just right, the emotional moments, just right, the cheese, the action, just right. It also does a great job of leaving the viewer to decide who the real heroes and villains are because unlike the movies nothing here is black and white.

If you've seen the films, you will really enjoy this. If you haven't, you'll probably really enjoy it anyway. It stands on its own and feels modern, but as a continuity, 30 years later, it does this masterfully and very respectfully to its past and its source without heavily relying on it.

BANSAI!!!