The rivalry between Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai is back. 

Netflix made available the first two seasons of Cobra Kai on Aug. 28. As a spinoff to The Karate Kid (1984), Cobra Kai resumes the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso played by Ralph Macchio, and Johnny Lawrence played by William Zabka 34 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, not as karate students, but as karate senseis. 

Centered around the perspective of Johnny Lawrence, Cobra Kai dives into his struggles of dealing with his 1984 tournament defeat and his life 34 years later. Johnny lives in the valley alone. After an uneventful meeting with Daniel LaRusso, a successful car dealership CEO, Johnny decides to redeem himself from the past by opening up Cobra Kai dojo, a martial arts class, again as a sensei. Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry is kindled by their past and as they teach a new generation of karate kids. 

Overall this show is well scripted and has that magical 80’s nostalgia from the films. Touching upon Daniel and Mr. Miyagi’s past relationship to the iconic “crane kick,” Cobra Kai is a must for The Karate Kid fans. The creators’ Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg created an engaging series with a well-written plot. 

Ralph Macchio refused many projects based on The Karate Kid films because he thought it would be better to leave the films alone but this project managed to grab his attention.  

This series is meant to connect with young and old audiences by touching on the nostalgic characters and plot of the original sequel and adding a younger generation of teenagers who follow their sensei. 

First released on Youtube Red in 2018, Cobra Kai didn’t get a lot of viewership until Netflix acquired the rights of the spinoff in June 2020. The series is currently trending as one of the top 10 shows and has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes. 

From a bully to a sensei, Kobra Kai shows another side of Johnny, as well as his character development. Previously making fun of kids as a teenager, he now teaches students how to defend themselves. 

I recommend that you watch the first three Karate Kid films first which are also on Netflix then binge-watch this amazing series.