Cobra Kai is a sequel show to the classic 80’s movie The Karate Kid that was first streamed exclusively on YouTube Red and is currently available on Netflix. Season 1 premiered Mar 2, 2018 and they are currently filming season 4.

The show starts off  34 years after the events of The Karate Kid with Johnny Lauwrance living in Reseda. After losing the All Valley Karate tournament in 1984 to Daniel Larusso his life went downhill. The story continues in Jonnys point of view and how he gains redemption back in his life. Compared to The Karate Kid, we see the antagonist’s point of view and learn about his struggles. When Johnny meets his new neighbor Miguel Diaz, he decides to reopen Cobra Kai and start teaching karate. On the other hand, Daniel Larusso has become a successful businessman  owning car dealerships and Johnny is constantly reminded of his past every time he sees Daniel. From the opening of Cobra Kai, more intriguing events occur with the rivals of Myagi Do (Daniel LaRusso’s karate) and Cobra Kai.

The actors Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have their reprise roles as Johnny and Daniel 34 years later. With the new cast members Xolo Mariduena as Miguel Diaz, Jacob Bertrand as Eli/Hawk, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, and Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso. “People get to live vicariously through Johnny’s ignorance of the times. That’s what’s endearing about him,” says William Zabka, the actor who played Johnny. Xolo Mariduena says how he enjoys “having the opportunity to try out a bunch of different martial arts” and says “the show has really drawn me more into the direction of a grappling jiu jitsu kind of lane. But I think it’s definitely something that I would love to pick up.”

I would highly recommend this show as it is extremely exciting between the drama and rivalries from Miyagi Do and Cobra Kai. The ending of the first season continues into the 2nd and 3rd making viewers excited to see the upcoming fourth season. Characters like Eli/Hawk go through tremendous character change and development. There are various moments showing friendship, honor, charm, and humor. The producers incorporated many Easter eggs within the show from The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai  such as “get him a body bag”. Each episode is about 30 minutes and each season has 10 episodes making the show very binge worthy. Overall, I would highly recommend this show to viewers who enjoyed The Karate Kid, as it is a fantastic spinoff.