Review: Cobra Kai

By Eli F.

With intense boredom during the relatively new all online school in many states, entertainment industries know that now is the time to strike. Everyone is stuck inside and without much to do, so producers and studios like Netflix and Disney+ are releasing and creating new products for viewers. Knowing this, Cobra Kai isn’t all a new product as it had been released in 2018 on YouTube premium, but the reason most of us are hearing about it now is because Netflix got a hold of Cobra Kai and re-released it.

The story centers on the two legends of the past, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, who raise unlikely proteges to finish their old rivalry. But as suddenly as it began, a friendship is brewing in the heat of the battle.

This profound reboot, or sequel depending on how you view it, has caught the attention of its intended audience with several good story elements. The show producers have very good story writers which is crucial for a television series to take flight, their writers have been keen to grasp your attention without writing themselves into a wall and following deep topics such as homelessness drinking and unstable family relationships. And while the writing is excellent, the actors delivery of the writers' vision has much to be desired.

The older cast members have no trouble expressing the emotion in every line, but the younger cast members have been struggling in the early seasons of the show by being too stiff and not showing enough emotions. I have seen development of skill in the later episodes as the story moves on. We also see more than just the main characters getting their time on screen to show the acting skills they have acquired.

Other elements varying as cliffhangers and mystery have been incorporated into the show as well. We see several episodes with intentional misleading endings or no resolve at all leaving it for the next episode. This only left me disappointed once during the season two finale.

There is a lot more violence than in most series and some unneeded fights for the plot to move forward. There are also romantic scenes such as kissing and even a literal romantic fight between two characters. Home life for most of the karate students is bad and few are all out terrible. But there are the few lucky rich kids who have it a little too nice to be accurate.

In conclusion, Cobra Kai demonstrates what it's like to be born lucky and lucky to be born. Kids in the show are forced to take sides on a battlefield they don’t recognize while somehow having good and bad blurred into reality, making us realize we’re not all the same but that we’re not too different either.