No, You Don’t Have To Be A ‘Karate Kid’ Fan To Enjoy ‘Cobra Kai’

My first cinematic memory is watching The Karate Kid. My aunt and uncle drove my cousin Jason and me to the drive-in theater to see Daniel LaRusso crane kick his way through the Cobra Kai on his way to All-Valley Karate Tournament glory and cinematic immortality. Memories are fickle, but the reason this particular movie-going experience is internally filed under “moments comma seminal” is the lasting effect The Karate Kid had on me. Moments after watching Daniel hoist his trophy in victory, my cousin and I were outside the car practicing our karate kicks. Six months later, we were both enrolled in karate class. Jason would go on to earn a black belt; I quit after receiving a blue belt. Karate was fine but it was impeding upon my one true love: lazily watching TV while doing absolutely nothing.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

Yes, I’m clearly the ideal audience for YouTube Red’s Karate Kid revival Cobra Kai. Despite the fact that I’m naturally skeptical about any and all TV reboots, I was cautiously optimistic about this series. All the interviews I read indicated that this was a project born from passion, not financial incentive; Ralph Macchio and Billy Zabka seemed immensely protective of their characters; and the trio of creators — Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg — possessed a sincere reverence for the franchise. All of this culminated in Cobra Kai blossoming into the most entertaining show of the year. Sure, people who adore the original trilogy will savor all the hidden Easter eggs and sly callbacks, but you absolutely, unequivocally do not have to be a Karate Kid fan to enjoy Cobra Kai.

Cobra Kai’s all-inclusive brand of storytelling makes it enjoyable for everyone. Many revivals are retreads of the original franchise that rely on people’s affinity for the source material to mask narrative deficiencies. But Cobra Kai adeptly references the past without suffocating the story. With the help of a few well-timed flashbacks, the writers guide new viewers along as they heighten the original story. You don’t earn universal approval solely on name recognition. Cobra Kai’s success is due to its nuanced, multifaceted storytelling and rich array of theatrical talent. The plight of Johnny Lawrence is enthralling; there’s a teen coming-of-age element that’s more engaging than anything on The CW or Freeform; and Daniel and Johnny’s continued rivalry is compelling. All of the characters who inhabit the universe contain multitudes. They’re deep, flawed, and most importantly, they’re real. As I wrote in my Cobra Kai review, traditional absolutes like squeaky clean heroes and deplorable villains are eschewed as the series instead embraces the captivating ambiguity of the in-between.

Sure, a familiarity with the franchise adds to the Cobra Kai experience, but that shouldn’t deter you from tuning in. The series isn’t overwhelmed by nostalgia but instead uses it judicially to enhance the experience. There are so many little callbacks sprinkled into the series that fans of the Karate Kid will enjoy — Miguel and Sam’s date mirroring Daniel and Aly’s trip to the Family Fun Center, “Daniel LaRusso’s gonna coach!” “Johnny mentioning he doesn’t care how Miguel cleans the windows” — but you don’t need to understand the franchise’s past to enjoy the present. Truly exceptional storytelling affects you on a visceral level, and I’d hate for someone to miss out on a show that’s given me so much joy just because they’ve never seen the source material.

No matter your familiarity with the Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is a journey worth embarking upon.

Cobra Kai is the new template for the successful TV revival. Don’t let the daunting franchise history prevent you from becoming the newest member of the Cobra Kai dojo.

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Where to stream Cobra Kai