Cobra Kai:
The Complete Series
review by Bobby Blakey
When the Karate Kid hit theaters in 1984, who would have thought that it would not only become a cult classic for martial arts fans but spawn an entire franchise. After the 4th film it seemed the franchise was dead until the series Cobra Kai debuted on YouTube Red in 2018 before moving to Netflix with the third season and went on to six full seasons before ending its run.
The series stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo, Vanessa Rubio, and Peyton List and follows 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the inescapable conflict between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.
This series should never have worked, but every season is a ton of fun to watch, but it’s not without its frustrations. The ongoing feuds and evolution between the characters throughout the six seasons that always felt like it was heading somewhere, but often along the way got stuck in an endless
loop of one step forward and ten steps back. I don’t mean that in a bad way, but it brought so many different story arcs and characters that it sometimes forgot where it seemed to be heading, but thankfully most of the time got back on track and each season gave a satisfying ending while building more.
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I loved this show as a fan of the film series and the idea that what drives it but would be lying if I didn’t say I am baffled how much crime has continued throughout this violent group of kids through all six seasons. Are there any police in the Valley? I know it is a show and that is part of the fun, and I am all in, but cracks me up the amount of stuff people get away with. At the same time as a martial artist there are so many more things that bother me, especially dealing with the ongoing arguments, limited techniques to their styles, strange tournament rules and the white belt to black belts bouncing is infuriating, but I must separate them, or I would have never gotten through it. It’s just something you must deal with to enjoy this show.
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Despite the late Pat Morita not being in the series they very much keep his memory and legacy as Miyagi alive with many references and even a mystery of his legacy in the final season. The genius of those that crafted this show was the deep dive into the films to bring in characters from the entire franchise to reprise their roles with some becoming regular characters to the series. The best of these is the return of Chozen from Karate Kid II played once again by Yuji Okummoto. Going from the villain of the film to not only one of the most trusted ally of Daniel, but the most entertaining of the entire cast is a great transition.
As a martial arts fan I became a big fan of Thomas Ian Griffith after his appearance in Karate Kid III and followed him throughout his own action films including Excessive Force and Crackerjack. To get him to return after retiring was a big boost to the series that not only added more fun but also allowed them to give Reese more of an arc that even leads to redemption for the unredeemable in the final season. It’s one of the best scenes between Johnny and Kreese that fully brings the story full circle and great performances from both actors.
There are a few side stories throughout the series that are unnecessary and feel rushed, but nothing that hurst the overall series and its ultimate success in its finale. The show remained silly cheesy fun that despite my martial arts issues with, I still can’t help loving the nostalgia and fun of it all. The martial arts action got better and better for the most part with all the kids. The additions to some outstanding martial artists, most notably in the final season, elevates it, but do make you question their ability to beat these people. Thankfully you are so invested in all of them you root for them anyway and cheer when they do their thing win or lose.
The ridiculous, frustrating but always entertaining series weaved in and out of classic lore and characters while creating a whole new world for new fans alike and now Sony is bringing it all together in one excellent collection.
Cobra Kai: The Complete Series features not only all 65 episodes, but tons of bonus content to chop your way through including commentaries, deleted scenes, blooper reels, featurettes and more.
Leave it all in the mat once again and grab your copy of Cobra Kai: The Complete Series as well as Season 6 available now on Blu-ray from Sony Home Entertainment.
