I can't believe how much I enjoy Cobra Kai. I originally thought this was going to be some corny kid show. It's not, any fan of the original trilogy will love this. It takes place 34 years after the events of the first movie and the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. It follows a down on his luck Johnny Lawrence (William Zavala) as he tries to get his life straightened out and opens up the famous Cobra Kai dojo. This reignites his rivalry with the successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio). I can't say enough about how good Zabka is here. He's absolutely the breakout star here! It's a shame he hasn't become a bigger star over the years because he shows he can carry a show here. Again, if you're a fan of the original trilogy then watch this. I promise you'll love it! Looking forward to more seasons in the future.
2,184 Reviews
Great For Karate Kid Fans From 80s and Latest Generation
r3volution113 May 2018
This series brought me back to my childhood and how much I loved the movies and characters growing up. It surprised how well the characters are brought up to date and now involve the younger generation. There's still a lot to be taught, and learned.
Very smartly written & acted - highly recommended
user-322-3261563 May 2018
I was a teen in the 80's and enjoyed watching this film - as most guys my age did. I was a little skeptical when I saw that they were making a new series that takes place 30 years after the movie ended. But once I saw the trailers - I felt like they might be on to something. After watching several episodes - I can tell you that they nailed it. This is the best show out there - anywhere. It's not over acted (or under acted). It's not corny or stupid either. It's the perfect match up of seriousness with a few goofs or references from the 80's thrown in here & there. This revival could have been a disaster but it looks like they got the perfect combo of writers, directors & actors. It's funny, because as a kid - I wanted to punch Johnny in the throat as hard as I could. But as a 40-something year old - I'm kinda rooting for him. Great job to the people responsible for making this happen - and of course it couldn't have happened without Ralph & William. Thank you!
ITS SO GOOD, ITS UNBELIEVABLE
lukepollack3 May 2018
I remember watching the Karate Kid films as a kid, and I cannot express enough how impressed and surprised at the level of quality of this series. It successfully brings back the old "feel" of the films, while adding a new and complex storyline. It really embodies the legacy of the rivalry, and yet rebores the spirt of the films to a degree that is just unprecedented. I can't wait to see what they do in Season 2. Amazing job YouTube!
William Zabka steals the show!
AGood3 May 2018
I have just this moment finished episode 10. I am literally on a massive high right now. This is probably the best TV series I have seen since I first watched Game of Thrones. This is TV at its most epic best.
The thing that makes this TV show is William Zabka. Why he has only been in Karate Kid and nothing much more is a mystery as this guy can act and has amazing screen presence and comedy timing.
This TV show was so good it literally makes me want to go out tomorrow and sign up for karate classes and learn Cobra Kai style.
I strongly recommend everyone watches this as this is way better than that stupid remake with Will Smiths son, better than all the sequels and to be honest better than the first Karate Kid movie too.
William Zabka needs to be cast in other TV roles too. He is up there with the best for TV/movie Anti-hero's; Snake Plissken, Tyler Durdan and now after this Johnny Lawrence.
The thing that makes this TV show is William Zabka. Why he has only been in Karate Kid and nothing much more is a mystery as this guy can act and has amazing screen presence and comedy timing.
This TV show was so good it literally makes me want to go out tomorrow and sign up for karate classes and learn Cobra Kai style.
I strongly recommend everyone watches this as this is way better than that stupid remake with Will Smiths son, better than all the sequels and to be honest better than the first Karate Kid movie too.
William Zabka needs to be cast in other TV roles too. He is up there with the best for TV/movie Anti-hero's; Snake Plissken, Tyler Durdan and now after this Johnny Lawrence.
This is how Star Wars should have been treated...
dirtremovesblindness7 May 2018
As a typical 80's kid who grew up watching Karate Kid hundreds of times, I can truly say that this show does justice to my childhood memories. It's not perfect and can be a little cheesy at times, but all of that is easily forgiven with the magic instilled in this show.
The creators did a wonderful job in tying in moments from the original and making them fit with the new. The soundtrack is definitely up to par with the movies, but also adds a little bit of a modern twist to it.
Last night I finished episode 7 and all I could think was, "I wish Disney had paid this much respect to the new Star Wars movies as these guys did with Cobra Kai".
It's a great show and I'm trying my best to savor the last few episodes...
The creators did a wonderful job in tying in moments from the original and making them fit with the new. The soundtrack is definitely up to par with the movies, but also adds a little bit of a modern twist to it.
Last night I finished episode 7 and all I could think was, "I wish Disney had paid this much respect to the new Star Wars movies as these guys did with Cobra Kai".
It's a great show and I'm trying my best to savor the last few episodes...
Absurdly Good
felipemc4 May 2018
The answer has finally come to the age old question of "How can you introduce nuance into a cut-and-dry good-vs-evil 80's classic" and it comes in the form of COBRA KAI.
While there are many a homage to the film(s) that spawned it, Cobra Kai makes its own name for itself by (gasp) being very well written, and introducing depth to the degree that neither Johnny nor Daniel-San is really "the good guy" or "the bad guy". They both make poor decisions, both are dealing with the traumas of their youth (which, in Danny's case, comes down to Johnny himself in many ways), and they both pass on the positive and negative experiences to their children and/or students in various ways. Danny is often motivated by petty revenge and unable to see any good in Johnny and his Cobras (and not entirely for no reason), and Johnny may be saving himself from....himself and his past and giving his students confidence, but also seems to be making them somewhat into monsters.
The show is able to balance all this thematically and do so with poignancy and humor. Unlike, say, an hour-and-a-half long movie, the show is able to burn much more slowly and spend time with its characters and their pasts to provide a tremendous amount of depth. This might even be the thing that makes Youtube Red worth paying for. I'm legitimately hyped for season 2, what the hell. (While I won't spoil the last-minute sting in the final episode, needless to say it's a biggie).
Really watch it, you'll be suprised. Hawk is indeed ourguy
Really watch it, you'll be suprised. Hawk is indeed ourguy
Hollywood take note
deepc-188-2062044 May 2018
There are many things to like about this series. Probably the best thing for me is its rejection of political correctness and victimhood culture. Actually, rejection is a strong word and this isn't a protest piece by any means but there is definitely a theme of taking responsibility for one's own fate and confronting adversity with resilience and even some agression. (The show is intelligent enough to portray overt agression or anger as counterproductive). There is one great scene during a karate tournament where a competitor starts pretentiously virtue signalling to the crowd. The reaction of Johnny Lawrence is priceless. Hopefully Hollywood takes note that virtue signalling is not a prerequisite for great entertainment. It's great to see a show that is intelligent with messages to tell but doesn't take itself too seriously.
S1-10, S2-7, S3-6, and S4-5
dm-921943 January 2022
Season 1 of CobraKai is by far the best. Season 4 is teens making childish decisions and adults making childish decisions. If you love the films you'll appreciate the TV show. William Zabka's Johnny Lawrence is excellent as always and Daniel LaRusso will always be the moral heart of the show. Season 4 was a letdown. It's just teens and the adults all making ridiculous decisions.
Starts strong but really starts to dive in season 3
OldMovieRob4 November 2023
I was hooked with the first season. Strong acting, excellent story and believable characters, and a fun amount of "fish out of water" as the character Johnny, who almost seems to have time-warped directly from the 1980's, adapts to the modern age and gets back on his feet again with reopening Cobra Kai. But here's where the problem seems to come in for me: the drive of the show seems to be that of Johnny not only reopening Cobra Kai, but becoming successful with that. And he clearly does that as we are firmly into season 2. But then beyond that, as we get more into the episodes of season 3, you start to wonder: where is this going? He met his goal, he has a tenuous friendship with old rival Daniel, so... now what? Or more so, who cares? What, we just keep on the ride and wait for more nostalgia of old characters returning? To me this felt like X-files in the later seasons: the formula just got tired and you're left wondering where is the series going? The teen soapy elements also get progressively more annoying into the third season so I had to bow out of this one. Much like Stranger Things, stick with the first season and leave it at that.
Everything You Would Hope
Kroshaw3 May 2018
It's corny, predictable, steeped in 1980's nostalgia, full of nods to the original... and those are just some of the reasons to LOVE it! Credit to everyone involved in the making of this series. If you are a fan of the original films then this is going to be exactly what you are looking for. John Avildsen and Pat Morita are definitely here in spirit. Perfect for binge-watching and for transporting yourself back 30 years! :)
So much better than I thought it would be!
Supermanfan-1321 July 2020
Cobra Kai is so much better than I thought it would be. I grew up a Karate Kid fan but wasn't sure what to expect from this and thought it would be some cheap kiddy money grab. I'm glad I was wrong. It's so much better than it has any business being, especially William Zabka! He absolutely is the star of this show as Johnny Lawrence. You root for him on this more than Daniel (Ralph Macchio).
Cobra Kai never dies
Calicodreamin20 January 2021
This show is the perfect mix of nostalgia, great 80s music, and badass karate. William Zabka makes this show as Johnny Lawrence, he is everything. Storylines are interesting, action scenes are well coordinated, and everyone and their brother comes back from the movies. It's lovely.
Worth every penny, amazing.
james_edge-771-169873 May 2018
I was a big KK fan back in the day and this ticks all the nostalgia boxes while managing to be awesome in it's own right. The acting is great, the story is great and it takes the plot in directions I never expected while making you feel for the characters.
Great work, bring on the next season :D
Great work, bring on the next season :D
Defeat does not exist in this Dojo!
JarekReanimated3 May 2018
I didn't have many expectations going into this show, or at least, I didn't have high expectations. The ones I did have were that of a fun low budget romp down memory lane. But this is so much more than that. The production values are great, the casting is great, the plot, the writing, the tone, pacing, soundtrack. It's all great start to finish and it has what Mr. Miyagi taught us, balance. It seems to hit so many right notes without pushing anything too far, the comedy is just right, the emotional moments, just right, the cheese, the action, just right. It also does a great job of leaving the viewer to decide who the real heroes and villains are because unlike the movies nothing here is black and white.
If you've seen the films, you will really enjoy this. If you haven't, you'll probably really enjoy it anyway. It stands on its own and feels modern, but as a continuity, 30 years later, it does this masterfully and very respectfully to its past and its source without heavily relying on it.
BANSAI!!!
If you've seen the films, you will really enjoy this. If you haven't, you'll probably really enjoy it anyway. It stands on its own and feels modern, but as a continuity, 30 years later, it does this masterfully and very respectfully to its past and its source without heavily relying on it.
BANSAI!!!
Starts so strong second season is a teen drama
zohairkhan-4236116 September 2020
So season 1 blew me away. Very funny lots of great jokes! It was quirky and fun and had a solid story. Season 2 becomes a stupid teen drama where everything is just inconvenient and dumb like river dale. The ending was such a silly teen drama move I miss season 1.. I hope it goes back to the way it was. 8/10 for now season 2 was a 5/10
Edit: SEASON 3 IS A TEEN DRAMA NONSENCE
Edit: SEASON 3 IS A TEEN DRAMA NONSENCE
An amazing series from start to finish... well, almost.
aribrink12 May 2018
I was blown away by how much this TV show exceeded my expectations. Every experience I had with sequels of this kind were suggesting that this one would follow all the generic rehashing and exploitation of loved characters from the past. Instead we got amazing writing, great casting and performances and overall very good cinematography.
The creators chose to follow the aftermath of a legendary rivalry from our teenage years in a brilliant way. The dove in the essence of the characters and what made them the way the were, how the past affected them and they did it brilliantly.
One of the most successful and entertaining things I noticed was the use of political incorrectness. I chuckled every time Johny spat out a seemingly offensive remark to showcase the naivety of his character and how the world has changed around him but also it demonstrated the freshness of the script and how ethics can be promoted without the sterilisation and sanitation we experience in today's movies and shows.
And here comes the almost part. Suddenly the last two episodes malformed this amazing experience. The finale more so. The characters reverted for some reason to one dimensional caricatures, seemingly only to advance the plot. The teachings of Johny, for no apparent reason transformed his students from likeable, intelligent kids to obnoxious - no values thugs in mere minutes. The story woven so meticulously in all the episodes before them falling flat. I could go in detail but I prefer this review to be spoiler free.
Overall, thumbs up to all that worked in order for us to have this exceptional TV sequel.
The creators chose to follow the aftermath of a legendary rivalry from our teenage years in a brilliant way. The dove in the essence of the characters and what made them the way the were, how the past affected them and they did it brilliantly.
One of the most successful and entertaining things I noticed was the use of political incorrectness. I chuckled every time Johny spat out a seemingly offensive remark to showcase the naivety of his character and how the world has changed around him but also it demonstrated the freshness of the script and how ethics can be promoted without the sterilisation and sanitation we experience in today's movies and shows.
And here comes the almost part. Suddenly the last two episodes malformed this amazing experience. The finale more so. The characters reverted for some reason to one dimensional caricatures, seemingly only to advance the plot. The teachings of Johny, for no apparent reason transformed his students from likeable, intelligent kids to obnoxious - no values thugs in mere minutes. The story woven so meticulously in all the episodes before them falling flat. I could go in detail but I prefer this review to be spoiler free.
Overall, thumbs up to all that worked in order for us to have this exceptional TV sequel.
Unbelievably cheesy with cringe-worthy acting.
cutahotha25 January 2021
How this has an 8.7 rating is beyond me. The only halfway decent parts are the early episodes focusing on Johnny. Besides that it's a cheese-fest with terrible acting throughout.
The kids in the show are so laughable it's ridiculous and The Hawk character is one of the stupidest characters I've ever seen on a show. Only reason to watch is nostalgia but that runs thin pretty fast.
The kids in the show are so laughable it's ridiculous and The Hawk character is one of the stupidest characters I've ever seen on a show. Only reason to watch is nostalgia but that runs thin pretty fast.
What an awesome show
Kingslaay22 November 2020
Impressed, captivated and engaged are the words that come to mind for Cobra Kai. This is what we need from shows, to take unique and interesting angles. Cobra Kai flips the script and gives us the view from Johnny Lawrence, this is really his story. He's the one who lost and turns out to be a real person with very real flaws. Cobra Kai intrigues us with its great narrative. No more one dimensional 'Good vs Evil' story we've all been told a million times over. This reflects the feelings of the 'loser' of the memorable 1984 film Karate Kid and picks up 34 years later. Because of this narrative and spin I find Johnny to be an inspirational figure by trying his best to rebuild his life. Johnny is a very down to earth and simple character and is making the most of the hand dealt to him, isn't that how we live our lives? In a funny way we see the arrogance and attitude sometimes from Daniel Larusso who was originally the hero. Top marks for a great show.
No mercy
hurleysurferr3 May 2018
Great memories and a great show!
gkmstr772 May 2018
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