Cobra Kai: Like a Bonsai
I hadn’t grown up watching The Karate Kid, mostly because I was just a girly girl who wasn’t remotely interested in anything I deemed too boyish, but when I started hearing buzz about a YouTube show based on The Karate Kid franchise moving to Netflix—Cobra Kai—I went back to watch the movie and fell in love with the story, the deep lessons and wisdom Mr. Miyagi shared with Daniel LaRusso. The story was deeper than I could’ve imagined. Cobra Kai seamlessly integrates scenes from Karate Kid intensifying the relationships in the show and the painful fact that Mr. Miyagi is gone. After that first season, I didn’t just love the show because it was a great extension of and addition to the source material, but simply because it’s well written with great characters. It’s so fun watching Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence as fathers and senseis as they succumb to their old rivalry (acting like teens themselves), while teaching their senseis’ styles to a new generation. I loved the clash of generations between Johnny stuck-in-the-80’s Lawrence and Gen Z Miguel Diaz; Johnny’s misunderstanding of the new woke things Gen Z cares about is hilarious. It was brilliant to showcase that dichotomy on TV as it reflects what is going in culture, leading to great dialogue and laugh out loud moments. What keeps us watching the show, which premiered its fourth season last month, is how much karate serves as a metaphor for life regardless of what generation is watching.
Each season gets better, anchored by the loving mentorship and relationship between Daniel and Mr. Miyagi; the show is as deep as the films because it pays homage to The Karate Kid. The stakes get higher, the alliances stronger, the rivalries more intense. I love the banter between Danny and Johnny, carried over resentments from Johnny bullying Daniel in high school and Daniel beating Johnny in the All Valley tournament. There’s so much humor in this show, which is balanced with incredible tension as explosive fights break out between whoever is beefing. Following the charismatic teens in Cobra Kai reminded me of all the teen shows I used to watch, of how much I used to enjoy the drama of who’s dating who except this time with the deadly possibility that a fight will erupt and someone will get hurt.
Watching how Johnny and Daniel’s different styles of karate influences the kids’ interpersonal relationships, creating conflict, is a thrill as the hatred they have for each other extends to their dojos. I never would’ve thought this show could capture my attention so much but I love how learning karate gives the kids self-defense skills and confidence. In season one, Miguel is bullied, reminiscent of the first film when Daniel was terrorized by Johnny, and Eli is laughed at for having a cleft lip. After being mentored by Johnny, who isn’t at all sensitive to feelings, Miguel becomes a champ and Eli becomes Hawk, a boy with confidence, a bold Mohawk, and an illegal back tattoo. It wasn’t a soft approach by Sensei Johnny that changed them either, that shook them out of their shells. It shows today’s generation that some tough love can make you stronger.
I was excited that they made one of the main characters, Miguel, Ecuadorian with his mother and grandmother playing a big part in his life. I appreciated seeing an Ecuadorian family on TV because I’ve never seen it done before. I think it’s important to have more diverse Latino representation in media, more diverse writers and creators so that more people can feel seen. I know my own jaw dropped at Miguel’s family dinner with Johnny when Miguel’s mother Carmen tells his sensei they’re from Ecuador. I like that Miguel’s grandmother speaks Spanish because it’s relatable and authentic and she gets away with saying some funny things. I hope more shows follow suit showing different Latino backgrounds.
Cobra Kai keeps Mr. Miyagi’s memory alive, which makes the series all that much richer. Any time we see a flashback of Mr. Myagi, I can’t help but smile. He was a great teacher whose lessons transcend time. In the fourth season finale, Danny asks for Johnny’s help coaching his daughter Sam at the All Valley Tournament remembering that he had forgotten one of Mr. Miyagi’s most important lessons: Just like a bonsai chooses its own way to grow because it has strong roots, Daniel must choose his own way of doing karate even if he first learns it Miyagi’s way. It’s a lesson we can all learn from: As we learn a new craft, gaining a sturdy foundation, we can’t forget to find our own style, put our own soulful touch to whatever we’re doing. Ralf Macchio said in an interview once that the show was written by fans of The Karate Kid movies and you can tell by the care the writers take in recreating these characters, giving them new life. Everyone’s arc throughout the seasons is what makes Cobra Kai so remarkable.