LTTP: Cobra Kai (now on Netflix)

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Have you guys seen Cobra Kai?

i'm totally late to this youtube show, but pleased since i was able to binge the first two season, which are now on Netflix, Its fucking awesome.

if you were a fan of Karate Kid growing up, you MUST watch this.

it really does a great job of building off the movies history and telling an entirely new story that in my opinion is interesting and fun to watch.

i dont want to share any main story spoilers, but the show is actually very deep on many levels and really relevant. i'm interested to hear gafs opinion on the writing and show, i think its simply wonderful.

characters are mostly great and the production value seems good for something that was originaliy a youtube show.

Season 3 has been confirmed for 2021.

No Mercy!



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I'm liking this, but it's always a bit funny, everyone is making such a huge deal about a teenage martial arts tournament. 😅
 
Oh yes my wife and I loved it. Second movie was special to me back then because I was born in Okinawa and my mother's family is from there since story involves visiting it.

I think it largely does movies good and interested in new episodes when they come out.
 
Azurro said:
I'm liking this, but it's always a bit funny, everyone is making such a huge deal about a teenage martial arts tournament. 😅
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The show has some funny moments particularly in Season 2 about that whole thing. Not everybody in the show takes the martial arts rivalries as seriously as the main characters.
 
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Orenji Neko said:
Oh yes my wife and I loved it. Second movie was special to me back then because I was born in Okinawa and my mother's family is from there since story involves visiting it.

I think it largely does movies good and interested in new episodes when they come out.
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it really does.

The perspective that Daniel LaRusso was actually the bully is really well done, i legit sympathize with Johnny
 
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I like how this show seems to know inherently that some students (soft students) need aggression training, while some students (angry ones) need to control their anger.

It has the necessary balance to address the weakness of the modern generation without being overly preachy. And it's smart enough to recognize the failings of the main character, while still understanding how he's the right fit as a teacher.

Just great, great stuff.
 
Two episodes in, so far so good.
I like how Johnny pointed out how he took offence to Daniel moving in on his former girlfriend. They oddly didn't mention that in the first movie as a reason why he didn't like him.
 
Weiji said:
I like how this show seems to know inherently that some students (soft students) need aggression training, while some students (angry ones) need to control their anger.

It has the necessary balance to address the weakness of the modern generation without being overly preachy. And it's smart enough to recognize the failings of the main character, while still understanding how he's the right fit as a teacher.

Just great, great stuff.
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Well I've finished season 1 and I have to say I was very disappointed with the latter half of the season. Basically fell into every dumb mistake they had been avoiding up until then.

1) Needless soap opera drama, ramped up to 1000.

2) Nuanced educational reality and characterization? Nope,
main character's teaching methods create monsters.

3) Needless pandering and nostalgia bait.
Basically the entire tournament episode.
 
Weiji said:
Well I've finished season 1 and I have to say I was very disappointed with the latter half of the season. Basically fell into every dumb mistake they had been avoiding up until then.

1) Needless soap opera drama, ramped up to 1000.

2) Nuanced educational reality and characterization? Nope,
main character's teaching methods create monsters.

3) Needless pandering and nostalgia bait.
Basically the entire tournament episode.
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i felt the same way. especially with the cringy soap opera drama. and i hate to tell you this, but it gets worse in season 2. all of that. im struggling to finish the season right now. think im on episode 6 and im just laughing at it t this point. still gonna try to muscle through and hopefully season 3 changes things up.
 
Doing a rewatch, finally got the wife to watch it with me (she wouldn't when it was "a stupid youtube show", but apparently being on Netflix and having the whole world talk about it makes her reevaluate my tastes!) Anyway..

We watched the first season in 2 days, and she hardly ever binges anything, ever. Season 1 ended and she was like "well I can stay up for 1 more, lets start season 2". So good.

I've loved the show since it premiered and I remember having to wait a painful year for season 2 to show up, and an even more painful still waiting for season 3.

I feel like they somehow got the perfect formula for what the Star Wars sequel trilogy was aiming for. There is a whole new generation, but they end up making very similar mistakes to the past, yet we still have our very vivid links to the past (some living, some dead, some bonsai). It just works. It gives you what you want *AND* subverts your expectations, yet in a good way that doesn't divide people.
 
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Captain Zyrain said:
I feel like they somehow got the perfect formula for what the Star Wars sequel trilogy was aiming for. There is a whole new generation, but then end up making very similar mistakes to the past, yet we still have our very vivid links to the past (some living, some dead, some bonsai). It just works. It gives you what you want *AND* subverts your expectations, yet in a good way that doesn't divide people.
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exactly.
 
Stiflers Mom said:
exactly.
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The music cues.. oh man, they get me every time. I feel like it's the perfect usage too. If they used them all episode, every episode, it wouldn't be special.. but when you hear the woodwinds.. ahhh right to the heart. As a father a lot of things resonate as well. It is also a perfect bridge show to watch with teenagers.

I just find myself grinning like an idiot at all the small things. Really hoping they keep the quality up with Season 3. I feel like it has to be filmed by now (pre-COVID).
 
It's pretty good, I'm doing a rewatch with my gf. She loved it, we saw 5 episodes in a row.
Season 2 was kinda forgettable though.
 
My thoughts on season 2 and what I expect in season 3.

Season 2:

I think most complaints have to do with the teen soap opera stuff and I'd largely agree. Otherwise, it's still good and they also get those teens to do so enjoyable fight coreography which I feel goes overlooked in many reviews.

Most of the teen soap cringe centers around Sam's character. About every trouble either comes from Sam or from Kreese. Yet I give the show credit for being consistent with its characterization of its less loved teen characters. Sam continually hides her relationships from her parents, gets involved in bad situations repeatedly (many of which come from her secrecy), and despite being raised to a better life doesn't seem to be much wiser from it. There's a soft criticism of Daniel and Wife in the show, who completely ditch their kids for work often, and perhaps as consequence feature one fat lazy kid and another kid who keeps secrets and walks right into bad situations as their country club brood. They also parent Robby who is consistent in his failings as well. Despite becoming less criminal, Robby is still primarily driven by pettiness and revenge towards his father. This is why he can't get over his jealousy and this leads to the major event of the final episode. I won't get into that but it falls directly in line with his character.

So while Sam and Robby tend to be the dullest parts of season 2, I give the show credit for keeping them consistent and their flaws not overlooked. Their flaws just draw as much attention as say Johnny's flaws. Plus. Johnny's flaws are way more fun.

Season 3:

I think this season will revolve around Daniel trying to save/redeem Johnny. Maybe he has a self-realization of how often he's left Johnny to take the bad end of a situation. Throughout the seasons, there's many spots where Daniel could do more for Johnny that simple charity. He could have backed him as Robby's dad. He could have supported Johnny in rehabbing and improving Cobra Kai, etc. But Daniel bails at the first chance every time. I think in Season 3, he sees his community without Johnny around and realizes that Johnny is truly needed. So the first episodes will be Johnny out on his own, then Daniel realizing he needs to find Johnny and bring him back. Probably some crossover training of the two styles, which results in a showdown in front of the Cobra Kai kids.

I don't know what they'll do with Miguel. A rehab storyline of some sort, but how he feels about what went down is more important to the story. Unfortunately, I think this will involve Sam in the worst way. They probably need Sam to do some self reflection.
 
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annnnnnnd done. sorry, i cant finish it. every minute is so cringy now.

i love everything about johnny lawrence. i wish they would have just focused more n his character. but this full house vibe is so bad, i cant do it anymore. made to season 2 episode 6. ill check season 3 and 4 reviews down the road and revisit it later. it did have some really great parts, and the whole vibe in the first few episodes was really good.
 
Kev Kev said:
i felt the same way. especially with the cringy soap opera drama. and i hate to tell you this, but it gets worse in season 2. all of that. im struggling to finish the season right now. think im on episode 6 and im just laughing at it t this point. still gonna try to muscle through and hopefully season 3 changes things up.
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Do you think it's worth it to fight through season 2? I really found the soap opera stuff awful, but the first half of the series is so strong and the writing is so solid I'm torn on whether to continue.
 
Weiji said:
Do you think it's worth it to fight through season 2? I really found the soap opera stuff awful, but the first half of the series is so strong and the writing is so solid I'm torn on whether to continue.
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thats a solid no from me. i couldn't do it and i dont know how people are doing it. maybe im being a downer 🤷‍♂️ every minute of the show is just coming off as terrible to me now. like i said, maybe i just need to come back to it later.
 
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it def gets very teenie bop in the second season and Larusso's daughter is extremely annoying and her new bf looks out of place like a 90s power ranger, but overall it's still good. Kind of had to remind myself it's kind of a satire of itself and meant to be campy.

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I just started it (watched a couple episodes), and it's really good. Picking up with these characters as middle-aged is surprisingly entertaining.
 
aclar00 said:
it def gets very teenie bop in the second seasons and Larusso's daughter is extremely annoying and her new bf looks like a 90s power ranger, but overall still get. Kind of had to remind myself is almost a satire of itself and meant to be campy.
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i agree about the satire thing. and i like that too! but they try to get real/dramatic with it and the writing is so cheesy and terrible! the landing is not sticking for me. episode 5 and 6 i had such a chip on my shoulder about it that i couldnt enjoy anything other than the johnny lawrence scenes. i was just criticizing and hating every other second of the show.

never had an experience like this lol. it went from awesome, to i cant stand watching this for another 5 minutes lol oh well 🤷‍♂️ ill say it one last time, maybe i just need to cool off and come back to it later. but the groan-worthiness started in the second half of season 1 and season 2 just kept ramping it up, until i tapped out
 
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Kev Kev said:
i agree about the satire thing. and i like that too! but they try to get real/dramatic with it and the writing is so cheesy and terrible! the landing is not sticking for me. episode 5 and 6 i had such a chip on my shoulder about it that i couldnt enjoy anything other than the johnny lawrence scenes. i was just criticizing and hating every other second of the show.

never had an experience like this lol. it went from awesome, to i cant stand watching this for another 5 minutes lol oh well 🤷‍♂️ ill say it one last time, maybe i just need to cool off and come back to it later. but the groan-worthiness started in the second half of season 1 and season 2 just kept ramping it up, until i tapped out
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Season 2 was def worse and the only good actor in my opinion is Lawrence's actor, followed by Miguel's. I like the scenes with Ed Anser too lol
 
Finished season 1 and it was spectacular. Hope season 2 keeps it going.

I gotta tell yah though, the end tournament makes me REALLY want a "Best of the Best" crossover. Just imagine it. Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee come into town with THEIR dojo and kids! Jean Claude Vann Dam could guest spot with HIS kids (adorable uber-hot belgian twin girls that fight together of course) in a Battle Royale showdown!!!

I'll be in my bunk.
 
Kev Kev said:
i agree about the satire thing. and i like that too! but they try to get real/dramatic with it and the writing is so cheesy and terrible! the landing is not sticking for me. episode 5 and 6 i had such a chip on my shoulder about it that i couldnt enjoy anything other than the johnny lawrence scenes. i was just criticizing and hating every other second of the show.

never had an experience like this lol. it went from awesome, to i cant stand watching this for another 5 minutes lol oh well 🤷‍♂️ ill say it one last time, maybe i just need to cool off and come back to it later. but the groan-worthiness started in the second half of season 1 and season 2 just kept ramping it up, until i tapped out
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You would not be welcome into cobra kai dojo with those pussy hairs of yours anyway🤜
 
Just finished season 1. This may be the BEST "reboot" so to speak of a 30+ year old franchise ever. Absolutely love it!
 
jason10mm said:
Finished season 1 and it was spectacular. Hope season 2 keeps it going.

I gotta tell yah though, the end tournament makes me REALLY want a "Best of the Best" crossover. Just imagine it. Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee come into town with THEIR dojo and kids! Jean Claude Vann Dam could guest spot with HIS kids (adorable uber-hot belgian twin girls that fight together of course) in a Battle Royale showdown!!!

I'll be in my bunk.
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ill say this... if they can manage to work this tune into Cobra Kai, ill come back to finish the series one day


if not, no dice
 
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aclar00 said:
Season 2 was def worse and the only good actor in my opinion is Lawrence's actor, followed by Miguel's. I like the scenes with Ed Anser too lol
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Season 2 was soo bad it was funny. Ralph Machio doing karate in street fights was too much... Can't wait for season 3!
 
A bit of a bump but I just finished watching S1 and 2 and overall found it really enjoyable.
It's this weird show where objectively I don't think it's very good, and it can often be quite cringy. But it's still fun and I can't stop watching.

-Zabka/Johnny is by far the best thing about this. I'm kinda surprised he hasn't been in more stuff since he seems like a pretty good actor. IMO S2 suffered from sidelining him at times and focusing too much on the cringy kids and their drama.
- The S2 ending though was pretty good and has me looking forward to S3
- The tone is weird, sometimes (mostly when it's about Johnny) it feels like it's aimed at the 30-40 years old who watched the original as kids/teens. Other times (the whole highschool relationship drama) it seems aimed at 13 years old. I guess the idea is to be something for the whole family and that both adults and teens can enjoy?
- I don't know what it is, but unlike Zabka, Ralph Macchio looks ridiculous when fighting
-The fuck is that haircut on Robby Keene supposed to be. As someone said above, looks like some 90's power ranger
- Not sure if it's intentional but I love the jabs at SJW/Woke shit they make through Johnny
- I like the angle of showing how helping some kids to toughen up can actually have a positive effect on them. It seems to take a negative turn in S2 but it's mostly becasue of Kreese. Hopefully the end goal is showing Johnny finding a middle ground where he helps kids become more confident without them turning into assholes.
 
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One thing I like is that each episode is only 30 minutes long. It's easier to bite into - than some 1 hour long series, thanks to the faster story progression.
I do have an issue with the long season breaks though. I would loved to see 2 seasons per year.
 
Fbh said:
A bit of a bump but I just finished watching S1 and 2 and overall found it really enjoyable.
It's this weird show where objectively I don't think it's very good, and it can often be quite cringy. But it's still fun and I can't stop watching.

-Zabka/Johnny is by far the best thing about this. I'm kinda surprised he hasn't been in more stuff since he seems like a pretty good actor. IMO S2 suffered from sidelining him at times and focusing too much on the cringy kids and their drama.
- The S2 ending though was pretty good and has me looking forward to S3
- The tone is weird, sometimes (mostly when it's about Johnny) it feels like it's aimed at the 30-40 years old who watched the original as kids/teens. Other times (the whole highschool relationship drama) it seems aimed at 13 years old. I guess the idea is to be something for the whole family and that both adults and teens can enjoy?
- I don't know what it is, but unlike Zabka, Ralph Macchio looks ridiculous when fighting
-The fuck is that haircut on Robby Keene supposed to be. As someone said above, looks like some 90's power ranger
- Not sure if it's intentional but I love the jabs at SJW/Woke shit they make through Johnny
- I like the angle of showing how helping some kids to toughen up can actually have a positive effect on them. It seems to take a negative turn in S2 but it's mostly becasue of Kreese. Hopefully the end goal is showing Johnny finding a middle ground where he helps kids become more confident without them turning into assholes.
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I agree, the fine line the shows walks between acknowledging "modern values" but giving the old school attitude props when earned is a high point of the writing. It is a template for future 80s reboots I hope. You can't go "full woke".
 
I'm 3 episodes into the 3rd season and I'm struggling to find the motivation to continue. The production values are low, the acting is B level at best, the fight scenes are amateur, and the plot is, well, meh. It can't run on nostalgia and 80s cheese anymore. It needs substance. And it doesn't have any. It all just feels like a retread of the last two seasons so far. Yawn.

And please with Kreese being a legitimate physical threat. He's like 80.
 
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I'm just over half-way through S3 and still love it, though the wife (much younger and not nearly as nostalgic for KK as me) is about done with it. The KK2 callbacks were awesome, especially if those were the original actors.

Those kids though need to train more, they are all looking a bit....smooth other than Hawk who just needs to bulk up a bit.

At this rate I think Thomas Ian Griffith is a must. If they can give Kreese of all people a good back story I'm curios what they will do with him.
 
I haven't watched season 3 yet. I mostly enjoy the Johnny Lawrence character, especially how out of touch he can be. It's funny that Daniel Larusso is now insufferable on purpose, without his "good guy" plot armor of the original movies. Don't rally care about the kids, although their relationships with both historical characters are interesting on paper. The old "turn menial task into karate training" isn't done as well, although it's funny when it's lampshaded by some of the new students.
 
Alx said:
I haven't watched season 3 yet. I mostly enjoy the Johnny Lawrence character, especially how out of touch he can be.
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Oh you'll get more of that in Season 3, believe me. Johnny only gets better and better as a character but he continually has to play catch up with the modern era. There's an entire side plot about it.
 
I binged it and just finished season 4 a few days ago.

Great show.

This is exactly how you bring back old characters. This is exactly how you respect characters. Ryan Johnson take note.

I'm also so glad they brought back Terry Silver too. What a complete and utter fucking asshole and I love it.

Also so glad to see Chozen returning and looks like he's coming to America to further train Daniel. He's Mr. Miyagi 2.0 and I love it. I'm in tears, bro.
 
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Yeah, it is probably the best and most consistent Netflix (I know it is sony[?]) show ever. They MUST get Hillary Swank, it is the way.
 
jason10mm said:
Yeah, it is probably the best and most consistent Netflix (I know it is sony[?]) show ever. They MUST get Hillary Swank, it is the way.
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I never saw Karate Kid 4.

Actually I saw clips of it and I just was not interested. I don't know if they're going to return to that or even retcon it.

Don't forget also that the first two seasons were YouTube. It moved to Netflix so maybe that's why it's better than the average Netflix show.

I resubscribed to Netflix just so I could finish the last two seasons of Cobra Kai. That and catch up with Stranger Things.

I also have Arcane on my wish list but that show looks kind of insufferable. However, people I know that would normally be annoyed by a show like this say it's pretty good so I'll give it a shot.
 
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Darkmakaimura said:
I never saw Karate Kid 4.

Actually I saw clips of it and I just was not interested. I don't know if they're going to return to that or even retcon it.

Don't forget also that the first two seasons were YouTube. It moved to Netflix so maybe that's why it's better than the average Netflix show.

I resubscribed to Netflix just so I could finish the last two seasons of Cobra Kai. That and catch up with Stranger Things.

I also have Arcane on my wish list but that show looks kind of insufferable. However, people I know that would normally be annoyed by a show like this say it's pretty good so I'll give it a shot.
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Arcane is outstanding.
 
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