Netflix’s Cobra Kai already began amidst a favorable fandom that grew up with the Karate Kid and explored the intergenerational themes of redemption, strength, and perseverance. The sensational familiarity of the show being relatable to the audience was magnified by the return of Ralph Macchio and William Zabka from the original Karate Kid trilogy. With the student now serving as the master, the Netflix dramedy reaches into the teachings that began in the 80s and catapults them all into the 21st-century setting.
Also read: Cobra Kai Season 5 Review: Hits Hard And Shows No Mercy
Cobra Kai Follows Through Even 34 Years Down the Line
Amid critical acclaim, the Miyagi-blessed familia begin their odyssey as its members traverse the old-as-time themes of bullying followed by a** kicking followed by redemption. The series which began in 2018 is currently navigating its way through the fifth season. Adapted from the 1984 martial arts drama, The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai now sets precedence on how to revive a successful franchise 34 years down the line and yet remain relevant across generations.
As the series begins, Johnny Lawrence who is down on his luck and still emblematically showing the ravages left in the humiliating wake of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament begins hesitantly, much as Mr. Miyagi did back in the day. As the former antagonist receives his own redemption story, he evolves as much as his students do in the journey which symbolizes more than just camaraderie. The skeletal themes of the show depict a person’s flaws and strengths and stand against the traditional binaries of the “good vs bad guy”. This makes the light-hearted drama an immediately beloved must-watch series among the Netflix crowd.
Also read: Cobra Kai: Why Fans Are Calling Out Hollywood’s Racist Obsession With the Yellow Filter
The Cobra Kai Fandom Asks For the Ousting of Kyler Park
The infamous Cobra Kai dojo which has become a safe retreat for most of the audience is anything but for its own students. Amid near-constant bullying suffered at the hands of Kyler Park, portrayed by Joe Seo, the students all stand to surpass him, evolve, learn, and finally defeat him throughout the entirety of the running series. The only thing that remains an unchangeable force is the bully himself who refuses to overcome his signature trait, almost making him the failsafe antagonist.
The series, which is infamous for its pedagogic lessons of redemption, has refused to deliver an arc for the same for Kyler. This does nothing to deter the fans as they now want nothing of the sort for him, rather the only end that seems to be an appropriate conclusion for this character’s arc seems to be his complete ousting. It now depends on the showrunners to divulge Kyler’s endgame in the series Season 6.
Cobra Kai is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: Twitter
