Fredrik Magnusson

Like meeting old friends after many years apart. It was most certainly a gamble taking what was arguably one of the most loved movies of the 80s and using it as the blueprint for a TV show but it worked. A lot of that has to do with bringing in the old cast members back but great smwriting must also be credited. I will confess I am a nostalgic person. The 80s for me was my entire pre-teen childhood and is full of great memories. The Karate Kid trilogy is a big part of this childhood and I loved the first film in particular. I've watched it more times than I can remember. I didn't watch the Cobra Kai series when it was on YouTube mainly because I did not have a subscription but also because I didn't want my nostalgic connection to the movie to be ruined. When it moved to Netflix I did not have an excuse of not having a subscription and figured I take the chance. I'm glad I did. The series is superbly written with the characters having been developed in great depth and with interesting back stories connected to the events of the movie. Johnny Lawrence in particular is really well developed and you find yourself rooting for him trying to get back on his feet. It's plays with your emotions towards Johnny and Daniel in the switching of fortunes from how they were presented in the movie. The young cast members really complement Johnny and Daniel well in particular Miguel and Robby. These two add another dimension to the rivalry and makes it even harder to back on side over the other. Cobra Kai shows great respect towards the original film with frequent cut scenes from the movie to tie in with the story. This handling of bridging the two I think has made this such a good series. I would definitely recommend watching the movie before the series of you want a fuller understanding but series is also able to stand on its own.