cbockiii Billy Zabka was the huge surprise here. Yeah he was great as an 80's brainless bully who always got beat down to end the movies he was in. But he never really got to act in any of those movies. He acts for real in this show, and he's DAMN GOOD, not to mention funny as hell. Yeah, you have a little bit of trouble taking him seriously like anyone else would, and the writers expect that. The pace moves very quickly and they got a great group of young actors. Ralph Macchio is very good as well, although he's not as big of a character this season. They also do a fantastic job of laying a foundation for a million possible plot turns in the next seasons. I'm giving this 10/10 because it's harder to make a show for all ages. The same reason Forrest Gump beat out Pulp Fiction. I've got young kids that are watching this show and laughing like crazy, it's so much fun. Superb job on this one, guys, I cannot wait for Season 2. Get me more of Hawk and Miss Robinson! I'm a Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad junkie, but the first season of this show is up there near them. It's hard to compare because Cobra Kai is shorter episodes.

athanasiosskoutas I'll keep it short, this is literally the best TV show (of its genre) I've seen in many years and it caught me by surprise. The performances, the cast, the plot, the music... absolutely amazing! I recommend it for all ages but if you're a child of the 80's, like me, then you're going to appreciate it a little bit more because of the nostalgia. The way they connect the past with the present is incredibly well done and it will make you emotional sometimes. I want to thank everybody who has involvement in the creation of this awesome show, but especially Ralph Macchio and William Zabka... 'Nuff said, do yourself a favor and go watch now, you won't regret it.

deviloutofnowhere Pretty much watched this show over a single day . When I saw the trailer ... I thought "oh look they brought karate kid back as a tv show" & thought it would be a parody of itself . There are a lot of references & call backs but they feel organic & welcome & not really forced at all. Great performances from the cast & in particular Zabka who brings the most laughs & also you really root for him . The whole good vs bad guy has been flipped & thrown into a blender. Just watch this show .. didn't expect it to work but it was amazing .

sirwillisiv One of my all-time favorite movies, I relate a lot to The Karate Kid. I was a misunderstood child growing up, so I turned to martial arts for guidance. Although The Karate Kid spawned a number of sequels, an animated television series, and a 2010 remake set in China, they're in no way a prolific follow-up over the recent YouTube Red series Cobra Kai.Cobra Kai is set over 30 years after LaRusso defeated Lawrence in the karate tournament. Haunted by his loss, Lawrence has become an embittered nobody. He is divorced, has an estranged son, and can't hold a job. Meanwhile, LaRusso has established a successful chain of car dealerships and happily lives with his family in a lavish home. Jealous of LaRusso's achievements, Lawrence revives Cobra Kai and teaches his pupils to become merciless fighters like his former presumed deceased master John Kreese. LaRusso catches wind of Cobra Kai's resurgence and attempts to shut it down. On the meantime, LaRusso's daughter Samantha dates one of Lawrence's pupils, Miguel who succumbs to angst through Lawrence's savage training, and Lawrence's son Robbie learns karate through LaRusso's mentorship. Macchio and Zabka reprise their roles, starring alongside Xolo Maridueña as Miguel, Diaz Tanner Buchanan as Robby, and Mary Mouser as Samantha.YouTube Red productions are usually atrocious; borderline unwatchable, but Cobra Kai is quite the contrary. Despite a few personal grips, this show is very worth the investment. The story is neatly composed and all character's plot lines eventually come together for better or worse. Very little plot holes and lose ends are visible. Johnny Lawrence, who is incredibly hatable in the classic film, proves to be quite an engrossing anti-hero in this sequel series. Sure, he's still very much a mean-spirited person with a harsh philosophy, but the reason I feel for him this time around is because he's motivated. He's a loser who wants to redeem his past failures, which regardless of his contemptible personality, is relatable and deserving of speculation. At times, Lawrence does show his softer side toward certain characters, and it's very unexpected and refreshing, given his hot-headed and violent tendencies. He's a complex, well-written character with severe but understandable motives. I like characters that are written to be liked and hated back-and-forth, similar to Walter White from Breaking Bad. It means the show is doing a good job at eliciting genuine emotion out of you.As for LaRusso, his role is reversed in a way. LaRusso serves more as an antagonist toward Lawrence, which is both interesting and troubling to me. Granted, LaRusso's motives for shutting down Cobra Kai are understandable. He's doing it to protect his daughter and prevent Lawrence's discipline from corrupting the local youth, as it did when he was a teenager. However, the methods he uses to sabotage Lawrence's budding success seemed extremely out of his character to me and even betrayed Miyagi's teachings. For example, LaRusso manages to convince a strip mall's landlord into increasing the rent of the businesses set there. This not only effects Lawrence, but innocent shop owners nearby who are endanger of losing their livelihood. It really painted LaRusso as a corrupt villain in my eyes, and I was shocked. I guess that's good because it did spark an authentic reaction out of me. LaRusso himself even regrets these actions and visits Miyagi's grave for wisdom in a rather tender scene that I would consider my favorite, but I couldn't help but scratch my head at his surprising, out-of-nowhere character turn. I'm a bit conflicted on how I feel about it.Time to discuss the teenagers side of the plot. I'm glad the teen's perspective in the storyline didn't take a cringy, mainstream route along the lines of Nickelodeon and Disney, but instead a more mature and thought-provoking path in its own right. It explores the teen's corruptive downfall from a decent person to a dangerous bully. Miguel, one of many teens to join Cobra Kai, starts out as a harassed weakling, but this pushes him to he learn self defense, boosting his confidence and earning Samantha's heart. That is until Lawrence's teachings implore Miguel to use his bottled up angsty hatred as fuel to his fire. It was genuinely sad to watch such a real and initially likable character descend into this type of madness, something LaRusso attempted to prevent and failed. As for Robbie, I'd say his side of the story is the weaker element. He studies under LaRusso only to get back at Lawrence for his neglect as a father. Kinda petty if you ask me. There's nothing too emotionally stirring about it and it's the only portion of the story where it seemed like it was revisiting the classic film's premise just to please its nostalgic audience. Sure, it's got a few charming callbacks, such as the "wax-on, wax-off" technique, and the log balancing drills, but it's nothing more than fan service at the end of the day. I hope Robbie receives an improved propose in the second season.Overall, I highly recommend checking out the first season of Cobra Kai. For fans of old, this series is sure to grab you with its top-notch writing, compound characters, well-paced chemistries, and rip-roaring martial arts action. The nostalgic fan service I was a bit weary of, finding it kind of sweet, yet also forced, but I guarantee it will rouse old fans. For new audiences, I suggest watching The Karate Kid first before diving into this series, that way you get to know the characters and their dilemmas, which are competently expanded in this new series. Cobra Kai continues the The Karate Kid's legacy with finesse, and the first season concludes on a rather dark and gripping note, promising quite a tense follow-up. This show is very worth your time. I know I'm hooked. NO MERCY!