Front runner on Netflix A clash between woke culture and 80s patriarchy
The final season of "Cobra Kai" is currently the hottest series on streaming provider Netflix. It takes its cue from the 1980s classic "Karate Kid" in an original way.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- "Cobra Kai " is a dramedy action series based on the blockbuster "Karate Kid".
- The final season of the popular series has started on Netflix.
- The series combines the kitsch and charm of the 1980s with contemporary coming-of-age stories.
15 million people watched the final season of "Cobra Kai" last week. One of the big surprise hits that streaming giant Netflix has produced in recent years. The recipe for success seems simple at first glance, but if you look closely, you will discover a few secret ingredients.
Of course, "Karate Kid", on which the series is based, was one of the most successful franchises of the 1980s. The "From-Zero-To-Hero" story of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), who learns karate martial arts in the shortest possible time with the help of his oddball janitor Mister Miyagi (Pat Morita), was a hit back then.
Surprising plot twist
However, "Karate Kid" has aged moderately well. By today's standards, the story is dripping with clichés, prejudice, sexism and other discriminatory elements. Instead of simply erasing these elements, the makers of "Cobra Kai" dared to take a more courageous and humorous approach: they confront the protagonists of the past with the woke world of today.
What's more, the two main roles, which are actually clearly divided into hero (Daniel) and villain (Johnny Lawrence) in the original, move far away from these roles in "Cobra Kai". Johnny Lawrence became a likeable anti-hero, while Daniel LaRusso became a boring, uncool spitfire.
When the families of the two protagonists - including their teenage children and their school joys - come into play, the soap opera is perfect and the power struggle for the best dojo in town is reignited.
Anyone not yet familiar with "Cobra Kai" can look forward to more than five seasons to binge. And for all fans, this first part of the final sixth season is a must anyway.
The complete series "Cobra Kai" including season 6 is available on Netflix. The first two seasons for free on YouTube.
