Cobra Kai Is The Closest Thing To A Good Live-Action Anime Adaptation
As Netflix itself has acknowledged by making a Cobra Kai anime opening sequence, the show about the legacy of Karate Kid has more in common with Japanese animated series than most actual live-action anime adaptations. Cobra Kai’s return ended 2021 on a high note as Karate Kid 3's Terry Silver joined the fight for the All-Valley’s karate soul in a season full of twists and revealing moments. As newcomers and established characters battled their inner fears as well as their opponents, Cobra Kai season 4 managed to retain the show’s best qualities while also adding some new elements to the mix. Even with those changes, Cobra Kai still holds many features that make it resemble what a good live-action anime could be.
As the years go by, the challenge of making a good, consistent, and somewhat faithful live-action adaptation of an anime series that appeals not only to viewers of the original work but also to the general public seems to become even more difficult. Last year's Netflix's Cowboy Bebop suffered from mixed reactions and joined the long list of failed live-action anime adaptations when it was canceled after just one season. Other Hollywood productions such as 2017's Death Note have gone through similar challenges in creating an identity of their own while trying to maintain the core elements of what makes an anime an anime. Funnily enough, a show that does not have much to do with Japanese series might have the answer.
Related: How Robby Foreshadowed Sam’s Cobra Kai Season 4 Ending
Cobra Kai is not an easy show to label. The production mixes elements ranging from classic 80s action movies to the most dramatic soap operas, but there are a few points that stand out. The universe takes itself more seriously than the one
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