The Karate Kid Blog: May 2023

May 24, 2023

Sakura and Samurai

(from the Samurai Art Facebook page)

"Hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi" (花は桜木人は武士) is a revered Japanese proverb that carries with it the profound depths of the nation's culture, especially its feudal past. Literally translated as "the [best] blossom is the cherry blossom; the [best] man is the warrior", this saying originated in Japan's medieval period and encapsulates the essence of the samurai warrior class.

The proverb can be alternatively rendered as "among blossoms the cherry blossom, among men, the warrior". This interpretation illustrates a profound comparison: just as the cherry blossom (known as sakura in Japanese) is esteemed above all other flowers, so too is the warrior (or samurai, often referred to in Japanese as bushi) considered the finest among men.

This proverb does not merely rank the samurai as supreme among men, but it also draws a poignant parallel between the warrior and the cherry blossom. The life of a samurai, though marked by glory, was susceptible to an abrupt end during military service - a fate mirrored by the cherry blossom. Known for their ephemeral beauty, cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly for a short period before their petals are shed, reflecting the potential fleetingness of a samurai's life. This enduring metaphor serves as a reminder of the samurai's commitment to live a life of honor and duty, understanding the transience and fragility of existence, akin to the beautiful but brief bloom of the cherry blossom.

May 21, 2023

Cobra Kai Season 6's Timeline Problem Is About To Get A Lot Worse

(screenrant.com 5-19-23)

Considering some recent developments in Cobra Kai's Season 6's production, the show's timeline problem is about to get worse. Although Cobra Kai has effectively revived the Karate Kid franchise by balancing its runtime between original legacy characters and new younger additions, it has not been able to avoid some noticeable character age problems. This is because while its first five seasons unfolded in a span of 5 years of real-time, only a year went by in the show's actual timeline.

The inconsistencies in Cobra Kai's condensed timeline were not so evident in the second season since a whole year of the characters' lives had passed by the time it reached its conclusion. However, it became visible in recent seasons when seasons 3, 4, and 5's storyline progressed within a timeframe of a few months, making the age of the characters incoherent with that of the cast members playing them. The growing gap between character ages and their respective actors was already a problem, but Cobra Kai's writers' room shut down due to the WGA strike has made this issue even more concerning.

Cobra Kai season 6 was initially set to enter production in May 2023, but the strike will further push it back. The more the production gets delayed, the greater will be the age gap between Cobra Kai's characters and actors. As a result, the high school dynamics and comic-of-age narratives central to Cobra Kai's overarching storyline will seem a lot less plausible since its actors will be visibly several years older than the teenage characters they are playing.

To put this in better perspective, the actor who plays Robby, Tanner Buchanan, is 24 as of May 2023. Meanwhile, his co-stars Xolo Maridueña (Miguel), Peyton List (Tory), Mary Mouser (Sam), and Jacob Bertrand (Eli) are 21, 25, 27, and 23, respectively. Given how there is already a significant difference between the ages of the actors and the characters they portray in Cobra Kai, season 6's production postponements could make it increasingly difficult for the show's creators to sustain the intended continuity in its timeline without stretching the viewers' suspension of disbelief a little too far.

Introducing a time jump in Cobra Kai season 6 could resolve these age discrepancies. However, given how season 5 has already set the stage for an imminent Sekai Taikai tournament, it is impossible for season 6 to jump too far ahead in the future. Cobra Kai's creator John Hurwitz also confirmed that season 6 begins "roughly a year" after season 2's finale, which seems to skew the show's timeline to an even greater degree. Since Cobra Kaiseason 6 has no choice but to move forward with its character age problems, audiences will have to suspend their disbelief and accept that the characters are still high-schoolers even when they do not look the part.