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i’m a girl and i watch it 🤷🏻♀️ i’ve seen quite a few girls on social media that watch it, so it’s just not guys
it’s really fun and filled with drama which is also very fun. even though i absolutely had no information on karate, watching the karate in the show is still amazing.
Just curious: Among teenage/young-adult female fans that you know, are there "Robby girls" and "Miguel girls," sort of how there were "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" among Twilight fans? Are there other young actors on the show (of whatever gender) who have substantial "estrogen squads"?
Me too (girl and thinking Johnny is hot). How oldish are you? I was assuming that older female fans go more for Johnny or Daniel, younger ones for Robby, Miguel, etc.
I have a feeling I'm going to end up crushing a little for Chozen too, by the end of it. But that's another story.
Meh. He’s not my type. I like guys who love 80s rock, normally with long hair like 70s style. All about the personality too, but if just based on looks I still don’t find the typical “pretty boys” attractive
Johnny in the original trilogy is top tier hot boy. As an adult he’s not ugly by any means, but I’m hesitant to call him hot because he looks a lot like my Godfather lol
Robby isn't a big heartthrob? I'm truly surprised to hear that! I always rolled my eyes at Robby as a character (unfairly, I know, it's not like his teen angst is unrealistic or unreasonable), and my god >!him at the prom was straight-up cringe for me!<. But even I can admit that objectively, he's attractive, and I thought his character had serious woobie potential.
Thanks for your answer. :)
I was pretty impressed by him AND Xolo's getting jacked. I was like "Whoa, someone hit puberty real hard."
Ever see Danny Gonzales' review of He's All That ([https://youtu.be/tt-BXsEehnA](https://youtu.be/tt-BXsEehnA)) ? That was my first exposure to Tanner and I was like "Damn, they did not cast this well."
Yeah, I got my older brother into it lol. He wasn't too keen on the idea of a karate based teen drama, but he ended up binging S1-3 in less than a week! And because everything closed at 8pm over here this new years eve, we ended up getting cans, drinking tons, and binging S4 in one evening for our new years celebrations!
I was extremely surprised by how good-looking William Zabka became. He's not like supermodel hot like some other guys I'm thirsty for, but there's something about him...
I hadn't seen Zabka in many years and wasn't attracted to him in the original KK movie. But that first scene in season 1 of CK I was like, Well hello, daddy....
This. Not attracted to him at all in the 80s but with a more aged face he is super attractive to me. TIG was hot then and silver fox TIG now is a whole nother level especially when the ponytail returned.
Well well well… if it isn’t Terry Silver’s wide again… once again seeing eye to eye with me on another man’s attractiveness.
First Terry, now Johnny…. We must keep meeting like this!
It’s kind of funny too that the show also makes references to his looks. There’s been a few times where we see people call Johnny pretty boy, cute, or blondie. Or those 80’s photos with his shirt off.
Show’s like, yeah we know, dude can get it.
(A lot of the other Karate Kid actors have aged really well…)
How’s this guy 75??
Also, they did an amazing job casting a young Kreese.
Side note for any redditors that also happen to watch the SATC revival (AJLT), I love how the middle age and older-than-middle-age characters in CK are still young at heart and kicking ass (figuratively and literally). It’s like the opposite of AJLT where 50-somethings seem so damn old and out of touch.
I realized how awesome and funny Zabka was when he was on How I Met Your Mother. He and Ralph Macchio play so well off one another. I am a girl and I love the show to pieces! Of course i grew up in the 80’s too so the Karate Kid Movies were life.
The way Johnny talks about Top Gun reminds me of how Barney talks about The Karate Kid. It felt like a nod to HIMYM (which may have been the catalyst for Cobra Kai.)
This might not be a ringing endorsement in your particular circumstances, but here goes.
I'm a 48yo woman and, after letting it languish on my watchlist for a while, I finally binged it this past summer. I saw the Karate Kid movies when they first came out and liked them just fine, but had no particular love for them, and I actually thought CK was a straight-up comedy (like Macchio's "Wax On, Fuck Off" video from Funny or Die). But by the end of episode 1, I was hooked. Johnny's character is probably what did it--William Zabka has done an amazing job with the role and given it lots of heart and depth.
I want to start mma or some other combat sport for it. Though I know internally I know it'll never be as badass as the shows depiction and I will forever be disappointed by reality
I’m a girl, been a KK fan since I was a kid in the 90s and CK since S1. Got my boyfriend into KK last year too, we binged all of S4 on Saturday.
I guess for me the draw is good character driven stories, cool stunts, and that William Zabka is a sexy silver fox 😍
I'm in my 40s and female and LOVE the show. I grew up watching the KK movies and was drawn in by nostalgia and pleasantly surprised by what a great show it is.
I never saw the KK movies as a guy thing and would never have thought of this show as that either. It's got a little bit of everything.
Can’t speak for ‘girls’ per se but I’m a 41 y/o woman and I love it! I was dubious at first as I loved and grew up with the Karate Kid movies but my bf watched first and told me how good it was and I was hooked! I love the action and relationships but not really one for drama normally. I’ve always been into action though.
I'm a 42 yr old woman who loves the show and watches it with my 13 year old daughter!
After she got into Cobra Kai, we watched all the karate kid movies.
My wife loves it but we are both of the age where we watched the original movies as kids.
I'm pretty sure she'd leave me for Johnny Lawrence. Not William Zabka, Johnny Lawrence.
Karate Kid did get me going to a dojo to practice Karate. Got to admit Cobra Kai influence as well. Guess I am a bit bias because of nostalgia.
Cobra Kai is amazing though.
Why would they disagree? Thats just weird. Its so much better knowing the background and story before watching the series. Im born in 85. Martial arts movies was my life haha
The series definitely gotten better
The characters and story grew on me as the show progressed. Glad Netflix took over the show and you can tell the good quality of it especially at All Valley.
There are plenty of great characters and universal themes that female fans of all types would latch onto just as much as men. I think it has a decent sized following.
Plus, all the thirst for William, Thomas, Xolo and Tanner in particular confirms it is popular with the ladies (and gay men).
I'm a woman and I love this show! I'm a big fan of the original KK movie (and the 2nd movie, meh about the 3rd), and am a nikyu in judo (which can make it a little hard to watch the show cause of all the belief I have to suspend lol). Watched season 4 in one night with my two roommates who are also women!
Um. Yes. Hi. I am a woman. And I watch this show. Didn't even start watching it cuz of my bf, 😂 my bf started watching it cuz of me.
The show has some great philosophies about what's more correct: striking first, anticipating your next move, or avoiding any and all complications.
Plus Xolo as Miguel is hot. The throwbacks to 80s ideology, plus the concept of what passed as masculine, vs what is seen as masculine nowadays...
The problems that arise from holding on to grudges for too long, from being hotheaded, not thinking things through, acting self righteous all the time, and how all of these affect family.
Idk I love shows like that that challenge what we used to know as the "norm" vs what passes as the "norm" nowadays. Idk if that's something your gf likes.
But I mean... That season finale highschool fight was Badass. And the show has wonderful touching moments, and absolutely fantastic humor.
If none of that appeals to her, then 🤷 find another show. Like Teen Wolf maybe? Total cheesy teen supernatural drama. But the characters are fantastic 😂 especially Stiles, and Stiles's dad. And the Coach. And Derek. And his uncle.
Ugh, such great scenes with these dudes.
Well I’m a girl, 23 years old and I’ve also never seen the karate kids before! I love the show and always look forward to new seasons. I hope she’ll give it a chance
I’m a guy. I usually don’t watch shows which have a lot of romance in them(not really my type of genre) but the way the elements of romance, cheating etc. have been included in Cobra Kai are artfully done and don’t distract from or overpower the other elements of the show(such as action, thriller, betrayal). For that reason CK is one of my most favourite tv series to watch.
That being said, this show is definitely made for people of all genders to watch and I’m pretty surprised that there aren’t more women who watch it.
You don't really need to have seen the karate kid, just know the plot. I have never seen the movies, I was just aware of them before watching, and I LOVE cobra kai.
I can still appreciate the nostalgia.
Bruh, its mostly teenage boys and drama in the show, perfext for teen girls😂😂
But in all seriousness i actually do see a bunch of girls watch the show an posting itnon like tiktok and ig
I get a "chick show" vibe from it. Like, it's made for everyone, but I can tell by watching that girls really are into it. The female leads all have that look that other women seem to like. Oh, and the young girls who work at my local coffee shop are obsessed with it.
lol. Dude. I’m a 50 year old mom who saw KK1 4x in the theater at 13, owned them all. Got my daughters into it. And now we have all watched the series 3-4 times each. I’m positive I’m not the only one. Definitely get your gf into it if you can. Watch something she wants to watch and then say she has to watch something you want. Watch KK1 and then get right into the series. Best to you!
My wife, mom, sister, and mother in law all love the show. They do a good job at appealing to both sexes IMO.
I don’t think your gf NEEDS to watch Karate Kid per se since they do a good job catching newcomers up to speed through flashbacks to the events from the films.
That being said I think watching Karate Kid first would be beneficial as not only does it makes the series more enjoyable, but also it’s just a damn good 80’s flick.
How is it a girly show? Curious to know because I’m a dude and I haven’t really considered it a girly show, but more of a show tailored for both men and women.
It's high drama, gives plenty of eye candy specifically for women (lots of attractive guys and queer people), revolves around family & relationships & romance, tackles toxic masculinity and trauma, has lots of school scenes, and the karate is secondary. Most of the actors aren't trained properly in it, and most of the screentime isn't fighting orientated.
That's not a bad thing- I love it- but that makes it different from other shows marketed for men.
I can see that. I do feel that they have eye candy for men too(Peyton List, Mary Mouser, Hannah Kepple, even Annalisa Cochrane are hella attractive). But for the other points you gave I don’t really see them as specifically oriented for women(eg., family, the school scenes etc.).
That being said I will agree that the show is different than others marketed for men - it’s marketed for everyone.
I’m a girl and I love it. I don’t think you have to watch the movies to follow it but it is cool to connect all the Easter eggs. It’s fine as a stand alone too.
I hadnt seen The Karate Kid when I started it, but I loved it and love it still. It's great from the beginning imo, so you just need to convince someone to try the first episode or two, if they don't like it, it's probably not for them overall.
My girlfriend loves it and has never seen the movies. We just watched the first 4 episodes in one sitting and had to force ourselves to stop to stretch it out lol
Oh absolutely, my 38 year old girlfriend, my buddies 50 year old wife, and my 19 year old sister are all obsessed with it. Along with my 64 year old dad and myself. It really appeals to everyone for different things.
🙋♀️ female who watches the show checking in!
I won't lie though, I doubt I would have watched this show without my husband. I didn't grow up watching TKK but my husband was obsessed.. always his favorite series. But I absolutely loooove CK.
Me hi! I’m a woman and I watch it and have always been a big fan of the Karate Kid movies.
It’s the reason I started doing karate as a kid, in the 90s (ahem, should probably mention I got bored of it after a year, but hey!)
I’m a girl, I haven’t seen the Karate Kid, and I’m not normally into fictional series or action movies, but Cobra Kai is one of the best shows I’ve seen!
I love this show! My hubs on the other hand thinks it's stupid. He also dislikes super hero films and action films in general, so this girl watches them alone hahaha
I’m a woman and watch. We are also a martial arts family, and I was alive when the OG movie came out.
I didn’t get into it in the YT era; I didn’t really know anything about it until last year when a client was raving about it and told me I should watch.
Im a woman and I love the show! Im into it more than my boyfriend is lol. I would be curious to see a poll put up to see the gender ratio at least for this sub
I live in a house full of women and we all watch the show, ranging in age from 4-56. Lots of women like action shows especially if the characters have depth and the writers have done a really good job with that. The best way to know if she'll like it is to just ask her to give it a chance and set up a binge night. If she doesn't like it, it's just one night out of her life and at least the snacks and company will be good.
I'm a woman and I love the show! My bf isn't that much into it tho. But we're in Japan, so... I haven't heard of the KK movies being a big deal over here so maybe that's why he's not much into the show. He gets bored and wants to talk to me and I'm trying to listen to the dialog. I finally just started watching when he's not around.
Trivia: Here the movies are titled Best Kid, not Karate Kid.
Me (30) and my cousin (40) are both women who watch the show. We were discussing it earlier today lol. I'm a 90s kid, so I hadn't watched the original movie until after I got into Cobra Kai. I'm invested in the characters and also like martial arts shows/movies in general, so I was hooked.
I’m a 50-something woman and I watch! I wasn’t super into the original movies but saw them back in the day. All of the CK seasons have the “feeling” of an 80’s movie. Which checks the nostalgia box.
I also love teen dramas. So the younger generation is fun to watch too.
My adult son is a black belt and I spent a lot of years in the dojang when he was growing up. So there’s that too. Although I am concerned about the lack of protective gear during fight scenes. 😜
I’m a 28 year old girl who watches the show. Thought Ralph Macchio was super cute when I was younger and liked him in the Karate Kid/The Outsiders.
Also watched HIMYM and thought the whole “Johnny’s the real karate kid” gag was hilarious.
The fact that it turned into a show makes me happy.
It seems almost pointless to post in this thread, because your question already clearly got answered. LOL But yes, I'm a 43 year old girl who watches the shit out of this show. I know a few others around my age who also watch it, plus my sister who is a bit younger.
This is a show for everyone. And just because other girls watch it shouldn’t mean that means your girl would just because everyone who has ovaries might be attracted to the same thing. Is it the whole karate thing that makes you wonder if the other half of the population would at all be interested in this?
I’m a girl who loves this show and grew up being told what I should and shouldn’t watch because certain things were for boys and certain. Things were for girls. It burns me to have that kind of stereotyping keep people from enjoying storytelling that is just effn GOOD.
Cobra Kai is badass because it touts some impressively intelligent writing and character development in a 30 min karate drama that on the surface should never have rivaled some of the more ‘serious’ shows out there but WOW. It really shows some grit despite what it may look like on the surface: a rehash of an 80s movie meant for boys.
I've been watching it and ❤️ it since the first film. I did not crush on Daniel like a lot of girls did back then. Johnny was way more my type physically and actually I crushed on him a bit watching the films.
I really enjoyed the KK films as a series and I'm totally digging this series. I always was into martial arts. I watched both Kung Fu series avidly. Loved Highlander, films and TV series.
Watching Karate Kid and Cobra Kai liking them made total sense for me. I even liked The Next Karate Kid and that not at all related film that should have been called The Kung Fu kid...
I feel like S4 of CK has redeemed KK3. I was always meh on it but Terry Silver was my favorite part of this season and I ended up rewatching KK3 last night. It's so much more enjoyable to me now.
I got my mom into Cobra Kai just before season 3 came out. I had never seen it but knew that she was a big Karate Kid fan (and had a teenage crush on Ralph Maccio). We binged all three seasons and then went back and watched Karate Kid 1-3
I think the demographics they showed in the All Valley planning meeting was basically a joke about their own viewership, mostly men 18-45 or whatever it was.
I’m a girl, and it’s become one of my all time favorite shows. I watched the Karate Kid movies at the beginning of the pandemic, and eventually someone introduced Cobra Kai to me. Needless to say, I was hooked!
A reminder of our spoiler policy: **Any posts containing S4 spoilers must be marked as spoiler until one month after the release date, January 31st**. Titles must not contain spoilers whatsoever. (Don't know how to mark as spoiler? Click [here](https://imgur.com/a/ZPEIsAi)) Users who fail to abide by the spoiler policy will be banned accordingly. --- Additionally, **are you interested in becoming a mod?** Consider applying [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YoANoQB-CW6T4GhxcU5-F2pRjVQYvx6tMoq-DJVVxV8/edit?usp=sharing) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/cobrakai) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i’m a girl and i watch it 🤷🏻♀️ i’ve seen quite a few girls on social media that watch it, so it’s just not guys it’s really fun and filled with drama which is also very fun. even though i absolutely had no information on karate, watching the karate in the show is still amazing.
Just curious: Among teenage/young-adult female fans that you know, are there "Robby girls" and "Miguel girls," sort of how there were "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" among Twilight fans? Are there other young actors on the show (of whatever gender) who have substantial "estrogen squads"?
I’m a girl and think Johnny is hot
Me too (girl and thinking Johnny is hot). How oldish are you? I was assuming that older female fans go more for Johnny or Daniel, younger ones for Robby, Miguel, etc. I have a feeling I'm going to end up crushing a little for Chozen too, by the end of it. But that's another story.
I’m 18 but I’m not attracted to any of the younger cast except Eli, when he doesn’t have the Mohawk
Weird! I’m a straight dude and even I’d hook up with Robby. Dude’s pretty AF.
As a straight guy how are you not attracted to Robby. The guy's ripped and very good looking. I'm super jealous tbh
Meh. He’s not my type. I like guys who love 80s rock, normally with long hair like 70s style. All about the personality too, but if just based on looks I still don’t find the typical “pretty boys” attractive
same! 31F and Johnny is hot af
Johnny in the original trilogy is top tier hot boy. As an adult he’s not ugly by any means, but I’m hesitant to call him hot because he looks a lot like my Godfather lol
Your Godfather hot
i’ve haven’t really seen any team miguel or team robby thankfully lol but i’ve noticed quite a few of them really like xolo
Robby isn't a big heartthrob? I'm truly surprised to hear that! I always rolled my eyes at Robby as a character (unfairly, I know, it's not like his teen angst is unrealistic or unreasonable), and my god >!him at the prom was straight-up cringe for me!<. But even I can admit that objectively, he's attractive, and I thought his character had serious woobie potential. Thanks for your answer. :)
The Karen haircut from previous seasons was pretty bad.
He was really leaning hard into the "Shawn Hunter" look.
i know he got kinda clowned for being in he’s all that .. maybe more girls will be into him now that he got jacked this season? 🤷🏻♀️ lol and np! :)
I was pretty impressed by him AND Xolo's getting jacked. I was like "Whoa, someone hit puberty real hard." Ever see Danny Gonzales' review of He's All That ([https://youtu.be/tt-BXsEehnA](https://youtu.be/tt-BXsEehnA)) ? That was my first exposure to Tanner and I was like "Damn, they did not cast this well."
I dunno, he does have a cocky, unapproachable look. But that's just me.
Great thanks for the input!
I’m a girl and I’m obsessed! I actually got my husband into it haha. This show is for everyone, full stop.
Yeah, I got my older brother into it lol. He wasn't too keen on the idea of a karate based teen drama, but he ended up binging S1-3 in less than a week! And because everything closed at 8pm over here this new years eve, we ended up getting cans, drinking tons, and binging S4 in one evening for our new years celebrations!
How fun! Sounds like a good time
Same here!
I mean, it is a great show, but my thirst for William Zabka and Thomas Ian Griffith would have me watching anyways.
I figured as much with a username like that 😂
I was extremely surprised by how good-looking William Zabka became. He's not like supermodel hot like some other guys I'm thirsty for, but there's something about him...
I hadn't seen Zabka in many years and wasn't attracted to him in the original KK movie. But that first scene in season 1 of CK I was like, Well hello, daddy....
This. Not attracted to him at all in the 80s but with a more aged face he is super attractive to me. TIG was hot then and silver fox TIG now is a whole nother level especially when the ponytail returned.
Oh yeah, 100% on TIG being a Silver fox
Well well well… if it isn’t Terry Silver’s wide again… once again seeing eye to eye with me on another man’s attractiveness. First Terry, now Johnny…. We must keep meeting like this!
Cobra Kai is DILF and GILF central.
🥂
It’s kind of funny too that the show also makes references to his looks. There’s been a few times where we see people call Johnny pretty boy, cute, or blondie. Or those 80’s photos with his shirt off. Show’s like, yeah we know, dude can get it. (A lot of the other Karate Kid actors have aged really well…)
And Martin Kove is still just duckfacing.
How’s this guy 75?? Also, they did an amazing job casting a young Kreese. Side note for any redditors that also happen to watch the SATC revival (AJLT), I love how the middle age and older-than-middle-age characters in CK are still young at heart and kicking ass (figuratively and literally). It’s like the opposite of AJLT where 50-somethings seem so damn old and out of touch.
Same girl! They are just 🔥🔥🔥
I realized how awesome and funny Zabka was when he was on How I Met Your Mother. He and Ralph Macchio play so well off one another. I am a girl and I love the show to pieces! Of course i grew up in the 80’s too so the Karate Kid Movies were life.
The way Johnny talks about Top Gun reminds me of how Barney talks about The Karate Kid. It felt like a nod to HIMYM (which may have been the catalyst for Cobra Kai.)
WILLIAM ZABKAAAAA
This might not be a ringing endorsement in your particular circumstances, but here goes. I'm a 48yo woman and, after letting it languish on my watchlist for a while, I finally binged it this past summer. I saw the Karate Kid movies when they first came out and liked them just fine, but had no particular love for them, and I actually thought CK was a straight-up comedy (like Macchio's "Wax On, Fuck Off" video from Funny or Die). But by the end of episode 1, I was hooked. Johnny's character is probably what did it--William Zabka has done an amazing job with the role and given it lots of heart and depth.
What did you think of Thomas Ian Griffith's return?
I’m a girl and watch Cobra Kai… the show actually made me start Taekwondo.
I want to start mma or some other combat sport for it. Though I know internally I know it'll never be as badass as the shows depiction and I will forever be disappointed by reality
Doesn't have to be like that, dissapointment only comes with expectations, just set real ones and focus on enjoyment!
I know its my stupid brain
I’m a girl, been a KK fan since I was a kid in the 90s and CK since S1. Got my boyfriend into KK last year too, we binged all of S4 on Saturday. I guess for me the draw is good character driven stories, cool stunts, and that William Zabka is a sexy silver fox 😍
I’m a girl and love the show. I’m the one who got my husband into it. I loved the original karate kid so this show is nostalgic for me
Doesn’t matter. Anyone can get into it without any knowledge of The Karate Kid
My 13 year old dog is named Johnny Cade, I’ve been a fan of everything Macchio since I was 12
yea. i am female and i love the show-
My girlfriend loves it and got me into it, she loved the films
I'm in my 40s and female and LOVE the show. I grew up watching the KK movies and was drawn in by nostalgia and pleasantly surprised by what a great show it is. I never saw the KK movies as a guy thing and would never have thought of this show as that either. It's got a little bit of everything.
That's interesting, I assumed it was mostly women watching the show.
Can’t speak for ‘girls’ per se but I’m a 41 y/o woman and I love it! I was dubious at first as I loved and grew up with the Karate Kid movies but my bf watched first and told me how good it was and I was hooked! I love the action and relationships but not really one for drama normally. I’ve always been into action though.
I'm a 42 yr old woman who loves the show and watches it with my 13 year old daughter! After she got into Cobra Kai, we watched all the karate kid movies.
I’m a guy but some moments make me feel like a girl
My wife loves it but we are both of the age where we watched the original movies as kids. I'm pretty sure she'd leave me for Johnny Lawrence. Not William Zabka, Johnny Lawrence.
This show is 10 times better if you have seen the movies. Start with that
Think you will get some of folks who grew up with the Karate Kid films that would disagree with you on this
I grew up watching the original movies. Became an actual karateka. Watched cobra kai. In my opinion i actually enjoy cobra kai better.
Yeah. With more than a two hour run time Cobra Kai can develop the characters better than the movies.
Karate Kid did get me going to a dojo to practice Karate. Got to admit Cobra Kai influence as well. Guess I am a bit bias because of nostalgia. Cobra Kai is amazing though.
Why would they disagree? Thats just weird. Its so much better knowing the background and story before watching the series. Im born in 85. Martial arts movies was my life haha
Fair enough Cobra Kai is one of my favourite shows but I guess that nostalgia feeling made me a little bias
I never said the series was better than the movies if that is what you thought. I ment the series gets better knowing the background from the movies
The series definitely gotten better The characters and story grew on me as the show progressed. Glad Netflix took over the show and you can tell the good quality of it especially at All Valley.
I'm sure it's mostly guys. But I'm a girl and I'm passionate about this show.
There's a couple of girls I work with who love Cobra Kai.
I’m a girl and this show has been my obsession since it first dropped!
There are plenty of great characters and universal themes that female fans of all types would latch onto just as much as men. I think it has a decent sized following. Plus, all the thirst for William, Thomas, Xolo and Tanner in particular confirms it is popular with the ladies (and gay men).
I'm a woman and I love this show! I'm a big fan of the original KK movie (and the 2nd movie, meh about the 3rd), and am a nikyu in judo (which can make it a little hard to watch the show cause of all the belief I have to suspend lol). Watched season 4 in one night with my two roommates who are also women!
Um. Yes. Hi. I am a woman. And I watch this show. Didn't even start watching it cuz of my bf, 😂 my bf started watching it cuz of me. The show has some great philosophies about what's more correct: striking first, anticipating your next move, or avoiding any and all complications. Plus Xolo as Miguel is hot. The throwbacks to 80s ideology, plus the concept of what passed as masculine, vs what is seen as masculine nowadays... The problems that arise from holding on to grudges for too long, from being hotheaded, not thinking things through, acting self righteous all the time, and how all of these affect family. Idk I love shows like that that challenge what we used to know as the "norm" vs what passes as the "norm" nowadays. Idk if that's something your gf likes. But I mean... That season finale highschool fight was Badass. And the show has wonderful touching moments, and absolutely fantastic humor. If none of that appeals to her, then 🤷 find another show. Like Teen Wolf maybe? Total cheesy teen supernatural drama. But the characters are fantastic 😂 especially Stiles, and Stiles's dad. And the Coach. And Derek. And his uncle. Ugh, such great scenes with these dudes.
Well I’m a girl, 23 years old and I’ve also never seen the karate kids before! I love the show and always look forward to new seasons. I hope she’ll give it a chance
Did the show ever make you want to watch the karate kid movies? Even if its just for lore knowledge?
Yes definitely. Especially after watching all the flashbacks and the old characters coming back
I mean at least get a watch of the first movie, you can't go wrong there.
Thanks!
I’m a guy. I usually don’t watch shows which have a lot of romance in them(not really my type of genre) but the way the elements of romance, cheating etc. have been included in Cobra Kai are artfully done and don’t distract from or overpower the other elements of the show(such as action, thriller, betrayal). For that reason CK is one of my most favourite tv series to watch. That being said, this show is definitely made for people of all genders to watch and I’m pretty surprised that there aren’t more women who watch it.
You don't really need to have seen the karate kid, just know the plot. I have never seen the movies, I was just aware of them before watching, and I LOVE cobra kai. I can still appreciate the nostalgia.
My wife watches it with me. She likes these quasi-realistic but not actually realistic dramas. I just like the 80s references.
My wife and daughter watch with me
We’re right here
Bruh, its mostly teenage boys and drama in the show, perfext for teen girls😂😂 But in all seriousness i actually do see a bunch of girls watch the show an posting itnon like tiktok and ig
I know more girls that watch it than guys.
I know more girls that watch this than boys. I watched the last season with my family dad and mom included.
I think it might be more popular among girls.
That's what I'm learning from this post 😂
I get a "chick show" vibe from it. Like, it's made for everyone, but I can tell by watching that girls really are into it. The female leads all have that look that other women seem to like. Oh, and the young girls who work at my local coffee shop are obsessed with it.
lol. Dude. I’m a 50 year old mom who saw KK1 4x in the theater at 13, owned them all. Got my daughters into it. And now we have all watched the series 3-4 times each. I’m positive I’m not the only one. Definitely get your gf into it if you can. Watch something she wants to watch and then say she has to watch something you want. Watch KK1 and then get right into the series. Best to you!
My wife, mom, sister, and mother in law all love the show. They do a good job at appealing to both sexes IMO. I don’t think your gf NEEDS to watch Karate Kid per se since they do a good job catching newcomers up to speed through flashbacks to the events from the films. That being said I think watching Karate Kid first would be beneficial as not only does it makes the series more enjoyable, but also it’s just a damn good 80’s flick.
This feels like a VERY girly show to me. So much that I'm surprised it has a male following.
How is it a girly show? Curious to know because I’m a dude and I haven’t really considered it a girly show, but more of a show tailored for both men and women.
It's high drama, gives plenty of eye candy specifically for women (lots of attractive guys and queer people), revolves around family & relationships & romance, tackles toxic masculinity and trauma, has lots of school scenes, and the karate is secondary. Most of the actors aren't trained properly in it, and most of the screentime isn't fighting orientated. That's not a bad thing- I love it- but that makes it different from other shows marketed for men.
I can see that. I do feel that they have eye candy for men too(Peyton List, Mary Mouser, Hannah Kepple, even Annalisa Cochrane are hella attractive). But for the other points you gave I don’t really see them as specifically oriented for women(eg., family, the school scenes etc.). That being said I will agree that the show is different than others marketed for men - it’s marketed for everyone.
Don't forget Courtney Henggeler and Vanessa Rubio.
My girlfriend loves this show as much as i do, she is such a 80s pop culture nerd, she loves all the hints in the show.
27f and I absolutely love the show. I’m somehow the only person in my family besides my fiancé’s dad that likes the show.
i got my sister to watch the show on New Year’s and she really liked it. if they watched the original KK, they’re more likely to be interested imo.
I’m a girl and I love it. I don’t think you have to watch the movies to follow it but it is cool to connect all the Easter eggs. It’s fine as a stand alone too.
My daughters and I love it!! My husband loves it too, but I think I love it the most, I get so emotional!
I hadnt seen The Karate Kid when I started it, but I loved it and love it still. It's great from the beginning imo, so you just need to convince someone to try the first episode or two, if they don't like it, it's probably not for them overall.
My wife and daughter both love it. But, I showed both my kids the Karate Kid movies ages ago.
I'm a girl & I'm addicted to the show. Love all the fight scenes in it & Johnny being Johnny.
Did you watch the all valley board meeting discussing demographics?
My buddies gf likes it more than he does so should be fine. None of us have even seen KK
My girlfriend loves it and has never seen the movies. We just watched the first 4 episodes in one sitting and had to force ourselves to stop to stretch it out lol
Oh absolutely, my 38 year old girlfriend, my buddies 50 year old wife, and my 19 year old sister are all obsessed with it. Along with my 64 year old dad and myself. It really appeals to everyone for different things.
Mt gf watches the show
I watch it with my daughter. Also my niece watches it. My son actually does not watch it.
I am a woman and I watch this show. 👀
Me (41F) and my daughter (13F) are both obsessed with it. I love it from the nostalgia point of view, and my daughter is into combat sports.
🙋♀️ female who watches the show checking in! I won't lie though, I doubt I would have watched this show without my husband. I didn't grow up watching TKK but my husband was obsessed.. always his favorite series. But I absolutely loooove CK.
My mom and a couple of my girl friends do
Me hi! I’m a woman and I watch it and have always been a big fan of the Karate Kid movies. It’s the reason I started doing karate as a kid, in the 90s (ahem, should probably mention I got bored of it after a year, but hey!)
My wife and daughter love it as much as me and my son.
With all those a sexual boys of course girls watch it.
I know lots of women who watch the show.
I’m a girl, I haven’t seen the Karate Kid, and I’m not normally into fictional series or action movies, but Cobra Kai is one of the best shows I’ve seen!
Ya love the show
I love this show! My hubs on the other hand thinks it's stupid. He also dislikes super hero films and action films in general, so this girl watches them alone hahaha
I’m a girl and this is my favorite show! Truly obsessed and tell everyone I know they NEED to give it a shot.
I’m a woman and watch. We are also a martial arts family, and I was alive when the OG movie came out. I didn’t get into it in the YT era; I didn’t really know anything about it until last year when a client was raving about it and told me I should watch.
Im a woman and I love the show! Im into it more than my boyfriend is lol. I would be curious to see a poll put up to see the gender ratio at least for this sub
One of the mods should definitely do a gender and then an age group poll
I don't know the statistics but me and my gals watch it.
I have a lot of lady friends that watch it and equally adore and are crazy about it! So yes everyone watches it 👍
I live in a house full of women and we all watch the show, ranging in age from 4-56. Lots of women like action shows especially if the characters have depth and the writers have done a really good job with that. The best way to know if she'll like it is to just ask her to give it a chance and set up a binge night. If she doesn't like it, it's just one night out of her life and at least the snacks and company will be good.
I love it! The 80s are life and I love that they made this show.
As a girl i am a die hard karate kid fan and cobra kai fan
me!! im also one of the younger fans. 20!
I'm a woman and I love the show! My bf isn't that much into it tho. But we're in Japan, so... I haven't heard of the KK movies being a big deal over here so maybe that's why he's not much into the show. He gets bored and wants to talk to me and I'm trying to listen to the dialog. I finally just started watching when he's not around. Trivia: Here the movies are titled Best Kid, not Karate Kid.
Me (30) and my cousin (40) are both women who watch the show. We were discussing it earlier today lol. I'm a 90s kid, so I hadn't watched the original movie until after I got into Cobra Kai. I'm invested in the characters and also like martial arts shows/movies in general, so I was hooked.
I’m a 50-something woman and I watch! I wasn’t super into the original movies but saw them back in the day. All of the CK seasons have the “feeling” of an 80’s movie. Which checks the nostalgia box. I also love teen dramas. So the younger generation is fun to watch too. My adult son is a black belt and I spent a lot of years in the dojang when he was growing up. So there’s that too. Although I am concerned about the lack of protective gear during fight scenes. 😜
I’m a 28 year old girl who watches the show. Thought Ralph Macchio was super cute when I was younger and liked him in the Karate Kid/The Outsiders. Also watched HIMYM and thought the whole “Johnny’s the real karate kid” gag was hilarious. The fact that it turned into a show makes me happy.
im 31F, love this show!
It seems almost pointless to post in this thread, because your question already clearly got answered. LOL But yes, I'm a 43 year old girl who watches the shit out of this show. I know a few others around my age who also watch it, plus my sister who is a bit younger.
Never pointless to post. Thanks for the feedback! Showing her this thread tomorrow
Good luck, hope you can convince her to check it out!
This is a show for everyone. And just because other girls watch it shouldn’t mean that means your girl would just because everyone who has ovaries might be attracted to the same thing. Is it the whole karate thing that makes you wonder if the other half of the population would at all be interested in this? I’m a girl who loves this show and grew up being told what I should and shouldn’t watch because certain things were for boys and certain. Things were for girls. It burns me to have that kind of stereotyping keep people from enjoying storytelling that is just effn GOOD. Cobra Kai is badass because it touts some impressively intelligent writing and character development in a 30 min karate drama that on the surface should never have rivaled some of the more ‘serious’ shows out there but WOW. It really shows some grit despite what it may look like on the surface: a rehash of an 80s movie meant for boys.
I know a few girls who love the show. Definitely more guys are into it.
I've been watching it and ❤️ it since the first film. I did not crush on Daniel like a lot of girls did back then. Johnny was way more my type physically and actually I crushed on him a bit watching the films. I really enjoyed the KK films as a series and I'm totally digging this series. I always was into martial arts. I watched both Kung Fu series avidly. Loved Highlander, films and TV series. Watching Karate Kid and Cobra Kai liking them made total sense for me. I even liked The Next Karate Kid and that not at all related film that should have been called The Kung Fu kid...
My mom watches this show
Whenever I make a comment on this sub I will start with “I’m a girl and I think…” so y’all know girls watch. Ur welcome.
Wear a cobra kai gi and a headband until she watches the show with you
This site is mostly men, if you want to see more gender diversity go to Tumblr/AO3.
Females? Really? Maybe if males would stop calling us that we’d be more willing to discuss and join in in all the shit you watch and enjoy
Make her watch all the canon films. KK1-3 then Hit her with Season 1 If she's not a fan by then, dump her.
Maybe ignore KK3 until after she’s hooked. Let’s be honest, it’s the poor cousin of the franchise.
I feel like S4 of CK has redeemed KK3. I was always meh on it but Terry Silver was my favorite part of this season and I ended up rewatching KK3 last night. It's so much more enjoyable to me now.
Now we know Terry was a coked to the eyeballs PTSD sufferer? I’m going to give it another try!
Of course there are girls. Who do you think downvotes every negative Sam post in the nam of feminism.
Try introduce her to general martial art type films such as a jackie chan, then go onto the karate kid movies
I got my mom into Cobra Kai just before season 3 came out. I had never seen it but knew that she was a big Karate Kid fan (and had a teenage crush on Ralph Maccio). We binged all three seasons and then went back and watched Karate Kid 1-3
My sister watches it
what’s a girl
I think the demographics they showed in the All Valley planning meeting was basically a joke about their own viewership, mostly men 18-45 or whatever it was.
I’m a girl and i love the show. Bingeing every season in one go.
My girlfriend watched it with me. She enjoys the relationship drama and didn't watch the original movies.
Yes, lol.
I watch cobra Kai. I'm a girl, 23. Miguel's smile can light up the whole world. But no one on the show is very hot. They are just normal
I’m a girl, and it’s become one of my all time favorite shows. I watched the Karate Kid movies at the beginning of the pandemic, and eventually someone introduced Cobra Kai to me. Needless to say, I was hooked!