And now Cobra Kai is a threat because of its "whiteness"

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A number of critics have taken notice of the series’ whiteness as well: Salon culture senior editor Hanh Nguyen, who has been critical of the series in the past, told The Times that “the only main character of color who has any sort of interiority is Miguel.” “Danny LaRusso, Italian kid from Jersey,” as Vanity Fair’s Sonia Saraiya put it about the first two seasons, “is the most Japanese character on this show.”

As Times TV critic Lorraine Ali writes, “Cobra Kai” has successfully mined laughs and pathos from Johnny’s transformation through his proximity to an immigrant family. It’s also scrutinized how Kreese’s brand of karate perpetuates a cycle of militant toxic masculinity. But it has been slow to explore Daniel’s own blind spots beyond a moment of clueless “sushi-splaining” and his bewilderment that his karate-chopping commercials might be seen as cultural appropriation.

“The thing I’d like to see them do is to go beyond this suburban idyllic space, this white pocket dimension, more deeply,” said writer and podcaster Jeff Yang, who has covered the series for Quartz. “What if they actually did encounter people who embraced martial arts not just to overcome bullying, but because it’s part of a larger tradition that exists within people of color communities?”

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