I’ve joined in for the A to Z challenge this year which runs from April 1st to the 30th. My choice of theme is Music from Favorite Films. I’ll be sharing the songs in order of film title and will write a little about my thoughts on the movie as well.

Anyone a Karate Kid fan? I grew up watching the movies and have been a fan since the very beginning. Believe it or not, there isn’t one Karate Kid film that I haven’t enjoyed, even the newer remakes with Hilary Swank and Jaden Smith. Nothing beats the originals though.

In Karate Kid II, Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita) returns to Okinawa because his father is dying. He agrees to take Daniel (Ralph Macchio) with him not knowing that trouble awaits upon their arrival with Miyagi’s former best friend Sato and his cronies. Mr. Miyagi is reunited with a past love, Yukie, and Daniel falls in love all over again with Yukie’s niece, Kumiko. Everyone struggles to make peace with Sato while Daniel runs into trouble with Sato’s nephew.

This second film is beautiful with interesting additional characters and an all new plot. It was nice to learn more about Mr. Miyagi’s past and why he left Okinawa in the first place. I’ll never stop loving Mr. Miyagi with all of his life lessons.

Daniel-san, never put passion before principle. Even if win, you lose.

Overall, this is an excellent follow up to the first film.

Fun fact: Although the Karate Kid II setting takes place in Okinawa, Japan, the movie was actually filmed in Oahu, Hawaii.

---

My music choice for Karate Kid II is “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera.

Link: https://youtu.be/ySmqm2Iik48

Lyrics:

Tonight it’s very clear
‘Cause we’re both lying here
There’s so many things I wanna say
I will always love you
I would never leave you alone

Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying
I don’t wanna lose you
I could never make it alone

I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero you’re dreaming of
We’ll live forever
Knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love

You keep me standing tall
You help me through it all
I’m always strong when you’re beside me
I have always needed you
I could never make it alone

I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero
You’ve been dreaming of
We’ll live forever
Knowing together that we did it all
For the glory of love

It’s like a knight in shining armor
From a long time ago
Just in time I will save the day
Take you to my castle far away

I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero that you’re dreaming of
We’re gonna live forever
Knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love

We’ll live forever
Knowing together
That we did it all for the glory of love

We did it all for love
We did it all for love
We did it all for love
We did it all for love

---

Cobra Kai

Some of the original cast from Karate Kid is back in the new YouTubeRed original series: Cobra Kai. When this series came out last year I about flipped and couldn’t wait to watch it. My husband and I binged every episode in one day. Luckily, he liked it (or at least had fun watching it because of all my enthusiasm).

This series takes place 34 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is now a successful car salesman and has a beautiful family, while Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) struggles with his job and has become quite a drinker. He’s still bitter toward Daniel and quite jealous of his success. He decides to open up his own Cobra Kai dojo to help out some bullied kids in the local school. Daniel doesn’t like the idea because Johnny’s teaching kids the wrong way to use karate, like his old sensei (John Kreese).

Johnny has a teenage son (Robby) that he isn’t close with who surprisingly ends up working with Daniel. By the end of the first season, Daniel plans to do some karate teaching of his own and the rivalry with Johnny continues.

This is a comedy-drama that I find hilarious. I love how the characters have evolved into adults but they’re still so much like they were 30+ years ago in the original films. Daniel struggles without Mr. Miyagi but he still has that sweet-hearted personality, while Johnny really hasn’t changed much and seems to be stuck in the 80s.

Cobra Kai has an outstanding music line up consisting of mostly 70s and 80s music with some newer artists mixed in as well. My choice from season 1 is: “Don’t Look Back” by Boston. This song is used during a clip of Johnny as a young boy when he first discovers Cobra Kai.

Link: Boston – https://youtu.be/2HuiH-0R6a0

Lyrics:

Don’t look back
A new day is breakin’
It’s been too long since I felt this way
I don’t mind where I get taken
The road is callin’
Today is the day

I can see
It took so long just to realize
I’m much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I’ll turn it around (Oh, yes I will)

I finally see the dawn arrivin’
I see beyond the road I’m drivin’

It’s a bright horizon and I’m awake now
Oh I see myself in a brand new way
The sun is shinin’
The clouds are breakin’
‘Cause I can’t lose now, there’s no game to play

I can tell
There’s no more time left to criticize
I’ve seen what I could not recognize
Everything in my life was leading me on
But I can be strong (Oh, yes I can)

I finally see the dawn arrivin’
I see beyond the road I’m drivin’
Far away and left behind (left behind)

Oh, the sun is shinin’
And I’m on that road

Don’t look back
A new day is breakin’
It’s been too long since I felt this way
I don’t mind where I get taken
The road is callin’
Today is the day

I can see
It took so long just to realize
I’m much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I’ll turn it around (Oh, yes I will)

I finally see the dawn arrivin’
I see beyond the road I’m drivin’
Far away and left behind

Don’t look back
Don’t look back
Don’t look back
Don’t look back

---

Image sources:

• http://www.cosmicbooknews.com
• http://www.fanpop.com
• http://www.imdb.com
• http://www.thewrap.com

---

Thanks for checking out the A to Z Challenge. Do you like Karate Kid or Cobra Kai? Are you doing this challenge? Feel free to leave your thoughts below.

❤ Mischenko