Summary
One of the main cast members ofCobra Kaigot candid on how his favorite anime influenced his character. He admitted that he ripped a line from the dub and delivered it in martial arts comedy-drama.
Cobra Kaihas been successful and has attained high viewership onNetflixand YouTube. Fans loved the show due to its witty writing, performances, action sequences and humor. It is evident in the show’s longevity after being renewed for six seasons. The sixth and final season is still ongoing. One of the stars revisited a scene in Season 2 where he incorporated his love for anime into the series.
Jacob Bertrand, who playsEli “Hawk” Moskowitz, revisited a scene inCobra KaiSeason 2 where he ripped a line from his favorite anime. Bertrand said it was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, so fans might have missed it. Bertrand revisited the scene to remind fans about it. He toldGamesRadarthe line was from Bakugo fromMy Hero Academiaand he was reading the manga and watching the anime as it was coming out at the time. Bertrand was so into it that he exclaimed Bakugo’s line in one scene. He said, “And when we’re in the school fight, I’m searching for Demetri, I scream out at him. I’m like, Demetri, ‘I know you’re in here. You damn nerd.’ That’s just ripped straight from the dub ofMy Hero. Especially how I even say ‘damn nerd.’ I just was like, I’m gonna be Bakugo. And I didn’t tell the writers and they were like, ‘this is perfect.’ I was like, ‘hell yeah, it’s perfect.'”
Bertrand was talking about a scene inCobra KaiSeason 2, episode 10. In the episode, a brawl breaks out among students in the hallway. Tory Nichols (Peyton List) came after Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) for kissing Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) and what was supposed to be a girl fight escalated into an all-out war between Cobra Kai and Miyagi-do.Hawk, who is still in his villain arc, joins in. He later finds Demetri, who initially refuses to fight and runs away from him. However, Hawk chases and taunts him as he hides in one of the open rooms. “Demetri, I know you’re in here hiding in the computer lab, you damn nerd,” Hawk says. In theMy Hero Academia, Bakugo often refers to his enemy-turned-best friend Izuku as a “nerd” or “damn nerd.”
Animes have inspired several Hollywood movies, such asGhost in the Shell,Rurouni Kenshin, Kingdom, Bleach,One Piece, and Death Note, to name a few. Bertrand admitting his fondness for Japanese animated series and manga showed he was among the millions of people who love the same genre. Anime characters are easy to love because of the way they act, dress, and talk. They are also characterized by their desirable traits. They are confident, determined, and have impressive fighting spirits, making them stand out as bold heroes to save the day. Anime is targeted toward teens and younger audiences as it highlights a youthful hero or team of heroes who save the world from evil people, who are usually older and wiser but bitter and have jaded perspectives on life. They bring hope and resonate with people who are optimistic and have a can-do attitude.
Cobra KaiSeason 6 premiered on Jun 07, 2025, and a second part will be released on November 15. The third and final part will be out in 2025.
