''The Karate Kid'' is a 1989 American animated

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

which debuted on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's Saturday morning lineup. It starred Joey Dedio, Robert Ito, and

Janice Kawaye Janice Hiromi Kawaye (born April 4, 1970) is an American voice actress known for her roles as Gi in '' Captain Planet and the Planeteers'', Jenny Wakeman/XJ-9 in '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'', Ami Onuki in '' Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi'', Kim and Kam ...

. It is based on the '' Karate Kid'' series of films, and was produced by

DIC Enterprises DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions, sometimes stylized as DİC) was a French American film and television production company that ...

Saban Entertainment BVS Entertainment, Inc., previously known as Saban Productions, Saban Entertainment and Saban International, is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. Founded on April 24, 1980, as a music production company by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, it ...

and

Columbia Pictures Television Columbia Pictures Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CPT) was launched on May 6, 1974, by Columbia Pictures as an American television production and distribution company. It is the second name of Columbia Pictures' television division Screen Gems ...

. The show was originally planned for daily syndication for fall 1988 with 65 episodes, before eventually settling on a 13-episode order for NBC Saturday mornings in 1989.

Overview

The show retains apprentice Daniel LaRusso (voiced by Joey Dedio) and his mentor

Mr. Miyagi Nariyoshi Keisuke Miyagi, better known as Mr. Miyagi, is a fictional character of Robert Mark Kamen's ''The Karate Kid'' franchise, appearing in ''The Karate Kid'' (1984), ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986), ''The Karate Kid Part III'' (1989), and ...

(voiced by Robert Ito) but abandons the karate tournament motif for an adventure/quest setting. A miniature

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

with magic powers is taken from its resting place on

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

, and it is up to Miyagi and Daniel to recover it. Together with Okinawan girl Taki Tamurai (voiced by

), the karatekas search the globe and, naturally, encounter several opportunities to fight their way out of trouble.

Pat Morita Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (June 28, 1932 – November 24, 2005) was an American actor and comedian. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, before becoming known to television audiences for his recurring role as diner owner Matsuo "Arnold" Takah ...

reprised his role as Mr. Miyagi before the opening through a narration in which he explains the episode's plot from his character's point of view. Morita provided opening narration for every episode aside from episode 8.

Episode formula

The episodes typically follow a similar formula: Mr. Miyagi obtains a lead on the shrine's location in some exotic corner of the world. Daniel and Taki follow up on it, and in the process encounter some villains who have either obtained or are seeking to obtain the shrine for their own evil purposes. After engaging and defeating the villains, Daniel comes within a hair's breadth of retrieving the shrine, only to have it escape from his grasp by random chance (for example, drifting away after being tied to a bunch of balloons, or being swept into the ocean), thus ensuring that the search continues into the next episode.

Syndication

The show was available for purchase on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

, and could be streamed for free in the U.S. on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

, The Minisode Network, and Crackle. As of May 2018, the show was no longer available on iTunes, Netflix, or Hulu. The show is currently available for purchase on

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...

. In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, the series can be streamed online via CTV's "CTV Throwback"

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

service.

Episodes

Cast

* Joey Dedio as

Daniel LaRusso Daniel LaRusso is a fictional character and the main protagonist of ''The Karate Kid (franchise), The Karate Kid'' media franchise portrayed by Ralph Macchio. He was created by American screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen. Daniel is introduced as the ...

* Robert Ito as

as Taki Tamurai

Additional voices

Charlie Adler Charles Michael Adler (born October 2, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director. He is known for his roles as Buster Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', the Bigheads on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', Ickis on ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters'', Doc ...

James Avery James La Rue Avery (November 27, 1945 – December 31, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Philip Banks in ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', Judge Michael Conover on ''L.A. Law'', Steve Yeager in '' The Brady Bunch M ...

*Bever-Leigh Banfield * Michael Bell * Bettina Bush * Darleen Carr *

François Chau François Chau (born October 26, 1959) is a Cambodian and American actor. He is known for his roles as Dr. Pierre Chang in ABC's '' Lost'', Quick Kick on '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', Dr. Chang in the film '' 21 & Over'', Shredder in '' ...

Cam Clarke Cam Clarke is an American voice actor, known for his work in animation, video games, and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 ...

Townsend Coleman Townsend Putnam Coleman III (born May 28, 1954) is an American voice actor who has performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s. Among his most notable roles are Michaelangelo from ''Teenage Mutant Ninja ...

Danny Cooksey Daniel Ray Allen Cooksey Jr. (born November 2, 1975) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in television shows, such as ''Diff'rent Strokes'' (during the final three seasons), '' The Cavanaughs'', ''Xiaolin Showdown'', ...

Brian Cummings Brian Douglas Cummings is an American voice actor. He is known for his work in commercials, television and motion picture promos, cartoons and as the announcer on '' The All-New Let's Make a Deal'' from 1984 to 1985. Life and career Having begu ...

Jim Cummings James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in over 400 titles. Cummings has frequently worked with the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., serving as the offic ...

* E.G. Daily (uncredited) *

Debi Derryberry Debi Derryberry (''née'' Greenberg; born September 27, 1960) is an American voice actress who has provided voices for a number of animations and video games. She is best known for voicing Jimmy Neutron, the titular protagonist of the Jimmy Neutr ...

*Shawn Donahue *Fernando Escandon *

Ron Feinberg Ronald Aaron Feinberg (October 10, 1932 – January 29, 2005) was an American character and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. Career At 6' 8” the towering Feinberg played the character Fellini, opposite Don Johnson, in the ...

Takayo Fischer Takayo Fischer (née Tsubouchi; born 1932) is an American stage, film and television actress, as well as voice-over actress. Personal life Fischer is the youngest of four daughters of Japanese immigrants Chukuro, a farm laborer, and Kinko Tsubo ...

Linda Gary Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress. Gary was best known for her work in animated series and films, such as providing voices of several female characters in ''He-Man and the Master ...

* Ellen Gerstell *

Ed Gilbert Ed Gilbert (born Edmund Francis Giesbert, June 29, 1931 – May 8, 1999) was an American actor, with extensive credits in both live-action roles and voice work in animation, although he was better known for the latter. He is also credited, under ...

*Salim Grant * Edan Gross *Ernest Harada *

Billie Hayes Billie Armstrong Brosch (August 5, 1924 – April 29, 2021), known professionally as Billie Hayes, was an American television, film, and stage actress, best known for her comic portrayals of Witchiepoo and Li'l Abner's Mammy Yokum. Early ye ...

Dana Hill Dana Hill (born Dana Lynne Goetz; May 6, 1964 – July 15, 1996) was an American actress. She was known for playing Audrey Griswold in '' National Lampoon's European Vacation'', and also known for her roles in ''Shoot the Moon'' and '' Cross Cre ...

* Michael Horton *

Jerry Houser Jerry Houser (born July 14, 1952) is an American former actor. He is best known for his role as Oscar "Oscy" Seltzer in '' Summer of '42'' and its sequel, ''Class of '44'', as Dave "Killer" Carlson in ''Slap Shot,'' and as Wally Logan, the husb ...

Buster Jones Edward Lorenzo "Buster" Jones (December 12, 1943 – September 16, 2014) was an American voice actor and television host. He is known for his roles as Black Vulcan in '' Super Friends'', Blaster in '' The Transformers'', Doc in '' G.I. Joe: A ...

*Dana Lee *

Katie Leigh Katie Leigh is an American voice actress. She has voice acted in both television, film and occasionally video game roles. Career Katie Leigh is known for her voice roles such as Sunni Gummi in '' Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears'', Zuzu in ...

*Kadar Lewis *

Sherry Lynn Sherry Lynn is an American voice actress who has played roles in anime, animated television series and video games. She portrayed Sasami Jurai in the ''Tenchi Muyo!'' franchise. In January 2010, in terms of total film gross, she was the Highest ...

*Mary McDonald-Lewis * Joey Miyashima * Claudette Nevins *Toy Newkirk *Dyana Ortelli *

Rob Paulsen Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Pro ...

* Diane Pershing *

Brock Peters Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''Porgy and Bess'', and Tom Robinson in the 1962 film ''To Kill a Mockingbird ...

Hal Rayle Hal Rayle (born January 3, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has done many roles for both animated series and live action movies. Career Rayle has had a number of voice acting jobs over his career. Rayle's animated series roles include Miss P ...

* Peter Renaday *

Robert Ridgely Robert Ridgely (December 24, 1931 – February 8, 1997) was an American actor, known for both on-camera roles and extensive voice-over work. Early life Ridgely was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. Before becoming an actor, he worked as a cabaret e ...

* Davis Roberts *Josh Rodine *

Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British–born actor. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''G.I. Joe'', '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'', '' Voltron'', a ...

Kath Soucie Kath Soucie (, ). is an American voice actress, known for voicing Phil, Lil and their mother Betty DeVille in '' Rugrats'', Lola Bunny in the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise, Fifi La Fume and Li'l Sneezer in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Maddie Fent ...

* John Stephenson *

Cree Summer Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress and singer. She is best known for her extensive work in animation, voicing characters such as Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and related media, Susie Carmichael ...

Brian Tochi Brian Tochi (born Brian Keith Tochihara) is an American actor. During the late 1960s through much of the 1970s and 1980s, he was one of the most widely seen East Asian child actors working in U.S. television, appearing in various TV series and ...

Tamlyn Tomita Tamlyn Naomi Tomita (born January 27, 1966) is an American actress. She made her screen debut as Kumiko in '' The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986) and reprised the character for the streaming series '' Cobra Kai'' (2021). She is also well known for ...

Marcelo Tubert Marcelo Tubert (born February 11, 1952) is an Argentine-born American actor. Biography Early life and career Born in Córdoba, Argentina, Tubert's mother, Miriam Tubert, is an actress who did a great deal of stage work and had her own children ...

Chick Vennera Francis Vincent Vennera (March 27, 1947 – July 7, 2021) was an American actor, known for his role as Joe Mondragon for Robert Redford's ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1988), among other movies. Vennera voiced Pesto the pigeon for the animated ...

* B.J. Ward *Anthony Watson * R.J. Williams *Anderson Wong *

Keone Young Keone Joseph Young is an American actor. He is best known for his television roles as Dr. Michael Kwan in '' Kay O'Brien'' (1986), Mr. Wu in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and as the dual roles of Judge Robert Chong and Mr. Wan in ''The Young and t ...

Crew

Ginny McSwain Ginny McSwain is an American voice director, voice actress, casting director, and television producer. Life and career McSwain graduated from Stephens College in 1974, before moving to Los Angeles. She has worked as casting director on numerous ...

– Voice Director * Dorothy Middleton - Story editor * Michael Maurer - Story editor

''Cobra Kai'' series

With regard to the series ''

Cobra Kai ''Cobra Kai'' is an American Martial arts film, martial arts comedy drama television series created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It serves as a sequel to the first three ''The K ...

'', Jon Hurwitz clarified that the ''Karate Kid'' series is not canon, but an Easter Egg from it appears in Season 3, in response to the question about the ''Karate Kid'' animated series' official status within the ''Karate Kid'' / ''Cobra Kai'' universe. The Easter Egg is in the form of the Miyagi-Do shrine, briefly seen at

Chozen Toguchi Chozen Toguchi is a fictional character in ''The Karate Kid (franchise), The Karate Kid'' franchise, who appears as the main antagonist of the motion picture ''The Karate Kid Part II'' (1986), and a supporting character (beginning with Cobra Kai ...

's dojo in Okinawa halfway through the season.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karate Kid (TV series), The 1989 American animated television series debuts 1989 American television series endings The Karate Kid (franchise) mass media American martial arts television series Animated television shows based on films Television series by DIC Entertainment Television series by Sony Pictures Television 1980s American animated television series 1980s American children's television series American English-language television shows Television series by Saban Entertainment American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series NBC animated television series