The Gray Ghosts

Mr. Miyagi has traced the shrine down to the coast of Norway, where a whale has swallowed the shrine and begins to attack illegal whaling ships.

Daniel, Miyagi Yakuga, Taki, Boom-Boom Burmese

The film gave birth to three movie sequels and more quotable lines than possibly any other movie of the decade ("Wax on, wax off," "Strike first, strike hard, no mercy, sir!" and the list goes on...) And is there a human being alive who, when standing on any post-like object, doesn't immediately raise his or her leg and arms into the powerful crane position? "If do right, no can defend..."

Hoping to build from the franchise's popularity, DIC productions premiered an animated Karate Kid on NBC's 1989 Saturday morning schedule. The show retained apprentice Daniel Larusso and his mentor Mr. Miyagi, but abandoned the karate tournament motif for an adventure/quest setting. A miniature shrine with healing powers had been taken from its resting place on Okinawa, and it was up to Miyagi and Daniel to recover it. Together with Okinawan girl Taki, the karatekas searched the globe and, naturally, encountered several opportunities to chop and kick their way out of trouble.

Unfortunately, the show came on the tail end of the franchise's popularity, lacking the fan base necessary to overcome heavyweight opposition from Pee-Wee's Playhouse on CBS and Slimer! and The Real Ghostbusters on ABC. After thirteen episodes, it was "sayonara" for Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-San.